RCU Review: DuraTrax Street Force GP2

 RCU Review: DuraTrax Street Force GP2 - RTR More On This Product
Show user ratings Check for Retailers Contributed by: Eric Hege | Published: January 2005 | Views: 130062 |
Introduction
Specifications
Required Items
Video
Ratings
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"I always was a sucker for a redhead."
-Sway (Gone In 60 Seconds)
Under the Hood
Prep Work
Time For Action
Summary
Manufacturer & Distributor
Info
Duratrax
Distributed Exclusively By
Great Planes Model Distributors
P.O. Box 9021
Champaign, IL 61826-9021 USA
Phone: (800) 637-7660
Website: www.duratrax.com
Some people prefer insane acceleration and top speed on pavement
instead of cushy suspensions and lots of dirt and dust. While there are
various forms of pavement-based cars available the most popular option
is arguably the touring car. The popularity stems from the balance of
handling, speed, and sharp looks. So it's no wonder that there are many
tracks and groups that are solely dedicated to this particular aspect of
the hobby.
The Duratrax Street Force GP2 fits right into this particular niche. While it
may not offer the entire range of high end options that some of the purely
race-bred touring cars do, it does provide a very well rounded option for
those looking to pound the pavement. It's targeted towards the beginner,
or mid-level hobbyist, but Duratrax offers several upgrades to help take it
to the next level of performance.
Recently, Duratrax has been working hard to further improve many of the
vehicles they currently offer. It'll be interesting to see how well the Street
Force GP2 can handle the pavement, and how much excitement it can
deliver. After all the real fun of a car like this, is the white knuckles you
get when gripping the radio running at full tilt while just barely keeping it
under control. So let's get going, because I feel the need for speed!
See the Street Force in action!
Resolution: Low Medium High
Quality
Performance
Assembly Ease
Handling
Durability
Speed
Engine
Price
Easily Tuned O.S. .18 Engine
Well Detailed Body
Very Complete Package
Stress-Tech Guarantee
Better Tires Would Help Handling
Wheel Nuts Loosened Easily
Wheel Wells Need Trimming
Model Name: Duratrax Street Force GP2 RTR
Part Number: DTXD52**
Price: $270.00 (Approx. Street Price)
Type: 1/10 Scale Four Wheel Drive Touring Car
Length: 16.5" (435mm)
Width: 7.7" (195mm)
Height: 4.6" (115mm)
Wheelbase: 10.1" (255mm)
Weight: 3.1 lbs. (1.4 kg)
Wheels: Pro-Line 10-Spoke Wabash 2.5" (26mm)
Tires: Pro-Line Road Rage 2.5" (64mm)
Front Suspension: Independent C-Hub
Rear Suspension: Independent
Shocks: Plastic with Aluminum Caps
Center Drivetrain: Belt-Driven
Axles: CVD-Style
Chassis: 3mm Anodized Aluminum
Engine: .18 (3.0cc) Duratrax by O.S.
Brakes: Carbon-Fiber Disc With Stainless Steel Calipers
Fuel Tank: 75cc with Stone Filter
Additionally Required Items
Nitro
Flathead Screwdriver
Lexan Body
Documentation
Body Accessories
The Duratrax Street Force GP2 comes with a very sharp looking screen printed body. The front of the body has a
ripping paint theme, while the rest of the body is trimmed with tribal flames. It looks very sharp, and out of all the
colors Duratrax offers the red version is most certainly my favorite. The other colors offered are: black, green,
purple, silver, and yellow. Each body also comes with a plastic protective film on it that must be removed prior to
applying any decals. This film protects the body during shipping, and the time prior to its installation. I have to give
some serious props to Duratrax for designing a truly killer looking body, and protecting it in this manner.
The Street Force GP2 also comes with an excellent amount of documentation as well. The manual covers the basic
operation, break-in, and maintenance, very well. It also uses an easy to read and understand format. The one
gripe I did have about the manual was the fact that the information for adjusting the two-speed mechanism is
difficult to find. I think a photo showing how to adjust the set screw in an earlier section of the manual would prove
to be a better approach than to address adjustment in the exploded view section.
