Top 10 Things We Love About the Pro-Line Racing PRO-MT 4×4

RCD Staff February 28, 2018 Stories

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We here at RCDriver are massive fans of the Pro-Line Racing Pro-MT 4X4. On the surface it may look like another solid 1/10 scale offering, but there is so, so much more to this vehicle than meets the eye. Out of the box we feel that is hands down the best value on the market today. Reason being is that you are getting a fully hopped up and tuned vehicle out of the box without any need to buy any aftermarket parts whatsoever. We love how it feels like every single part was designed with the ultimate purpose of having the PRO-MT 4×4 being the best basher on the planet.

The Pro-MT 4X4 is what happens when you have a prestigious racing company designing the ultimate basher, something not all to common in the RC world. You may be asking yourself, how is this an advantage? Well Pro-Line Racing knows what it takes to win out on the track with multiple wins in most off-road and on-road competitions. There is a slight misconception that racing vehicles are lighter and less durable in favor of performance, but let me tell you that to survive an 8 hour day of racing you will care more about how your vehicle is holding up rather than the extra 0.1 seconds you can eke out on a lap. Pro-Line gets this and thankfully applied what works in racing over to the bashing world. The result is one of, if not THE most durable 1/10 4wd monster trucks on the market today. Every feature and every component seems like it would be an optional hopup part on other vehicles in the segment. Let’s see if we can break it down for you and convey just how great this vehicle is.

1. Deigned for experts and newbies alike
One of the first questions I always get when looking at any new vehicle, is whether the car is good for beginners or experts. You can tell Pro-Line decided to tackle this question early on in the design process and answer it with a resounding both! It is rare that a vehicle will add so much tuning options in the stock form while having design features that help someone new to the hobby (and make things easier for those more experienced). This being a prebuilt roller really emphasizes the point we are trying to make. An expert will enjoy getting to choose his/her electronics instead of tossing the stock units in the bin, and someone newer to the hobby can appreciate that this is indeed a prebuilt roller, Other than painting the body, most people will have this kit running in 30-45 minutes and the manual lays out how to install every component if those need guidance. While there is a stock tuning setup, everything is adjustable and can me modified to the user’s driving style (more on that later!).

2. Able to use nearly any motor out there
The PRO-MT 4×4 is so versatile that it can accept pretty much any power system you can think of. Whether it is a controllable 1/10th system (550 can size) or overpowered Mamba Monster system Pro-Line has you covered. With the 1/8th scale drivetrain and components you can also be confident that your 4 cell LiPo beast can stand up to all the punishment the power system can provide. We really like that in a matter of about a minute you can remove the insert (meant for supporting a 1/10th system) and then you are ready to go for monster power. While other 1/10 monster trucks may be able to accept 1/8th systems, this usually isn’t without having to heavily modify your truck (either in the drivetrain and motor mount areas). Except for the PRO-MT 4×4, we have not seen a 1/10 scale basher capable of handling the immense power of a 6s setup. That in itself makes this monster worth the price of admission.

3. Perfect gear mesh every time
One great feature that is criminally under-utilized on other vehicles is the ability to set the a fixed gear mesh on a vehicle for that perfect mesh. For the Pro-MT 4X4 it is a simple process, you merely select the right inserts for the motor pinion that will be used during the build and there you have it, a perfect mesh. By selecting the right insert, you can be sure that the spur gear is set perfect every time and more importantly will say that way during the nastiest of hits. Even for experts this can be a handy feature, but definitely is a great tool for someone who is newer to the hobby. We have seen many newbies struggle with setting a proper mesh and the stripped spurs or hot motors that follow. Definitely a great understated feature!

4. From the box to the ground in less than an hour
Something that Greg touched on in his video reviews of the PRO-MT 4×4 (see links below), is how quickly the roller can be from the box to bashing. Even someone brand new to the hobby would have no problem following the detailed instructions on how to install the power system and radio components in no time. Really the only hang up in the process would be painting the body shell, but let’s be honest it’s a basher so you won’t spend too much time making a show quality body. So minus waiting for the paint to dry, we say it only will take 30-45 minutes to install all of the electronics and get the programming done and prepped to bashing. Really it takes about the same time to prep an RTR vehicle, and with the Pro-MT you are getting the added bonus of being able to select and install your own electronics which are invaluable for experts and beginners alike.

5. Top notch suspension
Yes, the Pro-MT is a monster truck, but who likes running across the field to flip over their truck every 2 minutes because they took a turn at anything faster than a crawler’s pace? Trust us, it is a much more fun session with an MT that handles better than one with more “realism” from a purely bashing standpoint. Pro-Line’s racing heritage and aftermarket suspension design definitely shows itself in the design of the truck. Of course you get some of the best shocks on the market, but did you know that these are spec’d out to be just like Pro-Line’s Pro-Spec shocks? They are aluminum shock bodied, super sealed (Pro-Line’s X-Ring seal system), Delrin, and the list goes on. And the key to a great suspension setup is not just the shocks, the geometry and setup holds a very important part in this equation. The Pro-MT features pillow ball suspension, something more commonly found in race vehicles and the ability to tune every aspect you can think of. The manual covers this more in depth, but the short story is that you will be able to customize the truck’s driving characteristics to match you driving style with ease.

