Team Associated RC10 B6 Build Review

[@airindiana]

Excessive packaging in products really grinds my gears. One thing you can’t fault Tamiya for is manuals. They have life sized diagrams of screws so you can measure. Really useful

[@KC_2112]

Any build I do I go online to the page of the manufacturer I’m building to see if there is an updated version of the builders manual. It does happen from time to time that something was missed or changed and some kits got out with an older not update manual. That’s why I always check no mater what kit it is. But very informative video great job.

[@Corrie2078]

I'm a first time kit builder for the hobby and purchased a B6D. He right, the instructions for a "FIRST TIME BUILDER" is very confusing. Luckily I'm not new to the hobby with my ready to run monster trucks, but I was able to finish the car. It the good part, you will learn a lot with this kit if your new to this part of RC.

[@Kaylem13]

Built my B6.2d in April lockdown 2020 = not much change then from YOUR B6 manual and was my first ever build. Learned a lot tho and the finished product was worth the hassle of (like you) having to figure out and flick between contradictory pages and Internet searches. Did have a supplement of one or two updates but could have been a lot clearer. My B74 was like clockwork after realising that TA leave a lot of figuring / making sense of what they are trying to convey, which I totally agree is not acceptable.... Especially years after now in 2020! BUT - Personally I am glad I went through that as I am a bit of a perfectionist and problem solver so I gained extra knowledge from TA's mistakes and I have now confedence to change and upgrade parts, play around with setup (even purchased RC Crew Chief) and have even bought myself an older B4 Stealth (x2 parts) and a B44. But if your not into problem solving and tinkering and just wanna build and play it could be many kill yourself moments.... Or at least many handfulls of hair being left between your fingers. Great video dude and it will help many folks. Thank you.

[@doctormosfet]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger ;) I'm glad you like your B6.2D. They're good cars. I just wish AE gave a sh*t about more than just winning big races and championships.

[@Kaylem13]

@@doctormosfet yep....... Like the customers and especially new hobbyist!

[@timinmaninman4126]

awesome review T.A. should pay you for helping the world build there messed up product man if it wasn't for Peaple like you they wouldn't be shit....THANKS!

[@doctormosfet]

I think AE is too large to care about the opinions of people like me. They have so many fan boys and racers who are otherwise desperate for a sponsorship, that they can afford to sh*t on their customers a bit and get away with it. I forgot to mention, by the way, that the kit does not include any wheels! So that's another $10-15 you have to spend to have a "true" roller kit. I actually spoke to a factory driver recently, and told him he needs to talk to AE and get them to improve their B6 manual. He said flat out, "that's not my job." They just don't care. Going fast is all that matters to them. If you're new to the hobby and don't know how to properly build a kit, that's not their problem.

[@clarkie005]

The xray xb2 comes with a spares bag. But the thinking behind that is that it's actually screws that you might lose during maintenance rather than them being packed and bagged wrongly. I had the b5m and was pleasantly surprised but this b6 looks heavily rushed in terms of the manual. Saying that though I think you will like the way it drives, it is an improvement over the b5m on carpet and Astro but still think it's marginally behind the yoko and the X-ray!

[@b2customs696]

Great review, l left a review on amain about the same issues just not as in depth.also enjoy your other videos keep them coming. My opinion, Schumacher has the best builds and quality around, also think they are a head of every body with their cars, the sv & sv2 mid motor years before anyone, the kf being a lay down transmission in sense before anybody too. I'm waiting for the next kit to see where they take things. Again thanks for the videos

[@robbieracer3294]

Benjamin Barrett actually, Team C has had a forward motor and high bite setup since 2012 on their tm2 buggy. But I had a kr schuey kit, they do make nice kits too bad their support for parts isn't better here in the states

[@paultani4242]

Wish I could disagree with you but I just can't ae is getting lazy and complacent this kit doesn't appear to be from a manufacturer with 30 + years of experience I hope there 4wd offering is more professional and has a better fit and finish! Thanks as always for your honest opinions

[@dianemacdonald3336]

Thank you so much! I have built many kits and have NEVER had such a hard time, and I'm not even a quarter through it yet. I thought I was losing my ability to build. This is so very helpful. Thank you, thank you for publishing this to KZbin. Will be in my favorites for continuing my build.

