which TC?

[cjm_2008]

hiya!

my b44 has me totally hooked. I never really appreciated how much fun off-road racing could be. but summer won't last forever.

I'm considering purchasing 1/10 electric on-road kit. but which one?

my racing will be on carpet, and possibly with foams, 19t / 10.5 spec.

budget isn't really an issue, though it'd be nice to find something second hand. I'm also planning on whacking in a big-ass lipo cell, so any car has to be able to accommodate that.

ta :)

[ryan_93]

pm'd

[Lee]

Whats wrong with indoor offroad?:confused:

[cjm_2008]

Whats wrong with indoor offroad?:confused:

nothing - except my club generally only runs TC and micro indoors. so I'd be a bit lonely. and I'm also thinking about entering the chippenham thrashnal series this year.

[stegger]

If i was going to go back to the on road carpet/foam spec racing i'd go for the TC5F from associated or the xray 008 foam spec. Parts are not cheep on the xray though and they have a new model out every other week:woot:

[vinny20]

Serpent s400 when i had this car it was awsome i loved it you'll love it even more if put brushless 3.5 motor in it and the shocks come pre-built. All you have to do is put oil in them and the car it self is easy to build

[stegger]

Serpent s400 when i had this car it was awsome i loved it you'll love it even more if put brushless 3.5 motor in it and the shocks come pre-built. All you have to do is put oil in them and the car it self is easy to build
Vinny was this on foam's or rubber setup ?

[vinny20]

oh yeah sorry but still this car is good right

[stegger]

It is vinny, but he's after a foam spec car and that isn't. You could also go for the Losi jrx s or r type or the corally usa spec.

[DAVIDZX5]

i would go for a MI3 or the new cyclone.....

[B44&501xRacerEX]

*My B44 got me hooked also, I had to get another saddle pack car, I picked the tamiya 501x
because I've been a tamiya fan for years*

That didnt stop me I wanted a yokomo car also, but i didnt want a yokomo buggy because
i already had 2 of them, so i chose a yokomo touring car instead.

Here's a pic of my touring car.
Yokomo YR4-M2
*the only touring car made that I know of with a saddle battery design*
So you know why I bought it, to switch from buggy to touring car alot easier.

Many people dont like this car, but it drives really good for what it is.
The small shocks are fine, because I ran it like that already.

I threw my 6.5 novak brushless motor and GTB in it for the heck of it
for testing on a large oval go-cart track. I hit about 50mph easy,
of coarse this was about a month ago.

I dont really think it matters what shock oil you use because it's not
like your jumping it or anything, it's not a buggy.

I'll try different oils in the japanease shocks so I can set this car up for
carpet racing in the fall.

Here's the large oval I tested it on.

I bought this car from tamiya club from a guy named Shodog.
I'm glad I did because I can race a yokomo for a change of pace.

A buddy of mine "skipper" couldnt beileve it when he saw this thing.
"That yokomo car will be great for carpet racing"

If you can find one of these go for it, they can be picked up realitivley cheap.
If you cannot find this then get the new foam spec TC5F.

[DAVIDZX5]

Im in the same club as cjm_2008 and we not sure if we are deffinatly going to use foams yet.......????

[josh_smaxx]

The S400 can be converted into a foam spec car with the 3.4mm (i think) chassis and the stiffer top decks (with the extra arms on seperate stand-off posts). I raced it in carpet with foams and out the box setup and it was ballistic, it never ever stepped out or understeered no matter how hard i tried, it was so progressive and easy to drive, massive sweet spot in which it didnt bite back.

[stegger]

I only named the cars that i have because you don't need anymore extra's;) I've had the Mi3 also, great car but went better with the carpet top deck, lowered shock towers, alloy rear uprights and ackerman arms. stuff that i don't really want to buy on top of the £300 for the car:cry:

[josh_smaxx]

Fair point, i only plugged the S400 because i have one :thumbsup:

[stegger]

Fair point, i only plugged the S400 because i have one :thumbsup:
Top car matey, hope they bring out a foam spec car, mark C might be able to give us more info when he comes back from the factory next week:thumbsup:

[josh_smaxx]

I doubt they will make a full foam spec car when they already have this: http://www.serpent.com/product/401145/

But i await Marks comment :)

[sime46]

Xray 008 all the way mate. Someone said parts are dear, but you wont need parts very often cos they are unbreakable. Lots of choice too.

[cjm_2008]

Im in the same club as cjm_2008 and we not sure if we are deffinatly going to use foams yet.......????

it's being discussed on the cobra forums isn't it? :woot:

i'm hedging my bets! are there drastic differences between foam and rubber chassis?

thanks for all the info guys. I've got a lot to chew on!

[josh_smaxx]

i'm hedging my bets! are there drastic differences between foam and rubber chassis?

That is very dependent on your level of driving, i found the Serpent very quick on rubber tires even though everyone else at my club favoured foams. I then tested some foams and moved to them because the car was so much quicker, but i didnt change the setup at all, the car just coped and gripped.

