Associated quality?
01-18-2011, 11:21 AM
#61
As I said in another post:
Imagine if a part on your full sized car lasted a proportional amount of time/miles. You would be installing a new diff once a month or sooner.
01-18-2011, 11:24 AM
#62
Friend of mine drives a Cougar SV Pro and other than appearing to be one of the most complicated cars to build/design/work on (said, "appears" I have no experience with it) the thing is just friggin dialed. Shocks look amazing, feel like there is fluffy goose down inside, and if I had the time/patience/money for a top notch car, that would be it. But I hate 2wd buggies...
For AE stuff, I was not disappointed because i wasn't expecting much when I bought a FT T4.1
Thankfully I wasn't missing any parts in the kit but after just a couple races "sloppy" was an understatement. Had to adjust the camber/toe EVERY time it hit the track, bleeder screws and caps are absolute garbage, and I bent a handful of CVDs. I'm not the best driver but it was pretty silly.
Biggest appeal for me was the $ parts cost. I bought a few complete rollers for $50. Not 4.1 FT ones but still......I think they AE is moving more toward the RTR market where Traxxas is and away from high end stuff. There are some uber fast AE drivers here and it's definitely possible to win with any AE car available but for those with no worry about money, they are probably not the best.
For AE stuff, I was not disappointed because i wasn't expecting much when I bought a FT T4.1
Thankfully I wasn't missing any parts in the kit but after just a couple races "sloppy" was an understatement. Had to adjust the camber/toe EVERY time it hit the track, bleeder screws and caps are absolute garbage, and I bent a handful of CVDs. I'm not the best driver but it was pretty silly.
Biggest appeal for me was the $ parts cost. I bought a few complete rollers for $50. Not 4.1 FT ones but still......I think they AE is moving more toward the RTR market where Traxxas is and away from high end stuff. There are some uber fast AE drivers here and it's definitely possible to win with any AE car available but for those with no worry about money, they are probably not the best.
01-18-2011, 11:30 AM
#63
dup
01-18-2011, 11:30 AM
#64
If you are still having problems with wear , maybe your
doing something wrong ?
I personally race 3 to 5 times in the week at club events and my Sc 10 diff is still smooth as butter after a month...
01-18-2011, 11:36 AM
#65
Admittedly, your truck looks pretty damn good Geo.....
Just gotta work on the buggy.
Just gotta work on the buggy.
Just the opposite actually , the Sc-10 new out drives make for a diff that lasts a long time ...
If you are still having problems with wear , maybe your
doing something wrong ?
I personally race 3 to 5 times in the week at club events and my Sc 10 diff is still smooth as butter after a month...
If you are still having problems with wear , maybe your
doing something wrong ?
I personally race 3 to 5 times in the week at club events and my Sc 10 diff is still smooth as butter after a month...
01-18-2011, 11:44 AM
#67
hmm, havent run my 4.1 yet. still usin my b4 with many of the updated bits on it. arms do seem a bit sloppier and of course that whole bit with the chassis chin breakin. hopefully that got sorted.
R
R
01-18-2011, 11:45 AM
#68
01-18-2011, 02:22 PM
#69
I'll conceed the AE plastic is not what it used to be. There may or may not be a legit reason for it (I think its because they wanted slightly more flex). But one thing that AE still makes as well as if not better than most is ball diffs and transmissions.
You dont need B-Fast rings: I was able to true up the AE rings in my B4.1 by sanding them with 600-800-1000 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. I put the ring on the flat diff cup and sanded away in a figure eight pattern for about a minute.
It still feels like new after 2 race weekends and I expect it to last at least 2-4 more before servicing.
You dont need B-Fast rings: I was able to true up the AE rings in my B4.1 by sanding them with 600-800-1000 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. I put the ring on the flat diff cup and sanded away in a figure eight pattern for about a minute.
It still feels like new after 2 race weekends and I expect it to last at least 2-4 more before servicing.
