XTM Racing X-Terminator

 RCU Review: XTM Racing X-Terminator RTR More On This Product
Discussions on this Product Show user ratings Check for Retailers Contributed by: Marc Vigod | Published: April 2003 | Views: 46997 |
Email this Article | PDF
RC Universe Product Review
XTM Racing X-Terminator
1/8th Scale Ready to Run 4WD Nitro Buggy
XTM Racing's new X-Terminator is a 1/8th scale RTR (ready to run) 4 wheel drive nitro racing
buggy. Typically, the buggies in the 1/8th class sport a .21 engine but XTM decided to kick it up a
notch and bolt in a powerful 24.7 engine that puts out nearly 2.6 horsepower. TheX-Terminator
also comes with many pro features right out of the box so you can get that competitive edge even
on your first day at the track.
WINNING IS IN THE DETAILS:
The X-Terminator is fully built with a custom painted body already trimmed to fit the buggy. There
is a pre-installed 24.7 motor, header and tuned pipe. Full ball bearings in the driveline, axles and
steering are standard. There are five O-Rings sealing up each of the three differentials and rather
than use nylon spur gears the X-Terminator has steel gearing throughout also as standard equipment.
It doesn't stop there by any means though as XTM has included so many other nice features to the
X-Terminator. Features such as shock boots to protect the shock shafts, silicone universal joint
covers to protect the front universal axles from picking up dust and dirt, and a silicone switch
cover to protect a vital part of the electronics. The receiver and battery boxes are designed to keep
out dust yet be easily accessible.
To keep all the dust and dirt out, heavy-duty nylon side guards are installed on the fully
countersunk 3mm chassis. The aluminum radio tray posts, fuel tank posts, and wing posts keep
the car sturdy and prevent those items from flexing. In addition, to prevent the chassis from flexing,
the X-Terminator has both front and rear chassis braces.
The servos and fuel tank have been located close to the
center of the buggy for better weight distribution. XTM had
the forethought to design the bulkheads to allow for easy
removal of the differentials. The center differential can be
removed with only four screws.
The X-Terminator has three body posts to help stabilize and
support the body while most 1/8th scale buggies have just 2.
The buggy has a three-shoe clutch, adjustable wheelbase, quick stopping disc brakes, rear sway
bar, 3mm aluminum shock towers, and a transponder mount just in case you want to take it to the
track.
As you can see this is quite a comprehensive list of features for a RTR buggy! So next let's find out
how all these bells and whistles help to win races and take a closer look at what's under the hood
of the X-Terminator.
THE "XTM X-Terminator RTR"
AT A GLANCE
SPECIFICATIONS
REQUIRED ITEMS
X-Terminator RTR
Length: 310mm Wheel Base: 322mm-328mm
(adjustable) Weight: 7.65 lbs. Chassis: 3mm aluminum (anodized) Drive Train: 14T Clutch Bell/46T Spur
Gear Primary Ratio: 3.29:1 Trans Ratio: 3.31:1 Final Drive Ratio: 10.89:1 Drive Shafts (f/r): Universals/Dogbones Differentials: 6 gear sealed X-Terminator RTR
12 AA Alkaline Batteries (8 for tx and 4
for rx) 20%-30% Nitro fuel Glow Igniter Air Filter Oil 17mm wheel wrench CA Glue for Wheels Flat screwdriver to make motor
adjustments Adjustable wrench to make chassis
adjustments X-Terminator RTR
What is included?
Pistol Grip Radio by Hitec Pre-painted Body Hitec RX (AM) 24.7 XTM Glow Motor with pull start (1) Hitec HS-605BB and (1) HS-3003 servo Chassis Decals (pre cut from sheet) Wrench Shock Height Adjusters Instructions HITS
X-Terminator RTR
Well written instructions Sharp Looking body style Awesome power, performance and
handling Adjustable shock spring tension Adjustable camber, toe Decals were precut from sheet Hop Ups available MISSES
X-Terminator RTR
Check all bolts/screws prior to running Brake spring interfered with collar
adjuster (see text) ASSEMBLY
OUT OF THE BOX VIEW:
To the left you see the X-Terminator Chassis which already
has the motor and radio gear mounted on it, Pre-Painted
body, Hitec Pistol Grip Radio, instructions, decal sheets,
batteries, spring spacers, wrench, and instructions.
Hitec Radio System & Final Setup:
The Hitec Lynx sport transmitter and receiver is a 27MHz AM system. The transmitter has steering
and throttle trims, servo-reverse switches and low-battery LED's. Mounted in the buggy the
receiver system includes a 4-cell battery holder and switch harness. The silicone switch cover
keeps dirt and moisture out of the switch and is a nice touch.
