My new toy:
https://m.banggood.com/REMO-1631-11...uck-SMAX-RC-Car-p-1074510.html?rmmds=myorders
It had sockets for 5mm LEDs in the bumpers so I put some in before I even drove it the first time. Also strapped on a low battery alarm.
The receiver/ESC can control the stock 5-wire servo or a standard 3-wire servo. So I used the regular servo connector to power the LEDs - no need for custom anything that way. The transmitter also has dual rate adjustments for both throttle and steering. So I can turn the throttle way down and hand it to my 5 year old son and he can drive it inside the house. Or turn the steering down so it's not so twitchy when I'm driving fast on the street. The steering knob itself can also be pushed through to the other side for leftys of you want.
The shocks were supposed to be oil filled according to the box but they're not. No rubber seals inside so any oil I added would drain right out. I've emailed BG about it and maybe they'll send me some shocks that are oil filled, or at least give me a break on the price of the metal shocks from Remo for this truck.
However, it DOES have all metal gears, and for some reason the metal reduction gear was not pre installed. They used a plastic one. But even the differentials have metal gears inside. Strangely, the center driveshaft is plastic. For bashing though, maybe that's a good thing - sort of a strain relief since the drivetrain will get lots of random shocks when running over rough ground at speed.
Another thing I like is the way parts are interchangeable. All 4 upper and all 4 lower control arms are identical, as are axles, wheels/tires, shocks, differentials, and most bearings.
Aside from the completely worthless shocks, it's not a bad little truck. Easy to work on and seems pretty durable and surprisingly stable at full throttle. The wltoys a979b I had for a few days before sending it back was extremely unstable at speed and would flip over if you so much as breathed in its direction. This one just spins out instead of flipping.
It already has 12mm hex for the wheels so I plan on getting some taller wheels and tires to get more ground clearance. Longer shocks are not an option (without permanent modification) because of the way the chassis is shaped - it prevents the arms from drooping even with no shock connected. Course the dog bones/axles (which are also metal) might not work with longer shocks anyway due to the angles that would create.