The two-speed assembly mates directly against the clutch bell with the two spurs it has mounted on it. Should the
two-speed assembly need to be adjusted, this is where youll do so. However, this information is tough to find in
the manual, unless you know where to look. It can be found on page 18 of the manual, along with the instructions
explaining the exploded view for the two-speed assembly. To adjust the two-speed assembly, you'll need to use a
2mm hex driver. You'll rotate the two-speed assembly around until you can see the hole for the adjustment screw
through the outer opening. You'll probably notice what appear to be two of these adjustment screws as you rotate
the two-speed assembly, but only one of these is really the adjustment screw. The other should not be tampered
with. The adjustment screw sits at an angle, while the other screw runs straight into the hub. Turn the screw
clockwise for later shifts and counter-clockwise for an earlier shift.
In addition to the manual you'll also receive a separate booklet which contains the exploded view of the car, and a
detailed parts list. This booklet will prove itself invaluable should you need to disassemble your Street Force for any
reason. The last manual-related item is the tuning DVD which gives you a good overview of the motor, and the
break-in process. It also introduces you to the other products in the Duratrax lineup as well. While this is a very
good addition to the model, especially for the beginner, it should be noted that it is not a substitute for reading the
manual. As always, I still recommend reading the manual as well. After all, when it comes to nitro, you need a good
understanding of what you're doing.
Duratrax also offers a host of accessories with the Street Force. First of all, to help round out the body, you get a
nice sheet of stickers to trim your body out to suit your tastes. For the rear of the car you receive a spoiler wing,
which will help keep the rear end of the car planted while you're driving it. The rear wing has a protective film on it
just as the body does. To help hold the body in place, Duratrax provides you with a set of body washers.
Accessories
Left Side
Right Side
The accessories don't stop with what I've already mentioned either. There's plenty more. To prevent you from
having to purchase a separate fuel bottle, Duratrax has included a 250cc fuel bottle. Are you minus a glow igniter?
Don't sweat it, Duratrax has you covered as they provide an igniter that uses a standard C-size battery. In fact,
even the C-size battery that's needed for the igniter is provided. You'll also find 12 AA batteries to power the radio
and receiver. In the long run, rechargeable batteries and igniters will come in handy, but to get you started Duratrax
has done an excellent job of providing you all you need.
Despite all of that, there's still even more items included with the Street Force GP2. You get a removable zip tie to
secure the receiver pack in place while you're driving. Another plastic bag contains a reusable foam air filter as
well. Other items, that help to round out the list of accessories, include a frequency identifier, body clips, antenna
tube, and preload spacers for the shocks.
The Street Force itself is laid out in typical touring car fashion. A low-slung chassis is home for the various
components of the car while the tuned pipe is hanging off the side. A plastic upper chassis covers the area for the
receiver pack while providing a mounting point for the throttle servo. A drive belt system transfers the power from
the motor to the wheels, and passes through cutouts in the upper plate of the chassis. I should mention that for
those looking for the ultimate in strength and weight-conscious upgrades, Duratrax does offer a carbon-fiber upper
plate as an upgrade option. The upper brace in the rear is 1.5mm aluminum, which is anodized in purple to match
the chassis.
I also should point out that Duratrax protects the Street Force with their popular Stress-Tech guarantee. This
service provides you replacement parts within a 12-month period should a covered part fail, for any reason. The
Stress-Tech guarantee covers plastic parts found on your Street Force GP2, and includes items such as the
suspension arms, bulkheads, and bearing carriers. The fact that Duratrax stands behind their products in this
manner, will provide you piece of mind while ripping up the pavement.
Chassis Bottom
Fuel Tank
Wheels and Tires
Viewing the underside of the Street Force chassis is just as impressive as looking at the car from the top. A 3mm
chassis plate is the base for the entire car. The hardware is countersunk into the chassis plate, although I wish the
screw securing the pipe hanger was countersunk a little better than what it is. I would have also preferred to see
hex head hardware used instead of Phillips head screws. I just find hex head hardware much easier to work with
and more wear resistant when performing routine maintenance and repairs.
To help the car maintain a low center of gravity you'll notice a cutout which gives the spur gears some clearance,
allowing the motor to sit lower on the chassis. Other cutouts, such as the one under the fuel tank, simply help to
remove some weight from the aluminum chassis plate. There are several cutouts around the drive belts as well.
