Why I'm disapointed with MS PowerBrutes.

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 5:32 pm

Despite the huge oversized tires they have no ground clearance, and because they are 2WD drive, this leaves them with the rear wheels spinning in the air a lot when you try to take it off road.

As soon as I started running it, I was trying to get more out of it. It didn't take me more than a sec to realize the stock 2.2 motor was not gonna cut it on speed. So I borrowed a Perfection 3.8 from one of my other cars, and it was better, but not enough, so I spent hours FET modding it. It took me so long because I messed up the alignment on the gears that steer it, and it took me a while to get it right. With FETs in it, it was doing pretty good, it was already as fast as my Motorworks tank with an SE battery in it, and nearly as powerful. So I'm figuring maybe I'll retire the tank so I can put the SE battery in this, but when I took it outside to test it, it got hung up every inch or 2, on the tiniest pebble, or the smallest leaf, it was ridiculous. So I'm done with it.

My mistake was thinking that these things could off road, I think I would've had more fun with it, if I bought the pair to do battle with, but really what is the sense of having the big ol' tires if you still have to resort to semi smooth surfaces. My baja Beetle will handle more rugged terrain than this.

hue35 · Post by **hue35** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 6:46 pm

That's great info, cd... I've thought about picking one of these up, but I'm just gonna hold off now. I drove one at a hobby store once, and I thought it had potential as well... if you can't make it go, it can't go... I'm savin' my cash. Too bad, though.

betty.k · Post by **betty.k** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 8:22 pm

i'm pretty unimpressed with them too. i don't mind the slow speed, offroading is rarely a full on high speed gig. but the clearance and "tank like" steering makes them pretty useless. you could mod the chassis but there's so much crap in there to deal with that it's probably easier to yank the wheels off and put them on a regular bit.

hogjowlz · Post by **hogjowlz** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 8:24 pm

or wait a few weeks til shaq comes out with those monster trucks.

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 11:46 pm

Well I gave it another chance, and it really is performing pretty good with the FETs in it.

I drove it around my bed for a while, and I started to get my hopes up again. So I took it outside again, and it was doing alright. I was starting to think I misjudged it, when it got hung up. Then again, and again, etc. etc.

I'm theorizing that it's got too much stuff on the bottom to get caught up. I'm thinking if I sand it flat. Also it has something that resembles suspension in the front end, that seems to let the front end drop too much. I'm gonna shim that to raise the front end up. Hopefully those 2 mods should make it much more useful, but ultimately, Hog's right, be better off saving your money for what RS seems to have planned for a monster truck.

sg219 · Post by **sg219** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:12 am

I have a few of these and I will say that they just don't cut it for offroading. Yes, CD, your Bettle is off the hook compared to these trucks.

They just don't have any steering and the clearence isn't really that significant either. I think your better off sticking with the tanks and the Nikko trucks. Atleast the Nikko trucks have a sweet sized motor for haulin' ass and actually has steering.

If anyone would like one of those Nikko Hummers or Jeep Rubicons, let me know. The KayBee near me has a bunch of them for $10 + tax and shipping of course.

crazydave · Post by **crazydave** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:03 am

I didn't like the steering on mine stock, but FETs help greatly with tank type steering, because it gives it the power to pull itself around, when only driving with one wheel. Also when I first got mine, the inside wheels would still drive a little causeing wide turns. It also would occassionally have a slight lag in turning while the gear tried to engage.

I had fudged things up in there when I did the FETs, and by the time I figured out how the system works, I got it perfect. Now there is no lag, and it turn in less than a 6" radius.(depending on how smooth the surface is)

I have no gripes about the steering.

sg219 · Post by **sg219** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:13 am

Cool. Glad you got it worked out. I opened one of my PB's (not a sandwich) once and didn't really go to much further than the screws and peek inside. I didn't want to fuck up the gearing. If I did that I would of been real...

Allthough at the time I was still wet behind the ears as far as messing with the guts of cars. Now I'm soldering, painting, puttying, and other stuff. Maybe I need to get the old PB out and dust it off a little.

HirotoR34 · Post by **HirotoR34** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 12:50 am

I feel cheated for buying one as well. (actually I bought two) and after my daughter and I started playing with them we'd get pretty bored. (my next possible mod project??!!!!) hmmm........