[@tbrown2286]

I built a B6D on Saturday. I don't know if they fixed the manuals and accounted for each and every part or not, but what I can tell is that it actually went flawless, absolutely no missing parts, and the manual was clear...you are right about how many parts bags are included, there are probably several dead baby seals choking on AE baggies...lol But overall, the build went perfect, even for my first off-road kit...the car is plain badass and has infinite parts support and options. For a first off-road racing kit, you can't beat the B6/BD6. Kyosho stuff is expensive, hard to get parts, and support, and probably reserved for the more experienced racer.

[@slapjack4304]

I just picked up this kit and watched your video and made the changes in the manual that you pointed out. The only kits I have owned have been X-ray and teknos which have great manuals and excellent quality kits. I've always said I wouldn't run associated just because it has always seemed like a lower quality company. But after seeing how fast these cars can be on the track and how easy they seem to be to drive I figured I would give it a shot. My xb2 was a great quality car just like my xb4 but I could never get it to perform the way I wanted so that was another motivator. Hopefully I am not too disappointed in my purchase. Thanks for a good video

[@alfredbroderick653]

I'm REALLY interested in a video on those sway bars. Are they worth it? Can you get away with mounting only the rear sway bar? Particularly on turf, sway bars seem to be necessary, but what do you think?

[@doctormosfet]

I was told that the front swaybar doesn't do much, but the rear swaybar definitely helps.

[@alfredbroderick653]

I'd love to see your video on the subject.

[@dylanchadderton1]

This video helped me a lot building the kit i got from RCHR in Waterbury. Every error is pretty much spot on, but they did fix everything you mention in the online PDF version. So far i really have zero complaints with the car and really couldn't be happier with the performance on the track. I was always with Losi since the start and I probably won't go back after my experience so far with the B6. We'll see how it fares in the long term. Thanks again.

[@Harmik2]

Thanks for that info I was going to ask wether they fixed stuff in the PDF.

[@JimmyKay1976]

The PDF isn't updated

[@Racer-X-090]

So in other words, when I get mine, I should stay FAR away from the paper manual! :) Thanks for the heads up!

[@dylanchadderton1]

If you either A. watch this video or B. download the PDF manual from Associated website, you'll be just fine.

[@Racer-X-090]

Yeah i just followed the manual and it went just fine. :) Now my driving...thats a different issue :P

[@robertmoore119]

One more comment. Years back I bought a Yokomo Onroad nitro kit. High end kit..Extremely nice car. I built the kit and fiddled with the two speed for days. Turns out there was a mistake in the manual. The centrifugal clutch was installed backwards. It still turned out to be my fault, I didn't notice a supplemental sheet added into the box which corrected the installation mistake in the manual. I'm not saying don't buy what you want, but parts availability and support is worth any complaints about a "bad build" By the time I needed parts for the kit, they were no longer available. Be prepared to shop online and wait for the parts. Unfortunately your not going to know what you need multiples of, until you break your kit a few times. Those are dnf's and a finished race day. Good luck and have fun with your kits.

[@pete2109]

Thank you mate that was a good and honest review highlighting all the faults that I will come against when I build mine, well done! 👍

[@BUILTLIGHTWOUNDTIGHT]

Yep, you pretty much hit the nail on the head with this review!!! ;)

[@DaiquiriMan]

You rock doc

[@triathlonSDhsp]

Pretty Brutal. Although a good and very honest review. Wrapping up my build and it has gone well - Much Much reduced slop everywhere compared to the B5. Machined Shock internals and a aluminum D block is all i am adding. Watched Cav yesterday win the overall at Top Gun Shootout with Brent and Spencer taking 2 and 3 spot - the car is fast as hell in the right hands.

[@triathlonSDhsp]

Will be building mine this weekend. I wonder if the online pdf manual has been updated and corrected. I think i will print it out and cross examine. J. Snyder says Yokomo's manuals are ridiculously good. thanks for the review.

[@ddkiss65]

Great video dude, I'm about to build one of these, thanks for the tips, I just bought my kit last week and the manual still has not been updated. Nice quality as well.