While a touring car is often run on what might seem to be clean pavement, there will always tend to be some debris
that goes unseen. Whether these openings present a problem with debris damaging the belts is a area I will be
watching closely during the driving phase of the review.
To supply the Street Force with fuel, Duratrax provides a 75cc plastic fuel tank. The size is pretty typical for a
touring car such as this where weight is more of a concern than runtime. While the .18 motor has a little more of an
appetite than the .12-.15 cubic inch motors you see in many other touring cars, you can still expect to see around
8-10 minutes of runtime out of a tank. Obviously this will vary somewhat, depending upon factors such as driving
style and tuning.
I did notice the pipe was sitting against the fuel tank when I pulled it out of the box. So I took a few seconds and
bent the hanger to provide a gap between the two. If the Street Force is run in this condition, the heat from the pipe
could easily melt the fuel tank around the contact area forcing it to be replaced. I wouldn't consider this a big issue,
as it probably occurred while it was being shipped. However it is an area you'll want to examine before you run your
Street Force for the first time.
The 26mm wide wheels and tires on the Street Force are provided by Pro-Line, a name which should be familiar to
anyone who has spent some time in the hobby. The wheels are plastic with a nice chrome finish, and have Road
Rage tires glued onto them. The Road Rage tires are a medium compound rubber tire, and are reinforced with
inserts to help provide sidewall stiffness when cornering. While the tire won't provide optimum traction, it's a good
compromise between traction and a decent lifespan. A set of 7mm nuts secure the wheels and tires to the 12mm
hex adapter on the car's axle. With Pro-Line's help, Duratrax has most certainly provided the Street Force with a
good wheel and tire combination.
Front Suspension
Steering Hubs
Rear Suspension
The front suspension of the Street Force is controlled by a set of 2.5 inch plastic shocks. The shocks are topped off
with aluminum caps, with plastic ends, and use red springs which are the "hard" springs offered by Duratrax. The
shock shaft has a diameter of 3mm and uses a plastic rod end to secure the lower end of the shock to the
suspension arm. The upper end snaps onto a 6mm ball nut mounted onto the shock tower. The Street Force
provides you with three shock mounting positions on the suspension arm. The dampening duties of the shocks are
controlled by the stock shock oil and two-hole piston heads. Camber angle is altered via a set of 3mm turnbuckles
that run from the steering hub to the shock tower.
The shock tower itself is a 3mm aluminum plate that's anodized in purple. The Duratrax shock tower provides a
total of three mounting points for the upper end of each shock. If you're looking to shave some weight off of the
stock configuration, optional Duratrax carbon-fiber shock towers are available. The entire front end is protected by a
wide plastic bumper that should provide plenty of protection yet still remain flexible enough to absorb an impact
should a collision occur.
From the rear of the Street Force you can get a glimpse of the 4mm wide drive belt that connects the two-speed
assembly to the rear ball differential. The ball differential is a common setup with most touring cars due to the
precision with which it allows adjustment of the traction transfer between the wheels. The differential is held in place
by bulkheads which are attached to the chassis plate and the shock tower, just as the front is. A set of
dogbone-style axles connect the differential to the axle stubs at the wheels.
The rear shocks are similar to the front, and just like the front they are offered three mounting locations at the upper
end of the shock and three at the lower end. However the suspension arms do not use c-hubs like the front ones
do. Instead, they utilize a 3mm turnbuckle with rod ends which attach straight to a bearing carrier. Since the rear
wheels do not provide any steering, this is a more common suspension approach for the rear of a touring car. The
bearing carrier provides two separate mounting locations for the turnbuckle while the shock tower provides a total
of four possible mounting locations. Between the various mounting configurations, and the adjustability of the
turnbuckle, altering the camber angle should present no problem at all.
Axles
Motor
Adjustment Needles
Power is transferred from the front differentials to the wheels through a pair of 3mm CVD shafts, which is a contrast
to the dogbone-style axles the rear of the Street Force GP2 uses. The 5mm axle stub of the CVD axle passes
through a pair of 10x5x4mm bearings that support the axle while providing as little rolling resistance as possible.
