The links is not any big deal for buildes, most make there own anyway or get custom ones, and they have been M4 for quite some time. And by some of the build threads on the scx2 forum it looks like the links in the front will not give max steering or max suspension cycle anyway. But for the average buyer the new links is nice, hope they stay on the RTR also.
And the standard tranny argument is wierd. The std scx was a huge sucsess and most people that are in to trail rigs, usually have one or more std scx. and the std centre tranny is one of the things that many hoped was removed with the new realese. but it is just replaced with a even bigger tranny. So go back to the old one is not any inovation as I see it. And since so many already got a old scx, with the same frame and the smaller tranny people suggest you use, why buy a new SCX then? Easier to fix the one you got.
Another thing is that the scx10 had two major flaws, one was the steering, that has now been fixed. The other was the frame, who is exactly the same as before, so its just another frame to be replaced.
So from my point of view as a builder, this is a very wierd realese. I would think that Axial lost a lot of sales due to builders buildt there rigs from scratch and just used some of the axle internals from Axial. With this new release they could have avioded that by giving the community what they really wanted. (Hint: New axles, frame and divorsed tranny for motor under the hood)
My guess is that after the first exitement of the new release, builders will not buy any more scx kits, they will use custom frames and perhaps only the axles from scx10 II.
Axial made there own parts more useless, espessially like there cms and battery solution. The aftermarket will just make new frames with cms/panhard intregated with the frame.
Maybe there is a little hope for the new tranny, if someone makes a easy solution for how to divorce it from the tf-case and mount it up front, then maybe a little more from the kit is usable enough to defend buying a kit when building.
Cant figure out why Axial designed this tranny and decided to put it in the centre the wrong way. Some has said it was to favor the RTR buyer. But does really a tranny up front scare tham away? The only thing i can think of is that Axial was very focused on fitting a huge 5000mah pack in there, and this was there only solution to the problem.
What they could have done is new framerails with higher arces in front, more link mounting options, intregated front hoops, with several mounting holes, a small tranny without spur, attatced to the front hoops, that centers the motor up front (to easy put on 3d printed faux motor covers ect, they could even make a faux cover to include in kit) servo just in front of the motor between the rails, a low profile tf-case on the skid, battery plate just in front or behind the tf-case. This would be a builders delight. If they really wanted two speed option, they could have made a faux transmission, holding two speed gears and servo, that replaced the shaft between the transmission and tf-case.
But I'm sure the praise and rejoice of this kit would be much higher if they had done it like i suggested in my last post.