01-18-2011, 02:49 PM
#70
I'll conceed the AE plastic is not what it used to be. There may or may not be a legit reason for it (I think its because they wanted slightly more flex). But one thing that AE still makes as well as if not better than most is ball diffs and transmissions.
You dont need B-Fast rings: I was able to true up the AE rings in my B4.1 by sanding them with 600-800-1000 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. I put the ring on the flat diff cup and sanded away in a figure eight pattern for about a minute.
It still feels like new after 2 race weekends and I expect it to last at least 2-4 more before servicing.
You dont need B-Fast rings: I was able to true up the AE rings in my B4.1 by sanding them with 600-800-1000 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. I put the ring on the flat diff cup and sanded away in a figure eight pattern for about a minute.
It still feels like new after 2 race weekends and I expect it to last at least 2-4 more before servicing.
01-18-2011, 03:00 PM
#71
I think we'd be replacing a lot more than a diff once a month lol not a good comparison.
I've had the gear diff from my rtr in for about a month or so in the beginning, changing out fluids and what not... it didn't even come CLOSE to how well my cars feels with a ball diff. Not from personal experience but from others at the track, once you get good at building and setting the ball diff it lasts a very long time. That's with racing at least twice a week. Now that I've felt the difference with sanding the rings I'll be doing it from now on. Feels buttery smooth.
I tried to look up the rings 5mm x 14 on mcmaster but they only list even number (ie: 6mm x 14) that was done on purpose right? Anyone know where we can get that size and/or better quality metal for the rings and thrust bearings which might improve the life without sacrificing buttery smoothness?
01-18-2011, 03:03 PM
#72
Tech Apprentice
B-Fast diff rings ARE associated rings....
01-18-2011, 04:42 PM
#74
I love both my b4.1 and t4.1
I learned RC cars just a couple months ago on my t4.1 it has been to hell and back the way i drove it, but for the impacts it took im surprised how much i actually broke
Then i recently picked up a b4.1, when i first got it racers at my track where literally turning their heads as they watched me drive... hitting the pipes at full speed and sending the car across the track, again not much broken but a couple a-arms and wings
Given some AE stuff is garbage. Ballcups replace with rpm/losi, turnbuckles replace with lunsford... then its all about you and some practice time, your vehicle can only do so much, if you dont believe in it then it will always be something to complain about
I learned RC cars just a couple months ago on my t4.1 it has been to hell and back the way i drove it, but for the impacts it took im surprised how much i actually broke
Then i recently picked up a b4.1, when i first got it racers at my track where literally turning their heads as they watched me drive... hitting the pipes at full speed and sending the car across the track, again not much broken but a couple a-arms and wings
Given some AE stuff is garbage. Ballcups replace with rpm/losi, turnbuckles replace with lunsford... then its all about you and some practice time, your vehicle can only do so much, if you dont believe in it then it will always be something to complain about
01-18-2011, 04:59 PM
#75
Just my $.02, but I built my T4 back when AE WASN'T owned by Thunder Tiger. That kit went together SO easily, all the parts fit together perfect, and the only reason why i needed to replace parts was because i hit something hard. I have since built a B4 and an RC8B, both buggies AFTER Thunder Tiger produced them, and changed the plastics. As far as durability goes, I've got about 50 races on my RC8B and haven't broken a thing, and there doesn't seem to be much play in the parts. As far as the B4 (which i don't own anymore), that thing just seemed FAR under the quality that my T4 was when i built it. Parts didn't fit right, parts were missing, and there was A LOT more slop right out of the box then there was on my T4 after a few months of racing. Granted, slop isn't much of a factor in off road as it is in on road, but there is a point where you stand there moving parts around and thinking to yourself "really??" I also had a TC5, which was purchased after Thunder Tiger aquired them, and that kit too had a lot more slop in it then it should have. It was also missing some parts. Assembling that kit was very much like assembling the B4. When AE was American made, quality wasn't an issue. Thunder Tiger seems to have the feeling that quantity over quality is a better idea. Again, just my $.02.