Tamiya_ClodBuster
Tamiya Clodbuster

It’s happening, the rise of radio controlled monster trucks is making a resurgence. When I was a kid, a long time ago, there were a ton of monster truck options. Most of them were offered by Tamiya and Kyosho. The Clodbuster, Lunchbox, Double Dare, Midnight Pumpkin, Big Brute, Black Foot, Monster Beetle, USA-1, Sledgehammer, and the list goes on. These things were awesome. Not all of them were four wheel drive, but some were. The Tamiya Clodbuster has been around a long time with it’s 4-wheel steering and giant tires. I have one myself along with a few of the other vintage monsters, but it’s all going to change soon.

The radio controlled monster truck is reaching a new height when the 1/10 scale replica of Grave Digger is released by Axial in August in the form of the SMT10™ (scale monster truck). ax90055_smt10_grave_digger_04_800pxThey have gone to great lengths to make it as close to the original than any other manufacturer in the past. It has solid axles like the real deal, a full cage, amazing realism, and so much more.  The question is, will more manufacturers follow or will this be an Axial only thing?

My hope is Traxxas will step their game up and enter the ring. Especially after becoming the title sponsor for the Monster Truck Destruction Tour with the world famous Bigfoot! Time will tell and it’s a great time to be an R/C hobbyist.

The Axial SMT10™ Grave Digger will set you back $399. Which is a lot of money to me, but for others they may not think it’s a bad price. It shares some parts with other models but looks absolutely amazing. Some complaints I have read already include the tire size but Axial said on a live feed on Facebook that they are exactly scale to where they should be, which you can clearly see if you watch the promo video below. The current shock setup is also not at the full size location but they did this for handling purposes and you can mount them where the scale Grave Digger has them mounted or a few other places. It is also only front steer but can be converted to four wheel steer.  The on axle servo mount is a nice touch and will be helpful to go to four wheel steering. My hope is to either meet someone who buys one or see if we can’t get one sent to us for a review (talking to you hobby shops and manufacturers.)

More specs on the SMT10™ include the following:ax90055_chassis_950

  • Full tube chassis
  • 2 BKT Monster Jam tires
  • 4-link suspension
  • AX10 Transmission
  • Waterproof receiver box and AE-5 Electronic Speed Control
  • Water resistant Metal Gear Tactic Servo, 151 oz-in
  • And so much more.

 

The promotional video (shown below) released by Axial is very awesome combining video of the real truck with the r/c truck. I can’t wait to see one in person.

Be sure to comment with your impressions!

 

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