RCU Review Team Losi Raminator Monster Truck - 18 More On This Product

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Contributed by Matt Gunn | Published March 2008 | Views 64164 | Email this Article | PDF

Review by Matt Gunn

SpecificationsUnder the BodyPrep WorkDriving

Top SpeedSummary

Manufacturer amp DistributorInfo

Raminator 18 4WD RTRDistributed exclusively by

Hello my name is Matt and Im addicted to monstertrucks

Theres no denying it ever since I was a child Ive beenfascinated with full size monster trucks the rallies truck pullsmud pits remaining in the stands long after most had left Myeyes burned from the exhaust that filled the arena but I didntcare I was an addict and I still am

When I was given the opportunity to review a fully-licensedversion of a full-sized monster truck the Losi Raminator wellIm sure you have an idea of my response The Raminator isbuilt off of the quite popular LST platform and through it offersits owner high-durability and a decent level of performance Myfavorite aspect of the Raminator is its appearance it lookstough as nails and drives the same way

Losi Horizon Hobby4105 Fieldstone RdChampaign IL 61822Support Phone(877) 504-0233

Website wwwlosicom

See the Raminator in action

Dialup 11mb

Broadband 30mb

RTR

Extremely durable

Pull start w drill start option

24g Spektrum radio

One of the better lookingtrucks available

Shocks provide great reboundand dampening

Engine lacks bottom endtorque

Receiver battery pack notincluded and must bepurchased separately

Now at this point Im sure your hooked and are waiting to seewhat sets this LST-based truck apart from the rest so lets grabour field boxes and test the Losi Raminator

Name18 Raminator Price $42999 retail priceLength 22Width 185Wheelbase 142Dry Weight 13 lbEngine Losi M26MBDrive Train FR diffs 2-speed w slipper clutchReceiver battery used Losi 6v 900mah NiMh flat packRadio equipment (Included) 24ghz Spektrum 2 channeltransmitter receiver digital throttle servo dual high-torquedigital steering servos

Air Filter Oil Receiver pack Flat head screwdriver 8 AA Batteries Nitro Fuel (20)

Other Helpful Items

Temperature Gauge Threadlock Formula After Run Oil

Right Undercarriage Left

Front end Oil filled shocks 171cc fuel tank

The Raminator comes with all decals applied although a few were peeling up at the edges The onlything youll need to do is cut a hole in the windshield to aide in cooling the engine Losi has styled theRaminator after the full sized Dodge monster truck and its looks are very similar right down to thetwo-toned wheels With the body removed youll see the familiar LST platform that Losi has based anumber of trucks off of its a double platform aluminum chassis tied together with impact resistantplastic blocks This same material is used throughout the truck and is quite durable The tires andwheels are a great addition and look scale The v-pattern tread design hooks up on almost allsurfaces These tires are definitely soft and will thin out dramatically at high speeds and function assecondary shock absorbers as well

One of the first things that stand out are the massive shocks By using larger single shocks at eachcorner rather than the traditional two smaller shocks maintenance is cut down and so are partscosts They are all plastic with metal springs (of course) and do an exceptional job of controlling theRaminator at any speed over almost any terrain My favorite feature of the shocks are the threadedbodies allowing easy ride height adjustment Just make sure to grip the body of the shock beforeturning the adjuster or you could unscrew the shock cap allowing fluid to leak from the reservoirs

Losi has chosen to outfit the Raminator with a big-block 26 mill that they designate as the M26MBIts a decent performer once it gets the crank spinning but down low it seems to suffer trying to turnthose massive meats Once the 26 gets moving it exhibits great mid and high rpm performance andI was honestly able to squeeze 43 mph out of the truck without over aggressively leaning the highspeed needle Granted it took almost half a football field to reach this number it did hit the markwhich makes the Raminator one of the fastest RTR monster trucks Ive tested to date

The motor breathes through a standard 2-stage air filter that does a good job of getting clean air tothe carb as it should The carb is a 2-needle design featuring a slide valve for that added throttleresponse and a return spring is attached to the slide for added security incase the linkage pops offExhaust is expelled through an aluminum header that is held against the exhaust window by a springLosi fit the engine with a sport muffler instead of a tuned pipe a contributing factor to the bottomend torque issue For those of you that like to upgrade a tuned pipe would be my first modificationFuel is delivered to the carburetor via a 171cc tank It features a primer button that worked for themost part sometimes I just pushed and pushed with no sign of fuel moving to the carb It has a fliptop thats spring loaded to prevent dirt from entering and fuel from exiting And if any fuel does spillduring fueling you need not worry about soaking the chassis thanks to the raised sides and fueldrain on the left side of the tank

