Latrodectus27

iTrader: (1)

How big of a difference is there in performance, durability, etc? I bought a TA NTC3, and was thinking about getting some aluminum parts.

Are there any parts that should take priority over others?

DJ_Shakespear

if the part you want in aluminum see's a lot of flex, I wouldn't recommend getting it as a metal. I would only make parts that are fixed and need to be strong/rigid and use aluminum there.

Latrodectus27

iTrader: (1)

From the standpoint of a complete noob, which parts need to be especially rigid? I'd rather buy aluminum for the parts that are apt to break ahead of time, to (in theory/hopefully) elimate the need for regular replacements.

DJ_Shakespear

What car is it going onto?

If its a pro touring car (Kyosho RRR, XRay NT1 etc) the the only things you might want to have as aluminum would be pulleys and stuff like bulkheads or shaft holders.
If its an RTR car or something just for bashing around with, you can really get anything you want (assuming its been made) but it will only weight it down - a lot. You could get things like arms, wheel hubs and stuff like that made of aluminum, but if it experiences a fair amount of vibration or is prone to bending/flexing, it wont rebound like plastic will, but instead be more or less a permanent bend.

lil-bump

iTrader: (89)

I would keep everything plastic. For the NTC3 it's not worth the money to upgrade to alluminum it will add a ton of weight and cause it to break more often. Just figure out how you can put "The Fix" on your front bulkheads.


Pass you soon...

JetMD

iTrader: (1)

Don't know if they're still out there but someone used to sell aluminum diff. cases for the NTC3. That would be a must buy since I don't think you can find "the fix" any more.

Latrodectus27

iTrader: (1)

What exactly is "the fix"? Do the bulk heads break a lot or something?

JetMD

iTrader: (1)

If you search the NTC3 threads on here you can find alot of info about the fix. Basically, it was a reinforcement for the diff cases because yes, they break very easily.

nitrodude

iTrader: (8)

The problem was that the holes in the lower half of the case would strip really easily. I never used the fix, I just used 3mm screws instead of the 4-40 ones. The 3mm screws are just a bit bigger so they grab better to the plastic.

The aluminum cases used to be made by RD Logics, they were cast not machined, and because they were cast, they couldnt be anodized(and they were weak) so they were powder coated. A friend had these in his car and they were a piece of crap, stick to the plastic ones with the 3mm screws.