How does this entry-level small-scale racer hold up after a day at the track?
The following is a guest review of the ECX Torment 1/18-scale short course truck by Jacob Dohrmann of Rove RC.
ECX Torment 1/18 Specifications
- Type: 4WD Short Course Truck
- Scale: 1/18
- Length: 12.04 in (306mm)
- Width: 7.17 in (182mm)
- Height: 4.21 in (107mm)
- Ground Clearance: 1.22 in (31mm)
- Wheelbase: 7.01 in (178mm)
- Weight: 1.75 lbs (793g)
- Drivetrain: 4WD
- Motor or Engine: 380 Brushed
- Radio: 2Ch, 2.4GHZ
- Batteries: 7.2V 900mAh Stick pack
- Charger: Included
- Gear Pitch: 0.5 Module
- Wheel Size: 1.38 in (35mm Diameter) 0.91 in (23mm Width)
- Kit/RTR: RTR
- Shock Type: Coil over oil filled
- Ball Bearings: Transmission only
We have been racing minis in Reese, MI for nearly two years now. Many different cars have come forward as being the go-to car for certain classes. One class that always is a guessing game is 1/18. 1/18-scale cars are readily available from multiple suppliers, and can often be found at a competitive price point. Many of these 1/18 vehicles are designed with the basher in mind. Going fast and slinging dirt are what they do best. We race indoor off-road carpet, so the expectations of the vehicles go beyond bashing requirements.
The number one difficulty with the 1/18 class is the size. When you make the car smaller, everything gets smaller. The shocks are smaller in diameter, the driveshafts aren’t as beefy, and many other suspension and drivetrain components follow suit. If you look back at the podium pictures from our races you find Dromida and Team Associated dominating the podium spots, but each has its own drawback. These drawbacks led me to the 1/18 ECX Torment.
The 1/18 ECX Torment is a brushed direct gear drive unit like the Dromida. The full coverage of the short course body seemed promising to protect the important drivetrain and suspension components. Upon further inspection I found other important components in place to survive a carpet off road race. The first component I noticed was the shielded lower mount for the shocks. 1/18 shocks are often bent or broken because the lower ball cup mount is exposed. The other component I noticed was the steering blocks and knuckles near the front wheels. They are very rugged and seem to be ready for some punishment.
I swapped some foams for the stock rubber tires (The 12mm hex was handy) and went racing. The brushed system in the truck seems to have ample power for the track. I was running no spacers or shims on the shock springs. The truck still seemed to be sitting up a little high, but I ran it. The first round was a little rough. The Torment wanted to lean really bad in the corners. This was causing the tires to get caught on the body in the front and pretty much stop the vehicle. The next qualifying round I put some preload on the front springs to see if that would help the chassis leaning. It did help the leaning some, but it still would get stuck every so often. After that round I ended up trimming the body back over the front tires to see if that would help for the mains.
There was a lot of racers for the 1/18 scale. We had enough for two heats. After chasing my issues I was seeded in the B main. The change with the body fixed my problem with getting stuck in the turns. I left the spacers on my front shocks, so it would cause me to traction roll from having the high center of gravity. I ended up running faster laps than I had all day. I look forward to making some changes the next time I race. I plan on turning the tires down to get the car to sit lower. I also plan to put some limiting shims in the shocks to get the front arms level and the rear driveshafts level as a starting point.
Overall the durability was a big plus for the ECX Torment. For right now I’m going to leave it brushed and tune the suspension. I think it will be race ready once I get it closer to the ground. Another update coming in January or February.