By
Jason Jordan
(JAy jordan2)
This review will be a 2 part series of the Xtreme Racing
XC2 racing chassis for the Clodbuster. Part 1
will be an assembly overview and initial impressions and
Part 2 will be a full race review to be
posted after the Winter Monster Bash at R/C Avenue Raceway
in Bradenville, PA.
Before building this kit, I *HIGHLY* recommend
downloading the pictures of the XC2 on Xtreme's site.
www.xtremercracing.com/X2CPICS.htm
Click on each picture for a full view. Also, I recommend
a ruler or calipers so you can measure the length of the
screws. Some screws are 20 mm and others are 25 mm. If a
20 mm screw is used where a 25 mm screw is called for, the
part may not be assembled properly. These pictures, along
with the manual and buildup tips in this review should make
your assembly of the XC2 much smoother.
Introduction
Xtreme Racing
www.xtremercracing.com
is known for its quality carbon fiber after market chassis
for many different monster trucks such as the Clodbuster,
Tamiya Juggeranut, Tamiya TXT-1, E/T-Maxx and many other kits on the market.
The XC2 is the second clod chassis by Xtreme and is designed
to be a hardcore racer. I have personally raced many different
clod chassis including the ESP Clodzilla II, a home-made
cantilevered clod and more recently a Powers chassis. In
my quest to try to do things differently, I decided to try
out an XC2 as soon as I found out one was available (Thank
you Hua!).
Below is a picture of the completed XC2 chassis (right)
next to a Powers chassis (left).
Initial Impressions
When I got my order in from RC4WD
www.rc4wd.com
, I tore into the box to find a very well packaged kit.
Everything was sealed in a compartmentalized plastic bag
where you can see all the awesome looking carbon fiber parts
as well as all the hardware and instructions for assembly.
**Note**
There had been a hardware problem with the first run of
XC2 kits and Bruce has corrected the problem. See the notice
posted in the Xtreme forum.
A quick e-mail to Bruce at Xtreme racing info@xtremercracing.com
about the mispackaged hardware fixed everything. I give
Bruce an A++ for excellent customer service! Nothing gives
you a good impression about a product as well as a company's
dedication to customer service!!
Assembly Tips
The following sections are meant to compliment the included
assembly manual and should also be used with the assembly
pics on the Xtreme website as stated above. Some important
assembly tips not mentioned in the manual are explained
here.
--Main Chassis
As the instructions state in the first paragraph "This
kit is designed for advanced modelers and may require some
modification to existing or aftermarket parts."
Those that are new and less experienced assembling aftermarket
clod chassis may take a little longer to get this kit assembled.
The main modification is drilling extra mounting holes in
the axle tubes to mount the lower links (which most clod
enthusiasts have already done).
The all the carbon fiber plates are precisely machined from
3mm thick carbon fiber. I was simply amazed at this and
had to measure the plates myself with my digital calipers
to believe it! These plates are BEEFY !!
This translates to a very rigid and light chassis. Other
kits are made from thinner plates. The main chassis is composed
of 6 carbon fiber plates (2 main side chassis plates, battery
mounting plate, electrics mounting plate, 2 top plates).
Most other aftermarket chassis use some sort of round stock
to connect the left and right half of their chassis plates
together. The XC2 approaches this in a very unique way by
use of 8 steel angle brackets.
The following picture shows one half of the chassis:
These brackets are very thin, but are very stiff. In the
pictures it would look like the chassis would buckle because
the brackets are so thin, but in reality, once the chassis
is assembled, it is * very * rigid. Each of the steel brackets
can only be mounted in one direction to each carbon fiber
plate. This means it is impossible to assemble the brackets
backwards. When assembling the upper chassis plates, which
also hold the body mounts, you may notice a gap under the
plate.
Bruce assured me that you can tighten the bolts until the
steel bracket touches the plate. This is what I have done
in my assembly and I have had no problems.
If you want, you can choose to install small washers between
the bracket and plate to take up the gap. The main chassis
assembly goes very quick and should look like this when
you are finished:
--Links
After the main chassis and 4-link mounts are completed
(Steps 1 and 2 in the manual), I recommend assembling the
carbon fiber 4-links before proceeding
to Step 4. This will help speed the final gearbox assembly
later.
