The Center Gearbox
Getting to the gearbox requires the disassembly of the TVP (twin vertical plate) chassis and this means removing several screws - not an easy job. Access to some of the screws are also blocked by the shocks so you you'll have to remove those too. All in all, the center gearbox is *not* something you want to have to get to regularly. As such, the design which features sealed construction, access plugs to adjust the 2-speed and hardy steel gears (except for the 2-speed gears) is welcome as it should allow for many hours of maintenance free running.

The SAVAGE tranny design places the 2-speed inside the gearbox and uses an external spur gear to mate with a clutch bell. I like this because it allows me to use clutchbells of different sizes without having to hunt for particular 2-speed clutchbells. The spur also features an externally adjustable 1-disk slipper which should protect the transmission against harsh transmission shocks.

You may have stared at the 2-speed module before and wondered where it actually installs. Well, in lowest area of the center gearbox there is a space allocated for it's installation. I had thought that the reverse module was just a simple install, but expect to have to disassemble a lot of stuff to get it into this spot. It is nice to know though that HPI had designed this truck with the future in mind.

Overall, the gearbox feels solid and smooth. The output drivecups also feature the MAXX type design where it joins to the output shaft via a pin with a threaded end that pierces right through the shaft. I like this design because it practically eliminates the possibility of a grubscrew working itself loose (a regular problem on nitro cars).

Engine Placement
The engine sits in the rear of the chassis on a cast engine mount. This mount will allow you to adjust the engine laterally (to adjust mesh) but not forwards-and-backwards - I guess there's not much space in there to shift the engine anyhow. The truck comes with a 14tooth clutchbell but I hear it could use some gearing up.

Area around the engine is cramped - the TVPs enclose it on the left and right; the rear shocktower is right behind it and the fuel tank also sits pretty close. Within these tight confines, the pullstart handle resides; so getting to it might require some care not to touch the hot heatsink. HPI's 21BB engine comes with a long extended pullstart handle to raise it up high, but regular pull-start engines might need a similar modification to ease starting.

The Radio Box
The SAVAGE locates all it's electronic components in a radio box just behind the front end of the truck. Inside the box is a 2-tier design; the 2 servos (and optional reversing third servo) and the battery sit on the bottom and the receiver and switch sit on a removable platform on top. Everything is sealed with a lid that's held on with 3 snap-pins.

The upside of the design is that it keeps most of the electronics quite nicely protected. The steering and throttle servos are typically more exposed in trucks like the Dominator where water and crud can cause problems. The downside is that accessing the servos is somewhat more complicated. Oh well, it should be a set and forget it affair anyway.

THIS BOX IS CRAMPED! You'll find fitting everything into the radio box will be quite a task and that a little time carefull packing your wiring will go a long way. The box was also designed to fit a 4-cell pack so installing a rechargeable 5-cell pack in any configuration would require a little cramming. Basically I used a 3x2 pack and when installed it pushes up on the platform holding the receiver and switch. Taking off this cover to charge batteries after every bash session is not my idea of fun so I installed a 3-way switch with a charger lead outside the box to allow me to charge packs without fussing with the box lid.

Talking about the lid, the 2 of the 3 spots where the snap-pins go are a little hard to reach, especially with fat fingers like mine. So you'll find that some zip ties on the ends of the snap-pins will save you some sore fingers and frustration.

I think the designers of the box meant for the entire box to be easily removable. It's held onto the TVP chassis with 4 screws and 2 screws on the bottom skidplate. In practice however, this isn't so easy because the box fits quite tightly in the chassis and getting it back in could prove difficult - not to mention all the linkages that have to be undone just to do this.

A servo saver is included for the steering servo and one is adapted to work on the throttle servo to control both brake and throttle duties. This throttle servo horn is a little iffy for me (as the throttle and brake extentions tend to "stick" a little. I'll experiment with a better setup when time allows. A long link extends to a cantilever which is connected via another link to the carburetor on the engine. Another long link extends from the same servo to the brake lever. Many long linkages here - only testing will tell if they hold up.

The Front End
Beefy beefy beefy! When taking the truck apart, I can't help but notice how everything is thick and beefy - the front end (which is identical to the rear) is no different. Here are some notes:

Knuckles : the knuckles are large, but on the first run of these trucks some guys were breaking the extentions where the steering rods attached. HPI made a production modification and added more webbing on these. As a result, reports of failures on this part have more or less stopped.

Uprights : these uprights look scary. Rather than fit inside the suspension arms like most cars, they feature cutouts to accommodate the suspension arm - this leads to a stronger setup which should withstand a ton of abuse.

Arms : beefy lower arms are identical on all 4 corners of the truck so one spare arm fits all! I would have liked to see shock mounts that "captured" the shockends but the mounting points look thick and burly enough to last a while.

These stout suspension components mount to bulkheads which feature 3 hingepin braces - can you say PARANOID Lower arms are captured front and rear with these and the upper arms are beefed up with one more.

The lower skidplate is flexible plastic and I like that it joins to the front bumper to make a sturdy front impact zone. Trucks like the Maxx and Dominator have separate bumpers and skids which I often lead to bent skids and broken bumpers. I've seen my friend's SAVAGE land nose down from a 10-foot jump without any damage - so I think these should hold up. Removing the skid actually gives you access to the differential gears!

The gears sit in a 2-piece gearbox and from the factory some thick sticky green sludge masquerading as grease is used. While these may work fine in the diff gears, I think the ring and pinion setup could benefit from something that actually lubricates so I cleaned it out and used some proper grease.

Although you can see the diff gears, getting to them is another story. Almost the entire front end has to be disassembled to do this and again, it is something that you hope you never have to do. The diffs should last though. They are housed in a black casing that is so hard I can't tell if it's metal or plastic (in any case, it's hard enough such that it shouldn't matter). Inside the casing are metal bevel gears - note though that although the casing can accommodate 4 spider gears HPI cheapo-ed out and only gave two (much like what KYOSHO did in the MADFORCE.

Ever hate how the drivecups from the diffs of nitro cars would work themselves loose? You won't have this problem with the SAVAGE - because the drivecups don't use grub-screws! Instead, they are designed with a thick shaft extention that inserts into the diff instead. A pin goes through this extention shaft and fits into the bevel gear inside the diff housing. This results in a setup that will never have a loose drivecup, but it also means changing a drivecup will require major disassembly. I would have preferred a design with a threaded pin that goes right through the drive cup (like the outdrives on the center assembly).

Summary
After installing the 8-port engine, I reassembled the entire truck. I basically like how everything feels strong and solid. The chassis and parts should be able to take quite a beating before breaking anything (although only true track time will tell). What I have learnt from this session is that this is not a truck that is easy to wrench on. Trying to get to any part of the transmission is a chore, but thankfully, HPI spec-ed high quality parts and a strong design for the drivetrain. I guess the TVP's are the main reason for the difficulty in wrenching - while they offer great strength and also look unique, they also enclose everything in a "cage" which makes access and removal more difficult.

So in short, I like the truck because it looks sturdy and well built; and I hope this is the case because some parts are a pain to work on. Only time will tell!

In any case, it won't be long before a performance review!

For pictures of the truck with the 8-port and other mods, click here.

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