A few years ago, bashers and racers added wheel extensions, wide offset wheels and truck bodies to their 1/8-scale buggies to create what are now known as truggies. Now, the once-laughed-at Unlimited Monster Truck class has become the “truggy class,” and all of the big-name brands are jumping in. Jammin’ Products’ pro-level X1-CRT kit holeshotted when Jammin’ Jay Halsey won the first ever ROAR Unlimited Monster Truck National Championship last year. How do you follow that act? You release a ready-to-run version. The CRT RTR adds a shaft-start system, a .28 engine and a race-ready steering servo to deliver an RTR that screams “race.” With that type of cred, the X1-CRT RTR should be pretty damn good. We, of course, had to set the truck down on the track and see for ourselves.

TESTING: ROUND 1
Before I hit the track and leaned out the engine, I put the Force .28 through my usual break-in, but I turned the idle screw in nearly one full turn so that the truck would continue to run for break-in. I didn’t have to lean the engine out much—just about an hour on bottom and three hours on top.

After a few tanks of moderate runs with the engine at operating temperature, it was time to test the CRT RTR at Hot Rod Hobbies’ new 1/8-scale-friendly layout. Owner Jimmy Babcock recognized the growing popularity of buggy and truggy racing, so he redesigned the 1/10-scale track; the lanes are now 2 feet wider, and the jumps are bigger.

Before I hit the track, I suspected that the Force .28 would be the truck’s highlight because it had a nut blubbery rich idle during break-in. When leaned out, the engine was fast. I never expected the truck to clear big triples with just the blip of the throttle, and it had too much speed for the track’s back straightaway. I had to shut the truck down before it reached top speed, and thankfully, the fiber brakes slowed the truck in a hurry. The brakes brought the truck’s nose down after near vertical takeoffs. I grinned from ear to ear because this truck felt as good as the CRT pro kit that I have been racing. When we broke out the radar gun, this sucker hit 45.9mph, which is ballistic for a truggy.

The Airtronics 94161 servo had more than enough torque and speed to put the truck exactly where I wanted it. Because of this servo, tight turns and sweepers didn’t present any problems. The truck felt agile because of its good steering response and plush suspension. Although this track’s jumps are large for 1/10-scale cars, the CRT cleared them easily. The truck landed smoothly and never needed time to settle. I was on the gas as soon as the tires met the dirt. I began to put in what I thought were consistent laps, forgetting that I was pushing it with an RTR. The only negative I noticed during testing was how much the center and front diffs unloaded when I hammered the throttle. In short shoots and on the straightaway, the truck squatted while the front tires expanded. After I exited the corners and got back on the gas, the inside rear tire did the same. These handling characteristics aren’t a problem for most people, but for racing, you should use a much thicker diff oil in the front and center diffs. From tank to tank, the powerhouse Force .28 never exceeded 235 degrees F. I cut a hole in the left side of the windshield and cut out nearly the entire driver’s-side window to help cool the engine. The weather was in the mid-’60s during testing, and that was perfect for running this truck.

ROUND 2
With the stock tires, the CRT had plenty of traction, but the stockers are wider than Pro-Line Crime Fighter MTs. I wanted to see if the truck would be more responsive with new rubber and Pro-Line’s gray (firm) foam inserts for monster trucks. I also popped out the center diff and replaced the grease with OFNA 50,000WT diff oil. To improve acceleration and to prevent the tires from ballooning, I reduced the diff action. With the new tires and foam, the truck felt a bit stiffer, and it was certainly more responsive, but it also reacted to the track more. The thick goo in the center diff nearly eliminated the tire ballooning. The truck used more of the front tires to exit corners and get up to full speed, which was much better than in stock trim. I ran only a few tanks with the new tires and diff setup, but I liked the crisp, buggy-like handling. After a tank of fuel, the tire foam seemed to soften a bit. The truck felt a little softer and less reactive to bumps and track imperfections. The CRT RTR can be raced right out of the box, and with a few tweaks, it feels very similar to a pro truck with expensive running equipment. Bashers and future racers will be stoked with this machine.