Just like the chassis plates, the carbon fiber links are
BEEFY . These beautiful links are light,
rigid and also come with 8-32 threaded ends!
The kit also comes with Heavy Duty (HD) Rocket City ball
ends. Another sign of how durable this kit will be!
Take your time in assembling the links and make sure to
thread each ball end in so the overall length of the links
are exactly the same.
--Gearbox Mounts
Gearbox mounts, also known as upper link mounts, are
fairly straightforward to assemble, but no clear pictures
are shown on "how" they should be assembled. The
instructions are very clear, but for those first timers
I've included some pictures for reference.
Pictured below are the pieces needed for the gearbox/upper
link mounts.
Insert the aluminum mount like so:
Then insert the bottom plate and the mounting screw as shown.
**Note**
You will need a small L allen wrench or a ball end hex wrench
to tighten this screw since access to this screw head is
not straight on.
Once this is assembled, you can assemble the upper links
as described in the manual and it should look like this:
--Axle Shock Mounting Supports
This is a very tedious section of the assembly and also
the most confusing. If your axle tubes don't have 2 holes
for mounting the links, you will need to drill a new lower
hole using the carbon fiber lower shock mount as a template.
The following picture shows all the hardware needed to assemble
one shock support.
**Note**
The 2 screws used in this step which go through the axle
tube are 25 mm screws, * NOT * 20 mm as
shown in the manual.
Hopefully this is corrected for future kits.
I added the washers that will go on the screws before assembly.
These are not included in the kit, but I recommend the use
of them under the screw head to help spread the load under
stress.
After assembly, the shock mount should look like this:
--Steering Links
Before mounting the gearbox, I found it easier to install
the steering servo and rear steering lockout beforehand.
There are many options for mounting the steering servo (bumper
mount, Xtreme mount, axle tube brace). For my race clod,
I opted to use an axle tube brace mounted servo instead
of the included Xtreme mount. I had excellent success with
this in my Powers clod and intended on keeping it. As a
sidenote, the Xtreme mount * will * be on my clod II. Here
is what the Xtreme mount and rear steering lockout look
like from the Xtreme site:
For those that do use an axle tube brace mounted servo,
you will be glad to know the carbon fiber steering links
in this kit fit perfectly!
A simple adjustment of the ball ends and the links fit well.
This is one of the many areas where you can personalize
your clod and adjust the chassis to suit your needs.
All that is left is to mount your gearboxes to the main
chassis and add the shock of your choice. The next section
will discuss shock, battery and ESC mounting as well as
wheelbase adjustments.
Setup Tips
--Shock Mounting
I opted to use 4 Associated Maxx shocks I had laying
around in this chassis. You can use any shock you wish to
finish the assembly. Since the XC2 uses a straight shock
setup, you need to use a lighter shock oil ~10-30 wt. Clods
with cantilever suspensions or link mounted shocks like
the clod IV, TTR Ripper and Powers chassis need heavier
shock oil (40 wt and up) to compensate for the extra leverage
in their suspensions.
In my buildup, I had found some aluminum shock bushings,
which go in the shock cap. Depending on the shock bushing,
you may or may not be able to tilt the shock to the side
to tighten it all the way.
I had to install a small 3 mm spacer in the bottom shock
mount to have proper suspension travel as well as sand my
upper shock bushing.
Again, this may vary between shock brands but pay attention
to shock installation so you have proper shock movement.
In the following picture you can see the many lower shock
mounting options.
The kit instructions recommend mounting the shock in the
lower hole like I have done. Since this is a race clod,
you want the center of gravity as low as possible. There
are also alternate mounting positions for the upper shock
mounts on the chassis so you can experiment with ride height.
--Battery Mounting **Updated 11/17/02**
The XC2 has holes drilled out to accept Associated battery
cups. As the following picture shows you can easily mount
a 7 cell hump pack or just about any hump configuration.
If you plan on using battery cups, you are limited to having
a battery configuration with 6 cells on the bottom.
If you don't use battery cups, you can use just about any
configuration you wish. If the chassis is setup with a very
long wheelbase, you can even use a flat 8 cell pack.
