THE ARRMA INFRACTION AND THE ARRMA FELONY
Review by Evo RC
When the Arrma Infraction was first launched around 2019 it was kind of a shock to the RC industry. The Infraction was something that no one was expecting. It was something that doesn’t look like anything else you’ve ever seen bringing RC fun to a whole new level. It was taken well by the RC industry and the Infraction sold like crazy. This is a V2 review, the infraction you can get now so makes sense to focus on the present but I couldn’t not mention the V1 launch. Just fyi, the V1 had a bronze body, the V2 now has either a silver body or a blue body.
The massive 7 scale Infraction boasts a potent 6S 2050KV brushless system, is 4WD, has a street tuned suspension, has a handbrake function and with the included option pinion this truck can reach speeds of 80mph!
Now hang on a minute, I’m gonna be honest in this review and tell you that Arrma did mess something up in the V2 Infraction, it’s not something I’m sure they’re proud of. The built quality is solid and the motor and servos are of good quality but that ESC… my god it gives me nightmares. The Spektrum 150amp ESC is literally shit for onroad. I nicknamed it, “the firestarter”.
“The Firestarter”
It’s so shit that it’s actually dangerous. The tires produce grip and on tarmac even more so, hence the motor is contently under load and in turn the ESC. This load is hitting the ESCs peak when you hit hard drifts and eventually it shorts. If you’re lucky you get the red light of death, meaning the ESC is internally fried but in some cases the ESC actually catches fire. This takes you by surprise and until you realize what is happening and think how to act it’s too late, half your RC is melted. Have a look at these pics from personal experience. I’ve burnt a total of 4.
“Should this put you off getting an Infraction, hell no!”
“The Infraction is a bullet proof blast, go for it a 110%!”
Just be aware of the ESC issue and put it on your list of first thing to upgrade. I highly recommend the Hobbywing MAX6 as a direct upgrade. It fits perfectly and it’s 8S rated. Believe me when I tell you that it’s been torture tested and remains cool and composed like it’s nothing.
Of course it cool and composed, the MAX6 is 160 amp but continuous not peak, meaning it can take a 160 amps for longer periods. It’s actual theoretical peak is of 1050 amps. I say theoretical because you’ll never hit that peak as the wires melt before that.
Once you upgrade your esc then that’s it you can rip like there’s no tomorrow. You’ll need bullet adapter wires to use the same 2050kv motor and on 6S I suggest you do keep the motor as it’s a monster.
I’d like to mention the Scorched RC wheel wells set. I have tried them and they work well but a word of caution. Installing the wheel wells makes the internal electronics heat up exponentially. Air intake in general is reduced to zero. Also the tires spinning generates wind that flows in to cool your electronics. With these wheel wells you’re blocking all the flow. My suggestion is, just don’t do it, it puts the RC under unnecessary heat stress and more likely to overheat especially in the Maltese hot climate.
With a MAX6 you now can gear up safely too. For speed runs I suggest not going over a 28T pinion, the motor has it’s limits. For drifting and bashing from the stock pinion 15T, I found the sweet spot is between 18T and 21T, 18T being the best option. With the MAX6 and upping the pinion I suggest replacing the motor cheap stock fan with a Rocket fan. Rocket revs at much higher rates and provides vital temp reductions of up to 20 degrees.
My adventure with the Infraction started with the V2 blue. First impression was positive and the fun factor is top. This thing is fast, real fast.
Started going late evenings and installed the Polo Creations light kit. The Polo Creations light kit is the best option but I must say that they’re expensive and come from the UK, so there’s duty to factor in too.
It takes a bit of fiddling around to install them and you need to cut up the body to install. I’m just letting you know that it takes some effort to put them in, you need at least a couple of hours to install.
Drifting the Infraction is awesome and if you find a polished concrete floor like those in parking lots it’s even more fun. The reciever comes with what Spektrum call AVC, sort of a traction control system that helps you from spinning out. Set at 50% it makes you drift for longer. The size of the Infraction, the sound the brushless system makes and the raw power makes people stop and stare. It happened so many times to me. At first I used to feel sort of embarrassed but after a few times I’m used to it now and enjoy it. I also had people actually pulling their car over and come over for a chat.