[@davidsearfoss2479]

What's your point,? At least you know where every part goes ,that's every screw ,every washer ,all screws listed in order of size ,so you won't go crazy looking to where every nut, bolt and washer goes. I have the sa m.h e buggy B.6 awesome buggy ,I had no problem at all putting together the kit .

[@doctormosfet]

At the time this video was made, the instruction manual was dog shit. Not a big issue for experienced builders, but definitely enough to be off-putting to anyone looking to get into racing as a beginner. They've done a few generations of the B6 since I made this video. Hopefully the manuals have gotten better since then, but that's immaterial to me as I lean heavily toward Kyosho now.

[@daviddelean8714]

Great review of the build and the manual. There are more mistakes in the manual then you covered. I honestly thought of redlining the entire manual and sending it back to them. The number of bags used to pack the parts is ridiculous. I have noticed that the bagged parts tend to be the way they sell the individual parts off the rack. Still no excuse for the number of bags they use and the order in which you open the bags to use them. Both old and new shock pistons measure around .465 - .468 inches in diameter. I too noticed what seemed to be a visible gap between the piston and body. This might be an illusion however due to the fact that the top edge of the Piston has a bigger round on it than the old style. With that said the ID of the shock body measures .471 which means there could be as much as a .003 of an inch spacing between the two parts.

[@doctormosfet]

Yes, there were a few other errors that I picked up. Namely, the manual does not tell you how to properly mount the servo with the spacers, and it does not tell you what the default option is for the wing mount angle (have to go to the back of the manual for the setup sheet on that one). I'm sure there are other faults as well that I missed in the video, and the fact that there are so many is concerning. My guess is they were either rushing to get the kit out and/or the person responsible for these manuals just doesn't really care about getting it right for anyone who's new to the hobby.

[@georgebalilinggba]

Uganda documentary

[@belt1974123]

I feel the b6 went together very well. The quality of the parts and fitment was definitely above the b5 and b5m. The manual does have some issues but not hard to work through. Just make sure to reference the setup sheet in the back as it is correct. If you have built an buggy before assembling this one is not hard.

[@PerryCodes]

I can't see the small text in your manual, but there was an additional error in mine... At the top of page 15, it says to use the small eyelets in the front and long eyelets in the rear in one place. In another place it says "Front Shocks - Long" and "Rear Shocks - Short". I completely agree with your evaluation... I just bought a kit last week from a hobby shop that does enough business to regularly refresh inventory. The manual I got with the B6 still had the errors. I bought the B6 on sale for $250. It will be THE LAST Team Associated kit I purchase. Now I just need to decide between Losi, Kyosho, or Tekno for a 2wd Short Course, 4wd Short Course, and 4wd Buggy...

[@doctormosfet]

Yeah, I haven't bought any AE chassis since the B6. I thought about getting a B64, but it looked cheap and, sure enough, people I know who run them have had issues. I've been happy with my Kyosho stuff, although the builds do take time and the kits are not cheap. I think Losi is probably the best value out there. Their shocks are very good and the kits build nicely (I can only speak for the 22-4 I used to have), and they're reasonably priced (as long as you stay away from the overpriced aluminum rubbish that you don't need). I would only knock them for not offering enough setup information in their manual. I think Losi would be a clear choice for 2wd short course. 4wd short course would be either of Losi or Tekno (I love my Tekno, but man the Losi is also wicked fast). 4wd buggy would be Tekno or Kyosho. The 22-4 is awesome on the track, but maintenance is a bitch and the front belt and clicker wear out very fast. I love how adjustable my ZX6 is, and it drives great, but you can get lost in it if you're not careful, so the Tekno is probably the better choice if you don't already have a Kyosho fleet. It's very strong and very adjustable, and the Tekno manuals are some of the best out there. It should assemble much like their 4wd SC, so if you get the SCT410, then the build should be familiar. I'd like to pick up the Tekno EB410 some day, but honestly I haven't been racing since the baby was born and I can't justify the expense when I'm not even using the equipment I have.

[@PerryCodes]

Forgot to include Yokomo in that list - I like what Maifield has brought to that program. Only problem with Kyosho and Yokomo is going to be replacement parts, which aren't stocked locally and would need to be ordered from Amain, etc.

