The Serpent Spyder SDX-4 1/10 4WD Electric Buggy Kit is clean and simple. The open chassis design allows you to mount the motor, battery and ESC in different locations to alter the weight balance and achieve peak performance on any surface. Highly accessible for maintenance and set-up, with a minimal number of screws and screw types the SDX-4 is easy to maintain, while the unique design features help you achieve dominance on the track.
NOTE: Painted body and tires shown in photos are for illustrative purposes only and are not included. See needed to complete list below for a full list of items required to complete the model.
Features:
- Lightweight clamp fitted gear-diffs combined with a central slipper
- Front and rear compact and light gear diffs and central slipper
- 7075 T6 aluminum central diff/slipper holder and motor mount
- 7075 T6 aluminum bulkheads front and rear
- 7075 T6 aluminum 2mm hard coated chassis and carbon stiffeners
- 7075 T6 aluminum c-hubs
- 7075 T6 aluminum uprights, equal L and R
- 7075 T6 aluminum hardcoated suspension brackets
- Closed type suspension arms with optional carbon top-inserts
- Pivot ball type inner hinges
- Big bore 1/10 shocks with hardcoated housings can be used emulsion or membrane style
- Spring steel universal drive and central shafts
- Carbon shock towers
- Carbon chassis stiffner
- Carbon mid section top-plate
- Carbon top steering bracket
- Carbon steering plate u-bracket
- Very low and sleek 4wd body and large durable rear wing
- Top quality ball-bearings
- European Champion 2016 - Joern Neumann
- Design by Gerd Strenge and Michael Salven, Germany
Needed to Complete:
- RC 2-channel surface frequency radio system
- 2S, 7.4V LiPo Shorty or saddle pack battery
- LiPo Battery charger
- Electronic speed control
- RC electric motor
- Pinion gear
- Steering servo
- 1:10 scale tires, inserts and glue
- Paint for polycarbonate body
- Tools for assembly
This product was added to our catalog on January 20, 2017
Pros:
It's FAST. I used the Jorn Neumann setup sheet from the HudyArena race, and I can't think of any improvements right now that it needs. It's far faster of a car than I am as a driver. It has endless steering, on and off throttle.
It's BALANCED. I corner balanced it at 50/50 left to right and 47/53 front/rear and it rotates when I need, and goes where I point it. It'll do what I say, even if I tell it wrong.
So far it's durable, I have smashed it around, and cased it many times, and nothing has broken on it, besides a turnbuckle being pushed into one of the ballcups, which I just threaded back out and it's been fine.
Cons:
It's a good thing it's durable, because THERE ARE NO PARTS. Good luck finding suspension arms for this thing. Not even Serpent America has them.
Despite almost all of the kit going together flawlessly, 4 of 6 driveshafts showed up tweaked. Not super bend, just a radius on them. They wobble and vibrate in the revs. Check the SDX facebook group, I posted a video there. Also, the diff bevel gears are loud. I tried shimming them, and then shimming the ring by itself additionally, and it's still the loudest car on the track. It may be quieting down a little though after all the battery packs.
Serpent didn't get back to me. I messaged them about the diffs and driveshafts, and they have been silent. No word if they got a bad batch of driveshafts that got tweaked during heat treating or anything, but so far factory support has been nil.
It's also heavy, with a shorty battery front motor configuration, it weighs about 1750 grams, 137 grams over minimum.
Overall, I'd probably buy it again, because it looks great and drives great, but I would probably change my opinion a couple months down the road, if parts remained unavailable and Serpent still doesn't get back to me on my issues.