Finally some legal offroading in Central New Jersey!

Looking good! I was going to get a 2019 white TRDOR, but it wasn't on the lot even though their website said it was. Oh well.

 

Beautiful! Foam should help with flotation.

 

First snow for both of my trucks today. Well, there was the little bit last week, but that doesn't count. I just drove my Trailrunner around the yard. If work gets snowed out tomorrow, I'll take it out again when the snow is more piled up.

 

I finally got out to off road again, and I went to NJ Devils Way. There wasn't quite as much snow as I'd hoped would still remain from last week's snow storm, but that might have been for the best. When I did find snow, sometimes I got caught up on the snow itself or on things under the snow that I couldn't see at first. I don't think I've ever gotten stuck this much before. Still, it was fun. It was also dangerous. I don't think I slipped this much while out with my RC. Both on ice and on sand. It was low tide, so I took it onto the shore of the river for a bit, but I didn't go back the way I came because the sand was so slippery.

It was my first time out with my new long 3S lipo, and I was able to climb up this one spot by the river that I wasn't able to do with my shorty 2S. I was also running aluminum beadlock hub adapters instead of the brass ones I'd been running. I'll have to take this setup to the big hill at Kennedy Park to see how it descends down the steep drop there, but climbing performance really knocked it out of the park today. I'm impressed.

I was able to find a decent amount of ice and had some sliding fun. Video: https://www.flickr.com/photos/69205803@N04/50754366863/in/dateposted/

Here's the biggest, deepest area of snow that I could really have some fun driving in. Video: https://www.flickr.com/photos/69205803@N04/50755204467/in/dateposted/

 

I froze the hair off of my nuts to take these photos! Some water has collected on the cover of the pool, so I took my Mini Z 4Runner out for an ice run when it was frozen at night and early in the morning. I went out last night when it was dark, and I took a bunch of pics. I then went out again this morning and took a bunch more pics as the sun was coming up. I could have probably stood to have gotten out there just a little earlier, but oh well. I was hoping to have some slip and slide action while driving it, but the 4Runner was super grippy on the ice! I guess it's all the brass that I have in it. At least I had some climbing fun going up the cover onto the top of the side of the pool and back down again.

 

love the brake lights

 

Those are actually the tail lights, but when you hit the brakes on a Mini Z, the LEDs shine brighter so they look like brake lights!

 

That's even better. I wish they make one for Trailrunner.

 

I'm new to the RC world, but it looks like you can do pretty much anything you want as long as you throw enough money and work at it. I bet there are electronics that you can put in a Trailrunner to give you that functionality. You'd have to mod the body and find some sort of tail light housing, though. However, I've heard that some criticism with the 4Runner 4X4 is that they do have "regular brakes". You can't just flick your finger in the opposite direction and instantly get reverse which can get you out of some sticky situations. You've got to do some more involved flicking with a Mini Z. Flick backwards to brake, wait a bit, then flick backwards again to go in reverse. If you flick backwards twice too fast, you'll just hit the brakes again. I heard of a higher end expensive transmitter that gives you an option to eliminate the brake function while keeping the stock electronics in the truck, but I don't know much about it. I might look into it one day because I have a couple Mini Z vehicles, and I might get more. I only have one Mini Z 4X4, though. I kind of want to get the Wrangler. Imagine that, a reliable Wrangler!

 

Before my ankle surgery, I was from Traxxas RC. I quitted for a while, I own too many products from them, I thought I quit RC until I bought 4runner. I need to sell my Traxxas product they are almost mint condition and put my mind into 4Runner. I still have $5k+ Traxxas products and a lot of batteries, tires new, and more. I need to get rid of them.

 

I don't know too much about Traxxas, but they tend to make a lot of fast vehicles, don't they? The Trailrunner's a lot slower. Well, if you're able to get up and go about with your ankle, then you can't go wrong with the Trailrunner. Look at my pics in this topic. You see that it goes places, and I go with it. If a 3S lipo's too fast for you at full throttle, then you could go with a 2S or even dial back the throttle trim while using the 3S to lower your maximum and dial it up when you need more speed and momentum to climb or even just exercise throttle control all the time

The Mini Z 4X4 is a lot more fun indoors for me. I see videos on Youtube with people taking the Mini Z 4X4 outside, but pretty much every place I could take the Mini Z outside I'd rather take my Trailrunner out instead. There are a few exceptions, like the frozen water on top of the pool. I wouldn't put the Trailrunner on that surface, mostly because I'm afraid what might happen to the cover if the heavy Trailrunner hits the parts of the cover angling up to the side of the pool. At least the Mini Z is small and relatively light.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I just looked at the post from the other topic. You're the one that got the Trailrunner. Well, have fun! And maybe keep some extra steering servos around if your old Traxxas stuff would work with the Trailrunner. Half a year, and that's the only thing that broke on mine except for a tire that got torn up by fishing wire, and that wasn't the truck's fault.

