I pulled the trigger

[evlwevl]

Iv'e never had so many conflicting feelings about a single rc such as the Yeti. Ive purchased from almost every manufacture and have a wall of cars to my collection that I've never given any thought about but the Yeti has been grinding at me probably for the sole purpose of VW body proline made for it. I've read things on this forum about the Yeti such as "clumsy pig", "nose heavy", "not particularly good at anything", and "fragile" yet I still had to have one. An ebay 15% coupon sure helped to ultimately squash any doubts. I ended up with an RTR which is unusual for me being a kit builder, but whats done is done, Im in the club now.

[Nastyman211]

Welcome to the Yeti Club!!! Have you taken it out for a spin yet?


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[evlwevl]

It will be here in a week from Omni Models. And even then, it’s been 106 everyday so I’m just waiting for the cool down to bring the RCs out again

[Jim85IROC]

I did the same thing a few weeks ago with a kit. I've been wanting one for a long time, and with the kit recently discontinued, I figured it was time. I'm not sure when I'll build it, but at least I have it.

[turbodan13]

Originally Posted by evlwevl

I've read things on this forum about the Yeti such as "clumsy pig", "nose heavy", "not particularly good at anything", and "fragile" yet I still had to have one.

I've had one now for about 3 years. I've broken a couple of parts, but all from regular use, not from excessively overpowered bashing (which seems to be the common link among the heavy breakers). I'm running a Tekin RX4 & Pro4 3000kv combo on 3S, an assortment of Vanquish & SSD parts, and the 2 speed trans. Still running the original Axial front arms & hinge pins! I've also got a full set of T-Bone Racing skid plates on the arms & belly, so that may have helped.

As far as it's "clumsy pig" tendencies go, it was never designed to be a pure crawler/trail rig, but a rock racer. With that in mind, it can seem a tad piggish. Now "not particularly good at anything" is about as far from the truth as you could think! With the 2 speed installed, the low range makes it much more adept at trail/crawling duties. A minor swap of the trailing arm mounts from right to left, and the range of articulation increases quite a bit for the rear end. The front diff is probably the biggest conundrum for most folks. The Yeti already has a pretty wide turning radius, and putting a locker in the diff just makes that worse. I've been running the open diff with 1M CST silicone "fluid" - it's so thick, it's almost like filling the diff with glue! - and it's been superb! It will hold the front end "locked" until the absolute limit, then a wheel breaks free & limits any internal damage(s).

I've run 2 consecutive years of Axialfest with it. Last year it handled 1500 gates worth of trails, for 3 straight days, and took it all like a champ! This year it was well on it's way to a repeat performance, but I burned up the ESC (now changed to that RX4), but didn't miss a beat up to that point!

Learning the rig's strengths & weaknesses, in relation to how it drives, will make all the difference in your experiences with it. A good sensored system, the 2 speed trans, and driving within the limits of the equipment will give you a beast of a truck that can handle 99% of what you throw at it (it doesn't do the PVC pipe slides well at all... flat turtle bellies tend to slide right off! Haha!)

[evlwevl]

Originally Posted by turbodan13

I've had one now for about 3 years. I've broken a couple of parts, but all from regular use, not from excessively overpowered bashing (which seems to be the common link among the heavy breakers). I'm running a Tekin RX4 & Pro4 3000kv combo on 3S, an assortment of Vanquish & SSD parts, and the 2 speed trans. Still running the original Axial front arms & hinge pins! I've also got a full set of T-Bone Racing skid plates on the arms & belly, so that may have helped.

As far as it's "clumsy pig" tendencies go, it was never designed to be a pure crawler/trail rig, but a rock racer. With that in mind, it can seem a tad piggish. Now "not particularly good at anything" is about as far from the truth as you could think! With the 2 speed installed, the low range makes it much more adept at trail/crawling duties. A minor swap of the trailing arm mounts from right to left, and the range of articulation increases quite a bit for the rear end. The front diff is probably the biggest conundrum for most folks. The Yeti already has a pretty wide turning radius, and putting a locker in the diff just makes that worse. I've been running the open diff with 1M CST silicone "fluid" - it's so thick, it's almost like filling the diff with glue! - and it's been superb! It will hold the front end "locked" until the absolute limit, then a wheel breaks free & limits any internal damage(s).

