HPI SAvAGE 5T 4WD 1/5TH NITRO DESERT TRUCk - Radio Race ...

HPI Savage 5T 4WD 1/5th Nitro Desert TruckBy Peter ‘Mad Pete’ GrayHPI Savage 5T 4WD 1/5th Nitro Desert TruckWhen a rather large black HPI box arrived from RRCi HQ, Iimmediately thought petrol 1/5th and in my head started to think,‘Where did I put my petrol can and pre-mix two-stroke oil?’ Ialso started to prepare myself for another day’s testing at a large-scaletrack, and the smell of petrol in my nostrils for the whole drive home. Butwhat sat before me was the latest incarnation of the HPI Savage familyof monster trucks, and possibly the biggest Nitro I’ve ever seen outside ofSanta Pod! Let me at it!A GOOD BLOODLINEThe Savage 5T ticks a lot of boxes for me, as it combines the looks of ashort course desert truck, the power of a Nitro engine, with the bloodlineof possibly the most famous and bash-able monster truck in the historyof R/C. Combine this with all the latest tried and tested Savage XL parts,and it starts to make sense. I’m sure this is the twelfth Savage in thebloodline and even though it’s the biggest, it gains stability due to themassive 562 mm wheelbase and 415 mm track-width. This stretchedwheelbase is achieved by using a longer 3 mm TVP chassis made from6061-series aluminium, hence the longer propshaft from the 3-speedtransmission to the front diff. All the features that make this family somuch fun from the past incarnations of Savage are present and there area few extras thrown in for good measure.ON OR OFF ROAD, THE CHOICE IS YOURSA great inclusion as part of the Savage 5T spec is the 17 mm hex hubsand accompanying aluminium axles to allow you to fit the included DesertBuster all-terrain tyres if you intend to run on a combination of tarmacand dirt fitted to real beadlock rims. Indeed you can fit any 17 mm hexwheel from the Baja 1/5th range, and the choice of tyres is yours from arange of manufacturers like HPI and Pro-Line, including the latest sandpaddle tyres.In testing I found the supplied Desert Buster tyres worked well on hardpacked clay and mud, and gripped well on concrete and tarmac, butfaired less well in loose or muddy conditions. As standard the Savage 5Tcomes fitted with off road ‘TerraPin’ tyres mounted on Savage wheels,and the standard 17 mm hex hubs and offset stub axle with a purple alloy80 WWW.RADIORACECAR.COM 10/09

ci featureBig?Ya gottabe Tough!Main pic: Pushing our luck at speed on Weston beachspacer. These wheels and tyres HPI first fitted to the Savage XL and workwell on a variety of surfaces from AstroTurf through to mud and loosesand.Swapping hex hubs to suit the different wheels is a ten-minute jobat most, but one thing I would recommend is applying a small amountof thread lock when fitting the M4 retaining bolts at the end of eachaxle; once bitten twice shy, so I always double check it and I’ve had noproblems since. The best all round tyres are actually the tall all-terrainitems, firmly fitted onto true bead lock rims from the 1/5th Baja 5T petrolpowered truck which makes tyre changes an easy job without all themess of adhesives and de-bonding. The TerraPins are pre-glued to theirchrome plated rims however, and are dedicated to off road use so it’sgreat that HPI included both tyre choices in the kit to offer the customeran endless versatility of places to run the Savage 5T, something that isalways a major factor in the purchase of a car so big.The 3-speed transmission is fitted with a hardened steel 52T spur gear,and is protected by a spring tensioned slipper clutch to prevent damagefrom heavy landings with the throttle still open to correct its attitude inflight. As with the XL and other Savage family members you can adjustthe change point of the transmission to suit the tune of the engine and itsability to rev out. I found that second gear cut in quite quickly and thenthere was a lag until third cut in. This meant that we hardly ever got up tothird as I ran out of room on the long straight at SDR. We also tested theSavage 5T on its normal turf so to speak, by taking it for some beach anddune fun in Weston-super-Mare where the engine could stretch its legsand third gear was finally heard. It still cut in a little too late for my likingso by adjusting the third gear’s adjustment screw on the transmissionwe were able to get it to change slightly earlier and save the engine overrevving. This is an easy job for second gear adjustment, but I needed toremove the top of the transmission’s housing to get at the third adjusterdespite the multiple hole access on the side of the gearbox.Once tweaked so that second came in a little later, then ran for a bitbefore third kicked in nicely, the Savage 5T really came into its own onthe beach with 4WD power-slides, figure eights and drag races becameeven easier and the ‘enjoyment quota’ moved up a notch or two!BUILD IT BIG, BUILD IT STRONG…I think this was the design brief when HPI decided to make the Savage5T. Having owned and run a variety of Savage trucks over the years, Ican honestly say that the only thing I break on a regular basis has alwaysbeen the differential ring gears and pinions (OK, so I’ve also bent a fewshocks doing back flips, but Savages belong in the air!). So much so, thatI always had a few sets ready just to slot in after a day’s bashing and gotto the stage where I could almost change a diff set blindfolded! Maybeit’s just my trigger-happy driving style and my ‘I wonder if I can do atriple back flip’ mentality, but I finally met my match with the Savage 5T’shardened all metal diff’s and touch wood, the original diffs are still in onepiece! HPI first introduced these with the XL version on which the Savage5T is based, and they have proved the strongest to date. Yes if you tryhard enough anything can be broken, but in ‘normal’ bashing use andleisure track-time it’s a big thumbs up so far.TOUGH ENOUGH FOR YA?I spent a whole day and about twelve tanks’ worth of ‘full on bashing’culminating in repeatedly jumping up and down a steep bank alongsidethe Nitro track at SDR, and I never once heard the telltale crunch ofmissing diff teeth. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but nearly everyoneat the track that day had a good go, and try as we might just couldn’toverdo it! It’s still ready to go now, but I’ve run clean out of fuel!The radio gear provided with the Savage 5T is a standard 27 MHz steerwheel transmitter offering channel reversing, steering rate adjustmentand trim on both the throttle and steering. The Savage 5T radio comesperfectly set-up, with just minor adjustment required to fine tune thebrakes by winding in the spring tension adjuster on the main throttle/10/09 WWW.RADIORACECAR.COM 81