This provides an axle built to withstand the power of the .18 cubic inch motor. The steering hubs are captured by
c-hubs, with cap head screws and kingpin bushings securing the parts together.
The Street Force GP2 is powered by a .18 cubic inch (3.0cc) motor. This motor is made specifically for Duratrax by
O.S. Engines. Being that it's made by O.S., you can feel certain that the motor is of top quality and very easy to
work with in regards to tuning. It also provides plenty of horsepower for the Street Force due to it's larger
displacement, which is generally more that's seen with many other RTR motors. Keep in mind that this larger
displacement may affect the legality of the car in certain racing classes.
The engine has a two speed clutch bell which mates to the two-speed hub assembly. The clutch bell is turned by a
two-shoe nylon clutch assembly. A rotary carburetor provides both fuel and air to the motor, while an anodized
aluminum header and tuned pipe carries the spent exhaust away from the combustion chamber. The motor comes
equipped with a pullstart, which appears very capable of the duty it's been assigned.
The needles on the carburetor are in the normal locations and, with the exception of the low speed needle, are
easily reached. It isn't that the low speed needle isn't that difficult to reach, however you will need to lay a
screwdriver along the upper chassis plate to adjust it. This just makes things a tad different than when you adjust
the high speed needle or idle adjustment screw. The carburetor's linkage is connected to an L-shaped servo horn
mounted on the servo.
Gearset
Drivebelts
Rear Drivebelt
The other arm of the throttle servo's horn connects the brake linkage to the braking assembly which is mounted on
the shaft between the two-speed hub and the belt. The brake disk is carbon-fiber, and is surrounded by two
stainless steel calipers which clamp it when the brake lever is pulled by the servo. The braking action can be easily
altered using a plastic thumbwheel at the end of the braking linkage. This makes dialing in the perfect amount of
braking action easy.
The two-speed assembly mates directly against the clutch bell with the two spurs it has mounted on it. Should the
two-speed assembly need to be adjusted, this is where the adjuster is located. However, this information is not
covered in the manual which did surprise me. In case you need to adjust the two-speed assembly for earlier or
later shifting, you'll need to use a 2mm hex driver. You'll rotate the two-speed assembly around until you can see
the hole for the adjustment screw through the outer opening. You'll probably notice what appear to be two of these
adjustment screws as you rotate the two-speed assembly, but only one of these is really the adjustment screw. The
other should not be tampered with. The adjustment screw sits at an angle, while the other screw runs straight into
the hub. Turn the screw clockwise for later shifts and counter-clockwise for an earlier shift.
The transfer of power from the motor to the differentials of the Street Force is handled by a series of 4mm wide
belts. A short belt, nearly 90mm long, connects the two-speed hub to the rear differential. A pair of belts, nearly
80mm and 210mm long, connects the two-speed assembly to the front differential. Drivebelts such as this provide
a very responsive driveline, when compared to other driveshaft approaches such as dogbones.
Receiver
Radio
Trim Adjustments
The receiver unit of the Street Force is mounted on the upper plate of the chassis using double sided tape. The
receiver itself is a RX-100 which is manufactured by Futaba for Duratrax. It's a 75 MHz two-channel receiver, and
since it operates in this frequency range, you'll have 30 other available channels to choose from should you find the
need to purchase extra crystal sets.
The radio provided by Duratrax, is also made by Futaba. It's an AM unit which uses the 75 MHz frequency range.
The radio fit my hand nicely, even though I'm spoiled by the higher-end FM units I own. My big gripe in regards to
the radio's feel is the plastic steering wheel. A foam or rubber grip would be a much better solution, especially if
your hands tend to get a little sweating while driving.
Despite the fact the supplied radio is entry level, it still contains features which will prove very useful on a touring
car such as this. While features such a servo-reversing capabilities and trim adjustments are very common, the
dual-rate adjustment isn't always found on entry level radios such as this. With the responsiveness of a touring car,
the dual-rate function can come in extremely handy in regards to dialing in a car's turning ability.