I've run 2 consecutive years of Axialfest with it. Last year it handled 1500 gates worth of trails, for 3 straight days, and took it all like a champ! This year it was well on it's way to a repeat performance, but I burned up the ESC (now changed to that RX4), but didn't miss a beat up to that point!

Learning the rig's strengths & weaknesses, in relation to how it drives, will make all the difference in your experiences with it. A good sensored system, the 2 speed trans, and driving within the limits of the equipment will give you a beast of a truck that can handle 99% of what you throw at it (it doesn't do the PVC pipe slides well at all... flat turtle bellies tend to slide right off! Haha!)

That's what I needed to hear. I feel more confident in my purchase now. Im not hard on my trucks and I keep them in pristine condition and now I'm sure this one will find a place in my arsenal.

[turbodan13]

Originally Posted by evlwevl

That's what I needed to hear. I feel more confident in my purchase now. Im not hard on my trucks and I keep them in pristine condition and now I'm sure this one will find a place in my arsenal.

It's an absolute hoot to drive! Stay away from the "fleabay & amazon" alloy, and stick with the reputable stuff instead. You'll save time and $$$ by buying good stuff once, vs cheap stuff again & again. A good set of tires, a steering proper servo & servo horn, and you'll be pretty darn happy with the performance!

[turbodan13]

Dug through my post history and found the list of things I'v done to the Yeti so far. Hope it's of some help to you with your build.

Proline Yeti Jeep body, with all windows & 98% of rear "cage" removed (sadly, discontinued)
Castle Creations MMP ESC (replaced with Tekin RX4)
Tekin HD Pro 3000KV Sensored
Robinson Racing 56t Steel Spur/Slipper
Robinson Racing 12T Pinion
STRC Alloy Motor Mount & Spur Case/Cover
Castle Creations BEC (configured for servo power only)
Savox SA-1230SG servo (steering)
Savox SC-0252MG servo (2spd shifting)
SSD 2 Speed transmission kit, with Axial shift linkage arm
SSD Wide Diamond Centered rear axle
SSD HD wide axle shafts & HD hexes
VP Trailing arms - black & Ti upper links
VP Front Skid - black
VP Front Bulkhead/Diff housing - black
VP Steering rack & Bell Crank
VP Inscision Front axle shafts
VP Front Knuckles & Castor Blocks - black
Proline Power Stroke XT Shocks
Proline Power Stroke Slash Rear Shocks - used on front
T Bone Racing Front Arms & Belly Skid Plates
Gearhead 4" LED Lightbar & Slim Line roof rack
Gearhead KOH Rear Lights
Axial BFG KR2 TA R35 compound tires (vented)
Crawler Innovations Double Deuce 5.5" Comp Cut Inner w/ Soft (F) & Medium (R) foams
Chinese VP clone wheels (so far, so good!)
2.5mm smooth faced neoprene inner fender skirts
Running 3S LiPo

[evlwevl]

yes! thank you!!!!!

[Fives]

Just picked up a used RTR Yeti for my son, who would otherwise be wrestling my Bomber away from me, and I’ve enjoyed taking it apart and cleaning it up. Still waiting on a receiver for it, but I’m already feeling that I might be happy to swap with him sometimes. Glad to know I’m not the only one late to the Yeti party. And the Yeti veteran tips are much appreciated!

[turbodan13]

Originally Posted by Fives

Just picked up a used RTR Yeti for my son, who would otherwise be wrestling my Bomber away from me, and I’ve enjoyed taking it apart and cleaning it up. Still waiting on a receiver for it, but I’m already feeling that I might be happy to swap with him sometimes. Glad to know I’m not the only one late to the Yeti party. And the Yeti veteran tips are much appreciated!

If you want to check it out/give it a run, I'm in the city & around pretty much any day, until the 20th.

[Fives]

Another person in SF! Sending you a DM...