STEERING SERVO:
The X-Terminator uses a Hitec HS-625MG on
steering and an HS-3003 servo for throttle and
braking. Since the X-Terminator is a beefy 1/8th
buggy it needs the extra torque for steering that
the HS-625MG provides. The MG means metal
gears so rest assured this servo is designed to
take the extra abuse that this buggy is bound to
dish out.
To get the radio setup you must install the batteries in both the transmitter and receiver. The
battery box in the buggy snaps open and you can install the 4 alkaline cells (not provided) and
snap it back closed. Once your batteries are installed you can setup the throttle. There are wheel
collars in place which you can adjust the throttle and braking.
Important! On my X-Terminator I had
to reverse servo directions on both steering and throttle and play around a bit with the wheel
collars to get proper throttle and braking response. You should not skip this step during assembly
as it is unlikely it will be perfect out of the factory!
THROTTLE & BRAKE ADJUSTMENTS:
I had removed the small spring which is used to
take some load off the throttle servo when braking.
The spring was interfering with the brake lever.
I then clipped off the one unused arm on the servo
arm as it was interfering with the brake assembly
rod. Click the image to the right for a close up
explanation.
Tires and Decals
The tires do not come glued to the hubs as XTM has allowed for those who want to install their
own tires to do so if they wish. I was using the stock tires as they seemed just fine to me so I
applied some CA to keep them on the hubs.
At this stage be sure to check to make sure the bolts holding on the tires are tight. On mine they
weren't and required tightening. Also a good idea to check all screws and bolts to ensure they are
on tight. The wing on my car had one side come loose in the first 20 minutes of running. Upon
inspection I noticed that 2 screws had backed out allowing one of the wing supports to come free.
Last I applied the decals to the body of the car. You can see the difference they make from the
before and after pictures below!
Before Decals Applied
After Decals!
A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD
To the left is a photo thumbnail of the components under
the hood of the X-Terminator. If you click the thumbnail you
will see anULTRA HI-RES PHOTO of the components.
Click Image for Ultra
Large High-Res Photo
CHASSIS - The X-Terminator sports a 3mm thick anodized chassis which is designed to be strong
and capable of absorbing whatever abuse you might throw at it on the track. The sides of the
chassis have channels in them for added strength. The battery and radio box both snap open and
shut easily and provide plenty of room for radio components and keep the dust out. Overall a
strong and good design
Rear springs & suspension
Front shocks & suspension
Inside Wheel Close up
Chassis Underside View
DRIVE TRAIN - The X-Terminator has a shaft-drive 4WD setup with rear, center and front gear
differentials. The differentials are sealed up with O-rings so they can be filled with thick silicone oil
for tuning. Both the front and rear sport disc brakes with steel rotors and calipers. The brake pads
are a fiber material. You can adjust the front and rear brakes separately by way of the adjustable
wheel collars which are actuated by the throttle servo (see image under 'THROTTLE AND BRAKE
ADJUSTMENTS SECTION ABOVE). The dogbones are made of steel and extend from the center
differential and are connected to the front and rear differentials by way of cups that connect to the
internal steel ring and pinion gears. Ball bearings are used on the entire drive train as well as the
front and rear wheels.
SUSPENSION AND STEERING - Aluminum shocks with O-ring seals are used on both front and
rear. The shock shafts are composed of stainless steel and have silicone dust boots. There are
snap on spacers which can be used to adjust the spring tension and ride height. Simply add or
remove these spacers based on preference and track conditions.
I added an extra spacer to the rear
to increase the ride height a little bit.
Both front and rear H arms pivot on 3mm hinge pins. There are adjustments which can be made
to both front and back by way of two lower shock mounting positions on the front shocks and 4 on
the back shocks. I moved my rear setting up one notch to gain some extra ride height. There are
steel turnbuckles to allow for camber adjustment. Adjustable steering links allow for toe-angle
adjustment on the front while different blocks are provided to set the rear toe. An adjustable rear
swaybar is also included to limit chassis roll.
The steering is done by use of a bellcrank system with a built in servo saver. The Hitec 605BB
servo is pre-installed and other than reversing did not require further adjustment. This is pictured
in several images within the body of this review.
ENGINE AND ACCESSORIES - This buggy uses a large and powerful .247 engine which is one
of the largest engines installed in any RTR 1/8-scale buggy. The extra displacement comes in
handy for all out raw speed and acceleration. The engine comes with a 9-fin blue anodized
heat-sink head and is an ABC type motor (aluminum, brass and chrome). The motor is a pull start
and has both high and low speed needle valves. An aluminum flywheel, 3-shoe clutch and a
bearing-supported clutch bell are installed on the .247 motor. The pre-installed tuned pipe is
metallic-blue and matches the motor. The carb has a large-element air filter installed on it. Simply
"wet" the air filter with some after run oil prior to running the buggy on dirt tracks.
