Review: Team Associated SC10 4×4

There are quite a few 2WD Short Course trucks on the market to choose from. These are equal to the full scale Pro2 class. In the RC world, Pro4 (or 4WD Short Course) is still evolving, but by the looks of Team Associated’s new truck, that evolution has taken a giant leap forward. I introduce to you the SC10 4×4, a four wheel drive Short Course truck that came from the hidden depths of AE’s Area 51. And boy has it come to make a statement!

AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Team Associated
WHO IT’S FOR: Everyone
HOW MUCH: $270
BUILD TYPE: Kit
VEHICLE: 1/10 Scale 4WD Short Course Truck

UNDER THE HOOD
• The SC10 4×4 is a completely new design from the ground up. With the exception of the wheels, tires, fasteners and mud flaps (while the same, the compound is now different), this truck is all new!

• For ease of maintenance, the chassis breaks down into three main pieces; the front, center and rear clips. The shock towers stay attached to the gearboxes which slide out of little ‘seats’ molded into the front/rear clips. This means reduced time disassembling the truck for service.

• The steering system seems quite intense, but in fact it’s pretty simple. The entire system rolls on a set of quality bearings, and an integrated servo saver is standard.

• The SC10 comes with a complete set of high-quality bearings to maximize performance.

• The removable ESC tray is pretty cool. No longer will you have to tape and re-tape your ESC when you need to do some maintenance or clean your truck.

• A retainer pin replaces the screws used to attach the shocks to the suspension arms. Simply slide the retainer pin into the hole and a set screw in the suspension arm locks it in place.

• The cool AE mudflaps are back! The previous versions were made from a stiffer rubber that could cause some handling issues when the suspension is compressed. The new flaps are molded with a much softer material that no longer interfere with the truck’ s performance.

PROS
+ Revolutionary new design that incorporates a direct belt-drive transmission
+ Fluid-filled gear differentials utilizing 32 pitch drive gears
+ Factory Team blue, 13mm big-bore threaded shocks
+ Unique center slipper clutch allows the front and rear to slip independently
+ Modular chassis design for easy repair and maintenance
+ Fantastic steering for a 4WD vehicle

CONS
– While they work well with the 4WD system, I would have liked a new set of wheels and tires

PERFORMANCE
Test Conditions: Groomed, high bite indoor offroad track

STEERING: Neutral
Most of the 4WD vehicles I’ve driven suffer from a bit of understeer…just an inherent issue with 4WD. I think someone forgot to tell the SC10 4×4 about this problem because it’s got a TON of steering. The good thing about all this steering is that it does it with the front of the truck; meaning the back stays planted instead of breaking traction and swinging around. Me likey the steering in this truck!

ACCELERATION: Excellent
On the stock tires, I was pretty amazed at how much grip it actually had. I thought for sure the SC10 would slippy-slidey all over. Throw on a set of race kicks and it’s a whole notha’ story! What I thought was good turned into just shy of scary! This truck moves, and does so with authority! With all the LRP power flowing through it, I was surprised I didn’t hear any angry sounds coming from the hybrid drivetrain. This is a good sign as I’m sure there will be some people that force a lot of juice through this truck.

BRAKING: Very Good
What goes forward must, at some point, slow down. The SC10 4×4 has no issues with slowing down. After some fast laps on the tight track, however, I did notice a bit of fade from the electronic side of things. The test track was a bit cramped and romping the throttle from corner to corner only made stopping a little more difficult. If you were to drive a smooth line around the track I bet the brakes would do just fine.

SUSPENSION: Excellent
2WD handling in a 4WD truck can be a bit hard to accomplish, but the SC10 4×4 shock package was just right. It glided down the gatorback section of the track and flew through the fast chutes. There are plenty of suspension adjustments available to tune the truck to your liking, but I’m not sure I’d change anything from the stock setup. It works!

JUMPING: Excellent
The one thing I love about 4WD vehicles is the ability to ‘do-the-dance’ in the air. Throttle up while in the air and the nose of the truck will start to rise. Tap the brakes and the nose of the truck will drop. Wiggle the wheels back and forth and you’ll be doing the hokey pokey… But really, this truck is so controllable in the air that there’s nothing to talk about in this category. ‘Nuff said.

DURABILITY: Excellent
I didn’t have any issues with the truck during my test. In fact, while I was driving it, I spoke with Kurt Wenger (the SC10 4×4 head designer) and he told me the day before they were out doing their thing with the SC10 at a nitro-sized outdoor track. Richard Saxton (one of AE’s hero drivers) was having a good old time when he decided to go big on one of the make-it-or-break-it jumps. Well, apparently he didn’t make it, but he also didn’t break it. There were quite a few horrific noises coming from it as it tumbled across the track, but everything seemed OK. Time will tell if the SC10 4×4 is as bulletproof as it looks.

DESIGN ANALYSIS
1. One issue with building any RC car is capturing a locknut in a hard-to-reach area. Team Associated came up with a slick little design using a machined retainer. This retainer slips up into its molded cocoon and, once this area is assembled, acts like a locknut to any screws being attached. Pretty ingenious.

2. The SC10 4×4 comes with AE’s new 13mm, big-bore bottom-load shocks. These shocks feature a new low-friction X-Ring seal that makes the shocks butter-smooth. Rubber boots are included to keep all the debris off the shaft.

3. The battery gets tucked into its compartment from the right side of the chassis. It is almost along the centerline of the chassis, helping to keep the SC10 4×4 as streamlined as possible.

4. The suspension arms are thick-thick-thick! Strategically placed pockets and chamfers abound on these arms to keep the weight down without sacrificing strength.

5. The motor area of the SC10 4×4 will accept most 540 and 550 size brushless motors. Setting the gear mesh is also a heck of a lot easier than it looks!

6. The center spine of the SC10 4×4 not only keeps the drive belt free from debris, it also acts as a backbone to help reduce front-to-rear flex. Two screws is all it takes to remove the cover to check the belt for damage.

THE LAST WORD
AE has a good thing on their hands with the SC10 4×4. It’s pretty evident that it’s hot when everyone who knows about RC wants one. Its innovative design definitely shows that the A-Team is not content with releasing just any 4WD truck. I’m excited about the SC10 4×4 and the future it has created for Short Course racing. Let’s go racing!

LINKS
Team Associated, teamassociated.com, (949) 544-7500
LRP, distributed by Team Associated, rc10.com, (949) 544-7500
Reedy, distributed by Team Associated, rc10.com, (949) 544-7500