 

Yes, Traxxas are great products. I have Summit crawler which x10 stronger than Trailrunner in every way. ( they could make someone injure). They are fast and strong which cost a lot of money once break and they do, You almost spend 20-80$ every run because you will break stuff.
11.1v not fast for me in terms of controlling but for crawling they are too much, 7.4V which is good enough, and have stronger life each run. This is the summit i kinda modified.

 

Here is the build from the ground up all-aluminum chassis. Brussless motor

 

few others car .. there are more..
. Most of them are replace with stronger parts. 90% OEM parts went to trash.

 

Nice collection of vehicles! Good that you made them better One thing about the Trailrunner is that it's the third (I believe) Enduro, and they learned their lesson from the earlier Enduro trucks. The Trailrunner comes with more hard plastic pieces, and the body must be thicker than the body that came with the RTR of the previous trucks. My Trailrunner's body has no signs of cracking at all, and it takes a beating. It's really fantastic out of the box. I think I'm going to prep myself for my next servo before this one breaks, though. My replacement servo's good, but I would like to try something a bit more high end. Then again, if this one lasts me a long time, I might just get another one when it dies. I am able to get it locally, too. I was afraid of spending that $20-$80 every run, but I've only needed to spend about $60 once. All of the other things are just things that I wanted to do Like the battery, brass parts, etc.

This is the spot that I couldn't climb with 7.4V, but 11.1V made quick work of it. Something to think about!



This is my first hobby grade RC. Mini Z AWD drift car Trueno Initial D edition. I got it just over a year ago. Not off road, but still fun. I need to figure out a surface to drive it on, though. I could go with one of those tracks, but they're expensive. I'm trying to find interlocking tiles without any texture on them that aren't too expensive. I could put together some big 30X30 surface in the driveway and do whatever I want with it when it's dry outside. It's okay indoors, but you need a deceptively large space to really enjoy drifting. I've given thought to converting it to front wheel drive (I've had the front end apart before, and it looks like FWD would be the easier conversion), putting on grippy tires, and forgoing all driftiness just to be able to enjoy it. The big upgrade I did on this one was putting in a front one way differential. I've planned on installing the rear solid axle which replaces the diff in the rear, but I haven't done it yet.

 

First time I ran today with Trailruner outside my house. Most black trim just came off, the one they came in with little black around just a joke. I just gonna glue them together.

 

Oh man, you must really be bashing it It took me months to lose two grommets, but I did have to push a few of them back in place over those months. I eventually took a couple extra grommets and glued them all in place. They feel solid now.

I forgot about the part on the back bumper. That one fell off on the first day from me accidentally pulling it off. I just kept it off and saved the grommets for future usage. It was the only really disappointing part of the truck, but it wasn't that disappointing because I forgot about it until now.

Replacement grommets are pretty cheap, but you can probably figure out something better and cheaper or even free. https://www.amainhobbies.com/element-rc-trailwalker-body-accessory-grommets-30-asc42145/p1057793

 

^^ and mirrors too. I wouldn't worry about it. They should just glue them instead. Yes, I ran 3 batteries, it's super fun. It is ugly now. Later I will paint shackle red )

Hey also be careful with LIPO, don't charge inside your house. Once awhile they will burn make sure inside LIpo bags and outside the garage or something. Don't leave them unattended. Happened to me a few times. It was scary the first time. It's contained in the bag also It was next to me, you will hear a pop, just bring it outside don't think.

 

Did your mirrors come attached? Mine didn't. I just never put them on to begin with. I knew I was just going to break them off. I never bothered putting on the roof rack and things like that, too. Sometimes she rolls, and if it's not there to begin with, then you can't break it!

Three batteries? How long were you out there? The battery that came with my RTR plus battery and charger set can go for at least an hour/at least a mile. Reedy 3000mAh 30C 7.4V Shorty Battery (ASC758) and Reedy Compact Balance Charger (ASC27201). I actually never ran out of juice with it.

I had been using a bag for my lipo, but I recently got a Bat-Safe, so I've been using that. I still need to get extensions to feed through the tight hole in the Bat-Safe so I can charge batteries with the lid closed, but I never charge batteries unattended. Worst comes to worst, I can just disconnect from the charger real fast and slam the lid shut. I still use the bag to transport batteries in my 4Runner when I'm taking the Trailrunner out.

