I have no experience with Life-Like cars and was wondering how they compare to Tyco 444x2, Mega G, SRT and Super G+ cars. Any input would be appreciated.
Ob their fast and magnetic working with the brushes makes a diff. Sounds like you have. A nice stable of cars . Just got back into . 4-16 ho track in house.can't type fast enuff.... Just picked up some wizard storm cars fast stock out of box you will like them. Bsrt coming in mail probably today....have fun..
I assume that you are talking about the modern T chassis (Which come in all the sets now)
And not the older M chassis (can only be found online anymore)
Comparing the T to other chassis:
Tyco 440-X2: The LL is a mush faster car than a Tyco. It has stronger magnets as well. However, the T chassis is much harder to control than a 440-X2
Super G+: Not quite as fast as the Super G+
Can't comment on MG or SRT.
My review: This car is not well suited for small home tracks running on a 22V Tomy wall wart. Despite strong traction mags, the motor has too much power, causing many spinouts. Even with a Parma 45 Ohm econo controller the car has very little low end. Another issue that I have noted is that if the pickup shoes are not fixed up in a specific way, the cars will have issues on Tomy's banked turns. Having said this, there is some variation in the cars that makes some of them more driveable than others. Some are just a nuisance to drive, while others can be fun for a while. I am pretty sure these cars are better suited for the Life Like track than other brands. Having said this, I would still buy a couple at least for the NASCAR bodies.
Last edited by HOguy_56; 04-21-2011 at 08:03 AM.
Reason: picture misaligned
I own all the cars you mentioned (other than the SRT) and here's what I think of the cars... L-L T vs. SG+
SG+ Has more speed
L-L T Sticks to the track better
L-L T vs. MG
Close match but the MG prevails
L-L T vs. Tyco 440x2
L-L T outruns the 440x2 no problemo...
We usually run a L-L T (aka Tracker) against my SG+ and the Tracker sticks to the track way better than my SG+. The SG+ is faster than the Tracker but the Tracker has stronger traction magnets.
Now, if you run a Tracker against a Mega-G, it'll be a close race, but the Mega-G will win.
A Tyco 440x2 is no match for the Tracker. I actually had a 440x2 going almost as fast as the Tracker but the Tracker still prevailed with it's stronger magnets and motor.
All-in-all, the Life-Like T (assuming that's the one you're talking about, see Hoguy's post for pics) is a very good car. The only thing I don't like about it is how the front wheels are set up (molded plastic independent axles) and unlike other HO slot cars, you have to replace the whole motor if your brushes wear out (in most other cars, you can just replace the brushes for $1-2, the motor for this one costs $10).
What kind of track are you running maxx? We have three Tomy tracks in our local circuit and we avoid LifeLikes. The pickup shoes have to be significantly adjusted or they won't make consistent contact with the rails. The front wheels can be misaligned causing further problems with shoe/rail connections. With stock tires, the motors are too powerful and they slip and slide on clean track. A stock SG+ or SRT will blow away a stock LifeLike on our tracks. The LifeLikes may be able to make one or two really fast laps now and then but they're more likely to wipe out and lose the race in the process. If you want to use silicone tires and carefully adjust the shoes, the LifeLikes can be made to go very fast.
I use old Tyco track. I actually bought a SG+ because I figured it would blow away the L-L but the SG+ flies off the track way easier than the L-L does. I bought some jel-claws and regular flat rear wheels for the SG+ so once those come in, I'll see if that helps at all. If not, then the next thing I'll buy are some better front wheels/tires and some poly-mags...
The LL track has higher rails than the Tomy track. Meaning if you compare out of the package the Sg is set up lower which equals more handling. Properly set up with Hopra boxstock rules the sg+, mega g and LL m car will compete very equally. The LL t car set up according to the Hopra rules will be faster than any of the others.
I was considering getting some of the "T" chassis for the stock car bodies. My Tyco 440x2 cars are all NASCAR bodies. I appreciate everyone's input. Since I got back into 'little cars' i have found SCI very informative and it is nice to know their are other 'little kids' out there playing with cars.
I guess I'm the oddball here, because while I recognize the Lifelike "T" chassis is fast (and can be controlled with better rear tires), I don't like the cheapness of the design, compared to the type "M" chassis. Front wheel mountings are independent (good), but if one breaks, the chassis has to be trashed. The torsion - sprung pickup shoes are inferior to coil - sprung designs of nearly every other manufacturer, and the wiring on the armature are prone to breaking (yes, they can be replaced by calling customer service). For me, they are throw away toys; I have stored nine of these, and replaced with the original "M" chassis. I picked up a pair of M-Tech Series I & II from Bob Colleran/ neorules (these are Type "M" chassis updated with neo engine & chassis magnets and a front axle tube), and they are what the type "T" chassis should have been.
Again, I'm probably in the minority here, but if I can swap the "T" chassis for a "M" chassis, I gladly do it ......
Last edited by Speedhoppy; 04-24-2011 at 10:29 AM.
I have found the LL T chassis HO slot cars to run really good on a TOMY AFX track with the AFX Tri-Power Pack set at the Intermediate (12 volt) setting. Running the LL cars at a higher voltage will most likely require a higher ohm controller than what comes in the race sets.
I have to agree with Speedhoppy on the cheapness of the T. While I have not broken a wheel off, I am a bit annoyed with the non-spring for the pickup shoe. It seems like it would be easy to break off, and they often require ajusting to get the shoes to sit well.
The general consensus is the Tyco / Mattel 440x2 (either "pan" or narrow) is the slowest of what I would call "standard commercial" chassis in this price class; I would not dispute that. However, I enjoy racing these chassis. They are easily upgraded with better tires, and BSRT makes a number of "hop-up" parts for this design. Tyco made some great bodies that will fit this chassis (such as the Porsche 956-962, Lola T260, & McLaren M8D being among my favorites), and it lends itself well to lightweight vaccuum formed bodies too.One of my favorite cars is a Scalextric Ferrari F430 body mounted on a long wheelbase Tyco 440x2 chassis. Longer straights will show the shortcomings compared to the other designs, but overall, this is a nice design that works well on home tracks. To me, they seem most equal to both the Tomy Turbo & Lifelike "M" chassis (due to the older style ceramic chassis magnets), with the Tomy Super G+ slightly better, then the Lifelike "T" and Tomy SRT (due to their neo chassis magnets) somewhat superior.
To eliminate an unfair advantage, I race the same chassis types against each other; speed and handling differences are not so noticable then......
Last edited by Speedhoppy; 04-24-2011 at 10:31 AM.
Life-Like Cars?
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