obessedwithrc
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- Tekno RC's
- EB410
- EB48
- ET48
- ET410
- MT410
- SCT410
- Driving Style
- Basher
SCT48 Build Thread (PART I)
I've had a few requests for details on how I build my SCT48 and thought I'd put together a build thread. The SCT48 concept is simple: take a 1/8 scale buggy and extend its wheelbase using a 1/8 scale truggy chassis. Others have used the NT chassis, reversed the motor mount, drilled holes for custom battery trays, etc., and I wasn't interested in turning my garage into a machine shop. So, I decided to KISS "keep it simple and stupid" and bought an EB48 2.2 kit and used the spare ET48 2.0 chassis I had on hand. To adapt the ET48 2.0 chassis for the SCT48, you need only to use a basic file to slightly narrow the rear of the chassis where the EB48 2.2 hinge pins are mounted—a task requiring minimal skill.Prior to my goal of building an SCT48, I had purchased an EB48 2.2 kit to recreate the now-discontinued Arrma Senton 6s BLX. The Senton 6s BLX is essentially a 1/8 buggy with slightly shortened a-arms, 17mm hex 6s capable tires, and a bulletproof short course body. The dimensions of the Senton 6s BLX (wheelbase and track width) are identical to that of a 1/10 short course truck. In other words, it was the first-of-a-kind and last-of-a-kind 1/10-sized short course truck based on 1/8-sized durability and power. Unfortunately for me, the a-arms on the EB48 2.2 are standard 1/8 buggy-sized and were not short enough to match the track width I needed to make my Senton idea come to life.
Here's a picture of the EB48 2.2 kit that I built with nearly every upgrade one can imagine and then some:
Here's a pic of the EB48 2.2 with the Senton 6s BLX body test fitted. As you can see, the problem comes down to "wheel poke;" whereas, the tires do not neatly "tuck" under the fender wells. The only solution would be to hack up the body, which I was not willing to do. I even tried using the most narrow wheel hexes Tekno offers with the Senton's stock tires, which are already feature a 0 offset.
So, once my Senton 6s BLX project idea failed, I whipped out the spare ET48 2.0 chassis I had sitting in the garage and performed a chassis swap. There are two parts I needed to complete the chassis swap—TKR9676 – Universal Driveshaft (longer rear driveshaft from the ET48 2.0) and TKR9062B – Chassis Brace Set (only the rear chassis brace from the ET48 2.0 is required from the set).
Here's a pic of the chassis swap post completion with the EB chassis pictured to the rear:
In terms of the modifications required to fit the ET48 2.0 chassis, use a basic file to slightly narrow the rear of the chassis in order to fit the EB48 2.2 hinge pin blocks. I also shaped the "ears" of the chassis to more closely match the "ears" on the EB48 2.2 chassis. In order to identify how much of the chassis needs to be trimmed, I simply laid the EB48 2.2 chassis on top of the ET48 2.0 chassis, and then traced an outline using black Sharpie. By tracing the EB48 2.2 chassis onto the ET48 2.0 with a Sharpie, I knew the amount of excess area I needed to remove.
To ensure my markings were as accurate as possible, I used two screws to bolt the two chassis together, before I marked the area for trimming. The screw holes I used are for the "C" hinge pin block (the front hinge pin block that is used on the rear bulkhead).
Here's a picture showing the left side of the front of the chassis that had been filed down:
Here's a picture of the EB48 2.2 overlaid on top of the ET48 2.0 chassis with removal of the excess material completed, illustrating the amount of the chassis needs to be removed:
Quick note: to the best of my knowledge if you plan to use the ET48 2.2 (not the 2.0) chassis, it may require additional trimming relative to the hinge pins that key into the chassis. If you wanted help to figure out what additional trimming is required, join the SCT48 Facebook group and I'm sure you'll get your questions answered quickly.
