Bench Notes
Our TEN-SCTE had seen its better days since our review, as I had raced it many times since we wrapped up filming. As such, it was in need of some TLC, and this presented the perfect opportunity to do so. In addition to installing the PRO4-Mance conversion, we also installed a number of hop-up and option parts for the TEN-SCTE from Losi and Team Losi Racing. For a full look at our disassembly, cleaning and rebuild, make sure you check out the build thread on our Facebook page (you can check that out here). Some of the cool things that we added are new bleeder shock caps, titanium nitride shock shafts and hinge pins, hard anodized front and rear shock bodies, lightened diff outdrives, adjustable rear hinge pin holder set, titanium front king pins and more. I also decided to install the new Dynamite® 540-size 4WD SCT 3900Kv motor and ESC combo. I've been intrigued by this system for some time, and this was the perfect excuse to use it. In fact, this conversion was just the inspiration I needed to really trick out my truck and take it to the next level.
The disassembly and conversion process took place over a few evenings on my bench, and, overall, it was a quick and easy process. The interesting thing is that MIP uses a QR code to direct you where you download the manual. It was an interesting approach, and once I had the manual loaded on my tablet, I was ready to go. One thing you will want to pay particular attention to is the assembly of the Bypass shock pistons. There is a small sheet included in the bag with the pistons and valves that shows an example of how the system works. Do not follow that slip when building your pistons! There’s a section of the assembly manual that walks you through the proper assembly of the Bypass system for the TEN-SCTE.
Overall, the conversion was easy to complete and really gave my truck a different look. I had planned on using one of the new Team Losi Racing Hi-Performance bodies for this test, but I simply didn’t have time to paint one up. Thankfully I was able to pick up one of the awesome-looking bodies from the RTR version of the TEN-SCTE, which dropped right onto the chassis. For wheels I actually used some of the new wheels for the 22™SCT . I love the fact that now all of my short course trucks can use the same wheels and tires, reducing the cost of tires when I want to experiment with compounds or tread patterns. For the tires I knew that the outdoor tires I used for the original review would not work on the high-traction surface at Leisure Hours Raceway. After talking to a number of people, I opted to go with Pro-Line Racing for race rubber and glued up some of their Suburb tires in the MC compound, which is optimized for clay. Finally, I had wanted to give the Dynamite 4WD SCT Fuze™ brushless system a try, and this conversion gave me the perfect opportunity to do so.
Conclusion
If you’ve had a chance to watch our running footage, you’ll see that the PRO4-Mance tuning and chassis kit yields a truck that is fast, durable and very consistent. While I was surprised at how much easier I found it to push my truck hard, I was also surprised that I didn’t feel like I had to push the truck nearly as hard to go fast. Changing the weight bias across the rear axles really made a discernible on-track difference ,and I really liked what the Pro4-Mance did to the handling and performance of my ride. In the end this is a worthwhile tuning option that I am very pleased with, and something you will want to consider if you are looking to smooth out your TEN-SCTE and make it less edgy to drive. That was exactly what I needed from my truck and now exactly what I have.