 

I use my old batteries, I cant believe these batteries still work after 6 years not using.

two 3000mah 20c 11.1
one 8000mah 50c 7.4

 

Maybe it's the age that's getting you. I'd think that 7.4 would last you all afternoon if you take it out in the afternoon, but it's old and wasn't used.

I've been pretty diligent about using my one shorty battery every week or every couple weeks, so I wasn't too worried about having non-use wear. Now that I've got two batteries, I should look into getting a better charger so I can do a proper storage charge. I don't know what sort of usage either one of them is going to see from week to week now that I've got both of them.

 

Just paint shackles; hopefully, I don't have to use it on the ditch or something will ruin it

 

Looking good... for now! I like the sides that are right side up this time

I snipped the ends of the posts that go into the truck off so the steering wouldn't be blocked and got the bumper tighter up against the body. It might help with angles.

 

Still original bumper. Once I have this permanent it will trim off. I run 40mins today. man, it's fun crawling. I lifted 2 in'' so its level now. haha

I think suspension quite soft, I will change out oil soon something a little heavier. Need to find out what weight they use. 35wt oil, I believe

 

It's super fun, man! Just you wait until the spring when the deep snow is gone and the fall's leaves have blown away or decomposed. You'll be getting into the woods and seeing sights that most people don't ever get to see.

Ooh, a lift. I should look into that myself. I wonder if Team Associated is going to come out with portal axles for the Enduro. Can you put that in the rear? I have no idea.

If you think the Trailrunner suspension is soft, you'll think the Mini Z 4X4 is bonkers! There's no oil in those shocks at all! I heard of people putting marine grease in the Mini Z shocks. You can open them up. They're hollow inside. I have to get a syringe and try it out one day. Worst comes to worst, I could just remove the grease.

Not offroad but still kind of in an offroad fail way, I picked up cheap interlocking foam mats for my drift car today. I'm just trying it out with one set, and the car fell off the mat at one point. I tried driving it back up onto the mat, and it just wasn't happening They do work pretty nicely when the car stays on them, though. I might have a little Midnight Club in my driveway when the weather gets nicer. I'll just have to get loads more mats.

 

if you wanna stiff up Mini Z, maybe get a stronger spring. I just bring those shock to hobbies shops and look for different spring maybe complete shocks. Perhaps this : https://www.amainhobbies.com/redcat-complete-aluminum-sumo-shock-4-rer24600/p172421

Trailrunner, I adjust the shock

 

I don't know. I'd be afraid that if the springs were any stronger I'd lose articulation. They're okay, but there's just simply nothing going on except for the springs. It's just so bouncy. It also doesn't help that the Mini Z 4X4 has rather unique parts. I still love it, but the more I see of the SCX24 the more I think it's the better buy unless you're an absolute fanatic about the vehicle you're buying. Mini Z bodies are top notch stuff, after all.

I stacked up the mats for my drift car and did some light climbing with my Mini Z 4Runner earlier. So much fun! I went looking up Mini Z drift car stuff, and so much Mini Z stuff is sold out right now. Holy crap. The easiest things to find are the Mini Z 4X4 RTR trucks and parts.

 

Hey, I didn't take any pics, but I did take my Trailrunner out to the big hill at Kennedy Park today. I used the 2S shorty and the aluminum beadlock adapters. I had used the 2S shorty and the brass beadlock adapters in the past, and while climbing the hill was easier than with plastic adapters it made descents more tricky. I found today's aluminum to give me just enough edge to climb well while also not having too much weight on the descents that I slide as much as I did with the brass. Even the tires getting muddy didn't make things too slippery. I'm happy with this setup for extreme climbing and descents. I think adding more weight would just be a detriment, so that's it for the weight. I'll keep the brass around in case I need it in the future, but it's probably not going to see much use.

I also took a drive to Old Bridge Waterfront Park and went to the right rocky area. I don't think I'll be going back to that rocky area, at least not without some serious lifting and monster tires. I got the truck stuck on the rocks and had to climb onto them to rescue it. It also took a lot of trudging through brush to get to the spot, and while I don't mind trudging through brush, I'd rather not do it if what's on the other side is just going to be disappointing.

I've got my 3S charging right now. I'm going to take it onto a more proper hiking trail tomorrow morning. It'll be my first time there. The rest of the week is shaping up to be rainy, so I'm going to enjoy the trail while I can.

 

W0w nice you have good trails in your area. I pretty much don't have anything near me plus I got no spare yet to test out rock climbing. I am still looking for more stealth parts which not a lot for this Trail Runner. however, it is stock I am happy doing some light crawling in the park.

 

You guys need to run 4S Lipo..