MCD Monster problems

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M

mcd Monster

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Messages
8
Location
texas
I have a 30cc motor with a JP pipe in my MCD Monster Truck. I break every time I run. I can't take any reasonably sized jumps without nose diving into the ground and my A-arm stripps if I land uneven. I wanted a 4x4 but with the width of the tires I can not climb very well at all. I thought the side panels were there to keep the dirt out but they seem to hold dirt in and then my gears strip. The suspension travel is terrible for a truck this size and there is not many bodies availiable to fit this truck. As far as I can see MCD put large tires on a car chassie and called it a monster truck. I have run with several 5B cars and found they climb and 4x4 better than my truck even though they are 2 wheel drive. Any help or part recomendations would be appreciated.
 
When you say the front A-arm strips do you mean the rose joint rips off the A-arm or are the rose joints breaking themselves? Either way your in luck as a alternative is just around the corner. MCD are coming out with a new hinged arrangement which should solve all your issues.

Regarding the limited suspension travel use the shock mounting position closest to the diff on the lower arms for more ground clearance. You might even be able to use the lower shock tower mounting position as well but make sure the shocks are not bottoming out before the chassis touches the ground first otherwise you will over stress the suspension and damage it.

Cannot help with the dirt issue as im running a Racerunner but if you find there collecting too much dirt then simply remove them and maybe make up a vented gear cover instead. I also recommend the steel replacement gears for gears 3 & 4 as there in the firing line for all the dirt and debris that washes inside the truck.

I am the first to admit the HPI Baja is an amazing hill climber. I couldn't believe some of the hills I managed to get up when I had mine. Maybe strap some additional weight to the front when tearing up those hills as it should help keep the front wheels planted and aid in providing traction. Otherwise stiffen up the rear shocks and loosen the front as this should also help in keeping the weight from being transferred to the rear.
 
As i said in your other post, the MCD is NOT a jumper. And mine climbs hills fine, what are u trying to climb straight up?
 
I would also have to say MCD's are amazing climbers. As for jumping, most 1/5 scales period, are not really made for it. On the damage issue, I would say, Don't jump so big or land better. After almost 1 year I finally broke a rose joint. Running on an 1/8th scale buggy track, attempting to clear a tripple. It was my own fault. I knew better, but wanted to try the track out.
 
The threads stripped out on the upper arm and the inner bearing fell out when the wheel came loose. The hills are sand and soft dirt and yes fairly steep( I like the challenge). It is just frustraiting when a 5B is climbing the same hills with ease without a run. I think it is the longer wheel base and long travel suspension in those cars.I seem to tip over and or spin down to the chassie unless I have a huge run at these hills. I have decided this machine is not really a jumper. I wondered if it is better to just remove the side panels all together. Thanks for the help.
 
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I also reckon the Bajas long wheelbase helps it climb. The long chassis helps push the rear wheels down for better traction when going up hill (provided the front wheels don't come off the ground first)

The standard V groove tractor tires on the MCD also wouldnt be much chop in the sand I wouldn't think. You maybe need to get a set of HPI adapters from COIL and do what he did to turn your truck into a sand weapon.

Heres a pic of COILS truck. Now this would be killer on sand!!!

P9153551.jpg
 
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I believe the pic on the MCD web site is very missleading. It shows the Monster truck Jumping at least 15 feet in the air. Here is the link http://www.mcdracing.com/images/monster/big/25.jpg I know there is no way that the stock truck will take this kind of abuse and it dose not have the suspension to even land jumps like this ( my jumps are not even close to half this size). If someone has video of a set up on the MCD Monster truck jumping like this and surviving I would appreciate seeing it and knowing what your set up is.The MCD site also says it is fully adjustable for all different terrains. In my opinion the suspension is so limited in stock form that it performs at avarage at best in most conditions. If I drive around on flat ground and avoid rough terrain and loose hills it is ok at best. The factory tires are too wide and do not grip well for true preformance. This truck reminds me of the original bigfoot trucks without a trully working suspenion, no matter what oil I use in the shocks they seem very imited in travel for tires this large. It does make a nice shelf queen and looks cool driving around due to its size but unless better parts come available I think the use of this as a regular runner is limited. A $400 savage will out perform this truck hands down in all but towing and those 5B cars have video after video of abuse and seem to hold up vey well. hopefully MCD can get the support that HPI has for there baja and the MCD monster can be built into a more stable platform. I will wait to see if more parts become available, and I think in the main time I will pic up a Baja for some jumps and bashing.
 
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Ok, first off you can't compare a Savage to an MCD. Second you can't compare a 5b to a MCD.

Dump the MCD, and buy a 5b, or a Savage. The MCD is not a jumper. I doubt more suspension parts will make the MCD tougher, its just too heavy.
 
The only reason that I am comparing my MCD Monster to other truck/buggies is that the MCD site would have you believe that this truck is suited to this style of driving. If they do not want it used for big air or bashing then they should not post pics of the truck doing this and state how well the suspension can be set up for different terrain. In less than 2 hour running I have stripped two front diffs, stripped the front theads from the arm twice, ate the driving gears once and been stuck more than with any other RC I have owned. I am not new to rc cars and trucks and I thought I was buying a stronger and more useable platform. I am not a inexpeienced driver and I would not say that I abuse my truck. In fact those who have wittnessed me run and break can not believe how easilly my truck broke. I only compare the 5b since it is also 5th scale and I run with them and see them take a extreme bashing at one third the price. It might be different if I could out climb or 4x4 a two wheel drive car with my 4x4.
 