ci featureAbove: Letting rip on Mendip circuit, crossing the line wide openBelow: An extra long TVP chassis requires more braces and a new longer front propshaftHPI recommended Optimix 25% RTR Nitro fuel whichoffers extra lubrication, cooler running and a wider range ofcarb tuning, making engine set-up far easier for those lessexperienced with nitro engines. When running in the Savage5T engine I made sure that it had four full tanks just sittingstationary and allowed plenty of time for the engine to coolbetween each, ensuring the piston was at bottom dead centreas it cooled to avoid getting it pinched at top dead centre inthe cooling process. Once this was completed I then movedto running another tank through while I drove the Savage 5Tslowly around a car park giving it no more than half throttleat any point. All that was required in needle adjustment wasa 1/4 turn lean on the main jet, and the tick-over adjustedslightly as the engine started to loosen up and idle faster.With the engine now run in, it was time to pack the Savage5T up for a day at the seaside, with a morning running itat Mendip large scale tarmac circuit track followed by anafternoon of dune jumping, and speed runs on the beach.What more could I ask for on a windy and slightly dampsummer’s day in the UK?ON ROAD WITH AN OFF ROADFirst stop was the on road venue at Mendip who very kindlyagreed we could use their circuit to complete this sectionof our review test. It was my first ever visit to this track andI must say I was impressed! The club host most scales ofcar from 1/10th electric to 1/5th cars and bikes through theBRCA National Championships and it’s a top level facility, soI wondered how well the Savage 5T would handle the track. Iremoved all the pre-load spacers to slam the truck as muchas possible, and swapped from the TerraPin tyres to theBelow: An alloy tuned pipelets people know the Savage5T is nitro and not petrolbeadlock Baja wheels shod with Desert Busters. This meantchanging to the wider hubs, hexes and large locking nuts.Remember to thread lock the M4 retaining bolts at the end ofeach extending axle to ensure they stay firmly in place.I fired up the engine, made my way to the rostrum and madea few tentative circuits of the track. Now don’t get me wronghere, the Savage 5T actually handles quite well for somethingso relatively high, long and narrow compared to the wide andflat 1/5th cars that usually pound this black top, even with theheavy Lexan truck shell sitting so high and affecting its C of G.I even managed to grip roll it a couple of times as the tyres gotwarmer, so I knew we needed to lower the truck even more andpossibly look into some optional anti roll bars if we were to getserious on tarmac.The 4WD really helped keep the truck planted and third gearwas just kicking in along the main back straight. To get the bestfrom it on track you need to drive it on the edge, charge thecorners then brake hard and gun it out of the apex. Watchingit lift a rear inside wheel under braking and the inside front onthe power can be quite disconcerting, but once you get usedto just how far you can push things, it really becomes fun todrive.On a dusty tarmac car park these tyres would be perfect andin testing they were also run on gravel and hard packed mudproving that they are truly all terrain. Being on track provedthe versatility of the Savage 5T and allowed us to further leanthe engine by another 1/2 turn as the engine really came onsong through another couple of tanks. It was crying out to beused off road and our next port of call was just what the doctorordered! Weston beach here we come!Right: The standard axles and17 mm hex allow a huge choiceof wheels and tyresBelow: The 3-speedtransmission and 52T metalspur protected by a springtensioned slipper10/09 WWW.RADIORACECAR.COM 83

ci featureAbove: Like a stretched limo, the Savage 5T has styleThe SF-5 servois quick enoughto catch theoccasional grip rollHavingfun on thebeach,literallyjumpinglike a sixyear-oldagainQUICK SPECClass: 1/5th Savage 5T 4WD Desert TruckType: RTR NitroManufacturer: HPIPrice: £749.99 RRPREQUIRED TO COMPLETE8 x AA cells for transmitterHPI 2000 mAh in Roto-Start 2Optimix 25% RTR Nitro fuelHPI fuel bottleHPI glow startdisLikesNo fuel bottle or glow startCan I race in 1/5th Savage 5T meetings?LikesGreat looking shellChoice of wheels and axles3-speed transmissionRubber sealed ball-racesStrongest Savage XL Diff’sOn and Off Road thrillsCONTACTFor more informationcontact HPI Racing UK,Telephone 01283 229400or visit www.hpiracing.co.ukAbove: Terra Pin tyres fitted to Savage wheelsare the best option off road10/09 WWW.RADIORACECAR.COM 85