Some buggy races may or may not allow this larger .247 size motor so before you decide to enter
any race check what restrictions they may have.
View of motor & Air Filter
Overhead view of 24.7 motor
BODY, WHEELS AND TIRE - The body of the X-Terminator is multi-colored & screen-printed. Out
of the box it is already mounted on the chassis by way of 2 body clips. A decal sheet is provided to
dress up the X-Terminator which you can see the before and after pictures earlier in this review.
The yellow wing in the rear is installed on adjustable mounts. The wheels themselves are yellow
plastic and have 5 spokes. The wheels must be glued in place before you run the buggy. Do not
skip this step. I rushed to get the buggy on the track and learned when they rolled off that this is a
step that cannot be skipped. The tires themselves are made of rubber & have pin spikes for treads
and foam inserts.
RACING THE XTM X-TERMINATOR
Driving the X-Terminator....
The first step to getting the most out of the 24.7 engine is to
properly break it in. The instructions go over this in detail.
In short you run the motor rich for intervals of about 2-3
minutes with short bursts and then let the motor cool for 10
minutes. With each run you close the needle valve another
1/8th turn to lean the motor out. After 30 minutes of
runtime the motor is "broken in" and your ready for action.
The motor started quite easily with only a couple tugs of
the pull start cord. I did not need to prime the motor for
subsequent runs as it only took 2-6 tugs to get it going.
The 24.7 motor produces excellent power throughout the
entire range. When I gun the throttle the four tires all
moved out with some major punch!
Because my break-in and first dozen rides were in my backyard where the grass was getting
high I decided to adjust the ride height and make it a bit higher to clear the grass. This simple
adjustment only took about 5 minutes. With the extra clearance there was less drag on the
underside and the buggy easily tore up my yard. Each time I gunned the throttle I could see the
grass flying up. It was very awesome and I couldn't wait to get it on to the dirt.
X-Terminator in action - Click images for full size photos
I brought that X-Terminator out to a dirt area near my house which is the "RCU Proving Ground".
The terrain is tough, littered with dirt plus stone and there are some jumps to put the buggy to
the test. I fired up the X-Terminator and let her rip. The speed on the straightaways was
excellent. I actually didn't have enough straightaway to get the absolute maximum top end out of
the X-Terminator and have it come up on the tuned pipe but you can see in the video how fast
this racer moves.
There are water obstacles at the proving ground and I didn't want to drive the car
into one of them at high speed!
Cornering on the dirt was excellent. When steering into the turn the buggy gripped far better than
I had expected. The standard tires with the pin-spikes provided excellent traction on the dirt and
stone proving ground.
I tested out a couple of jumps of various heights and the buggy handled them well except for a
few where it landed inverted and didn't have enough momentum to flip right side up on its own.
Overall it negotiated the dirt track test conditions extremely well. I had to cut the test runs a bit
shorter than I would have otherwise (I could have played with this buggy for hours!) as the tires
had come loose and I didn't have any CA glue with me at the proving ground to glue them on a
little more thoroughly than I had in my earlier haste. With a few hours of driving the X-Terminator
I could clearly see it will be a force to reckon with on the race track or just plain fun to drive
around anywhere.
VIDEO OF THE X-TERMINATOR
X-Terminator Video
Windows Media Player Format
Version
High Bandwidth
Low Bandwidth
File Size
4.2 MB
1.2 MB
Video running time
1 min 40 sec
1 min 40 sec
Click here to view
Click here to view
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance Tips for your X-Terminator
Check foam air cleaner after every few runs and if dirty wash it in liquid
soap and warm water. Dry the filter and wet it with an after run oil.
Check chassis for loose screws and tighten if necessary
Check steering linkage and throttle/brake linkage for signs of wear and
adjust as necessary
Remove wheels occasionally and clean wheel bearings with a good
bearing cleaner. Re-oil bearings after cleaning!
Check all fuel lines and tank and replace if cracked or worn
Replace or charge tx/rx batteries if low
Clean up chassis using nitro car cleaner such as Emerald Nitro Car
Cleaner when buggy is covered in dirt and debris. Oil moving parts after any
cleaning
Use after run oil in the engine after a day of running the buggy.
Do not leave unused fuel in the tank for more than a few days as it will turn
into sludge and you will have to replace the fuel tank to fix it.
