Test and Reviews

X1-CRT PRO

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Verdict

	This is the first Stadium Race Truck "Truggy" we build produced by Hong Nor. Quality on parts and finishing of this X1-CRT PRO are perfect except for one part that did not fit without rework.. The car went together flawlessly and no real problems were found. The patented C-hub T-shape bolts are unique and make maintenance and durability on these parts a breeze. Only upgrade we would advise is the Z-brace to buy with this car. The box clearly states which performance parts are included. All the steel has a high carbon contents and is heat treated and then the case is hardened.  The aluminum is CNC machined from T6-7075 grade if stated on the box and the rest is heat treated T6-6061. Everything is then hard grey coated for durability. The USA produced nylon plastic molded materials are nicely finished and look to be strong enough for current race standards.
	The standard threaded bolt nut hinge pins in this kit ensure no lost E-clips anymore.
	The fitting of the parts in general is good except for that one T-bolt. No need for extra tools like drill bits or files to get the parts fitted. Tolerance and clearance is 100% OK. The English/Japanese manual is crisp and clear.  This manual is OK for novice and experienced drivers. Concerning packaging of the parts in combination with the manual we had some issues we would have liked to be changed by Hong Nor. Not each bag refers to a step in the manual. So some parts need to be collected from bags that are not yet needed for the particular step of building so more bags are open at one time. We had the same with the X1-CR buggy and have reported this to Hong Nor and hoped with this car things would have changed!
	The car does not comes with radio gear and engine. Header and an inline 053 engraved muffler were included in our kit.
	The large tyres, soft inserts and the yellow 17 mm wheel adapter sized disk rims equipped with air holes. Compared with a normal buggy rim with tyre.
	This Hong Nor X1-CRT PRO comes with three normal composite open gear differentials and are of high quality design. All drive outputs are O-ring sealed to be used with silicone oil. Quality and the fitting of the differentials is excellent!
	For the differentials there are two bottles of silicone oil of 5.000 Cps and 10.000 Cps supplied with this kit and are nicely mentioned in the set up sheet.
	Instead of normal nylon clutch shoes this kit comes with BLUE aluminum ones. It has become a standard in off-road. The 3 pin scissor spring style clutch has regular 2.5 mm pins. Standard with the car come GOLD 1.1 mm thick springs and are designed for these aluminum clutch shoes.
	The very low CG 150 cc fuel tank has a build-in fuel drain and bronze filter but no fuel splash guard at all. A splash guard that could be mounted on the fuel tank itself would have been nice. A large aluminum fuel filter comes standard.
	Now two Epoxy fiber brake disks are stopped by steel calipers. Epoxy is used to prevent brake fading. They will provide enough stopping power even with servo's rated above 50 Nm of torque.
	The center differential mounts are decomposable and are made of plastic and come standard and slide over steel poles.
	Two CNC machined T6-7075 front and rear chassis braces are standard.
	The CNC machined T6-7075 steering knuckles have the patented T-shape bolt nut construction that will make maintenance and durability easier and better for this C-hub style design front suspension.
	Also the lower A block hinge pin holder in the front is now made out of CNC machined T6-7075
	The new 13 mm big bore shocks are of very good quality. The shock shafts are 3.5 mm thick.
	Flexible boots as they come with the buggy are replaced in this car for silicone wipers and inner felt at the shock output.
	A bleeding hole now in the shock absorber cap that use a plastic insert on the top.
	The compensation bladder that goes into the shock cap has a new design that prevent collapsing when the shock cap is tightened to much.
	Included are molded 1.6 mm one hole pistons.
	A bottle of  50 WT silicone oil is provided to fill the shock absorbers to the set up sheet values that come with the car.
	Blue colored big bore springs are included in the kit.
	A newly design TRUCK body is already precut! The body has a spray film cover at the outside and window masks standard. All the holes including the mounting and antenna hole are already drilled. Only a square hole in the front window needs to be by yourself
	The large radio box has two lids hold by small body clips one for the receiver battery and one for the receiver. comes standard with foam inserts. Only hump battery packs fit.
	The antenna out put now has a aluminum nut that clamps the antenna tube snugly on to the radio box.
	The lay down steering servo set-up lowers the center point of gravity and the carbon radio tray looks nice. Universal heavy duty servo horns are provided as standard even including  Hitec spline inserts.
	Carbon fiber parts like the center differential top plate and servo saver top plate are nicely machined. But do not forget to put some cyano acrylic glue around the edges to prevent carbon splitters.
	The left/right thread rods all around the car make the car easy adjustable for a personal set up.
	An air filter is supplied in the kit and works fine as a Duale stage air filter Even the air filter connector has the correct measurements to fit the filter. No air filter oil is supplied with the kit however.
	The servo saver comes factory assembled to make your building easier and quicker and has a ticker spring then the buggy version. It turns on ball bearings
	The chassis is from T6-7075 hi-grade aluminum and is grey colored hard coated just like all other aluminum parts. Milled out on certain places to get the weight down. The chassis is longer then the buggy version!
	The bottom of the chassis is nicely counter sunk for all screws.
	All drive axles are of the universal type and  made of spring steel so no CVD's to be found in this car! Some drivers prefer these universal drive shafts over CVD's

 JWhat are the pro's? J

* Patented T-shape bolt/nut C-Hub design
* The plastic and metal parts, like steel and aluminum are of very good quality
* T6-7075 hard coated anodized aluminum used for chassis, shock towers and other aluminum parts
* T6-&075 "A" Block
* Air filter with correct air filter connector
* Decomposable center differential mounts
* Aluminum clutch shoes with 1.1 mm springs
* 3.5 mm shock shafts with silicone /felt wipers
* Large radio box to accommodate normal size receivers
* Radio box foam inserts
* Carbon parts
* Fuel tank with built in fuel drain
* Pre cut body
* Antenna clamping nut
 

LWhat are the bad moves? L

* The packaging of the bags with the parts referring to the manual
* No air filter oil
* No Z-brace
* No fuel splash guard

The unlimited truck class is growing and Hong Nor has adapted their race proven X1-CR drive train to a real stadium race truck (truggy). The car really goes together well. Only some small improvements can be made like the omitted fuel splash guard. The packaging of the parts and the corresponding steps could be improved too. With only a few real contenders and more to come this class this car can be a major player in the dirt. Hong Nor again has surpassed their previous goals and we can expect more of Hong Nor in the future. The quality of this car is excellent but be aware the the drive train and other parts might have higher wear signs due to the fact the cars is heavier and runs on larger rims / tyres. .21 and .28 engines fit without problem, non or pull start version. The new shocks are one of the best currently around. Out of the box the car already feels good. If you are tired of regular buggy racing and like BIG wheels this car might be your next choice. During the 2007 season Hong Nor has upgraded their buggy with parts like and upside down servo saver and 16 mm super bore (the 13 mm shocks are standard) shock absorbers. From March 2008 an new version will be available called X2-CRT.

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This car is provided by

Taiwan