Next, I needed to:
(1) Find/ purchase a 1/8-sized short course body for the build
(2) Figure out how to mount a short course body
(3) Identify how I would be able to protect the front/ rear of a short course body
As for body options, there are not many to choose from. Based on my research the body options are:- Arrma Mojave 4s BLX*
- HPI Apache SC Flux (if you can find one)
- Hobao SC8
- Team Corally Shiroi
- Phoenix Performance Bodies 1/8 Juggernaut
There may be other body options out there such as the body from the newly released Yikong YK8081 DF8, but it does not appear the body can be purchased separately, yet. When the Yikong body becomes available for purchase I'm going to pick one up. For my build, I patiently waited a few months until the Phoenix Performance Bodies 1/8 Juggernaut was available for purchase. Prior to that, I was considering the Arrma Mojave 4s body, pictured below:
Here is a picture of the Juggernaut body test fitted (unpainted with white protective film still applied):
Next, I needed to figure out how to mount a short course body and how to protect it (i.e., to mount front and rear bumpers). While there are many methods others have used to mount a short course body on their SCT48 builds, I chose the "easy way" and purchased custom shock towers which enable the use of both the body mounts and the front/ rear bumpers from the SCT410 2.0. The shock towers were made by Richard Miaskiewicz right here in San Diego, CA, at his machine shop. You can reach by joining the Tekno SCT48 group on Facebook.
The towers are currently out of stock (as of 7/28); however, Richard plans to restock the towers once he has secured the minimum order quantity required for a second production run. I plan to order two more sets and will be using them both my SC and MT410 2.0, as with these towers, I can upgrade to the EB48 2.2 shocks, rather than using the weak 13mm bore shocks that come stock with the 410 2.0 kits.
Here's a picture of the custom CNC machined 7075 aluminum custom shock towers:
Here are a few pictures that show the SCT410 2.0 body mounts and bumpers used with Richard's towers:
Note: In my experience the stock bumper springs are weak and will buckle, which is why I upgraded mine to the 3d printed version offered by Garage Life RC, pictured below:
Note: you will need to fit a longer screws (M4X14) where the bumper ties into the front/ front hinge pin and the rear/ rear hinge pin blocks:
The parts you will need for the body mounting and bumper systems are as follows:
- TKR9598 – Body Mount Base Set (SCT410 2.0)
- TKR7798 – Body Post Set (swivel, 4pcs)
- TKR9680 – Bumper Bar Set (F/R, MT/SCT410 2.0)
- TKR9630 – Tower Brace Set (F/R, MT/SCT410 2.0)*
- A crap ton of screws... (I will create a list of the screw length/ type/ quantity upon request)
Chassis stiffening/ bracing options:
- M2C 6996 Tekno ET48 2.0 truggy rear center brace
- M2C 6925 tekno ET48 2.0 / 2.2 skid brace (ties into rear bulkhead and motor mount)
- AllRacing 7075 ET48 2.0 aluminum alloy one-piece middle support brace (spans from the upper steering plate to the motor mount)
- AllRacing 7075 ET48 2.0 aluminum rear center brace (similar to M2C's) and rear chassis brace mount (attaches to bulkhead)
- Vitavon 7075 front chassis brace (shorter than the AllRacing brace/ does not attach to the motor mount)
- DU Racing 7075 front chassis brace (similar to Vitavon front chassis brace)
- DU Racing 7075 front and rear brace mounts (again, I would order and test fit the plastic brace mounts, first)
- 7075 aluminum top steering plate (made by various brands)
AllRacing 7075 ET48 2.0 aluminum rear center brace (similar to M2C's) and rear chassis brace mount (attaches to bulkhead):
Note: I did not provide links to the AllRacing parts because the links may change. Most of their parts are either sold on eBay or on AliExpress.
In terms of bracing as it relates to my build, I opted to not to add any bracing upgrades. I figure that I'm not going to be bashing the snot out of my SCT48 and I don't need the extra bracing. I have three full "beefcake" bashers, the OG MT410, a MT410 2.0, and an ET48 2.0 bashers. I opted for a "performance" build rather than an extreme basher build. That said, if you are concerned about durability, there are a lot of brands that make many beefcake parts that may fit a SCT48, depending on what chassis version you use.
Ever since the release of the MT48, brands like Vitavon and ADU racing, among others, have entered the market with aftermarket upgrades for Teknos. You just need to check that the parts you are purchasing are cross-compatible with the specific buggy and truggy kits you plan to use for your build. But, like I mentioned, my goal was to optimize my SCT48 for performance which means opting not to add weight to the truck if I didn't have to.
