In off-road it's hard to talk about pros and cons - both drivetrains are fast (in onroad it is a different matter, shaft is well out of favour).
Better to talk about characteristics.
Charactersistics of shaft...
- A little easier to seal from the elements
- More direct throttle response
- Setting of bevel gear mesh is crucial for reliability - can wear or strip
- Torque steer due to longitudinal position of motor - however the weight of the wheels and the large suspension travel minimises the effect of this.
Characteristics of belt...
- Can be harder to seal from the elements (Losi and Tamiya DB-01 are sealed, but complete sealed chassis are bulky)
- Softer throttle response (due to taking up slack in belts)
- Belt tension must be right balance between free running and not skipping teeth
- No torque steer
Both win races - the belt Tamiya 511 just won the Euros, the shaft B44 and Yokomo have won BRCA nationals this season.
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