Gmade Spider Review Part 1 And 2

[kjr2]

4wdmt - Clear pics you will see for sure. Clear video maybe, maybe not. I really bad at taking video and my camera only does video at 324x240... I will surely run it to the extreme! The locked diffs should test the tranny gears out really good and I know just the pile of busted conctrete to test on...

Supreme Reign - The axles are surely wider than a Clod. But if you use maxx wheels with no offset, they might not be any wider.... I'll check that out later! I will put on some Maxx size wheels/tires and see how wide it is compared to stock Clod width. I'll get a pic too

 

[mcfig]

You're used to metal? You must mean nitro then?

Well, I am into nitro, but TLT gears are metal.

And by the way. I'm sooooooo jealous :drool

 

[kjr2]

OK you were thinking of TLT and TXT diff gears. Yeah they are metal. I forgot about that and I used to have a TLT & TXT LOL Now all I think about is Clods And Savage sometimes I like to run nitro too

 

[kjr2]

Supreme Reign - Check it out. With standard offset maxx wheels (stock savage wheel/tires in the pic), the overall width is narrower than a stock Clod by about 1/2" and the tires do not rub the links at all. There is tons of room.

And here you can it looks mean with a body on:

And here you see I added the pink Gmade stickers to the doors and an rcmt.net decal on the gas tank thing in the bed. Also you can see articulation is very good too.

 

[Supreme Reign]

Simply stunning, Kenny. The body on is spectacular!

Thanks for the comparison...I think...Now I can't talk myself out of getting one :rof

 

[mcfig]

I think...Now I can't talk myself out of getting one

I don't know thats going to be a hard one. :rof

 

[MeanAx]

Damn YOU!!!!!! No fair....I'm still waiting for mine to come in. :willy

Nice write up and pics!

Do the lockers come with the kit? I didn't know anything about them. I was just going to use some OFNA diff locker.

Jay

 

[th67ss]

Man I'm lovin those bottom links!!!! :drool :drool

So when yeah gonna run it??

.....Tom

 

[4wdmt]

That crawler is beautiful!!!

Gmade should give you something for exposing/promoting their stuff and doing a good job with this review.

 

[kjr2]

Supreme Reign - No problem on the pic. Wait 'til tomorrow when it's sunny and I get a pic of that body in the sun. It's super nice color in the light but the sun was setting and it was shady when I took these pics...

mcfig - Yeah the Spider is hard to resist!

MeanAx - The lockers are not part of the kit. They were not in the facotry sealed box that the rest of the kit was in. They were just in the big box that had the gmade box in it. Does that make sesne? LOL He just threw them in extra I guess. There is no mention of them on the site so I guess they are extra.

th67ss - I'm gonna crawl it on Friday or/and Saturday at my favorite concrete pile seen here: crawling spot.

4wdmt - Thanks! This is the 3rd review I've made for rcmt. I did the Integy 16x405D2 charger review, the Gmade tires, and now this. Will, if you read this--you mentioned a while ago in some topic whoever does a review of the spider will get something----- I don't need anything. I already won a hat and decals. Please save the item for the next guy to do a review

 

[DenverJarHead]

WOW!!! Kenny, that is the baddest truck I have seen yet! Why did I have this feeling that you would be the first with this badd ride? Now question for you do think the axles seem like they would hold up to racing? I'm not a crawler and have no intention on using the chassis. I'd love to put them axles on my Shunned Grave Digger XVI replica tube chassis and ECD-R tube chassis'!

Kenny, can we get a comparison (for width) pic of the GMADE axles with the GMADE tires next to your Clod axles with stock Clod tires? Also what is the wieght of the GMADE axles seem like compared to Clod axles, lighter or heavier? I think they are similar to Clod axles with wideners on them but I am just guessing off your pics.

Now this is for real, anyone (Supreme, hint) that wants the chassis and links but does not want the axles let me know. I have a set of Clod axles with bearings and some $$ (Neg) waiting for anyone that may want to swap axles. I am interested in two sets really and have two sets of Clod axles but ONLY available in trade for two sets of these GMADE axles.

Tony

 

[MeanAx]

Originally posted by kjr2@Sep 3 2006, 07:54 PM
MeanAx - The lockers are not part of the kit. They were not in the facotry sealed box that the rest of the kit was in. They were just in the big box that had the gmade box in it. Does that make sesne? LOL He just threw them in extra I guess. There is no mention of them on the site so I guess they are extra.

I hope they were added to my box...(fingers crossed).