Protective Film
Stickers and Body Holes
Body Posts
The Street Force GP2 comes with a nicely finished body. To protect it during shipment, Duratrax uses a protective
film that must be peeled off before any stickers are applied. Using your fingernail, peel away a small piece of the
protective film along the edge of the body. Then you'll easily be able to grasp the film and pull it away. Once the film
is removed, the body looks even shinier than before! You should take note that the protective film is also in place on
the Street Force's rear wing as well, so you'll need to remove it as well.
Once the protective film is removed, you can apply any of the stickers that Duratrax includes with the body.
Obviously the main ones you'll want to apply are the window decals. However, there are others that will also help
round out the appearance. Some of these include the front grill, headlights, and taillights. There's also a host of
other stickers as well, which you can use to help define your pride and joy as a Duratrax Street Force GP2. To
attach the wing to the car's body, I used a little bit of Shoe-Goo. Shoe-Goo is easily found at any department, or
shoe, stores and works very well for a task of this nature.
Even though Duratrax has already made the body post holes, I did use a body hole reamer to make me an antenna
hole. However, you may notice that I did not cut a cooling hole in the windshield. Since the left-hand side window
was removed from the factory, I thought I'd see how well it cooled in its stock configuration before I started cutting
the windshield any.
The next item of preparation is to secure the body mounts so they'll properly hold the body. Out of the box, the
mounts are installed, but not rotated upward and tightened down. This is to help prevent damage to the body which
sits above the chassis during the shipping process. To ready the body mounts, rotate them to their upward position.
The mounts have a small peg on their lower end, which will fit into the hole on the shock tower that's just below the
body mount's screw. Once the mount is properly oriented, tighten the screw down with a Phillips head screwdriver.
Wheel Openings
Air Filter
Receiver Pack
After mounting the body on the car's chassis, there's one more area you'll want to examine. This is the wheel
openings. It's common for the wheel openings to need a little trimming to prevent the body from rubbing the tires for
an aftermarket or unpainted body. However, most RTR bodies do not require this. Regardless, I did find the need to
trim the wheel openings on the Street Force GP2. While the amount of material needed to be removed was small, it
can cause significant damage to the tire. So be sure to check for this at each wheel. I found it necessary to trim
three of the four wheel openings.
The air filter for the Street Force does not come installed on the motor. Instead it arrives separately in a small bag
of parts. Once you open it, you'll notice that it does not arrive from the factory with oil installed on it. I used some
Associated filter oil, and applied a few drops around the filter. Then I gently squeezed the filter to disperse the oil
through it.
While I recommend the use of a receiver pack in the long run, some people may prefer to initially use the AA
battery holder. If you do use the battery holder, keep in mind that Duratrax supplies you with the necessary AA
batteries. Either way, you'll find it necessary to install a source of power for the truck's electronics. The manual
mentions that you should loosen the top chassis plate to slide the battery holder into place. However, I didn't find
this necessary. With a slight amount of effort, I was able to push the holder in place without loosening the top
chassis plate. Once the holder or receiver pack is in place use the removable zip tie that Duratrax provides, to keep
it from moving around while the car is being driven.
You'll also want to install the receiver's antenna. The antenna wire should be coiled up around the receiver, while
the antenna tube can be found in the bag of extra parts. Simply thread the antenna wire through the tube. Be
careful when pushing the antenna wire through the tube, as you don't want to bend or damage it. If you find it
difficult to feed the wire through the tube, sprinkle some baby powder on the wire before pushing it through. Another
difficult to feed the wire through the tube, sprinkle some baby powder on the wire before pushing it through. Another
method that works well is to place a couple of drops of bearing oil in the tube before pushing the antenna wire through.
Glow Igniter
Radio Antenna
Radio Batteries
Not only does Duratrax provide you with a glow igniter, but they also give you the C-size battery you'll need to
power it. To prepare the igniter for its first use, simply remove the cover and install the battery in it. Then replace
the cover.
The radio antenna does not come installed. You'll find it in the small bag of accessories as well. Simply insert it into
the top of the radio and screw it in a clockwise direction until it's tightened down. The last items you'll need to install
are the radio batteries themselves. Duratrax supplies these as well, just like the other batteries that were needed,
so simply install them into the radio paying close attention so that they are correctly oriented.
