4eyes Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) I've just found a outdoor track close to my work and fancy getting a tt02 to take up there for practice. It's at Kemble airport and is called cotswold model car club. Going to take a look later this week. I can't see myself ever getting into racing touring cars, just want some fun on the track and also the odd car park. So I've a couple of questions. In another thread I saw a combo recommended from rc mart. A speed passion esc and 17.5 yeah racing motor. Would it be worth me getting this combo over the tamiya gear given that really I'd only be bashing? I've also got no ideas about on road tires and I'm hoping one of you could recommend some which would work well on the track, maybe a link? Thanks Edited March 13, 2014 by 4eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratman Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Sorex 32 preglued tyres will work fine there. Problem with that track is that its mahoooosive (not really a problem) im not sure how many gearin choices you will have on the tt02 so as you dont cook ur motor or esc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Allen Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm a regular at the Cotswold track. You should try coming to a race meeting, you might like it more than bashing. If you are just going to bash with a TT-02 then I would leave it in kit settings. The kit motor seems quite slow at first but putting in the speed tuned gears makes a big difference. Build with bearings instead of bushings. No point upgrading to a 17.5 blinky as you won't be able to gear it any where near the ratio you need to be quick around the big track - to run 17.5 blinky you would need a pure "race" chassis. But a TT-02 is better suited to car parks and has a selection of awesome bodies. Sorex 32RY is the standard choice for a racing tyre on tarmac, but they don't work so well on cold spring and autumn days so some people have 24s or 20s that they might use on those days at club. I'm not really up to speed on bashing tyres, the Tamiya kit tyres are probably fine to start with but they are generally quite hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugen mark Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 steve get a 13.5t if you can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qatmix Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 You can gear a TT02 pretty well with the spur gear adaptor and the yeah racing motor mount (adjustable). http://www.thercracer.com/2013/07/how-to-gear-tt02-for-175t-blinky-with.html Yeah racing mount, more more tuning http://www.thercracer.com/2013/09/yeah-racing-tt02-adjustable-motor-mount.html If you are not running blinky then you can add boost anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Allen Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 You need at be at 3.0-3.2:1 to be on pace at Cotswold. Unless you can get the TT-02 to that ratio it just isn't worth it, 4.35:1 would feel exceptionally slow, I don't even run that low a ratio on the smallest local track I race on (18x8m). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qatmix Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 With the adjustable mount you can go lower, I will take a look tonight and let you know (At our club we usually run 4 -4.4) But I would imagine the cotswolds is much larger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4eyes Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Thanks for all the info so far. I'll never say never to racing it, but 8th off road racing is what I love and just wanted to run this at a track to keep my thumbs in in between race meets. Thanks for the links to your web site qatmix, some interesting stuff there, I'll have a read up. Still a little confused about whether or not to upgrade the esc and motor now, and to what. I'll do a little research in fdr now. Never looked at these before and don't even know what my 8th buggy runs at! @ David Allen, we share a surname, could even be related lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saabmania2 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) stick to the 1/8th racing Edited February 15, 2014 by Saabmania2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4eyes Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 So I had a look at the track today and it really is big. Looked much more fun than I ever thought on road racing might be. With this In mind I'm think that I may try going to some of the meetings as well as just practicing. I still fancy going with the tt02 even if just to start with but the gearing issues David mentioned are a concern. Should I consider a different chassis? I wouldn't want to turn up to a race with all the gear and no idea so don't want to go all out. Should I take Marks advise and go for a 13.5t motor instead of the 17.5t? Really getting out of my depth with this and I'd appreciate any further advise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinman Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Your best bet is to go along to a meeting and see what the most common class is, then go with that. Our club 17.5 blinky is what most run, but another local is 13.5 boosted. Car wise, if you start to get serious the tt02 will lack the tuneability you need Something like a yokomo bd7 rs is probably a better starting point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantra Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 When you are getting started you can't beat what you already got. Enjoy what you have and when it is holding back or you just can't resist getting something new