[@royarsey5429]

thanks for sharing your opinions and suggestions..good review..thanks!

[@paultani4242]

What's up brother long time no see we miss you at rchr wondering if you would be interested in building and reviewing a 6.1 I'm buying a kit and I'm not in a big hurry to get it on the track and would love your opinion on the buggy so if you have the time I'm sure we could meet somewhere and make this happen

[@doctormosfet]

Hey Paul. I miss racing with you guys as well. I doubt I'd have much time for new build reviews at the moment. I have several vintage projects in the queue, and even those I don't have much time for. My work/career has picked up a lot since my son was born, so I often spend a lot of time working very late at night when in the past I had used that time on my r/c projects. I get a little time here and there, and I try to use that to focus on my vintage projects.

[@LJoel]

Schumacher probably has some of the best build instructions and bag organization.. Each step is one bag

[@mtplayer8421]

Thanks for the details you put into this vid. Very helpful.

[@mubashir78]

thanks for the honest build review. Hard to see that these days.

[@preciadoalex123]

This build took us about 6 hours and we still need the left off on the shocks part

[@alfredbroderick653]

For more info on some of the manual errors, see these videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2iUYmeBe9OieMk kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpSwpnaepd98rsU He made those a while back. There are also some other B6 tips and tricks on his channel. You make great videos...I'll look for you at RCHR, Wolcott or Hobby Hangout. Thanks for sharing your tips.

[@bigdaddyd82vapes92]

Ok Doc. I agree with a lot of what you say here. It is my opinion through observation that. Associated seems to lean heavily on the fact that you can "go fast" for less $ . The FT drivers make sure they land on the podium. And the aftermarket manufacturers make sure the Bling is readily available. So customers buy these kits at a discount compared to the competition. Then spend much more money outfitting them with baubles of all types. That don't necessarily add to performance. In the end you would... in my opinion save $ by buying a better quality kit such as the Kyosho RB6.6. And have the same performance on the track. But, wait...... Hobbyshops have sparsely stocked Kyosho parts. So what is the club racer to do? Buy the more expensive kit AND enough arms,hinge pins, hinge pin braces, shock towers, hardware ect. to feel safe enough to drive "hard" at a race? It's sort of frustrating . The fact is that Associated just has a great formula for selling gear. And at least here in the US Associated is in my opinion the best option for the die hard club racer. There just isn't support enough for myself to switch to a brand like Kyosho for my competition vehicle.

[@doctormosfet]

Yeah, that sounds about right. "AE wins races" is a good enough selling point, and it works. Unfortunately, it also means they can get away with quite a lot. Of the three tracks I regularly visit, only one of them has a good stock of Kyosho stuff, and that's because their track manager runs Kyosho for the indoor season and a lot of guys just want to copy what he does. One of the other tracks has tried to stock Kyosho a few times, but it never ends up working out for him. He spends a ton of money getting the kits in, and then they don't sell, because they're more expensive than the AE kits. Then the guys who buy the AE stuff blow their load on "hop-ups" that don't do anything tangible on the track. Credit where it's due, though, I have beaten the hell out of my B5M FL and it keeps coming back for more. I just wish the shocks weren't sh*t. I've been on a Kyosho kick lately, and so far, I've been very pleased. Yes, you (usually) have to put some extra effort/money into stocking your own spare parts, but you can find good deals and there are plenty of guys selling their "old" RB6 with tons of spares. Besides, how many times do you end up ordering r/c stuff online anyway? While you're at it, just add a few spare arms or some other Kyosho parts, and you're good to go.

[@bigdaddyd82vapes92]

doctormosfet the 3 tracks/ hobby shops near me are heavily into the Horizon Hobby Losi TLR deal. But, all 3 of them have strong AE support and only 1 of them has any type of Kyosho gear. It's as if the Kyosho's and Xray's and Sworkz ect are purposely pushed out of reach on a local level. That being said, your point about purchasing online is a good one! Maybe that's just what I will do. I'm tired of waiting for a new 4wd from AE anyhow. The Xray xb4, Sworkz s104 evo and the Kyosho lazer zx6.6 all look like excellent choices to me. Leaning towards the Xray... Something about HUDY spring steel just makes me feel good!

