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I’m a racer and anything that isn’t going Mach 10 around a track just doesn’t get my RC blood pumping. However, a while back I did attend a trail-truck event and I have to say that even though they aren’t sliding sideways and jumping 10’ gaps, it really is quite fun. There’s a whole different mindset needed to successfully navigate your truck through a trail that is littered with rocks, fallen trees (actually just large twigs) and water features. But after joining a few of my Axial buddies on a run, I found that there is the same skill and camaraderie associated with it as any other form of RC…it’s just a lot less stressful.
AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Axial
WHO IT’S FOR: Everyone
HOW MUCH: $379.98
BUILD TYPE: RTR
FACTS
– The box art looks awesome, as do all the pictures on the internet, but when you pull the Jeep from the box it’s a whole notha ballgame! The body is an exact replica of the actual Jeep and includes realistic front and rear Poison Spyder Rock Brawler bumpers, Poison Spyder Crusher Fender Flares and a rear bumper swing out tire carrier. The body also features a full blown cage and side mirrors.
– Official Maxxis Trepador Tires wrap around a set of beautiful Walker Evans Racing Wheels. The Trepador’s not only look the part on the Jeep, but have excellent grip and will make traversing most trails quite easy. The tires even bulge out past the wheels just enough to make crawling through V-passes possible.
– The chassis and drivetrain are based on Axial’s SCX10 platform, so you know it’s designed for both the trails and the rocks. Hardened axle shafts and a high-tolerance sintered diff locker are included at both ends, and Axial’s WB8 Wild Boar Driveshafts are standard equipment. These easy to assemble/maintain driveshafts are designed with full metal-to-metal construction for maximum durability.
– I know some of you non-crawling types might be wondering about the 27T brushed motor. In short, trails/crawling is all about torque and not top speed, so having a stump-pulling 27T motor is exactly what this Jeep needs. Plus the fact that the lower end of the throttle spectrum is much smoother with a brushed than a brushless. Oh, and much cheaper too…meaning a lower overall price to you.
– The suspension on the Jeep is also direct from SCX10 lineup. Smooth coilover shocks provide the damping with a couple adjustment holes for tuning. All the parts are molded in durable plastic and should take quite a beating before needing replacement.
– Axial includes their AX-3 2.4GHz transmitter system with the Rubicon. It’s a good radio that fits your hand nicely, but only comes with the standard features (trims, DR and reversing switches). The AS-3 servo sports a acceptable 132oz of torque.
ITEMS NEEDED
– Battery
ITEMS USED
+ DuraTrax Onyx 5000mAh NiMH battery
PROS
• Perfect reproduction of Jeep’s Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, including roll cage and swing-away spare tire holder
• Added details like the side mirrors, interior and wheel nut covers add to the realism of this truck
• Bolt-on Poison Spyder Crusher Fender Flares are not only made of a stronger material, they act as side-impact protectors, helping to keep your precious Jeep body unscathed
• Based on Axial’s stellar SCX10 trail/crawler platform
• Realistic chassis articulation, even with the Jeep body mounted
• Torquey 27T motor helps pull the Jeep up and over most obstacles while still providing a decent amount of speed
• WB8 Wild Boar Driveshafts help improve drivetrain durability when the Jeep gets into some rough spots
• The Jeep comes with a full set of Maxxis Trepador Tires and Walker Evans Racing Wheels
• Axial’s 2.4GHz radio system is included, ensuring zero signal loss while your truck is out on the side of a mountain
CONS
• Rear body pins are a bit difficult to get to for anyone with bigger hands
• I wish there would have been a version with a hard top
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Living in the big city has its advantages except when you’re looking for some trails to play on. So I loaded my the Jeep (and a sack lunch) and took a quick jaunt to the local mountains. One area I like to go has quite a few different types of terrain to play on…dirt mounds, water features, a nice rock garden and even some single-track bike lanes. I decided to start at one end and just start going. There’s just something different about being out in the mountains surrounded by fresh, brisk morning air, tons of trees and the sounds of running water and crickets (and I’m sure a lot of stuff I CAN’T see…which is fine by me).
While getting to the ‘fun’ spots can be a little uneventful (the top speed of the Jeep is about 8mph), there is plenty of time to look around and find something fun to try and tackle. We had some recent rains here in SoCal and that created quite a few small ravines in the dirt where the water ran down from the top of the mountains. I was pretty confident that the Jeep could easily make it over these obstacles, but it was still cool watching the suspension do its thing; the articulation of the suspension, flexing of the tire’s sidewall and the Trepador’s spitting out some crusty dirt is always fun to watch. After about 15 minutes of tearing up that terrain, I returned to the trail to continue my expedition.