A few months later I got bored of the Infraction body and decided to change it so I went searching on what it takes to change your Infraction to a Felony. Here is some precious knowledge that’s hard to find on the net. The Infraction, Felony and Limitless share the same platform with a fed differences so swapping parts between them is quite easy.
Converting one model to another
Let’s dig in. The Infraction and the Felony are exactly the same setup apart from the front diffuser, front and rear bumpers and the rear diff gearing. The Felony rear diff has an extra tooth to cater for the larger rear wheels. The Infraction also has a handbrake module which the Felony hasn’t. So switching from an Infraction to a Felony is easier than switching from a Felony to an Infraction.
Some say that switching from an Infraction to a Felony is better than purchasing a Felony straight away and I’ll explain this shortly. To do this you need to get the front splitter, front and rear bumper set and a set of rear hub extensions, yes, that’s it. Didn’t think it would be that easy right? Keep in mind that you’ll end up with a Felony having a handbrake, a Felony that you can stick any tires since the rears don’t need to be larger, that’s something you wouldn’t get with a stock Felony.
If you strip down a Limitless, what you’ll need to switch to an infraction is the front body mount and posts and replace the centre spool with a spur diff from the Infraction or the Felony. Yes that’s it.
So let’s recap, the Infraction is the only one that has a handbrake module. The Felony is the only one that has larger rear wheels and an extra tooth in the rear diff. The Limitless is the only one that has a fixed centre spool instead of a spur diff.
Switching my Infraction to Felony was exciting and now that I know how to switch makes the model way more flexible. I also though of trying an after market body. Got the Corvette and sprayed it racing red. With the GRP white rim wheels it looks awesome.
Battries
Let’s talk batteries. I recommend a good set in between 5000mah to 8000mah 80c or more. More mah means more run time but more weight. Good brands include the Gens Ace bashing series, ZEEE and CNHL. You’ll find them locally so always check the prices before just going online. Keep in mind as well that these batteries are not allowed to be shipped by air so getting them may be a bit tricky and you could end up spending what you saved buying them online on dual shipping costs. Feel free to ask for advice on the Evo RC Facebook group.
Tires
Let’s talk tires. This RC burns rubber like crazy so you want to find the tires that best suit your driving style. The Dboots branded Hoons are awesome tires. Di you know that there are three different compounds? Yes, stock is white hoons, these being of a medium compound. There are silver Hoons which are harder, better for drifting and wear out slower which makes for more run time. Hoons gold is a softer compound which are not recommended as you’ll grind them to the rim in minuites. The gold compound are used to get more grip on slippery surfaces like polished concrete or slippery tiles which you’ll still do well with white ones.
I found that the best value and performance are the GRP branded S1, S3 and S5. GRP tires are awesome so do try and give them a go. They’re cheaper, look awesome and actually give out better performance. S1 are extra soft, S3 are soft and S5 are medium. Don’t compare the compounds with Hoons. The GRP extra soft S1 are roughly equivalent of the white Hoons, the S5 are roughly equivalent to the silver hoons. I found that the S3 strikes a good balance. The Louise brand also make good tires, the Tarmac and GT Priv fit but Louise make soft compounds in general so you wown’t get enough slip.
A good tip for drifting and bashing is to use the tires all the way to the bone. By this I mean, when the tire looks worn out, it doesn’t nessessarilly mean that they need to be changed. At the end of the tires life, on peaking the last few layers of rubber, you’ll start to see the tires thread. When you see this, keep running a little longer before you swap out. I’m saying this as, if you start replacing tires sooner, it will start to feel expensive. Another good tip is to check the camber and tow. If you see that say the inner side of the tire is wearing much quicker than the rest of the tire’s surface then you need to adjust your camber and tow to make the tire sit properly on the surface so the tire can shred equally. Another good tip is, if you notice that say the left tires are more worn out than the right tires, that means you’re making too many right turns, change your driving to make more left turns.
If you’re looking to get an Infraction, Felony or Limitless, go for it! It’s a brilliant setup and strong enough to take a beating time after time.