Review: Team Associated SC10RS RTR

Most manufacturers have two categories of vehicles; racing vehicles and RTR’s. RTR’s, or Ready-To-Runs, are basically an assembled racing kit with some cheaper parts installed. By cheaper I mean, steel turnbuckles instead of titanium, stamped aluminum parts instead of machined and anodized parts, etc. This is great, for the most part, as it gets people involved in the sport. What those RTR’s sometimes lack, however, is consistent handling. Hard, long-wear tires, generic suspension setups and adequate power systems are usually the norm. Team Associated wanted to create the next-level RTR that still appeals to the price-conscious. Looks like they have hit that mark with the SC10RS.

AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Team Associated
WHO IT’S FOR: Everyone
HOW MUCH: $312
BUILD TYPE: RTR
VEHICLE TYPE: 1/10 2WD short course truck
PART NUMBER: 7046 – RS Lucas Oil, 7047 RS Monster Energy, 7048 RS Pro Comp, 7049 RS Rockstar/Makita

FACTS
– The RS’s major upgrade is the SC700 Brushless system. More power and less maintenance means a happier customer.

– Another new upgrade (and certainly a welcome one) is the addition of the water-resistant receiver box. This, combined with the water-resistant brushless system, means you can actually have a little play time in the rain or snow. It will also help protect your electronics for you sand bunnies that like to play in the dunes.

– The SC10 is a very aggressive handling truck. That being said, the rear tires were never really up to par with performance. AE has changed all that by adding a set of racing rubber from JConcepts. These tires a H-O-O-K-E-D up, and allow you to take full advantage of the SC10RS’s new brushless powerplant.

– AE has included a set of their new, blue-aluminum V2 shocks. The V2’s utilize a bottom-load design for easy build and maintenance.

– The SC700 Brushless system comes with a Deans plug already installed. This may be minor to some, but not to this fella. All of my batteries already include the Deans and, since I’m not a fan of cutting and soldering new plugs on all the time, this was a great addition.

– The Championship body looks cool with the Monster Energy Drink livery. Monster drinks are a typical household item around here for the long editorial days, so this truck fit right in to my fleet.

PERFORMANCE
STEERING – Neutral
First off, I’d never thought I’d find myself saying that a SC10 would ALMOST have understeer. These trucks have so much steering that they drill themselves into the ground. This makes them pretty difficult to drive. The RS, with its soft rear tires, was really fun to drive. It did have a hint of understeer at times but adapting and setting up a bit differently for the corners and it was great. It didn’t track in a straight line very well but I’m chalking that up to the VERY soft transmitter steering spring. It just seemed hard to find the wheels ‘centerpoint’.

ACCELERATION – Excellent
More power and grippy tires mean great acceleration. There’s just enough motor now to make it fast and the right amount of traction to make it fun.

BRAKING – Very Good
The brakes on the SC10RS are on par with every other vehicle. The bonus is, again, the sticky rear tires. Heavy brakes tend to cause the front of the truck to dive, making the back of the truck very light, thus shifting and moving around. In most cases this causes erratic braking, but not with the RS. The rear tires claw at the ground and, even though the rear of the RS might slide slightly, it’s very controllable.

SUSPENSION – Very Good
The suspension on the RS is the same as the standard SC10. The new, bottom load V2 shocks are silky smooth and make rebuilding much easier. The RS’s soft suspension soaks up the rough stuff nicely, but on our high bite test track, this caused quite a bit of body roll; so much in fact that, combined with the soft rear tires, we traction rolled a few times at the end of the straightaway. That’s not necessarily a bad thing…on a lower traction track this setup should be perfect!

JUMPING – Very Good
The SC10RS performs awesome over jumps, flying straight and level…almost. The biggest issue with the RS (well, most SC trucks) is the body. In the air, the Short Course body catches and holds air under it, causing a ‘kite’ effect. This can cause some not-so-happy landings, which was the case for the RS a few times. You need to really be prepared when you leave the ramp to make sure the nose of the RS is level (or down slightly). This could be as easy as lifting off the throttle upon takeoff or slamming the brakes immediately in the air. Not to take away from the RS, it can handle smaller jumps very nicely, but anything over 4-5 feet and you could be in trouble. I would check into cutting some precision holes in the body to help eliminate this effect.

DURABILITY – Excellent
AE has always done their homework when it comes to durability. Having worked there for quite a few years in the R&D department, I am privy to some of the hardcore testing they’ve done. You’d be surprised at the parts count they incur making sure every vehicle is built the best it can be. That being said, parts still break but, thankfully, we didn’t suffer from any with the RS. It took quite a beating and a couple times I thought for sure we’d be sweeping it into a bag and heading home, but that wasn’t the case.

COOL FACTS
• Can you saw POWA! The SC700 Brushless system has some giddyup-and-go. While not the most torquey system I’ve ever driven, it still gets the SC10RS over the jumps nicely. And boy is it fast on the straight! Oh, and did I mention it’s water-resistant?

• Being a racing company, AE knows that 75% of a vehicle’s handling is tires. To keep up with all of them galloping ponies, the SC10 RS has been outfitted with a set of JConcepts soft-compound racing tires. Good choice. Can you say grippy?

• AE has also included their new bottom-load V2 shocks. Still as smooth as ever, they are now much easier to build and maintain. I hate building shocks, so anything that makes them easier is a plus in my book!

• In addition to the water-resistant ESC, AE has also included a cool little water-resistant box for the receiver. You should have no problems playing in wet conditions but I would still suggest keeping it out of the pool!

ITEMS NEEDED
– AA’s for transmitter
– 7.4V LiPo racing pack
– Battery charger

ITEMS USED
+ MaxAmps 5450mAh 120C LiPo Pack
+ LRP Pulsar Touch Competition Charger

TOOLS INCLUDED
+ Metric Hex Wrenches
+ Molded wrenches

PROS
• Excellent power with the XP SC700 Brushless setup
• Grippy, JConcepts rear racing tires
• Hex-drive front axles allow interchangeable front/rear wheels
• Low-maintenance, fluid-filled gear diff
• 2.4GHz XP3-SS radio system
• Water resistant

CONS
• Steering servo a little sluggish
• Transmitter steering spring too soft (more on this later).

MAINTENANCE TIP
• There’s not much to do with the SC10RS but drive it. I would suggest perhaps changing the shock oil or diff oil depending on where you run, but that’s about it.

THE LAST WORD
Team Associated has stepped up its game in the RTR segment with the SC10RS. They didn’t just throw some parts in the box and give it a new name, they listened to the public (and apparently the reviews) and added some awesome upgrades. The zippy powerplant and race-level tires alone transform the twitchy SC10 into a very competitive truck. The SC10RS certainly lives up to its Race-Spec designation.

LINKS
Team Associated, www.teamassociated.com, (949) 544-7500
LRP, distributed by Team Associated, www.rc10.com, (949) 544-7500
MaxAmps, www.maxamps.com, (888) 654-4450