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Old 12-21-2008, 04:59 PM
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Default 1/12 scale- T-bar car vs. link car

What do you guys feel like the pros and cons of each are? Speaking about carpet and ashpalt as well. Let's hear it!
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Old 12-21-2008, 05:14 PM
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General rule is that link cars are better on rough tracks as the impacts dont flow through the chassis like they do with a Tbar car. Also Tbars break, and when they do your race is over. Link cars are very sturdy in most cases.

Tbar cars though are known to carry more speed through corners and be more predictible than link cars.

Both cars need to be tweeked, Tbar cars more than link cars go out of tweak faster.

You can get the best of both worlds with a BMI DB12RR - all the perks of both. I am a long time T-bar fanboi, and just went to the BMI and it drives better than any Tbar car I have owned. amd the BMI doesnt tweak by design.
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Old 12-23-2008, 10:01 PM
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Anyone else have opinions?
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Old 12-23-2008, 10:17 PM
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If you are considering Lipo for future use, I would go with the linked car.
If you race on asphalt, i heard maybe the t-plate would be better.

SMC makes a 3.7V lipo to replace then NiMH battery with no mods to the chassis, just a RX adjustment by using a booster modual or battery pack. So that may be a consideration for 2010 if the rules go to lipo.
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Old 12-23-2008, 11:19 PM
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Originally Posted by #88driver
Anyone else have opinions?
The BMI DB12RR is a hybrid combining the strengths of both the link and T-bar. The rear suspension is so elegantly simple. And if it ain't broke it won't tweak. The design makes it almost impossible to tweak. The car is easy to drive, stable, and consistant especially in the effort to maintain a driving line at different speeds.

www.BMIracing.com
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Old 12-24-2008, 12:16 AM
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Another vote for the BMI here - all the advantage of T-bar with none of the disadvantages of link cars. LiPo-ready (if you want that) and recently updated (DB12RR) so it's even better. HTH
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Old 12-24-2008, 03:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Clegg
General rule is that link cars are better on rough tracks as the impacts dont flow through the chassis like they do with a Tbar car. Also Tbars break, and when they do your race is over. Link cars are very sturdy in most cases.

Tbar cars though are known to carry more speed through corners and be more predictible than link cars.

Both cars need to be tweeked, Tbar cars more than link cars go out of tweak faster.

You can get the best of both worlds with a BMI DB12RR - all the perks of both. I am a long time T-bar fanboi, and just went to the BMI and it drives better than any Tbar car I have owned. amd the BMI doesnt tweak by design.
Given that T-Bar cars are more popular on asphalt and link cars more popular on carpet I think you have this backwards since asphalt courses tend to be bumpier.

+ another vote for BMI...best of both worlds
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Old 12-24-2008, 04:38 AM
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it really comes down to personal preference. I've got several of each type and can achieve nearly identical results with either. If you look at big race results, it's hard to establish a trend.......which further demonstrates that either type of car is plenty capable on most any surface. Plenty of major races are won by cars of both designs. In the last few years, more and more club racers do seem to be running link cars since they avoid the tbar breakage issues and they can take a bigger hit and still continue. But the tbar cars are a fair amount simpler and therefore easier to setup without getting one's self 'out of bounds'. My advice to you would be to select any current car that interests you and mostly one that's well supported in your area (by your local hobby shop and by experienced drivers who can answer your questions and assist you with setup).
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Old 12-24-2008, 06:28 AM
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Like VAFACTOR has explained it's all preference. Both chassis types are proven on both surfaces. T-bar cars have a long proven track record. However, link cars have had lots of success in the last 5 years and recently at the Worlds and at Cleveland. Most of all it depends on which chassis works for your driving style. I've run both in the past and the link cars feel loose (to me) when cornering compared to a t-bar car. So I prefer a t-bar chassis over a link car chassis.
However, with the recent introduction of the 3.7v LiPO a link car may be the way to go.

Last edited by Apex; 12-24-2008 at 07:56 AM.
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Old 12-24-2008, 09:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Impulse_racer
The BMI DB12RR is a hybrid combining the strengths of both the link and T-bar. The rear suspension is so elegantly simple. And if it ain't broke it won't tweak. The design makes it almost impossible to tweak. The car is easy to drive, stable, and consistant especially in the effort to maintain a driving line at different speeds.

www.BMIracing.com
yeah i have the 12R but i really wanted to try the Xll but one the other hand i really hate NiMH so i was going to go lipo so i dont know what to do. Just waiting on some company to create a hard-case saddle pack lipo the same size as a 4-cell battery
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Old 12-24-2008, 10:49 AM
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If lipo happens I am sure there will be saddle lipos for t-bar cars.

The next generation of sedans will probably be saddle lipo. You are already seeing the saddle lipo packs coming out. Its too hard to balance a sedan chassis without added weight and without compromising the suspension or weight distribution with current stick lipos.
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Old 12-24-2008, 11:02 AM
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You could always make a 3.7V lipo saddle pack. just source 2x 1 cell 2000mAh 25C small cells and wire them in parallel. Then you have a 3.7v 4000mAh saddle pack. 2000mAh cells arent that big.
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Old 12-24-2008, 01:10 PM
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I am pretty sure the SMC 4000mah 3.7v Lipo is made from two 2000mah cells in parallel to get 4000mah so a saddle would perform the same.
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Old 12-24-2008, 01:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Apex
Like VAFACTOR has explained it's all preference. Both chassis types are proven on both surfaces. T-bar cars have a long proven track record. However, link cars have had lots of success in the last 5 years and recently at the Worlds and at Cleveland. Most of all it depends on which chassis works for your driving style. I've run both in the past and the link cars feel loose (to me) when cornering compared to a t-bar car. So I prefer a t-bar chassis over a link car chassis.
However, with the recent introduction of the 3.7v LiPO a link car may be the way to go.
+1. T plate cars just feel more planted in the rear to me than link cars.but really it IS a matter of how you like your cars to respond.
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Old 12-24-2008, 01:38 PM
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Originally Posted by AdrianM
I am pretty sure the SMC 4000mah 3.7v Lipo is made from two 2000mah cells in parallel to get 4000mah so a saddle would perform the same.
Does anyone make these now?
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