Short-course (SC) truck racing has developed into its own fast, rubbing-is-racing class that many have embraced and still have a lot of fun with. Extended versions of rear-motor platforms have been the dominant configuration for SC trucks, but with the increase in grip seen on modern tracks, the move is on to mid-motor designs. That includes Team Associated, which has built on its experience with the well-developed B5M and T5M buggy and truck to develop the RC10SC5M. The previous SC10 was a real track killer and racked up an impressive list of wins, but the T4-based design was showing its age. With the SC5M, Associated’s latest T5 suspension and the benefits of a mid-motor layout come together in a race-spec short-course truck designed to offer the adjustability, durability, and out-of-the box track capability expected for competition. Is it another winner for the Team?

UPDATED 4-GEAR TRANSMISSION

The SC5M shares its gearbox with the T5M, which means it gets the same improvements Associated made over the B5M’s specs. That includes the new “V2” machined aluminum top shaft and revised V2 transmission case. The transmission gets an extra idler gear so that you can use a standard-rotation motor, and Associated’s long-proven ball differential spins steel CV driveshafts. Unlike the T5M and B5M Factory Lite, the SC5M gets the premium VTS 3-pad slipper clutch. The VTS design allows finer adjustments and has greater torque capacity than the standard 2-pad slipper, so the SC5M has no trouble handling powerful, low-turn motors.

The newly updated 4-gear transmission is designed to work in mid-motor configuration and helps keep the rear end squatted under acceleration.

The VTS 3-pad slipper offers more precise adjustability and can handle the hottest motors. Associated includes 84- and 78-tooth spur gears, so you can easily set the truck up for stock or mod racing.

PROVEN T5M SUSPENSION

The SC5M’s suspension mirrors the T5M stadium truck, and uses the same shocks, shock towers, arms, hub carriers, and steering parts. That means you get the latest V2 damper design with large-capacity 12mm bores, threaded aluminum bodies, and bleeder-equipped caps for a smooth emulsion-style build. The blue-anodized aluminum Factory Team rear ball stud mount, which debuted with the T5M, is put to work as well and replaces the fragile plastic part that originally equipped the B5M. The rear hubs use clever inserts to allow toe angle and camber-link position options. The hingepin bore inserts set toe to zero, 0.5, or 1 degree, and the 2- and 3-hole camber position inserts can be flipped for a total of 10 link-position options. Up front, suspension kick-up is adjustable with both 25- and 30-degree bulkheads included. Inserts in the steering blocks allow inline- and trailing-axle positions, and the axles have integrated wheel hexes. Anti-squat and inboard hingepin toe position is set via the hingepin blocks. At the ball-bearing, dualbellcrank steering rack, Ackermann is set by shimming the ball studs for the tie rods.

Associated’s latest V2 dampers are the Team’s best shocks yet.

The inserts that set camber-link position are easy to spot. Less obvious are the hingepin inserts that set toe at the hub.

MILLED AND HARD-ANODIZED ALUMINUM CHASSIS Other than extending its length to deliver an SC-appropriate wheelbase and some extra milling in its nose, the SC5M’s chassis is identical to the B5M and T5M plates. The stamped and machined hard-anodized aluminum chassis provides a good balance of stiffness and strength for the application, and the plastic front chassis plate, along with plastic side supports and centralized “chassis cradle,” help turn it into a semi-tub system for optimum handling. To accommodate ROAR rules, there is enough room in the chassis cradle to use a square/saddle pack or a shorty LiPo battery with foam spacer blocks to fill and secure everything properly. The SC5M is easy to work on and shares many parts with the T5M.

The aluminum chassis is milled and hard-anodized, and has radiused sides for stiffness.

Since it has the longest wheelbase, the SC5M has the roomiest chassis of Associated’s 5M series vehicles.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Once the Reedy LiPo battery pack was fully peaked and ready to go, it was time to hit the dirt at OCRC Raceway in Huntington Beach, California. The indoor facility is considered by most serious electric off-road racers to be the standard for modern off-road electric racing and, therefore, a perfect testing ground for something as new and relevant to the racing scene as the SC5M. The tires needed some break-in time, so I took the opportunity to shake it down and fine-tune my endpoints, slipper setting, diff tension, etc. I had built the truck according to the stock setup instructions and slowly brought it up to speed as I tightened up my lines and familiarized myself with its handling characteristics. The previous SC10 platform has a well-earned reputation for speed and easy handling, so my expectations for the SC5M were high. The first big thing I noticed was how well the truck rotated in the corners and its speed in and out of turns, a big improvement over the older SC10, which was already a high-performing truck. With the mid-motor configuration placing more weight toward the center of the chassis, it’s easy to understand how the SC5M improves on the SC10’s cornering. Pushing harder, the truck felt a bit soft up front and tended to dive in a bit more than I would like, so I swapped the stock “white” springs for stiffer “gray” units.