[@gcarrico28]

doctormosfet have you ever tried putting rb6 shocks on your AE car? I'm thinking of trying this rather than spend $80 on kashimas and chrome shafts. Not sure if they will fit though.....

[@bigdaddyd82vapes92]

Greg Carrico I was going to try the same exact thing with my b44.3

[@doctormosfet]

I tried RB5 shocks on my B44 once, but haven't tried RB6 shocks on a B6. I'm pretty sure the shock body and shock shafts are of different lengths, so while it will fit, the shock travel may not be "correct," and you'll have to spend some time with downtravel and uptravel limiters to get the correct shock travel.

[@willblizard3610]

I've seen the screw issues more than once,thankfully my b6d didn't have any of the sort,my only problem now is I didnt sand the ball rings well enough so the diff is slippy

[@zkipperr]

noticed The same issues in my build. also the part with the length of the shock eyelets is very confusing. as The thin text says exactly the opposite of the thick text about what length should be where. page 15 upper right corner.

[@papocordova717]

I wonder if the "Setup Sheet" could be wrong? It could be????? So many mistakes. I love team associates. What is going on :(.

[@doctormosfet]

They're getting lazy and arrogant. I have a lot of AE stuff and generally really like running them. This build is by far the worst among all of the AE cars that I have, though. It pretty much cemented my transition to Kyosho for most of my runners.

[@crumpetcatcher]

I'm very surprised with the review. Personally I found mine very easy to build. Yes there were minor flaws in the manual but there often is with other models too. I think the PDF on AE's website has now been updated. I had a B5M when they were first released and it was a terrible car in my opinion. In fact so bad that I said I'd never buy another AE car. The build quality on the B6 surprised me and is right up there with other top end kits. My main tip would be to upgrade the servo horn straight away. The servo horns in the kit are very brittle and will let you down. Surprising really as the other plastics in the kit are very good. I've owned YZ-2's and XB2's and both have flaws. I would say this kit exceeds Yokomo quality in pretty much every way. I've also got the 2017 XB2 which is excellent quality but the gear diff is absolutely terrible and should have been revised for 2017. The real gem and most important thing with the B6 is how it performs on the track. It works well on the kit setup but with a few extra setup tweaks for the track you're racing on, this car is seriously fast and very easy to drive. This kit has redeemed my confidence in AE.

[@doctormosfet]

That's interesting. I've had the opposite experience with this build, obviously. The B4.1 and B5 builds were better, in my view. There's no question that the B6 is a very fast car once assembled, but the build, and AE's attitude about the build, really put me off.

[@ianlarue4985]

Also it's geared toward a more advanced hobbiest not a beginner

[@doctormosfet]

It's a piece of shit, and it's geared toward suckers who don't even realize how they're being fleeced.

[@velikon]

Sounds just like an XRAY build experience.

[@robertmoore119]

I mean wow. Give kids some credit, How simple can counting in number order be. 1,2,3....painfully all the way to 26! All by myself.

[@ianlarue4985]

No issues with mine built it in a few hrs

[@dustinamaral9308]

sweeeeey

[@dustinamaral9308]

awesome job renaldo! always respect your honest opinions and insights!! Some Ae fan boys might be a lil butt hurt! hahaa. some times the truth hurts. and unfortunately sometimes you get what u paid 4!!! looking forward to your insight on feelings on the rb6.6!! Once again awesome job bud!!

[@doctormosfet]

Thanks, Dustin. I try to be as honest as possible with these, and I have the luxury of being able to do that, since I make zero money from the r/c industry in any way, shape, or form. What actually amused me the most after thinking for a while was that I asked around to see what people thought of the build for their own B6, and they said it was good. Either they weren't reading too closely, or they've built so many kits that they just don't think about errors in the manual anymore. I expect the RB6.6 to build a lot like my RT6, which is to say, "okay," but at least I'll get some proper shocks out of it.

[@HYEonDEATHROW]

I'm watching this after my build. The missing details are annoying. But the kit was easy to assemble (because I have experience). The manual is terrible.

