Proline Pro MT 4x4 Project



Proline is a company well known for making RC aftermarket products such as tires, shocks, and bodies.  Their entry into the model market is fairly recent.  The Pro MT 4x4 is a completely new vehicle from the ground up, all engineered and manufactured by Proline.  But there is one catch.  Proline is not an electronics manufacturer so this is not an RTR.  It does not come with a radio system, a motor, a speed controller, or a servo.  You might think this means it is a kit, but it's not that either.  It is a "roller": a completed chassis assembly with no electronics.  I would have preferred a real kit I could build myself, but I was still intrigued.  What put me over the top on buying this one was the size.  At 1:10 scale it is much smaller than most monster trucks and therefore more usable in a yard or park.  On top of that, it will still accept 1:8 scale electronics which means you can make it ridiculous.  Which, of course, I did.

This is a 1:10 scale monster truck with 4 wheel double wishbone independent pillow ball suspension.  It has front, rear, and center differentials, none of which can be locked.  The body is a Proline Sentinel truck.  The thick aluminum base plate is strengthened with a steel spine and has tall plastic guards on either side to keep dirt and debris out of the electronics area.  The shocks have a huge 16mm bore.

I put a 1:8 scale Hobbywing buggy system in this model and ran it on 4s.  It is completely insane, but in the best way.  At first the front wheels would unload when they came off the ground so I switched to 1,000,000 weight center diff oil which solved that. The truck is a real joy to drive.  It tracks and jumps straight, goes over anything, and is very durable.  One downside is a very weak servo saver which breaks if you hit anything, but Proline was quick to release a strengthened version and replaced the originals under warranty.  I later added an upgraded aluminum version and stronger servo horn which greatly improved the steering.  Finally, I found a Facebook user selling a steering upgrade which doubled up the beams which connect the left and right steering cranks.  This seemed to be the last piece of the puzzle to make it steer properly.

After driving this for a couple of years and figuring it could use a good cleaning anyway, I decided to tear it down and build it from scratch.  This allowed me the opportunity to build it like a kit which I wasn't able to do the first time.  Even though there were never any assembly instructions released for the Pro MT 4x4, the Pro Fusion SC came as a kit and is virtually the same thing so I used that.  It was a real joy to finally get to build it and see what a sturdy beast it is.  Sadly, Proline no longer makes this model (2021) so I expect parts are going to be difficult to find should I find myself needing any.

Update: 
This model was destroyed in the 2022 fire.  It is out of production and cannot be easily replaced.

frame
Page 1: Roller Original


Page 2: Upgrades!


Page 3: Rebuild

Page 4: Final Photos

Description
Manufacturer
Model #
Pro-MT 4x4 1:10 4WD Monster
Truck Prebuilt Roller
Proline
4005-00
XeRun 4268SD G2 1900 kV
Brushless Sensored Motor
Hobbywing
30401901
Xerun XR8 Plus Brushless
Electronic Speed Control
Hobbywing
30113300
20 Tooth 1.0 Mod Steel Pinion
Protek
PTK-8073
2 Channel 2.4 GHz DSMR Receiver
Spektrum
SR210
7000 Series Mega Torque Waterproof
Brushless High Voltage Steering Servo
Xpert
WR-7701-HV
Aluminum Shock Cap Upgrade x2
Proline
6318-00
Aluminum Shock Mount Upgrade
Proline
6318-01
Aluminum Servo Saver Upgrade
Proline
6318-03
Clamping 25T Servo Horn
Vanquish
VPS02412
Double Steering Rack Set
Bryan Hill
eBay
Aluminum Front Upper Brace
Kraken
PLR4101
Aluminum Rear Chassis Support Brace
Kraken
PLR4102
PS-4 Blue Paint
Tamiya
86004
PS-5 Black Paint
Tamiya
86005
PS-1 White Paint
Tamiya
86001

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©2018 Eric Albrecht