then upgrade to a new chassis. Don't put money into the first chassis you have, it will be great to get you going as it is. When the time comes you will have a much better idea of what to get next. Same for motors etc. I think it's best to start with a silver can and learn to hit apexes and control the car. Then up it to something faster when it's holding you back. There is nothing wrong with turning up for your first meeting and being laps and laps slower than everyone else. There is something awesome about turning up for your first meeting and driving clean laps and hitting apexes, not barriers =] I see it a lot with people getting started (and I was the same) they want to buy shiny things and put in a motor to make them go super fast but this often ends up more frustrating than fun as they end up with a chassis they don't really know about and more power than they can control. I remember, when I was starting, taking my shiny new 13.5 gear and pulling it out my car to put the silver can back in and going a lap faster, simply because I could control the power from the silver can but 13.5 was way too big a jump for me. Basically my advice is one step at a time and enjoy it =] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Allen Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 (edited) So I had a look at the track today and it really is big. Looked much more fun than I ever thought on road racing might be. With this In mind I'm think that I may try going to some of the meetings as well as just practicing. I still fancy going with the tt02 even if just to start with but the gearing issues David mentioned are a concern. Should I consider a different chassis? I wouldn't want to turn up to a race with all the gear and no idea so don't want to go all out. Should I take Marks advise and go for a 13.5t motor instead of the 17.5t? Really getting out of my depth with this and I'd appreciate any further advise. The chassis choice and how much to invest is a tricky question to answer, I can't really answer it because I most of my experience is with the more expensive equipment. Having said that I have a TOP Scythe chassis from 2007 as my spare car and it laps at about the same pace as my TRF418, so newer or more expensive cars aren't necessarily faster, but they do tend to be more durable and precise. The club should have a good turnout in 17.5 Blinky and 13.5 Boosted this season. 17.5 tends to be the "club" drivers class, 13.5 is more of a "visiting superstar" kind of class. I run blinky. 13.5 boosted is very, very fast. ESC setup is also complicated. f you haven't already raced touring to a pretty good standard, I would avoid it. 17.5 blinky is pretty straightforward. Not too fast, easy to set up, decent group of people racing it. As I mentioned earlier I think TT-02s are great because they have great bodies and are foolproof to build and drive. The ideal beginners purchase. But I don't think you will ever get one to be competitive speed-wise on the big track. My spare car is set up with a wheel radio for my kids to run and you are very welcome to have a go with it at a club meeting if you haven't purchased by then. First club meeting is towards the end of March I think. Edited February 15, 2014 by David Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qatmix Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 As mentioned above, just pop down and take a look. The TT02 is a great all purpose car for beginners and also just for driving on the street. It's also easy to set up for rally. I also have a 418 and its my race car, although at my local club I have been racing the TT02 to see how close I can come against the other top cars as a little experiment (And also for a write up). Last week I managed 40 laps putting me just 2 laps from the top driver and 4th overall out of 29 racers (Albeit of a range of different abilities). Obviously like all of these things, the final 5% is always the hardest to achieve, but I have a couple of little parts that I have developed on CAD that might help it move forward a little more.. In the meantime I need to get the 418 working well for Rug Racers 17.5 blinky, Any tips Dave? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Allen Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 My car is a basically at kit settings for the CWIC with the exception of harder springs (ARC Yellow/Green) and #2000 in the rear diff. Still trying to get the right balance between rear end stability and mid-corner rotation, I find the car has quite a loose rear end until the grip comes up. But it's competitive with the other cars, it's only driving skill that is holding me back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4eyes Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 Thanks for all the advise you guys have given, it's given me a lot to think about. In my mind I've gone from the odd trash about on a deserted track to standing on the rostrum at large two day event! Ha ha David, that's a very kind offer you made as to having a go with your car but I'm hoping I'll of already purchased my own by then. Plus I think my driving would be terrible with a wheel radio! Once I've made up my mind on what to get, I'll let you all know. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qatmix Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) My car is a basically at kit settings for the CWIC with the exception of harder springs (ARC Yellow/Green) and #2000 in the rear diff. Still trying to get the right balance between rear end stability and mid-corner rotation, I find the car has quite a loose rear end until the grip comes up. But it's competitive with the other cars, it's only driving skill that is holding me back. Thats always the battle, I find the 418 has much more push than my 417v5 on carpet, so its easy to drive with stock settings. I have tweaked it a little and the car is handling well on carpet My set up is in this article http://www.thercracer.com/2014/01/tamiya-trf418-build-and-review.html Edited February 16, 2014 by qatmix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4eyes Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 So after the info I recieved from this thread and a few google searches I decided that the tt02 would never work. I then fell in love with the tb04 pro but could not find one anywhere! So I put a wanted add on oople for a xray T4 and ended up with this It's only been run indoors and as such it's very tidy. I'm very happy with it and I'm just about to start stripping it down ready for a rebuild and to try to set it up for the outdoor track. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Allen Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 You'll find that the XRAY is a lot easier to get set up for outdoor racing, they are very popular and pretty robust too so should should have plenty of help available trackside. First club meeting of the year is this Sunday so hopefully you'll be able to make it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4eyes Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 (edited) Thanks David A few final tweaks tonight and she'll be ready for the track! Not sure about racing on Sunday though. The weather does not look promising and while I'm hoping to get to the track on Saturday for some practice, I'm not sure I'll be ready for a race just yet! I'll make sure it's all set up first and find my feet, then I'm hoping to race the next round in April. Hope to see you there then! Edited March 20, 2014 by 4eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantra Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Great choice! I think everyone should start with xray because they are so nice out of the box, often only needing a little tuning for preference. I had a great time with my T4 and hope you will too =] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4eyes Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 Well I ran my t4 for the first time today! Yay. It was also my first time with an on road car. So how did I get on? Mixed bag really. I had the track to myself which was nice as I had the space to find my feet but could of used some helpful advice. I started nicely but all to soon I got a little over confident and started to try some hot laps! I crashed and ended up on the grass. Nothing to bad it seemed... As I made my way back up the rostrum it started to rain very lightly. This time I was spinning everywhere. If I tried to brake too hard the car would spin. Similarly if I got back on the throttle to soon it'd do a 360! I carried on trying to drive it like this convinced that it was either the drizzle, wrong tyre additive or the secondhand tires I'd got with the car were worn out. After around 20 minutes of constantly leaving the rostrum to retrieve the car from the grass I decided it was time to top up the battery. Once I'd taken the shell off I realised the front belt had come off and I'd been driving it rwd! 30 minutes later I was back out again with a full battery and a 4wd car again. As you can imagine, it was much easier to drive and I managed around 15 minutes without having to retrieve it again. Once again my confidence was growing and I started driving too fast. Another trip on the grass,which I drove away from but then I noticed something fall from the car. It was my rear belt that had snapped and there is a bit of moss stuck in the pulley. I guess the rear snapping could be down to bad luck but the front coming off? Is just something that happens in a crash or could it of been to loose? Is there a way of setting the belt tension or is it a feel that you learn over time? ( I know how to change it, just not sure how tight they should be!) Any help would be great Overall I really enjoyed driving "on road" and the different challenges it brings compared to the buggys I'm used to racing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Allen Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 You set the belt tension with the eccentric adjusters that hold the diff in. The thing about XRAY is that they build the car with the rear belt too tight so they break relatively often, front belts aren't normally an issue so that was probably a bad setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qatmix Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 (edited) BTW, as an aside I now can get an FDR of 3.2 in a TT02! Edited April 4, 2014 by qatmix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4eyes Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 BTW, as an aside I now can get an FDR of 3.2 in a TT02! Ha ha a bit to late for me! Don't think I'll be going back to tamiya now. I'd be interested to know how you managed it tho. Have you covered it in your blog? I tested the snapped rear belt running over the moss stuck in the rear pulley and sure enough it lifted the belt high enough to rub on the shock tower. As for the front belt, I've been told it should only have enough play in it to move a couple of mm when lightly tapped. Mine easily moves the 7/8 mm to hit the top deck so I'll sort this out. Hopefully I'll get the new belt this weekend so I can go back to the track on Monday. I need to start playing with the motor timing! So much to learn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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