They are 2 different vehicles, you can't compare them, its apple and oranges.
This has been discussed many many times, it might also be your driving, or you may have to much power, my MCD RR turned baja 1000 has the short front end, and i can rip up dirt piles, and take tall grass, i have the 26CY in it, with a jetpro pipe. Its pretty fast, and i have ALLOY beadlock ST wheels that add another 10 pounds. Mine is great, i love it. I had 3 5bs, and they were great, i sold them for $ reasons, and just bought a brand new 5b 28.5 SS. Can't wait to see what it will do.
As for stripping gears, not sure what is going on there, i have a RR body under my Baja 1000 body, and vurtualy NO dirt under it.
Good luck with whatever you do with it.
 
A BMX track sounds like fun. Also sounds like a good way to break stuff. Keep some spare parts handy. Have someone shooting video, sounds like some interesting footage to me. I definitely can't wait for spring !! Very cold around here.
 
Nice video. Looks like it was done by an FG person. I will not knock any of the vehicles. On the other hand parts availability for FG cars is not real good right now. Hard to compare these vehicles being as 2 are 2wd & 1 4wd which is much heavier than the other 2. Everyone has an opinion !! It's a good thing !
 
The video posted is a fake the pics of the baja's were taken from the 'baja 5b forum'' from a member that had never been a part of any test. I know that the MCD can not jump but I have seen many 5b cars fly with little or no damage. I have decided to get a 5b as well. The guy's on this forum are right the MCD vehicals are not designed for heavy jumps. The scale of the MCD monster is cool but it is not a true basher in the stock form. All vehicals made have there draw backs and finer points. I know the 5b suffers from weak axels and bad stock shocks, but in the cars I have personally seen run they hold up very well. I think it is the only car with 100's of videos to back that statement up. The aftermnarket support is growing by the day and already new shocks and axels are bieng offered. I think if some companies make a long travel suspension kit for the MCD monster with new shocks and a stronger a-arm system along with some tires that are a bit smaller the Monster might start to compete in strength. The preformance is going to take some reduced wieght to gain the speed of the 2 wheel drives. I just wish I recieved the truck that is displayed as jumping the 15 foot jumps on the MCD web site.
 
Remember its not the jumps that destroy MCD's its the landings....

You could happily sail over 20 foot jumps all day long provided you landed on ts wheels each time :clown:

It really comes down to simple physics. I need a higher launching speed to clear the double at my local track in my 11.5kg MCD than I did with my 10kg Baja.
 
I am petty new to the larger scale 4x4's, and when I got my MCD Monster I proceeded to find out just what it could and could not do.. I took it to a construction site with a few friends with smaller trucks and basically did everything they could pull off with their HPI Savage's..

First time I took a huge jump, landed on all fours without incident.. Took quite a few 8ft+ jumps landing on all fours still no problem.. Took a two footer, landed on right rear under throttle and destroyed the rear differential.. Busted the case, pins, stripped the pinion and ring gear..

Learned quite a bit that day..

If you want to play rough with an MCD you can within reason.. If you stick a landing with all that weight on one wheel under power, you will go home pissed off!!

Learn how to land on all fours and you'll have no problems that I can foresee!!

Aside from a lack of Loc-Tite, before running it on day one and stripping out a wheel hub, I've had no problems at all and continue to abuse it just like all the other smaller trucks get thrashed when we get out and play..

Weight can be your friend and enemy at the same time...

I am running stock other than the new beefier limited slip differential and all I do now is just check for loose parts, refuel and destroy my surroundings..

I love this truck!!
 
i feel you man its bummer when poop like that happens we are never 2 old 2 learn it happend to me with my fg sent it swimming in to the beck all the eletrics gone cost a bit (no fail safe)but like you said you now no its limits and me 2
 
I own at least one of all these vehicles. There are pros and cons to them all. I've not run the MCD yet. The HPI Baja breaks the most between FG and 5b. However the Baja has the greatest ability to break. Meaning it can launch off the huge jumps. My FGs have pipes and my baja has pipe, geared up and a big bore kit. The FG is still way faster and quicker. I think the zenoah is just a better engine. But anyway, the FG breaks nearly everytime I run it, so does the Baja. The FG tends to break gears or front steering hubs (finally bought aluminum). The baja breaks everything! I don't feel the FG is as fragile as the baja. My family and I have great fun with all of them. The baja is designed like an oversized 8th scale nitro. That's the design we need put into a 4x4. The 4x4s on the market right now will never compete with a baja without a total redesign. The chassis and suspension look like something we were running 15 years ago. My MCD was plagued with problem which is why I never ran it. Parts did not match up, the shock ends are junk. One was broke when it arrived. I dropped the car 2' and the shock ends broke. I bough the aluminum ones but they rub the drive shafts. If I could have only one the Baja would be it for overall performance. In stock form without running into a tree or 15' high jumps the only things I broke were the screw in the pinion and bent some shock shafts. The baja is a far better design than anything out there and cheaper to start with. Buy the SS and upgrade the shock shafts and rear axles and you have a perfect basher.
 
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