SC8er Boy – Team Associated SC8

Track test
Since all of the permanent off-road track within reach are shut due to winter season we again had to rely on our purpose built track which is not that much of a problem. We did not have proper jumps at hand but its variety of different surfaces was enough challenge for the SC8. Bringing the Pro.28 engine to life was not much of a task but only after we got rid of the hand held starter. With a warm or broken-in engine the starter works just fine but with temperatures just below zero it was nearly impossible to start the nitro engine of the SC8. Due to the low ambient temperatures the Thunder Tiger big block engine showed a lot of pinch so we found it easier to put it on a starter box. Thanks to the large opening underneath the flywheel we had no problems to use an external starter. Normally it’s a sheer pain to try and start a Ready-to-Run engine with a starter box due to the fact that most of the engines sit higher in an RTR car but with our old and trusty Robitronic starter box it was no problem at all.

After priming and with the carburetor slightly open the Pro.28 started on the second or third attempt and instantly idled nicely and without any problems. As usual we let all new engines idle for a full tank on the starter box before we get into the action. After a break for letting the engine cool down we refueled the truck, installed the body and started the engine. Glow plug access is easy thanks to the glow plug extension. With only a blip of the throttle the SC8 took off with enormous acceleration which forces us to believe that the setting of the carburetor was a bit on the lean side! It was only the second tank of fuel and we did not expect such an agile engine. To make sure we do not harm the engine we opened the main needle on the carburetor a full turn until acceleration was a bit delayed. We ran the truck through five more tanks of fuel to let all the internals bed in nicely. After the sixth tank we slightly leaned the mixture but still only uses around 50 to 60 percent full throttle for at least four more tanks.

During the run-in process we began to get a feel for the truck. The soft suspension set-up we noticed on the work bench was no problem on the track. The SC8 showed a very agile handling with very controllable ‘dirt-rooster-pulling’ oversteer out of tight turns and a slight ‘dig-that-body-into-the ground’ understeer coming into tight turns. On a hard packed surface steering was neutral at high speeds, the brakes produced nothing but a secure halt even from full speed. Very impressive. Because of the high centre of gravity we had the idea that the SC8 might flip easily but only managed to put it on the roof twice! Straight line stability over rough parts of the track was impressive thanks to the soft and forgiving suspension set-up. Due to the lack of proper jumps we have yet to test its mid-air handling but looking at videos on the internet it seems that the SC8 is a good flyer too!

Conclusion
The Team Associated is a really nice truck. And we would love to see more of them on the tracks in Europe this year. Parts quality is very good, we have yet to break a part during the action. The only downside is the weak hand held starter that was not able to turn the engine properly when new/cold. You have to have a strong starter box and a good glow ignite to make sure the large Pro.28 can be started without any hassles. But beside that we are still impressed from the SC8’s performance and handling on the track.

Specifications
Scale: 1/8
Chassis: 3 mm aluminium
Drivetrain: 4WD
Differentials: sealed geared differentials
Suspension – front: independent wishbones
Suspension – rear: independent wishbones
Shocks – front: alloy/oil filled/coil over spring
Shocks – rear: alloy/oil filled/coil over spring

Dimensions
Length: 615 mm
Width: 304 mm
Wheelbase: 374 mm
Track – front: 261 mm
Track – rear: 261 mm
Weight: 4100 gr.

Equipment
Car – Team Associated SC8 [rc10.com]
Receiver battery – LRP VTEC 1400 [lrp.cc]
Charger – LRP Pulsar 3 [lrp.cc]
Fuel – RB Concept Monster Fuel [rmv-deutschland.de]

Review by Sebastian Suerstedt