Dirt Cross...Lazer SB...ZX-5'ish Beach Build
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2025 10:01 pm
I recently took a Kyosho Dirt Cross on a family vacation to the beach and thought I post a few comments & observations about the all-plastic ZX-5 re-re'ish. I also have a couple of questions from those who know more about the ZX-5 than me.
I figured this kit would make a good all-around beach basher. As with all family trips, space is a concern and a 1/10 buggy stows away nicely.
It's 4wd which helps with a 1/10 buggy in soft sand. The suspension works well enough for big bumps and high speed. It's almost all plastic. It's cheap and I have no real emotional attachment to it.
So, it's basically box-stock except for the option wing mounts with a Javelin hard plastic wing and aluminum wheel hubs. For the esc & motor I had an unused Mamba X and 1406-5700KV motor that was needing a new home. The Mamba is big but fits fine on the battery side with a shorty pack. I geared it 18/73 which is 10.82 FDR according to the manual. For tires I chose Schumacher "Full Spikes" front and rear in Yellow compound.
Here's a couple of pics:
The Dirt Cross drove great. It was really fun and fast. The suspension did a fantastic job soaking up the bumps in deeper sand. I had tons of fun watching it scream by on speed runs across soft, bumpy sand. The buggy was screaming by fast and straight while the wheels and tires bounced liked mad as the suspension soaked up the bumps.
Here a couple of action shots. I wish they were better but my wife and kids are not early risers. I was driving with one hand hand taking pics with the other.
In my search for the perfect vacation beach basher this one scores high but it's not perfect. There is an opening in the chassis below the spur gear. I really don't think it is a huge deal but it's there. I covered the bottom of the chassis with thick adhesive vinyl but it wore as it scraped over the sand. The one place that wore through was the opening under the spur gear which was the main piece I was trying to cover.
I destroyed a spur gear but I don't think it was sand. I believe the gear mesh was too tight coupled with a really hot motor. One thing I don't like about this buggy is that it's really hard to see the gear mesh, but maybe it's just my 50+ year-old eyes. Regardless, aftermarket gear selection for the Dirt Cross is a bit weak. I read that you can substitute a B4 spur gear and slipper pads can verify that the B4 spur and pads will work in a Dirt Cross for sure.
Also, the kit supplied slipper plates were not much more than flat washers. The ZX-5 LA204 plates are more substantial, can be used as an upgrade and also work with the B4 spur gear and slipper pads. Pics posted below...stock on left and LA204 on right:
Now to my questions:
1) I now have a 78 tooth B4 Kimbrough spur gear to replace the factory piece along with both Associated V2 slipper pads as well as aftermarket carbon-fiber pads. Which would be better for a strictly beach-build? I'd rather have little to no slip at all. It seems the sand would allow for enough give to keep from damaging the motor and I'd rather not be replacing the pads frequently.
2) I've seen steel spur gears for the B4 on E-Bay. Would this be a better option due to opening in the chassis below the spur gear?
3) Is there an undertray out there that would fit the Dirt Cross...ZX-5 chassis? I'm not up on all the differences on all of the different ZX chassis changes. I' see Lazer ZX and ZX-R bodies & undertrays available at TBG but I don't know if they'll fit the ZX-5 chassis. In fact I like the stock ZX-5 body but don't see a reproduction out there or an undertray. The Dirt Cross body is just OK in my opinion. It's better than crappy current space-buggy forward cab designs...but It's kind of plain.
Adam-out
I figured this kit would make a good all-around beach basher. As with all family trips, space is a concern and a 1/10 buggy stows away nicely.
It's 4wd which helps with a 1/10 buggy in soft sand. The suspension works well enough for big bumps and high speed. It's almost all plastic. It's cheap and I have no real emotional attachment to it.
So, it's basically box-stock except for the option wing mounts with a Javelin hard plastic wing and aluminum wheel hubs. For the esc & motor I had an unused Mamba X and 1406-5700KV motor that was needing a new home. The Mamba is big but fits fine on the battery side with a shorty pack. I geared it 18/73 which is 10.82 FDR according to the manual. For tires I chose Schumacher "Full Spikes" front and rear in Yellow compound.
Here's a couple of pics:
The Dirt Cross drove great. It was really fun and fast. The suspension did a fantastic job soaking up the bumps in deeper sand. I had tons of fun watching it scream by on speed runs across soft, bumpy sand. The buggy was screaming by fast and straight while the wheels and tires bounced liked mad as the suspension soaked up the bumps.
Here a couple of action shots. I wish they were better but my wife and kids are not early risers. I was driving with one hand hand taking pics with the other.
In my search for the perfect vacation beach basher this one scores high but it's not perfect. There is an opening in the chassis below the spur gear. I really don't think it is a huge deal but it's there. I covered the bottom of the chassis with thick adhesive vinyl but it wore as it scraped over the sand. The one place that wore through was the opening under the spur gear which was the main piece I was trying to cover.
I destroyed a spur gear but I don't think it was sand. I believe the gear mesh was too tight coupled with a really hot motor. One thing I don't like about this buggy is that it's really hard to see the gear mesh, but maybe it's just my 50+ year-old eyes. Regardless, aftermarket gear selection for the Dirt Cross is a bit weak. I read that you can substitute a B4 spur gear and slipper pads can verify that the B4 spur and pads will work in a Dirt Cross for sure.
Also, the kit supplied slipper plates were not much more than flat washers. The ZX-5 LA204 plates are more substantial, can be used as an upgrade and also work with the B4 spur gear and slipper pads. Pics posted below...stock on left and LA204 on right:
Now to my questions:
1) I now have a 78 tooth B4 Kimbrough spur gear to replace the factory piece along with both Associated V2 slipper pads as well as aftermarket carbon-fiber pads. Which would be better for a strictly beach-build? I'd rather have little to no slip at all. It seems the sand would allow for enough give to keep from damaging the motor and I'd rather not be replacing the pads frequently.
2) I've seen steel spur gears for the B4 on E-Bay. Would this be a better option due to opening in the chassis below the spur gear?
3) Is there an undertray out there that would fit the Dirt Cross...ZX-5 chassis? I'm not up on all the differences on all of the different ZX chassis changes. I' see Lazer ZX and ZX-R bodies & undertrays available at TBG but I don't know if they'll fit the ZX-5 chassis. In fact I like the stock ZX-5 body but don't see a reproduction out there or an undertray. The Dirt Cross body is just OK in my opinion. It's better than crappy current space-buggy forward cab designs...but It's kind of plain.
Adam-out