[@robbieracer3294]

Not to mention people getting cracked ball cups in the kit. Front shock towers cracking. Their new 4wd is going to make it or break it for them. I know a lot of people who are giving them one more chance with the 4wd. Personally I have no high expectations for a decent 4wd. I'm keeping my b5 Lite, It went together great and is a superior kit to the b5m. And from the sound of it..better than the b6. Sad to see a company that's been around for this long to just not care anymore. Pathetic actually. But..the fanboys and JConcepts keep them in business

[@michaeljendrasiak3478]

just built one it was my first build and I had no problems understanding the instructions and enjoyed building it....Your just Bias

[@doctormosfet]

Hard to say that I'm biased when I ran AE cars for four years, and have also run Losi, Tekno, and Kyosho cars. Try a different brand and you'll see what I mean.

[@anthonymacaluso1488]

Blah blah blah . I have never heard so much complaining , I cant believe I made it through half of the video hahahaha

[@doctormosfet]

Complaining about my complaining?

[@gaviscon999]

incredibly bias towards kyosho. Didn't mention any of the great things about this kit and only the negatives. ibra built the kyosho and there's just as many negatives but you didn't mention any just positives for kyosho. funny how much Jason Snyder's review differs to yours.....

[@doctormosfet]

I think you need to listen more carefully. I pointed out some good things about the kit, and in my Kyosho RB6.6 build review, I pointed out deficiencies in that build as well (I made several notes that I walked through in that video, in detail). I built both kits, with my own two hands, and these videos reflect my views. I really could care less what Jason Snyder, or anyone else, thinks about the build. He is free to his own opinion, and I am forced to question his independence anyway when AE sends him kits for free to review. That forces him to temper his language in some parts of the review. Even if he claims complete independence, the fact that he did not have to throw down over $300 of his hard earned money for the kit will change how he feels about the build when it is deficient in some way. I do not have that restriction. I made this video to give my honest opinion, regardless of what the AE fanboys think. You would not believe how many times I wanted to set this kit on fire, and you would also not believe how many AE fanboys, or even AE sponsored drivers, agreed with my views on the build, but cannot say so publicly for fear of losing their sponsorship. I was very clear in this video that this car is very fast on the track and, once together, everything is good. It's the **BUILD** that is dog sh*t. Now put yourself in the shoes of someone who buys this as their first kit. Is this really the kind of instruction manual you'd hand to a 10 year old and expect them to get everything right? Not by a long shot and, for that matter, not for the Kyosho, either, and I consider that wholly unacceptable for any r/c manufacturer who has an interest in growing the hobby. If you write your manuals so that only experienced people can figure it out and work through the mistakes, then you're begging to lose business over time.

[@gaviscon999]

doctormosfet fair enough, but to be honest I don't think there's a kit I've ever built that's had a manual up to the job.... Sorry, one.. xray xb2. Awesome build and incredible manual. shame the car performance wasn't anywhere near as good.

[@doctormosfet]

I haven't built any of the Xray chassis, but I've seen the manuals and they are very nicely detailed, and they have good descriptions of what setup changes do for the car. When the new AE 4wd comes out, I am toying with the idea of getting one of those, and an XB4 (of which I've heard rumors that the AE is a clone of), and comparing the builds.

[@PerryCodes]

My RC10GT manual from over 20 years ago beats the piss out of their current offerings... So it's not like they can't do things right, but the person or people responsible for quality manuals of the past are most likely no longer with the company.

[@robertmoore119]

One more comment. Years back I bought a Yokomo Onroad nitro kit. High end kit..Extremely nice car. I built the kit and fiddled with the two speed for days. Turns out there was a mistake in the manual. The centrifugal clutch was installed backwards. It still turned out to be my fault, I didn't notice a supplemental sheet added into the box which corrected the installation mistake in the manual. I'm not saying don't buy what you want, but parts availability and support is worth any complaints about a "bad build" By the time I needed parts for the kit, they were no longer available. Be prepared to shop online and wait for the parts. Unfortunately your not going to know what you need multiples of, until you break your kit a few times. Those are dnf's and a finished race day. Good luck and have fun with your kits.