As any nitro fan can tell you, one of the most important things you must do with
a new nitro-powered ride is to break it in. So I made that the goal for my first
outing. I decided to head out to the local community college since it sees very
little traffic on a Sunday afternoon. The extremely large size of the parking lot
would come in handy after break-in, once I was able to start winding it out
some.
The break-in process laid out by Duratrax consists of running five tanks of fuel
through the motor. The first two tanks are to be run with the motor in a very
rich state for maximum lubrication, as the motor's piston and sleeve start to
become tailored to each other. For the next three tanks, you'll start leaning the
motor out towards a more optimum setting. So with the procedure in mind, it
was time to begin spending some quality time with the Street Force.
I fueled the 75cc tank up with some 20% Trinity Monster Horsepower, which is
usually my standard choice for about anything I run. Then I plugged the pipe's
stinger with my finger and yanked the pullstart a few times to prime the motor.
Once I could see that fuel had made its way to the carburetor I removed my
finger from the pipe and placed the glow igniter on the glow plug. A couple of
tugs later and the motor fired up. It was gargling roughly due to the motor
being cold and rich, but this was a good initial sign as you want to keep the
motor from running lean upon startup. So one that note, break-in was underway.
As per the directions from Duratrax, I left the body off during the break-in
stage, so that the motor would receive the maximum amount of airflow
possible for cooling purposes. I started by driving the car in a large oval
pattern, keeping my speeds at a moderate pace and slowly applied and
released the throttle as needed. After a few minutes, I pulled the car in to
check the temperature at the head with my IR gauge. I could tell, now that it
had warmed up, it didn't seem to be running as rich as it had before. While it
read around 235° I felt that was still a little too warm for the moderate workout
it was receiving up to this point. So I richened the needle about half a turn.
After a few more laps the motor showed itself to be running a much more
acceptable reading of 205-210°. The smoke trail was also much more
pronounced, and with these signs, I felt much more comfortable with the
pronounced, and with these signs, I felt much more comfortable with the
amount of fuel the motor was receiving.
I ran my next two tanks with this setting, allowing the motor to cool back down
after each of these tanks. The manual suggests around 10 minutes, but since I
had another car with me that I was playing with, the cool down periods were
closer to 15-20 minutes. After the first two tanks I started the third break-in
tank. I leaned the motor out 1/8 of a turn as stated by Duratrax and ran a
combination of oval laps and figure-eights. I still avoided sudden throttle
changes and tried to keep my throttle input smooth. Following that tank, I ran
tanks four and five in the same manner. I was past the point I needed to
provide a cool down period, but as with tank three, I leaned the motor out
another 1/8 of a turn for each of these tanks. Throughout all of the break-in
tanks the motor ran well. I had a couple of occasions where the motor died
while I was off the throttle, but that's to be expected with the rich settings. I had
no issues with the glow plug, and the motor fired up easily via the pullstart
each and every time.
Once tank number five was complete, it was time to tweak the needles for
performance. Keeping in mind that since break-in had just been completed, I
wanted to make small adjustments to avoid leaning the motor out too much.
After all it's much easier to tune from the rich side, as well as being safer for
the motor. By the time I was finished leaning the motor out, it became very
obvious that the Street Force was definitely a force to be reckoned with when
in came to acceleration. It had no problem getting up and running in a hurry.
I had noticed, during the break-in procedure, that the Street Force didn't track
very straight at all. I had tried to tweak the trim of the steering servo some
during break-in, but the problem was still there. Not wanting to interrupt the
break-in procedure, I lived with this problem for the time being. However, now
that break-in was over, it was time to address it. So I pulled the car in and
looked it over. The first thing I noticed was that the front wheels were slightly
toed in. While in some circumstances this may be preferable, it makes it much
more difficult for the car to track straight. So I adjusted the front toe so that the
tires would point straight ahead. I also decided to adjust the rear toe slightly,
and gave them a very slight amount of toe-in to further help the car track
straight. After all toe-in on the back wheels will help in this regard, although
you don't want to overdo it with a pavement-based touring car such as this.
