Review: Team Associated Factory Team T4.2

My first race-level vehicle was Team Associated’s RC10T back in 1991. I remember it well … hard ‘step-pin’ tires, hot 12×2 brushed motors and 7-cell NiCd battery packs. The trucks were a blast to drive and were able to clear enormous gaps or pull wheelies on command. Jump forward to 2013 and the venerable 10T is still around in its fourth generation form, all boxed up with a top-of-the-line Factory Team treatment. I was oozing with excitement when this truck hit my desk…I could hardly wait to see how far this truck has progressed in 22 years.

AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Team Associated
WHO IT’S FOR: Beginner to advanced racers
PART NO.: 7025
HOW MUCH: $279.99
BUILD TYPE: Kit

FACTS
• The chassis of the T4.2 FT is unchanged from the previous model; however, it still remains the solid backbone of the truck. Its slanted, molded design allows the truck to corner hard without touching down and it has ample room for any size electronics.

• AE’s 12mm, big bore shocks are standard equipment on the T4.2. Coated with hard-anodizing, these dampers should continue to be smooth for a long time. AE has also included a full set of TiN “Gold” 3mm shocks shafts.

• Helping to handle the monster power of today’s brushless systems, the T4.2 comes equipped with the VTS slipper setup. This Variable Torque, multi-plate slipper uses three drive surfaces to help control wheelspin and protect the transmission from failure. This slipper is by far one of the strongest points of this truck.

• Earning the Factory Team designation doesn’t just mean a few tidbits of blue, it means adding parts that help with performance as well as durability. The T4.2 FT gets lots of blue goodies, including an aluminum front hinge pin brace, aluminum servo mounts, aluminum battery thumb screws (and carbon fiber battery strap), aluminum wheel hexes, aluminum rear hubs, milled aluminum motor plate and full aluminum steering system. You also get AE’s fantastic rear CVAs, rear ballast weight, titanium turnbuckles and lightweight differential outdrives.

• Team Associated has once again teamed up with Pro-Line and added one of their Bulldog bodies in the kit. This is a far cry from the bodies of yesteryear, but their addition has radically increased the performance of this stadium truck. I had Larry Genova of Kustom RC Graphics squirt on a custom design with lots or orange…I think the final result came out awesome!

PROS
+ Based on the multiple-ROAR National Championship winning platform
+ Includes AE’s 12mm, Big Bore hard-anodized aluminum shocks
+ Variable Torque Slipper (VTS) is standard equipment
+ Hex front wheel adapters allow you to use the same wheels front and rear
+ Includes Pro-Lines Bulldog ST body
+ Lots of FT blue included – front hinge pin brace, servo mounts, steering system, rear hubs, thumbscrews and motor plate
+ Rear aluminum hubs use over sized outer bearings to handle more load
+ Lightweight outdrives on each side of the ball differential
+ CVA drives

CONS
– Ballcups are extremely fragile

ON THE TRACK
We took a ride to Wolcott Raceway on a really chilly morning for some track time. Even with the cold air and slightly moist track, it had a tremendous amount of grip. There was also a good level of difficulty to the layout; long sweeper, a couple of double jumps on each side as well as a large triple jump in the center. We’d have plenty of track to test the limits of the T4.2 FT.

STEERING: NEUTRAL
AE vehicles have always been known for their aggressive steering and the T4.2 FT was no exception. Light inputs are really all it takes to get you through the corners as the truck exhibits great rotation. Too much input might have you swapping ends, but for the most part the rear suspension setup and Pro-Line tires kept it firmly planted.

ACCELERATION: EXCELLENT
I fi nd it hard to give an excellent rating to 2WD trucks simply because they’re 2WD trucks. Acceleration is always limited, but not so much with the T4.2 FT. The box stock setup was absolutely spot-on and this truck has amazing forward grip. There is a little bit of push when exiting the corner, but that’s to be expected with this type of chassis layout. Once the truck has squared up, it’s like it is being shot from a cannon. I would give most of the credit to the combination of the Pro-Line kicks and the VTS slipper system; set up properly, it can tame even the big 7.5T Reedy power I had in it.

BRAKING: VERY GOOD
The LRP/Reedy combo provides an excellent braking system in any vehicle you drop it in. In a 2WD truck, you’ll want to master the art of rolling on the brakes. This will provide smoother braking and better control while entering the corners. If you’re a ‘slapping the brakes’ type of person, you’ll want to turn them down a bit (on your transmitter) to help maintain control when entering a corner.

SUSPENSION: EXCELLENT
The suspension on the T4.2 FT is already top-notch, but the addition of the big bore shocks has really taken it to the next level. The build is simple, they are incredibly smooth and, I know this is so cliché, but the truck really did handle like it was on rails. Through the sweeper, over the small ripple section and even landing off the jumps, this suspension was the absolute focus of this truck. Don’t worry if you build yours and it’s not handling like you want it to. The T4.2 FT has gobs of adjustments, everything from toe, shock angles, roll centers, caster, camber – you name it, the T4.2 FT has it.

JUMPING: EXCELLENT
One of the things I like most about trucks is the way they jump. A truck flies gracefully through the air like a buggy but has the solid ‘thump’-like landing of a short course. While it does mimic a SC truck in size, one of its main benefits is the design of the body. It sits tight to the chassis so very little air gets under it, a symptom known to SC drivers as kiting. This lack of under-body air allows the truck to fl y extremely level, making flight and landings an uneventful talk.

DURABILITY: VERY GOOD
Everything about the T4.2 FT is solid. Most the parts attach to the chassis do so with strong, 5-40-sized screws. The shock towers are thick as are the suspension arms and steering components. The addition of the aluminum steering and rear hubs also add to the durability, so it’s not surprise that I have nothing negative to say about the truck in this category…other than perhaps one of the smallest parts on the truck. Twice during our test session we had issues with the ballcups shattering, something that should not be a failing part in a Factory Team-level truck. AE says a new batch of ballcups has been molded up and this should no longer be an issue, but unfortunately it was for me.

SPECS & TUNING OPTIONS
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 15.3 in. (390mm)
WIDTH: 12.4 in. (316mm)
WHEELBASE: 11.3 in. (288mm)
WEIGHT: 3.9 lbs. (1756g)

BODY, WHEELS AND TIRES
BODY: Clear Pro-Line Bulldog
WHEELS: White 2.2-inch dish-style
WHEEL ADAPTER TYPE: 12mm
TIRES: Not included

SUSPENSION
TYPE: 4-wheel independent
SHOCK POSITIONS: (F) 3-tower, 2-arm, (R) 3-tower, 2-arm
CAMBER: Adjustable turnbuckles
ROLL: Adjustable ball heights
RIDE HEIGHT: Threaded shocks
MISC: NA

STEERING
TYPE: Dual bell crank
TOE: Adjustable turnbuckles

CHASSIS
TYPE: Tub design
Material: Molded composite
THICKNESS: N/A

DRIVETRAIN
TYPE: 2WD
TRANSMISSION: 3-gear

WRAP UP
The T4.2 FT has been one of the funnest reviews I’ve done. I’m not just saying that because of my history with AE or because a version of this truck was my first race-level vehicle, I’m stating this mainly because it was that much fun to drive. It may not be this awesome on every track (however, I’m willing to bet it can be), but on this day, on this track and with this setup it was phenomenal. Simple as that.

LINKS
Futaba futaba-rc.com, 217-398-8970
Kustom RC Graphics kustomrcgraphics.com
LRP lrp-america.com, 949-276-6060
Pro-Line prolineracing.com, 800-899-7223
Reedy reedypower.com, 949-544-7500
Team Associated rc10.com, 949-544-7500