[sosidge]

I hope for your sake that your club chooses to run rubbers as foam are a pain in the jacksy.

Biggest issue is that the 28mm wide ones (which are the common American size) are not an easy fit on quite a few of the chassis out there, you have to cut things up of swap parts over (most of the Japanese cars except the HotBodies need a lot of tweaking for foams to fit well).

Second nuisance with foams is that as they wear they decrease quite significantly in diameter, throwing your gearing and suspension settings out all the time.

Rubbers are a shade slower around the track but still grip, feels just like tarmac racing to me. I much prefer them.

Apart from the wheel fitting issues, foam-spec cars tend to have stiffer chassis and springs to make best use of the extra grip, and tend to run a front diff also. But most UK clubs on temporary tracks never get up to the level of grip that the foam cars are built for (ie permanent US tracks soaked to the skin with additive), so rubber spec cars will be just fine for most people.

So I would wait until the announcement on tyre rules before splashing the cash. The good news is that pretty much every car on the market right now is good enough to compete.

[Craig]

Get a Ta-05 or a TC5, both work really well and hardly brake. for cobra you dont need the newest thing as the club aint that strong.

[gazbaz2]

TC4 ran the serpent into the ground at teesside warehouse:p and it costs alot lot less lol

[racdeaf]

TC4 ran the serpent into the ground at teesside warehouse:p and it costs alot lot less lol

i i'll 2nd that gaz :p

[rcluke]

Can't go wrong with a hopped - up Tamiya TA-05 - or the MS

[qatmix]

The Ta05 is a great car for Carpet/foams. Its fast / tough and really well balanced I quickly went from being a novice to getting in the A's with this car. After trying some other cars (serpent / Xrays) I recently upgraded to a Ta05ms and its amazing! The handling is spot on. The steering is faultless, and the overall balance is fantastic (I race a team orion 19t v2). With this car (and a bit more practice) Im sure I can win that A final. ;)

Also when racing on Foams, the best tyres are the Gecko's. They have amazing grip, Life and they dont chunk (I raced a set for 6 months and they never chunked) I had some Jacko (Spelling) ones that lasted about a month

[cjm_2008]

I actually used to run a ta-04 in the welsh league, and in the super mod class of the eurocup.

twas a great car - but the price of spares and hopups was crippling.

I've done the tamiya thing i think :D

i'm more or less settled on a tc5. I was considering the serpent s400, but i've got doubts over spares availability.

[rcluke]

The Ta05 is a great car for Carpet/foams. Its fast / tough and really well balanced I quickly went from being a novice to getting in the A's with this car. After trying some other cars (serpent / Xrays) I recently upgraded to a Ta05ms and its amazing! The handling is spot on. The steering is faultless, and the overall balance is fantastic (I race a team orion 19t v2). With this car (and a bit more practice) Im sure I can win that A final. ;)

Also when racing on Foams, the best tyres are the Gecko's. They have amazing grip, Life and they dont chunk (I raced a set for 6 months and they never chunked) I had some Jacko (Spelling) ones that lasted about a month

can you PM me a link of where to buy the Gecko's please mate.

My Jaco's have chunked after a few races :cry:

[Craig]

I got a setup that i used at cobra for my Tc5 if you want a look at it?

[qatmix]

can you PM me a link of where to buy the Gecko's please mate.

My Jaco's have chunked after a few races :cry:


http://www.microtechracing.com//product_select.asp?ID=10016&Pcat=&list_type=X&Name=GECKO

I run 35 front 32 rear

[rcluke]

http://www.microtechracing.com//product_select.asp?ID=10016&Pcat=&list_type=X&Name=GECKO

I run 35 front 32 rear

cheers pal

[big air]

If your running it at Teesside i would use 40 front and 36/38 rear as you may be grip roll city with any softer :p

[lochness42]

I'm racing with Xray T2008 (raced with T1FK04, T2 and then converted T2 to T2 '007) and I must say that Xrays are really good handling cars (at least on rubbers - we don't run foams).

[cjm_2008]

I just won a brand new tc5 on t' bay, so I guess that's what I'm getting. :)

[racdeaf]

I just won a brand new tc5 on t' bay, so I guess that's what I'm getting. :)

Nice one
i currently use the tc5 and it excellent car for me as my last car is tc4 so no lookin back now :thumbsup:

[Craig]

Which version you get? The rubber or foam version

[cjm_2008]

Which version you get? The rubber or foam version

good question :lol:

I should find out tommorrow when it (hopefully) arrives.

there are no wheels or tyres with the kit, and it'll probably be quite a while before I actually assemble it, as I'm enjoying the B44 too much.

