The next upgrade stays within the drive train and comes in the form of the blue aluminium diff cases. Not only were these an optional hop-up part for the LST, they were a must have item. The LST2 though carries them as standard to keep the diff gears aligned and working, eliminating the flex that dogged its originator. The diff cases don’t just keep the internals in check however; the design skills of Gil Losi Jr and the world-renowned Losi engineering staff also worked it so they also add structural support to the chassis and tackle most of the bulkhead flex too… which is nice.

One of the most obvious points of the LST were the enormous mega shocks and it just wouldn’t be right without them, so the LST2 keeps them of course, but with the addition of threaded shock bodies and adjustment collars that house an O-ring preventing accidental movement. So whether you like your truck to sit up high for optimum ground clearance or the drop down low stance of a racer, the threaded shocks allow you to change your setup with ease. The A-arms are now in my line of sight and these did have a tendency to part company from the rest of the truck under duress, so the designers worked long and hard to overcome this problem without taking away the splendid handling abilities. For this reason, the LST2 features new reinforced upper and lower suspension arms, front spindles and castor blocks. While the arms are all new, the suspension geometry remains basically unchanged. This means that the LST2 handles the same while being more durable. Now you’ve got to be happy with that! The dual deck aluminum chassis is another item that remains the same - although it does incorporate new composite rails where the spur gear protection is mounted – and in it sit the four servos, two SS-1s that handle the throttle/brake and forward/reverse change respectively and the pair of HT-1s underneath that control the steering.

The receiver box is as large as you’d expect on a truck this size and provides ample room for the three channel 27MHz FM receiver (and failsafe should you wish to add one), this receives its commands from the Team Losi Sport three channel steer wheel transmitter, identical in every way to the JR XS3, barring that it employs crystals instead of the synthesised module. I have to say it has a lovely comfortable piece of foam on the wheel and is a synch to set up personal settings to any of the six model memory it holds.

Completing the electrics is an 1100mAh rechargeable receiver pack that nestles in its place between decks in its plastic protective holder, which of course has its own supplied charger.

PREPERATION
The instruction manual contains a wealth of information and is always the first on the menu for me, whilst the receiver pack is charging I can arm myself with such things as what checks need doing before running, such as making sure the tyres are completely glued on and the grub screws in the outdrives and driveshafts aren’t going to work themselves loose anytime soon. I’d also heard that some models have thrown a wheel off in use due to them not having enough or any thread lock on the wheel nuts, so I made sure mine wouldn’t do the same by whipping off the wheels and applying a drop or two on each nut.