FINAL WORDS
XTM RACING X-TERMINATOR XTM's X-Terminator 1/8th RTR 4WD Racing
buggy is one impressive vehicle. Considering it is
XTM's first buggy it makes it even more
impressive. I'll be anxious to see what their follow
up act is going to be!
The larger sized and more powerful 24.7 engine
along with all the performance features that are
included as standard make the X-Terminator an
excellent value in terms of dollars for excitement.
The XTM 24.7 motor ran well right out of the box
and aside from the need to tighten a few screws
& adjust the throttle/brake setting, the factory
assembly was excellent.
The XTM X-Terminator is available from your
local hobby store or online at www.hobbypeople.net
www.hobbypeople.net
Manufacturer & Distributor Information
XTM Racing
18480 Bandilier Cir
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
TEL: 800 854 8471
FAX: 714 962 6452
Website: xtm.globalhobby.com
Comments on RCU Review: XTM Racing X-Terminator RTR
There are no comments
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!
Photo
Manufacturer
Product
MOTIV
Trinity
Matt Lemay
Tamiya
Summary
Ok, enough about Paul because this article is
“M-Code”
Brushless RC Moto about the MOTIV line of “M-Code” line of
motors. The “M-Code” motors come in ma...
D4 1S
In late June, 2014, Trinity released the D4
motor to replace the D3.5. Since that time,
the D4 has powered cars to 8 ROAR Nat...
Airbrushing – Take I’ve decided to create a series of articles
Your Painting To dedicated to helping the average hobbyist
get into, or at least consider whether ...
Amarok Custom
Lift
As an official vehicle of the 2014 Sochi
Olympics, Volkswagen built specialized polar
edition custom lifted Amarok vehicles u...
Reviewed
12/06/2015
12/06/2015
12/06/2015
11/24/2015
Tower Hobbies
RCGF
RCGF
Traxxas
Seagull Models
With its distinctive looks, it is probably safe
to say that the J-3 Cub is one of the most
recognized and known airplanes in ...
11/23/2015
21cc Twin Cylinder RCGF, a Chinese manufacturer of gasoline
Gasoline Engine engines, designs and manufactures engines
specifically for 'the RC aircraft market. ...
11/23/2015
J-3 Cub
120cc Twin
Cylinder Gasoline
Engine
RCGF, a Chinese manufacturer of gasoline
engines, designs and manufactures engines
specifically for the RC aircraft market. T...
In June, I tested and wrote about the
Slash VXL
Traxxas Slash w/ OBA and how much I
Brushless with OBA enjoyed what the Slash offers. It's been a
goto veh...
11/23/2015
11/23/2015
Seagull Models introduced this biplane early
Steen Super
on in 2015, and SIG mfg. had a
Skybolt 15cc ARF pre-production sample at the Toledo Expo.
That pr...
11/20/2015
RCGF
10cc Gasoline
Engine
RCGF, a Chinese manufacturer of gasoline
engines, designs and manufactures engines
specifically for 'the RC aircraft market. ...
11/17/2015
RCGF
20cc Gasoline
Engine
RCGF, a Chinese manufacturer of gasoline
engines, designs and manufactures engines
specifically for 'the RC aircraft market. ...
11/15/2015
RCTECG
The World
Models
RCTECH
This Is Only
Asking For
Problems.
You may remember we ran an article not that
Using VRC yet?
long ago asking about the value of
10/03/2015
Why not? After all, simulators; you can read that here. Well, as
i...
30% PT-17
Stearman ARF
(U.S. ARMY)
Some may call me lucky. I would agree! One
of the reasons that the PT-17 is so close to
my heart is that I have a personal co...
10/03/2015
Reliving the
Can you remember the moment you got your
excitement of your first RC car? I can remember, as a ten year
fir
old boy, walking into my first real hobb...
09/28/2015
How many times has this happened to you?
You just finished building your new pride and
joy and you are now installing your el...
09/28/2015
Or Is It?
Return to Magazine Homepage
RCUniverse is a service of Internet Brands, Inc. Copyright © 2001-2016. Privacy Policy
GET FREE RC CONTENT FOR YOUR WEBSITE
Search | Marketplace | Event Central | Local Clubs | Magazine | Product Ratings | New Products | Discussion Forums Photo Gallery | Instructor Search | Field|Track|Marina Search | RCU Youtube Channel | | RCU Twitter! Member Locator | Advertisers | Hobby Vendor Resources | Rate Manufacturers | Sign In/Sign Up
Products Videos WattFlyer.com RC Classifieds
RCU5 | 10.17.133.23 | 0 | 1 | 02:53:23 PM EST | NC