[rcluke]

good question :lol:

I should find out tommorrow when it (hopefully) arrives.

there are no wheels or tyres with the kit, and it'll probably be quite a while before I actually assemble it, as I'm enjoying the B44 too much.

send it my way, i'll assemble it for ya :thumbsup: :p

[josh_smaxx]

send it my way, i'll assemble it for ya :thumbsup: :p

Noooo, let dime bar do it, it'll be lighter than kit because he'll miss most of the screws out :p only joking dimey.

[Craig]

If ur going to run lipo you will need up to 300g to put on the car. My bog standard outdoor car needed 218g on it for BRCA nationals, and when i used my lightweight mod car i needed over 350g!

[walla]

the screw missing out of my tourer was stratigically taken out for a comfortable driving car and its all secure i think so its fine otherwise its all great.

[rcluke]

walla, how do you forget to put screws in? :woot:

[walla]

i idn't forget it just kind of didn't fit back in:confused:

[cjm_2008]

...It arrived today, and is literally brand new.

it looks like the dude I bought it from ordered it in from the states. I ended up paying £150 plus postage, which can't be bad :)

now all I have to do is put the thing together. oh, and find wheels, tyres, a bodyshell, and spend more money on a trakpower lipo brick.

any recommendations for a bodyshell & tyres (assuming I'll be running on carpet for now)? I love the look of the mazda speed six!

[DAVIDZX5]

mazda 6 or stratus 3 is good on carpet :)

[Craig]

Get the Mazda speed 6, ive tried all the main stream shells, and its the one i keep coming back to. Which version was it?

[cjm_2008]

there doesn't seem to be any mention of foam or rubber on the box, or in the instruction booklet, so I still don't have a clue.

I'll look up the kit part number tonight.

[tony6187]

is it the original tc5 kit.that had the thicker 2.5mm chassis but the softer suspension components

[cjm_2008]

is it the original tc5 kit.that had the thicker 2.5mm chassis but the softer suspension components

the bottom chassis plate does feel pretty substantial. I'll check the thickness tonight when I nail varnish the bad boy.

[Body Paint]

CRAIG... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! don't look into the eyes of the touring car...... oh crap, I fear I may be to late :lol:

[cjm_2008]

CRAIG... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! don't look into the eyes of the touring car...... oh crap, I fear I may be to late :lol:

don't worry mr harris, buggies still have my loyalty :thumbsup:

this time round, my eyes have really been opened regarding how much driving and setup skill off road needs. and last friday at caldicot I had a crash course in how to tackle large jumps....

I just really fancy having a crack at the 19t / 10.5 class in the carpet thrashnals this year, as well as the welsh indoor.

are you running at talywain on sunday?

[Craig]

Defo sounds like the standard one, get yourself some O-rings and a few washers for the top deck. When building you might want some softer springs, blue and silver are about what everyone runs indoor or out.

[DCM]

I shall be at Talywain with my flock of Durga's

[cjm_2008]

Defo sounds like the standard one, get yourself some O-rings and a few washers for the top deck. When building you might want some softer springs, blue and silver are about what everyone runs indoor or out.

cool. I'll probably just buy the spring set.

where would the o rings go?

[qatmix]

The Rf-9 is the new carpet king (if you can find one in the Uk)

[Craig]

O-rings for the rear four holes of the top deck, adds a little flex unless you got macined bulkheads like ive seen on other proples cars.

spring set is ok, but you wont use most of them!

[cjm_2008]

well, I got as far as laquering the carbon fibre bits.

I made the mistake of jumping to the end of the manual to look at the setup section.

one word - daunting :o

this might take a while :lol:

[Craig]

you got any further with the build?

The setup of the car is actually quite easy, once you have one setup its usally just a matter of playing around with some basic things.

Need a setup for cobra? I could give one to you but it would give a bad name to the club.

Your choice PM me if you need one.

[i4n]

you got any further with the build?

Need a setup for cobra? I could give one to you but it would give a bad name to the club.
.

:confused:

[Craig]

Its ok ian, you wont understand that was for the cobra bots to pick up on. :thumbsup:

[i4n]

Its ok ian, you wont understand that was for the cobra bots to pick up on. :thumbsup:

But I am a COBRA bot.........

Only started in Jan this year after about 12 years out of the sport though so it may be something from history.

Anyway, enough of hijacking the thread - back to Craig and his TC5!

[Craig]

Yes come on craig you built the thing yet?

Ive managed to strip and rebuild my two, so you should of at least built one by now.

[i4n]

Yeah Craig, you got it built yet...............

[cjm_2008]

umm... no :p

i'm doing it in dribs and drabs. the lipo weight from the good old US of A arrived this morning, the trakpower 4900 brick arrived last week, along with a set of pre-mounted rubber tyres (the same ones used in last years thrashnal).

I was supposed to build the shocks last night, but I'm not sure if i should order the losi 57 pistons and tamiya diaphragms first. and I was knackered after work.

it's a question of finding time and motivation!

[Craig]

The pistons wont make much differnce indoors, AE number 2 will be a good starting point. Dont worry about the diaphragms either, just dont use any rebound foams and try and get as little rebound in the car as you can.