I soon arrived at a large rock garden, an area where water flows rampant when the snow on the mountains begins to melt. Thankfully Winter is just around the corner (you know, our harsh 65 degree California winter) and the snow has not had a chance to accumulate and melt so the rock garden was easily passable, or so I thought. The Jeep started its journey without any issues, clawing over the smaller rocks with ease as I made my way across. I soon found that near the middle of the garden the rocks were getting much bigger and had a bit of moss and water on them. This made climbing over them much more difficult, but provided me with the next phase of trail fun; navigation. Here is where the fun begins, trying to figure out a way through an obstacle without the aid of your hands! I was able to pick a few good lines and even had a chance to climb up and through a small V-formation between two rocks. The Treps soft sidewalls kept me in the groove even on the wet rocks. Within a few minutes I was through the garden and back on the trail to the top.
The final stage of my climb ran me up a small incline to a staging area for mountain bikers. It was a bit of a boring climb, so I decided to take a slight detour to a trail I saw just to the left of main trail. There was quite a bit of loose dirt leading up to the side hill, so it required the absolute minimum throttle input to lightly tread across it. The hill leading to the top was pretty steep and caused some mayhem for the Jeep, but I eventually cleared it with my awesome crawling skills. Okay, what really happened; I got stuck a few times going up, causing me to roll back down and start again. I even tried changing direction half-way up, but that only ended in the Jeep tumbling down the hill. Then miraculously a few twigs and rocks appeared on the slope, making the climb a lot easier! I’m not a big crawler-snob or anything, but I’m glad that roll cage is included…it completely saved my body! Road rash is cool, but I’m not ready to beat up this fresh body yet.
THE LAST WORD
Axial’s Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon is a really fun rig. It’s capable of going just about anywhere (within reason) and does so looking like a champ. The proven SCX10 platform ensures reliability and the electronics package is more than enough to successfully get you to your destination. One suggestion I have, is to invest in multiple battery packs; I totally forgot that there is also a return trip back to my truck and only brought one pack with me!
LINKS
Axial Racing, www.axialracing.com, (877) 64-AXIAL
So I have been looking at the Axial SCX10 for about a week off and on, and just trying to research how durable the Jeep really is. I own a Traxxas Slash VXL brushless version with a 11.1v 5000mah battery and have never had a problem with durablity. But I’m a little hesitant on spending over $300.00 and it may not be the quality or durablity I’m looking for. One last thing, it is possible to put a brushless system motor and ESC in the Jeep? Thanks for your reply.
Hey Ryan.
First off, it’s great that you are doing a little research before heading out and just blowing $300 on something you’re not sure of. I wish more people had that kind of common sense.
That said, you are really looking at two different kinds of vehicles here (between the Slash and the SCX10). The Slash is more of a out-in-the-fields basher truck where you can run it full speed out in the dirt, the grass or the sand. It jumps well and is pretty solid. The SCX10, however, is what is considered a ‘crawler’ or trail truck. It’s not meant to be a blazingly-fast truck, but more of something that you drive on a trail or over rocks at slower speeds. The central transmission is geared really low to allow it to climb over obstacles.
On your durability question, yes, it’s a tank. It can handle rollovers and falls down rocky terrain or even into water. And yes, you can install a brushless system into it, but I would keep it to ‘crawler’ style system.
Hope that helps. Good luck!
Thank you for your reply. I was not looking to install the brushless system for speed but because they are water resistant. I have seen the Axial SCX10 all over
YouTube and the Internet and really starting to like it. Really and truly I’m an off road person. Love off roading and the ability to go over obstacles that are more difficult for other vehicles. Thank you very much again. That helps a lot.
Last question, would it better to get the Jeep you build or the Ready to Run one?
Hey Ryan.
Getting the RTR or the kit is really up to you and what you prefer to do. The RTR requires nothing other than a battery and charger. If you already have that, then plug it in and start your crawling! The kit requires you to not only build it, but purchase all the support equipment like ESC, motor, servo and radio gear. While more expensive, the benefit is you get to choose what equipment you put in it, including higher quality parts.
Personally, I like the kits because of I like to build them. If I ever have a breakdown, its makes it easier to fix since I know how to tear it down.
Good luck!
Tony