Power is transferred from the crank to the transmission via a 2-speed clutch bell and then to theslipper This component is designed to take the stress imposed by sudden impacts to the drivetrainsuch as power-on landings Its set from the factory at one full turn out from tight Behind the slipperis the 2-speed spur gear assembly It uses centrifugal force to shift from 1st to 2nd gear and is fullyadjustable Take note that it has two adjustment screws and both must be adjusted evenly From thespur gears we move on to the transmission This transfers power to the front and rear differentialsand seems to be a pretty solid unit It features all metal gears to prevent stripping something Iveexperienced with a few other trucks out there After bashing the Raminator repeatedly the trannystill operates smoothly The diffs on the Raminator are metal-housing metal-gear units and arepretty stout They are packed with grease from the factory but can be filled with 10000cs diff fluidfor a more locked feel I personally didnt fell the need to as it seemed to hook up pretty well in stockform

M26MB 26 big block carb and 2-stage air filter clutch bellspur gear withslipper clutch

Braking on the Raminator is accomplished by dual steel-discs and 3 brake shoes I felt like it took afew runs to break-in the unit because initially it would grab suddenly and cause the Raminator toendo Even when adjusted the brakes would work as expected then at the last few feet beforestopping the brakes would suddenly grab harder After a few tanks of running the problem ceasedand the brake worked as expected From that point onward the dual-disc setup worked flawlessly asI brought the Raminator to a stop rather quickly from top-speed on pavement

The Raminator features plastic knuckles and hubs with two bearings at each corner Linking them tothe chassis are plastic a-arms that are pretty beefy and can take some hard hits although notindestructible I tried to negotiate a high-speed pass between two closely-spaced highwayconstruction barrels you know the onesbig orange plastic drums used for road construction WellI missed the gap and slammed the front wheel into the drum at around 30mph sending theRaminator flying one way and a massive dent in the barrel I assumed the worse and was expectingto see a broken a-arm but not so the Raminator was still running sitting on its lid The moral of thestory The Raminator is tough

Tuned pipe and header Transmission Front steering knuckle

Rear hub Steel disc brake Radio box

The electronics included with the Raminator are top tier for the entry level market In fact no othercompany currently supplies rtr vehicles with a 24ghz radio and digital servos The transmitter is barebones though it lacks a charging jack which is a feature I think every transmitter should haveReplacing batteries isnt as painful on the wallet as it used to be because the Spektrum transmitteronly uses four AA batteries and expected life with only four vs eight seems to be just as long Asidefrom the charging jack observation the transmitter is a great economy 24ghz unit andergonomically feels great Underneath the truck are two digital steering servos that have no problemturning the wheels lock-to-lock at a stand still They were setup from the factory and required noadjustment at the horns The throttlebrake servo is also digital and pretty darn quick In case youreunfamiliar with the new digital servo revolution that been going on heres the low-down analogservos sit idle and wait for an input signal from the receiver Once the signal is sent the motor isactivated by the electricity and the servo moves With digital servos a signal is constantly being sentand the servo motor is always under power It waits at a neutral position until a change is sensedand instantly reacts The result is a noticeably faster servo Now theres more to it than that but youget the idea

The radio box is a nice unit that keeps the receiver clean and dry The onoff switch is sealed with arubber boot to protect it from dust and moisture which is a nice touch because the switch is one ofthe first electronic parts to succumb to damage from contamination

Whats my major complaint about the electronics package The battery pack for the receiver is notincluded Furthermore its not even listed in the required or optional parts section on Losis website Iwill note that I did see a mention of the required battery pack on Horizon Hobbys website under therequired items section and in the manual but if you miss it while ordering youll have to wait tillyou get the truck and read the instructions Please understand I wouldnt find this frustrating if therewas an option to run AA batteries like many other rtr trucks on the market

Dual digital steering servos Battery box located on theundercarriage 24Ghz transmitter

To ready the Raminator for break-in I slipped the antenna tube over the antenna charged thereceiver pack and checked the mesh between the spur and clutch bell Take the time to double checkthe settings of the high speed needle (2 34) and low speed needle (3) because they could be off Fillthe tank with 20 nitromethane and find a smooth flat surface to break it in

The Raminator was broken in by letting it idle through the first tank of fuel followed by some easyfigure-eights Your goal is to get the temperature at the glow plug up to around 200 degrees and thenlet it completely cool before starting again This is known as the heat-cycle method and is arguablythe best way to ensure long engine life An infrared temperature reader is a helpful item and Isuggest purchasing one it makes reading the temp so much easier

Running the Raminator is a joy it handles rough terrain better than some other rtr monsters due tothe large bore shocks and the extremely flexible tires Once it gets going the tires thin out andlessen the final drive ratio making it go even faster There were plenty of times I thought it wasgoing to flip but instead it just bounced into the air and settled down and kept going The tires act assecondary shocks and keep it running in a straight line even when the ground gives way

One area where I thought the Raminator lacked was bottom end acceleration The M26MB engine is apowerful mill but doesnt have the bottom end torque to really accelerate the Raminator like I feel itshould Dont get me wrong its not terrible as this little mill will throw dirt with the best of themHonestly I think that a tuned pipe is in order here the muffler just doesnt provide the engine withthe proper backpressure needed for optimal bottom end performance The engine exhaust note isalso very loud bordering on annoying and if any of you have owned the LST you know the soundIf your running the Raminator up and down your street be prepared to take some flak from theneighbors

