What Scale Body?

[monkeyracing]

I was just at one of my fine local hoby shops looking at potential bodies for my 1.9 project today, and discovered something a bit odd.

I was told that any truck body that I found with a 12" wheelbase and about 200mm/8" wide was a 1/8 scale. I thought 1.9" rigs were 1/10 scale.

Am I way out to lunch here, or is the guy in the hobby shop correct. They do specialize in monster trucks and nitro stuff, so I'm curious to know if I'm looking in the right direction.

There are a great variety of bodies available there that fit the bill for my build exactly.

Jim

[Grizzly4x4]

There is only one way to know the scale of a body, measure it against the 1:1.

People throw the terms 1:10 scale and 1:8 scale around because that is the term used to describe the basic classification of the chassis, such as "1/8 scale buggy". That stuff really has no meaning in the true scale world.

Think about this, a Ford F250 supercab body with a 12" wheelbase can't be the same scale as a 73 Ford Bronco body with a 12" wheelbase. The wheelbase of the Bronco is much shorter in 1:1.

The HPI Bronco body measures out to about 11.75" wheelbase, the 1:1 Bronco has a 93" wheelbase. 93" / 11.75" = 7.9. The Bronco body is about 1:8 scale.

Assuming the Proline 2008 F250 Supercab body measures out to a 12" wheelbase, the 1:1 truck has a 142" wheelbase. 142" / 12" = 11.8 The F250 body is closer to 1:12 scale.

You can't say things like "any truck body with a 12" wheelbase is 1:8 scale" or "all rigs with 1.9" wheels are 1:10 scale". Building a true scale rig requires more thought than that.

Another example: Axial lists the Scorpion as 1:10 scale, but most people know that competition R/C crawlers are closer to 1:8 scale versions of the 1:1 vehicles when you look at the 12.5" wheelbase and 2.2" wheels.
It bums me out that R/C crawling got labeled as 1:10 scale.........

[monkeyracing]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I suspected that this kind of thing might be true. I was comparing a bunch of body shells against each other while there, and found that whether they were an old short box truck, a Bronco, or even a modern extended cab truck, they all had about the same wheelbase, give or take 3/4".

So, this pretty much means that I'm going for about a 12" wheelbase, but with some built in wiggle room for the body I choose.

Thanks again for your input.

Jim

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by monkeyracing

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I suspected that this kind of thing might be true. I was comparing a bunch of body shells against each other while there, and found that whether they were an old short box truck, a Bronco, or even a modern extended cab truck, they all had about the same wheelbase, give or take 3/4".

So, this pretty much means that I'm going for about a 12" wheelbase, but with some built in wiggle room for the wheelbase.

Thanks again for your input.

Jim

No problem.

[ADDICT]

Originally Posted by Grizzly4x4

There is only one way to know the scale of a body, measure it against the 1:1.

People throw the terms 1:10 scale and 1:8 scale around because that is the term used to describe the basic classification of the chassis, such as "1/8 scale buggy". That stuff really has no meaning in the true scale world.

Think about this, a Ford F250 supercab body with a 12" wheelbase can't be the same scale as a 73 Ford Bronco body with a 12" wheelbase. The wheelbase of the Bronco is much shorter in 1:1.

The HPI Bronco body measures out to about 11.75" wheelbase, the 1:1 Bronco has a 93" wheelbase. 93" / 11.75" = 7.9. The Bronco body is about 1:8 scale.

Assuming the Proline 2008 F250 Supercab body measures out to a 12" wheelbase, the 1:1 truck has a 142" wheelbase. 142" / 12" = 11.8 The F250 body is closer to 1:12 scale.

You can't say things like "any truck body with a 12" wheelbase is 1:8 scale" or "all rigs with 1.9" wheels are 1:10 scale". Building a true scale rig requires more thought than that.

Another example: Axial lists the Scorpion as 1:10 scale, but most people know that competition R/C crawlers are closer to 1:8 scale versions of the 1:1 vehicles when you look at the 12.5" wheelbase and 2.2" wheels.
It bums me out that R/C crawling got labeled as 1:10 scale.........

AMEN brotha! lol why you have to use a Ford as a example... gezzz. why couldnt it be a geo or a daewo (i think i spelled that wrong) or something...

You ever wonder how they scale out 1/8 nitro buggys and truggys... how they came out to be 1:8 scale? i wanna see a 1:1 of my 8ights in person lol.

[Grizzly4x4]

Originally Posted by rtooyak

AMEN brotha! lol why you have to use a Ford as a example... gezzz. why couldnt it be a geo or a daewo (i think i spelled that wrong) or something...

It only makes sense if you live in my world..........

[jwcustomwurks]

^great example

[frsttimer]

i found this its helpful to scale things down or up works great once you figure out how to use it lol not so smart here so it took me a little bit to figure out lol http://jimbobwan.com/scalcalc.htm