Review: Team Associated SC8e

With the incredible success of the Short Course racing class, some manufacturers have brought the ‘bigger is better’ phrase to the table. Team Associated has jumped on board and added a 1/8th scale Short Course truck to their lineup, the SC8e. Based on the Pro-Level RC8e, the SC8e incorporates most of the same race-proven designs while adding realism to the mix. The authentic looking body (with realistic paint scheme), chassis integrated roll cage, mud flaps and KMC wheels all add to the scale look, giving this vehicle a definite wolf-in-sheeps-clothing appearance.

I had the privilege of driving this 1/8th scale beast at the 2009 Short Course Nationals. I couldn’t wait to take control of this monster and tear up the track. Would I have to motor down and drive with precision, or could I power up and drive like a rock star?

AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Team Associated
CLASS: 1/8 Short Course Truck
WHO IT’S FOR: Everyone
HOW FAST: 30.53mph
HOW MUCH: $410

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
– Incredibly strong fluid filled front, center and rear differentials. The kit comes with 10,000 weight oil which is a good start, but to really take advantage of the truck you will want to experiment with different viscosities. A Factory tip is to purchase one or two additional differentials and have them filled with a different fluid. This keeps rebuild time to a minimum.

– The enclosed receiver box protects the receiver from dirt and debris. This receiver box, as well as the servo and battery tray, are all attached as a one piece unit, easily removed from the car for cleaning and maintenance.

– The Big Bore shocks are similar to the units on the Factory Team vehicles. This allows you to use all the available shock springs to fine tune your SC8e to different track conditions.

– The very cool chassis cage fits well under the Short Course body. While the kit comes with a clear body, I opted for the ‘Cliff Lett’ edition #51 (the number comes from the code name of the AE R&D room, Area 51). While most drivers take the cage off (stating that the extra weight and high center of gravity takes away from the trucks overall handling), I opted to keep it on for one run. It handled a little different, but with so much power on tap, who cares? Cut the windows out and let that cage shine through!

– The scale, all-terrain kit tires worked well on the track, and will probably rock for everyday bashing. The carcass is nice and thick, the tread pattern is not overly aggressive, and they look great on the factory KMC wheels. Because this particular class had an open tire rule, I decided to throw on some ProLine Caliber tires to kick it up a notch.

– I chose the Castle Creations Mamba Monster Brushless Motor setup because I had heard a lot of good things about it…oh, and the fact that it could handle up to a 6S LiPo battery (yes kids, that a WHOPPING 25.2 volts of insane power!). I did get to run a 4S LiPo in this thing and it is C-R-A-Z-Y fast…almost too fast for most tracks.

THE SPECIFICS
CHASSIS
LENGTH: 24.2 in. (616mm)
WIDTH: 12 in. (305mm)
WHEELBASE: 14.8 in. (375mm)
MATERIAL: Aluminum
WEIGHT: 9 lb. (4,082g)
TYPE: Stamped plate
The signature hard-anodized, black-coated chassis comes with side guards and a removable roll cage (complete with integrated dirt shields).

SUSPENSION
TYPE: Independent
SHOCKS: 16mm big-bore molded composite shocks
WHEELS: KMC w/bead guards
TIRES: Realistic, all-terrain racing treads
MATERIAL: Molded plastic
This chassis is based on the RC8Te’s winning design and incorporates many of the same engineering features.

DRIVETRAIN
TYPE: 4WD
DIFFERENTIALS: (F, center, R) Fluid-filled gear diffs
BEARINGS: Rubber-shielded ball-bearings
BRAKES: Fiber disc, steel pads
DRIVESHAFTS: (F, center, R) Hardened steel CVAs w/molded boots
The three oil-filled diffs come assembled. You do have to fill them with oil, but this allows you to fine-tune the truck from the very beginning.

ELECTRONICS PACKAGE
MOTOR: Castle Creations 2200Kv motor
ESC: Castle Creations Mamba Monster ESC
SERVO: Hitec HS-7950TH high-torque servo
RADIO: Futaba 4PK 2.4GHz radio
BATTERY: Reedy 11.1V LiPo
This power combination hauled the SC8e around as it it were made of paper. I’m still amazed by how strong and durable the drivetrain is.

NEEDED TO COMPLETE
• 2-channel radio system
• High-torque steering servo
• Brushless ESC and motor
• Battery pack
• Battery charger
• Paint for body

WHAT WE USED
• Futaba 4PK 2.4GHz radio
• Hitec HS-7950TH high-torque servo
• Castle Creations Mamba Monster
• Brushless power system
• Reedy 11.1V LiPo
• Thunder Power RC TP-610C LiPo charger

WHAT WE LIKED
• Big, beefy parts
• Durable drivetrain
• Race-proven suspension
• Assembled differentials & turnbuckles
• Truck looks great with or without the body thanks to the scale-looking roll cage
• It’s electric powered

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED
• Some steps in the manual were not very clear
• Speed control mounting location could limit the use of certain ESCs

PERFORMANCE
My first practice run on the track was, well, my first qualifier (sort of a last-minute thing). My first run down the straight, and I knew the SC8e was going to be a handful. While everyone else was running the softer Pro-Line race tires, I stuck to my guns and went out on the kit tires. They were by no means horrible, but you could definitely see that they were no match for the softer race compounds everyone else was running.

During the second qualifier, I was a little more prepared—Modified JC Goosebumps on all four corners and a boost in the go department with a 4S LiPo pack. At the sound of the tone, I yanked the throttle and, holy moly, this thing accelerated like it’s on steroids! The JCs and 4WD were so hooked up that I scared myself entering the first corner. Jumping all of a sudden became an art; I could hug the corners like I was attached to them, and the fun factor hit the giggle mark. Down the straight, the SC8e was almost a blur, and I could slam the brakes as hard as I wanted to. The truck’s drivetrain just took the abuse and asked for more. Unfortunately, with extra power come extra problems. About halfway through the run, the pinion gear launched itself into pinion oblivion (funny how you never find your gear right next to where your truck stops). So I had to wait until the Mains to see if I could get a good, clean run in.

By main event time, I had resorted to the kit’s 15T pinion and down to the 3S LiPo pack. At the sound of the horn, I settled into second place behind Scott Brown and was starting to get into a groove. The SC8e was amazingly stable and easy to drive, and it jumped like a gazelle. It was plenty fast down the straight (but the 17T was way more fun), and it looked as if I was going to pull off a podium finish. Unfortunately, having so much fun with the 4S pack, I failed to recharge my 3S pack, and I coasted to a stop after a few laps. This ended my day and my hopes and dreams for another National Championship. (What? I like to win!)

THE LAST WORD
The Team Associated SC8e is a fantastic truck. It is not only cool looking, but it also has years of racing heritage engineered into it. Yes, it is a kit. And yes, there are tons of parts, but this allows you to learn as you build it. In my opinion, part of the fun of RC is the pride you can take in all the hard work you put into the build to reach the final product.

LINKS
Team Associated, www.RC10.com (949) 544-7500
Reedy, a division of Team Associated, www.RC10.com (949) 544-7500
Castle Creations, www.CastleCreations.com (913) 390-6939
Hitec, www.HitecRCD.com (858) 748-6948
Thunder Power RC, www.ThunderPowerRC.com (702) 228-8883