6. 1/10 scale, but only in name
While technically the Pro-MT is a 1/10 scale vehicle, pretty much every component is 1/8th scale sized or quality. A 1/8th scale racer has to endure a full day’s worth of racing on some of the roughest tracks. It wouldn’t be uncommon for a racer to hit over 50 jumps in a single heat of qualifying so the internals have to be up to handle the challenge. The Pro-MT has 1/8 scale differentials and shafts all around pushing 17mm hexes so even the wheels are over sized and will not strip out. As mentioned earlier the big bore shocks are gigantic, 16mm which should be able to handle any rough landing you can throw at it. Many 1/10 scale monster trucks have a plastic chassis, but not here. We are lucky to get a 3mm thick (which suffice to say is huge!), 6061 T6 grade aluminum chassis. It even sports a steel spine form the forward mounted center diff to the rear diff. This level of strength is simply not found on any other 1/10 scale monster truck we have ever seen!

7. Top quality components and accessories
There is no other way to say it, but normally monster truck stock bodies and tires just plain suck and end up in the trash after a few hard bashing sessions. What do we end up buying? Pro-Line of course. Speaking from personal experience, Pro-Line basher type bodies are some of the most durable on the market and we turn to them when it is time for an upgrade. With this kit you get their killer Sentinel body, which is super beefy and in our testing was able to withstand all sorts of torture that would have cracked any other stock body. So with the body aside what other important accessories are provided? Simple, tires. You get probably the best bashing tires on the planet with the perfect balance of grip and longevity. Other vehicles generally come with your average Chevron tread, which usually last a long time, but actually suffers in the grip department. You never have to worry about traction with the included Badlands treads, this is a timeless design that Pro-Line nailed years ago and obviously you get some of the best tire rubber on the planet as well. Since there is so much going on with this truck there are tons of little features that we have left out as well, like the Pro-Line body mount Secure-Loc cap kit. Check out the videos linked below for more detailed explanations on the features.

8. Race inspired components and tuning
Throughout this article we have stated that the tuning and racing parts are a large reason you should be taking a closer look at the Pro-MT. Reason being that typically manufacturers are not as concerned with the handling characteristics of a basher vehicle, and would rather leave it up to the consumer to sort out through optional hop up parts. Now don’t get us wrong, the Pro-MT is still a monster truck at heart and definitely won’t be handling like a race truggy or anything, but having more adjustibility is a good thing. Expect to be able to tune the front, center, and rear differentials with oil, plenty of shock adjustments, and even more suspension tweaks with the pillow ball suspension setup. Even if you don’t plan on making any tweaks and are happy with the stock setup, the racing components are positioned with ease of access in mind for quick maintenance. We really like how the manual spells out all of the tuning parameters and how they will affect the handling of the car. This is perfect for new drivers and for us experts, it is always nice to have a refresher course.

9. Next level design
When you pick up the Pro-MT 4X4 for the first time, you will notice that every single component has been extremely well thought out and designed to make his one of the best bashers on the market. Just take a look at the beefy suspension arms and tell me those aren’t some of the best stock arms that you have ever seen! It looks like most of the components are oversized for a larger scale, we especially notice this with bearings all around and especially the chassis. Even the motor pinion and spur is mod 1 sized, exactly what 1/8 electrics use. Following along, the Pro-MT utilizes a forward mounted center diff which is what is the trend for race rigs nowadays. There is no reason monster trucks shouldn’t share many of the advances that the racing world offers, and this truck is a shining example of just that.

10. Bang for your buck
Even though the kit runs around 400 bucks, there is tons a value hidden right in front of our faces that really make the kit a bargain. It seems like the theme of the kit was to release a fully featured basher that has no need to ever be upgraded. What you end up paying upfront, ends up saving you tons of cash in the long run. Even a new body and some wheels/tires can run you well over 100 dollars, so you can easily see how small improvements that are included in the Pro-MT and up being quite the bargain. Not to mention there is no need to buy any fancy “tuning” upgrades since absolutely everything is adjustable right out of the box. Included bits aside, you will also save money in the long run due to less breakages with the completely bulletproof design. It is nearly impossible to bend the chassis, and the suspension arms are so strong you would be hard pressed to break them. All in all we find the Pro-MT 4X4 probably one of the best ways you can spend your money in this hobby.

Wrap Up
Alright, obviously we are huge fans of the Pro-MT 4X4 over at RCDriver and think you should be as well. Pro-Line is somewhat new to the vehicle manufacturing scene, but obviously has been around the hobby forever. We wanted to show you the reasons you should be taking the pro-MT seriously and why you may want to give it a second look. We promise you that there are no better ways of spending your hard earned cash if you are looking for the ultimate 1/10 monster truck basher.

Greg has taken an even better look at what is included with the kit and how easy it was to get up and running. Check out the following videos for the unboxing, as well as the performance review with some sick running footage of the Pro-MT 4X4!