I also experienced a little trouble tuning the M26MB engine It took quite a bit of testing and tuningto find an acceptable range that the motor enjoyed The engine began overly rich which is normal forbreak-in But tuning it out took a little work as it would lean bog very easily but still run rich on thebottom and top end Did I have an air leak I pulled the engine and looked everywhere for thetelltale signs and removed the carb and made sure it was seated and the o-ring was in good shapeAfter still experiencing the same conditions I made it my mission to find the tune I finally landed asetting that was a little rich but totally acceptable and I kept the needles where they were onlymaking very small adjustments to the high speed as outside air temperature changed

What the Raminator lacks in bottom end pull it more than makes up for with a strong mid-range anda super-high rev The engine really wakes up once it gets moving and will tach so high that I thoughtI was going to detonate the motor Run times are pretty long thanks to the large fuel tank and Ifound myself really enjoying the Raminator through each tank of fuel it consumed

After reviewing the Raminator my only casualties were a few broken body posts I would advisebuying a pack of front and rear posts to keep on hand because when the Raminator rolls it usuallyrolls hard The rest of the truck has proved to be as bullet proof as the real thing and I see manymore sessions of bashing in this little trucks future

TOP SPEED

431 mphThe Raminator had a best top speed of 431 mph I attribute this high speed to the soft tires thinningout due to centrifugal force A Garmin 60csx gps was used to determine the speed within +- 2 mphaccuracy Multiple body-on passes were made on asphalt with the high-speed needle leanedprogressively until peak mph was reached then richened 18th of a turn

Losi Raminator in action

Dialup 11mb

Broadband 30mb

The high points of the Raminator are its durability its mid and high speed performance and itssuspension setup which soaks up everything it hits The low points are the engines fine-tuning andbottom end torque Now if the Raminator came with a receiver battery it would seal the deal butsince you have to shell out extra money on an essential battery pack the truth is Im a littledissapointed

Overall it looks cool better than most trucks on the market in my opinion It also comes with a great24ghz radio system that eliminates all interference concerns that arise from using am and fmsystems The lack of bottom end torque is really not a big deal as its definitely no slouch out thehole just dont expect any wheelies from a dead stop

In closing I will say that the Raminator is a nice truck I do feel that the engine should be addressedmaybe a tuned pipe is in order How about offering the Raminator with the Mach427 a mill knownfor its power and easy tuning characteristics Would I buy the Raminator for myself I actually wouldbecause I love the looks and durability enough to see past the other issues Im sure othersconsidering the Raminator will feel the same

18 Raminator Distributed exclusively byLosi Horizon Hobby4105 Fieldstone RdChampaign IL 61822Support Phone (877) 504-0233

Thanks to Jessica Halsak for helping me test the Raminator

Comments on RCU Review Team Losi Raminator Monster Truck - 18

Profile Not very impressive when compered to the Thunder Tiger MTA4 S28 which is much faster and more capable at offroading

Profile Its faster than the MTA4 S28 and includes much better radio gear I would say that its very impressive Also where doyou get that the MTA4 S28 is more capable offroad have you driven both or are you just making stuff up

Profile Very nice review matt

Profile Just a note to other Losi newbs like myself The truck isnt an LST2 its an Aftershock based unit I thought thedifference would be like between a RTR Savage and the SS Savage The difference between the Team Losi rigs is welldocumented in the forums All in all I like the Raminator well enough for the price

Profile A monster truck with weak bottom end is inconceivable I just did a gear change to lessen the (tall geared) high speedWhen you buy a moster truck you gotta have low to mid-end performance the Savage will eat this truch for lunch Ithought it was really cool that it came with a 24GHz radio I just dropped $400 dollars on a Futaba 3PKS 24GHz FasstTXRX

Profile Yeah the bottom end is pretty weak stock The Losi HT pipe and aluminum clutch shoes are supposed to make thebottom end much much better Iampaposll know next week when the ones I ordered get here I also added the LST2trans which gives the truck reverse plus the highlow range The low range is great for offroading even without the HTpipe

Profile The pipe alone will solve the problem It did on mine Shoes are an added bonus Nice review Muck

Profile yep yep just a nice tune pipe and problem solve i like the savage I got one also but believe me this truck justdoesnt turn heads but with the addition of a HT pipe will make other bashers cry at how much money they spent to getwhere the raminator is stock I own one and wout being an expert i konw what im talking about

Profile i hAVE A QUESTIONIF the primer button doesnt work and the gas does not go through the line to the engine whatdoes that meanwhat is wrong

Posted by dsales on 03232008

Posted by robwiljas on 03242008

Posted by poot77 on 03242008

Posted by Bluebrew on 03252008

Posted by systemlord on 04042008

Posted by robwiljas on 04052008

Posted by muck76 on 04202008

Posted by camo51 on 04242008

Posted by marcus2448 on 06102008

does that meanwhat is wrong

Profile sounds like it was stuck in 2nd gear

Page 1

Posted by iceracer65 on 10202009

The comments observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not applygenerally to similar products by the manufacturer We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in

products like the one featured in the review

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