The SC5M’s mid-motor layout helps jumping too, and the truck tends to jump flatter without the exaggerated changes in attitude rear-motor SC trucks can be prone to. The included Pro-Line body helps, with its numerous vent holes that can be cut out or left in to minimize the problem of “parachuting” and tune how the SC5M flies through the air. When touching down, the truck lands with sure footing and accelerates hard without unwanted fishtailing or swapping, critical when trying to shave tenths off lap times. I also liked that Team Associated included its 3-pad VTS slipper, and combined with the power of the 6.5T Reedy Sonic Mach 2 brushless motor and LiPo power, it was nice to have the extra level of tuning and consistency. Under braking, the SC5M was highly stable and predictable. With 2WD vehicles, braking is often a poor compromise between slowing the vehicle down and trying to avoid a spinout, but compared to others in its class, the SC5M is neutral and controlled.

As my testing progressed, the truck took its share of hits and tumbles. Like the rest of the vehicles on the 5M platform, the SC5M held up well and showed good durability. The upgrade to an aluminum rear ball stud mount that Associated made with the Factory Lite B5M and T5M kits helps, and the use of longer ball studs in the rear hubs allows them to be nutted to prevent the studs from backing out (as was common with the un-nutted B5M ball studs).

FINAL WORD

Team Associated is committed to short-course racing, and with the introduction of this new SC5M, racers can take advantage of the winning platform owners of the B5M and T5M already enjoy. Its fast corner speed and stable handling make it a joy to drive on today’s tracks, and its increased durability help it take a beating when tumbles happen or when the rubbin’ gets rough. If you’re racing Associated’s other 5M vehicles, especially the T5M, there’s plenty of parts overlap to cut down on the need for spares. The SC5M is what short-course fans have been waiting for and Team Associated has delivered.

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VEHICLE SPECS Item no.: 70006 Scale: 1/10 Price: $310 Weight (as tested): 4 lb. 14.2 oz. (2221g) CHASSIS Material: Hard-anodized aluminum Type: Machined plate SUSPENSION Type: H-arm with titanium turnbuckle camber link Inboard camber-link positions (F/R): 2/2 Outboard camber-link positions (F/R): 2/10 (w/ 2 inserts) Shock positions, towers (F/R): 3/3 Shock positions, arms (F/R): 2/3 SHOCKS Bodies: Threaded aluminum, 12mm bore Bore: 12mm Shafts: 3mm steel Volume compensation: Emulsion DRIVETRAIN Type: 2WD enclosed gearbox, 2.6:1 Spur gear/pinion: 84 & 78/not included Slipper clutch: 3-pad VTS Differential: Ball-type Driveshafts: Steel CV type Bearings: Rubber and metal-sealed ball + Updated 4-gear transmission with lightweight V2 aluminum top shaft + Shares suspension with T5M + High-performance Pro-Line SC5M clear body included + V2 12mm Big Bore Shocks - Wheels and tires not included

TEST GEAR (NOT INCLUDED) Transmitter/receiver: Futaba 4PX w/ R3045B 4-Channel Servo: Reedy RT1508 HV Digital Competition Speed control: Reedy Black Box 410R Competition Motor: Reedy Sonic Mach 2 6.5T modified Battery: Reedy 5800mAh 7.4V Square LiPo Tires (F/R): Pro-Line Electron SC 2.2-inch/3.0-inch MC (clay) Wheels (F/R): Pro-Line F-11 2.2-inch/3.0-inch SOURCES Team Associated RC10.com Reedy RC10.com Pro-Line ProLineRacing.com Futaba Futaba-RC.com Stiky Liks facebook.com/stikyliks.rcpainting

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TEST GEAR Reedy RT1508 HV Digital Competition servo Short-course trucks require plenty of steering torque and speed to turn large tires and wheels, and in a competition truck without a servo-saver like the SC5M, rugged construction is a must. Reedy’s RT1508 servo fits the bill with metal gears, a 212.4 oz.-in. of torque, and a quick 0.10-second transit time (at 7.4 volts), and its aluminum mid-case helps dissipate heat for consistent performance. The servo is also rated high voltage action, so increased speed control BEC output won’t damage the internal components.