 

[kjr2]

Tony - I'll get a pic for you comparing stock Gmade witdh to stock Clod width in a little bit. As for racing..... The drive shafts (the metal rods that connect the diffs to the wheel axles) are very large compared to Clod parts. The wheels axles are massive too. They take 5mm nuts like a Savage. Also the counter gears looks super strong. The only thing in question really is the diffs. I'll find that out after I drive

ALSO, if you can't strike a deal with somebody to unload the axles, GMADE is coming out with these axles under a different chassis, the Dragoon, which is not a crawler chassis. The initial plan way back when these were announced was to sell the separately so maybe that will happen too....?

MeanAx - I hope you get them too! They make building the diffs really fast LOL and are locked for sure.

 

[kjr2]

Tony - Here ya go. It is wider than a stock clod width. I put that tape measure there but it didn't do much good because in the pic it looks like it's on the 18" mark but it's not, it is 17" wide.

I also got the servo and motors installed.

 

[kjr2]

OK guys I have an update! Here is the chassis fully RTR! It has Hitech 645mg in servo, LRP F1 Pro esc, stock silver can motors from a Clod, and Airtronics 2ch radio.

I used the Velcro straps to secure the battery. The kit comes with both Velcro straps and large reusable zip ties but of course the Velcro straps are nicer! They have the Gmade face on one side of them in red.

Gmade also includes a few extras ballends and hardware too. Not like some kits where you need every last part they include to finish the build, or in the case of my Zilla 3, there isn?t enough to finish :banghead

There is no thread lock or gear grease included in the kit but the manual calls for both. Thread lock to secure the rods into the links and gear grease for the gears (duh).

The steering setup is sick!!!! It?s insanely solid with zero flex. My 645mg turns the tires back and forth no problem. I want to get another 645mg for the back for sure. TO me, the wheelbase is too long to use just one servo. How do I know? I drove it around the back yard for about 15 minutes! :truck

Installing the motors was easy too. You can easily see and adjust gear mesh with the side cover off. It?s great.

Gmade also includes a bunch of heavy duty body clips?

Here are 2 small videos. A couple weeks ago our water heater started spaying water out of the side (!!!!) so we got a new one and the old one is sitting in the back yard until the city makes their monthly rounds for large trash items. I?ve been using it to paint rc wheels on, to sit on while I shave the dog, and not to test the Spider?! This is all stock with lockers in the diffs. This thing is way better crawler than anything I?ve had before. It?s going to kill that Gecko II I had and do better than my Lexan crawler I made too which until now was the best crawler I?d had. The ?spider leg? lower links make a big difference. The curve in them allows for major ground clearance without raising CoG. I can?t wait ?til Friday when I go to the concrete dump site?.


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[william g]

cool vids

can you do me a big favor, take a picture with either
you with RCMT hat holding the truck,
or
the truck with the hat on or next to it.

 

[MeanAx]

Holy crap! I can't belive it drove right over that water heater! Now I want mine even more. I'm putting in my order for my shocks and motors as I type this. :willy

Looks like I'll be selling my TXT-1.

Jay

 

[kjr2]

the truck with the hat on

That's funny! I think I'll get a pic of that! And next to it...

MeanAx - I couldn't believe it either man! I was like WHOA!!! I did it like 6 time just to make sure it wasn't a fluke!

What shocks and motor are you getting? I have the Integy piggybacks with 30wt oil and stock tamiya silver cans motors. The motors/esc are just temporary. I want to get a pair of 45t Integy lathe motors and a Tekin Rebel 2 for this so my ClodZilla can live again!

 

[MeanAx]

I'm getting OFNA front buggy threaded shocks (they are 4" hole to hole). I have used them in some other projects and love how smooth they are so I thought I would buy another set for the Spider.

For motors I'm going with the 55t Integy's and 9t pinions. I still have a Super Rooster kicking around. I might get the Tekin for it though, I don't know much about Tekin, never used their stuff.

Jay

 

[kjr2]

I might go with some smaller pinions too. I always use 10-12t in my Clod for crawling because I like the wheel speed (sometimes you need it to get up something) but I want a lot of run time.... We'll see how much run time I get with the 12t and then I'll decide...

I've never used anything from Tekin either. The one guy I know who did get a Rebel 2 sold it on eBay straight away and told me it looked like it had been dragged behind a truck even though it was NIP. He said the heatsink was very rough etc. I kinda want one anyway because the price is right and many people crawl with them and say they stay cool without a fan...