These small adjustments certainly made a noticeable difference in regards to
the straight-line temperament of the Street Force. However after driving the car
around a little more I desired a little more cornering ability. As I was pulling the
car in to make an adjustment, I suddenly lost the front right wheel. I watched it
roll as I headed across the parking lot to go pick up the Street Force. Once I
brought the car and the wheel back to my pit box, I dug up a spare wheel nut
and reinstalled the wheel back in its proper place. However as darkness was
rapidly approaching, I decided to call it a day.
The next few outings took place at a local high school that is located only a
couple of miles from my house. During my first tank of fuel there, I ran into the
exact same problem with a wheel nut loosening up and coming off yet again.
However this time the wheel in question was the right rear instead of the front.
After a second incident involving a wheel nut I took a closer look at the
remaining two. Upon closer examination I noticed that very little of the nut's
nylon insert seemed to be gripping the threads of the axle shaft. That seemed
to be the reason the nuts would lose their grip after the car had seen a little runtime.
My replacement nuts were slightly thinner than the stock nuts, but still provided
the nylon insert the ability to fully grip the threads. In fact the replacement nut
was able to thread far enough down that a few threads were sticking out past
the end of the nut with the nylon insert. I swapped out the other two nuts to
head off any other potential problems and the problem was solved throughout
the rest of the time I spent with the car. I highly recommend this course of
action, or at the very least some thread locker should be applied on the stock nuts.
With the runaway wheel syndrome cured, I set out to improve the overall
cornering ability of the car. Unlike with my initial outing, for my later sessions I
planned to push the car a little harder than I did with simple basic ovals. I
brought along some orange cones to provide me a makeshift track to test the
handling abilities of the car. I set these up in a manner that provided a long
straightaway along with a section with a couple of tight turns.
The first thing that became obvious was the tires could have provided more
grip than they did. While the included tires are from Pro-Line, they didn't grip
the pavement as well as I would have liked to have seen. A good pair of soft
slicks would improve the traction considerably, but I was working from a
standpoint of testing the car in its stock configuration. So I felt as if a swap
would be inappropriate, not to mention that better tires providing more traction
would be a no-brainer. So in short, I was looking for better traction in the
corners but restricting myself to the stock rubber.
The first area I addressed was camber. I added about a degree of negative
camber to each wheel, hoping to provide better tire contact as the car corners.
After that I fired the Street Force up, and took it for a spin. The camber change
definitely seemed to help the car, but it still felt as if it had an unsure footing. I
brought it back and noticed the rear of the chassis had been rubbing the
pavement at times. I had noticed earlier that the rear seemed to sit lower than
the front, so I changed the shock's preload from the stock setting of 7mm to a
setting of 11mm which raised the ride height of the car's back end.
The ride height change made a tremendous improvement in the car's predictability in the corner. This further
illustrated the fact that the chassis slapping the pavement had been hindering my cornering ability. The car was now
hugging the pavement very well through the corners. However as my speeds into the corner increased, due to more
confidence in the handling, another handling issue took center stage. That was the brakes locking up too quickly
and causing the car's back end to get extremely loose as I braked while approaching a corner. Thanks to the
thumbwheel Duratrax provides for the braking linkage, adjustment was no big problem at all. All it took was a few
turns of the thumbwheel, and the braking strength was diminished some making the Street Force much easier to
set up for a corner. If the Street Force was coupled with an aftermarket radio, adjustable endpoints would provide
the ability to dial out some braking action without the need to physically adjust the car itself. However, adjusting the
thumbwheel required very little effort other than removing the lexan body.
With these changes made, the Street Force handled much better than it did once I pulled it out of the box. The
behavior of the car was much more predictable, allowing me to develop a good rhythm through my makeshift
course. I was very pleased overall with how well the car was performing. The O.S. motor provided plenty of power
after exiting a corner, and could quickly get the car moving towards the next corner. I felt as if the rotary carburetor
was an excellent choice for the motor. There's plenty of power on tap, and the rotary carburetor helps to smooth out
the power delivery at the low end of the power curve, instead of making it easy to blister the tires on takeoff.
I also thought that the transmission performed admirably as well. The shift from first to second was very smooth,
and the car switched gears very discreetly. In fact at first, I was questioning whether there was a shift at all.
However after paying closer attention it was evident that the speeds the car was reaching was made possible by
second gear. The transmission also seemed to do an excellent job at switching itself back down to a lower gear
when speeds decreased as well.