With a standard sideXside 7 cell hump pack where the 7th
cell is on the end, you will need to modify the Associated
battery cups. The battery cup on the left is what the cup
looks like from the package, the cup on the right is a modified
battery cup. On the battery cup where the 7th cell is, you
will need to extend the height of the battery cup using
some sort of plastic post. You only need to extend the posts
on one battery cup. See picture below:
Also notice in the above picture that the sides of the battery
cup have been cut off. You need to cut off the sides of
*both* battery cups so you can have access
to the lower link screws to make any wheelbase adjustments.
Also, one of the battery cups needs the end cut to half
height as shown in the next picture.
This will allow the necessary entry for the hump pack into
the battery compartment.
Here is how the extended end should look like:
--Electrics Mounting
Many own a Novak Super Rooster for their monsters. As
a reference, I have some pictures of the Super Rooster on
the XC2 electrics plate.
Since the electrics plate is very small, you have to carefully
think of how to mount the Super Rooster or similar sized
ESC.
One option would be to mount the ESC on the plate and the
receiver on one of the two upper chassis plates.
In my buildup, I wanted this clod to be a true race clod,
so I opted to install a GM V12 ESC and a Novak XXL receiver.
Here is a comparison picture of these next to a Super Rooster.
Due to the small size of the receiver and ESC, the overall
weight of this clod will be * very * light!
The XXL and V12 can be mounted with room to spare.
--Wheelbase
The XC2 has an adjustable wheelbase and can be adjusted
over an inch. Below is the XC2 next to my long wheelbase
clod 2 and Tamiya TXT-1.
When you build up the XC2 according to the manual, you will
have an ~13" wheelbase, similar to the Tamiya TXT-1. Notice
how the clod 2 has a wheelbase longer than 13".
You can stretch the wheelbase of the XC2 to dwarf even a
long wheelbase clod.
At its maximum wheelbase, the XC2 is slightly longer than
13.5".
Sure the XC2 is a race clod, but the big question everyone
asks of these monsters is "How is the articulation?"
Here is the answer:
Not too bad!
--First Run Driving Impression **Added 11/17/02**
Once I got my battery cups and electrics installed, I headed
out to the front parking lot to have a shakedown run as
I do with all my MT's.
I am running a 7 cell 2500 mAh battery, Novak XXL receiver,
GM V12 ESC, Hitec digital 5625MG steering servo and dual
Reedy Ti 12X3 mod motors custom wound by Big Jim Greenmeyer.
This is my race setup which will be run at the Winter Monster
Bash. After I checked the trims, I aimed the truck down
the lot and gave it full throttle. Talk about FAST!!
One thing I noticed right off the bat about this chassis
is that it doesn't squat very much during takeoff and that
it is *very* stable! It tracked straight as an arrow and
the wavy lot didn't shake the truck from its path. I tried
making some full speed turns to try and flip it and I couldn't!!
Remember, I *don't* have any swaybars on
it, but it handled like it had them on!!!! Steering was
very precise and cutting hard turns barely lifted the tires.
I tried to get the rear end to swing out and just couldn't.
This is a very well mannered chassis and I could tell it
will be an excellent racer!! I even did a few simple jumps
off and on some curbs and the XC2 just ate up anything I
put it though. I give the XC2 an A+ on intital driving impressions.
The next phase will be unforgiving track test at the upcoming
Winter Monster Bash!!
Conclusions for Part 1
To conclude, the buildup of the XC2 is very straightforward
and the quality of the materials used is one of the best
in the business! There are many adjustments that let the
user find the setup which works for them. If I were to build
a racer clod from scratch I would end up with something
very similar to the XC2. This chassis has it all, thick
3 mm chassis plates, thick 4-links, HD ball ends, lightweight
and inline battery mounting! I am looking forward to track
testing the XC2 at the upcoming Winter Monster Bash at R/C
Ave. Raceway in Bradenville, PA to put this clod against
its competitors. Look for Part 2 of my review sometime in
January, which will have a thorough race test against several
of the best MT racers in the country!
I hope that this review/buildup guide will be helpful for
many of you looking for an aftermarket clod chassis to race
with!
JAy