Throughout the rest of my time with the Duratrax Street Force GP2, it continued to showcase itself as a very well
tempered car. It never had any problems in regards to starting, and after my suspension adjustments performed
very well overall. Obviously for some circumstances a little more tweaking may have been desired, but it seemed to
be at an excellent balance for my tastes in this environment. The O.S. motor continued to shine and never required
anything more than a small adjustment. In regards to the lower chassis openings around the belt, I did encounter
one instance of a small rock finding it's way in and binding the belt. That's less of a problem that I had previously
anticipated, but I'd still like to see those openings closed.
Even in regards to durability the Street Force showed itself to be a real winner. Aside from the incident with the
wheel nuts I had no problems whatsoever. I should also mention that, as a result of this review, Duratrax is going to
investigate the issue with wheel nuts. I managed to hit a few cones due to poorly executed turns, but no damage
was evident aside from a few scratches on the body. On one occasion I even managed to run it under my Ford
Explorer, hitting the rear tire. However, despite the fact a touring car isn't really made for this sort of punishment,
the Street Force again remained undamaged. So the Street Force has most certainly proved that it can handle
some misguided driving as well.
See the Street Force in action!
Resolution: Low Medium High
I never been one to look towards Duratrax very much, as I've always went in other directions with the vehicles I've
driven. However, it has most certainly been a pleasure to spend some time with the Street Force GP2, and the car
has definitely made an impression upon me. The chassis is easily adjusted, as well as the O.S. engine, which
makes it ideal for someone new to touring cars. Even those with some experience on the pavement will find some
qualities they like about the Street Force GP2, and with the upgrade options offered from Duratrax, the car can
easily grow with your abilities.
There are a few areas that I would consider for some early upgrades. One of those would be the radio. While the
included Futaba 75 MHz AM unit works well, a good FM unit would be much more reliable and offer features such
as adjustable endpoints and adjustable rate control. Features like those can easily be put to good use with a
pavement-based touring car. While the tires provide decent grip, a good set of slicks would help cornering ability
considerably. Although you'll want to match traction with ideal wear for your situation, a tire swap could provide a
substantial benefit.
I would also recommend the use of a receiver pack instead of AA alkaline batteries. Not only will it be more reliable,
but a NiMH receiver pack will eliminate frequent removal of the battery holder. All that would be necessary once it's
installed would be to unplug the pack for charging. This would be a much simpler alternative over the long-term.
Any standard 5-cell hump-style receiver pack should easily fit in the battery compartment.
I would certainly recommend the Street Force GP2 as an option for anyone new to touring cars. Others, with some
experience, may still find that it's a well rounded car as well. The O.S. motor provides plenty of power, but if you
plan on racing you want to check whether it's legal at your local track. The .18 motor is rather large for many touring
classes, so a little research beforehand may save you some heartache later. Whatever the reason, if you're looking
for some pavement action, the Duratrax Street Force GP2 is most certainly worthy of serious consideration.
Hudy USA
167 Turtle Creek Blvd. Suite C
Dallas, TX 75207 USA
Phone: (800) 519-7221
Fax: (214) 744-2401
Website: www.hudy-usa.com
Products used: Body Hole Reamer
Duratrax
Distributed Exclusively By
Great Planes Model Distributors
P.O. Box 9021
Champaign, IL 61826-9021 USA
Phone: (800) 637-7660
Website: www.duratrax.com
Associated
3585 Cadillac Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: (714) 850-9342
Website: www.teamassociated.com
Products used: Air Filter Oil
Trinity Products, Inc.
36 Meridian Road
Edison, NJ 08820 USA
Phone: (800) 848-9411
Fax: (732) 635-1640
Website: www.teamtrinity.com
Products used: Monster Horsepower Fuel (20%), After
Run Oil, Lexan Scissors
Comments on RCU Review: DuraTrax Street Force GP2 - RTR
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The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply
generally 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. EMAIL THIS ARTICLE OR CHECK OUT THESE OTHER GREAT REVIEWS!
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RCU4 | 10.17.133.25 | 0 | 1 | 04:57:22 PM EST | NC 09/28/2015