ic-racer

Got my kit yesterday and got it built up in a day.

Some notes: looks like the recommended #54000 shocks don't come with ball connectors with long enough threads for the rear lower arms. There is a Tamyia part number for this but. I had enough parts to make up some threaded balls with long grub screws. It mentions this in the manual, but in fine print.

I suspect you can do-away with the shock mount spacers indicated in the instructions, and just use the shorter 5mm balls that come in the #54000 damper kit. The spacers keep the rear shocks bolt-upright to make the rear stiffer than the front (which has lay-down shocks). You will lose some rear stiffness and it may sag in the rear, but the experienced user will have a selection of springs or preload adjusters as needed.

I also forgot to order foams for the tires, but I had some spares.

Look closely at the back pages of the manual to see how the two flanged bearings are fitted to the drive shaft.

The box indicates no ESC, but it does come with one. It is a fancy new product that runs both brushed and brushless. Just don't hook up the orange wire if using a brushed motor. Kit does come with the usual style brushed motor. I'm interested in crawling and realistic off road terrains, so I'm using the lowest gearing and brushed motor.


So this is the total list of things one might want to consider when building:

Ball bearings (24, two of those being flanged).
Foams for the tires
Long ball damper connectors for lower rear arms #19804543 5x9
New Mini aluminum damper kit #54000

ic-racer

In terms of driving, it is quite different from the XV-01 I recently built. Mostly due to the wheelbase and the fact the engines are at totally opposite ends of the cars.

I race carpet with other cars. So when building the MF01X I was thinking dirt will have less traction so I'll make the diffs real lose. So, it handles great, but the lose diffs allow it to get stuck with one wheel in the air on occasion. Next time I take it apart, maybe I'll grease up the diffs more, to eliminate wheel spin.

filippimini

How does this thing handle bashing around on grass? Is it too low?

Qatmix

It's fine in my garden. It's 5mm or so higher than the XV01 rally I have. I'm making a video atm

Qatmix

I've done a review here. I'm loving this car it runs really well as a rally cross chassis

http://www.thercracer.com/2015/08/ta...imny-jb23.html

SagadSetup

iTrader: (38)

Good review sir.

That kit catches my fancy. In the future, I will acquire one.

filippimini

Great review and video Qatmix. I loved seeing it roll in slow motion. I'm definitely adding it to my christmas list.

A couple of questions, it looks like you can run a square battery. Is that correct?
What is the difference between the M05 knuckle and the M05RA knuckle?

Any chance you have some video of it on the grass and dirt. I really want to see it take on some grass as that is mostly what i'd use it for.

Cheers
Ryan

Qatmix

Thanks for the comments guys yes it takes a square pack (that's what is in it) the bullet connectors fit either side of the retainer. I will take a pic and add it to the article. Although I am away at the moment.

I will also do an offroad video soon, the weather has been so bad in the UK it was too wet to go to my favourite rally spot, hopefully I can get a video done next weekend

Oh and the RA parts just have a raised knuckle arms to help with the raised geometry.

Manny

Thanks for the very detailed review, Oatmix. It's almost like the TL01 is back! I'm tempted to get one just to put an HPI Porsche 911RSR body on it!

miles514

iTrader: (2)

Im loving this chassis. the posiblities are endless.

Mini35

Lots of possibilities with this chassis although it's a hefty thing so it's never going to compete against a shrunken TC car like the TOP Sabre Mini 4WD or the Nanda NRX12 etc.

Tamiya have released (in limited quantities so far) an alloy motor plate, which will be a must to dissipate heat, an alloy servo mount (the stock one is a bit flexible) and a carbon rear damper mount.

The steering servo arm in the kit is a different design to the old M03 one but the kit box photos show that the old 54120 M-Chassis HT arm is a hop up option to be used in conjunction with the 51000 hi torque servo saver set. This was a must on the M03 and I run the same setup on my TL01 too so that's going on this chassis too.

The kit steering rods are per the M03 a plain pair of 3x32mm threaded shafts which are an easy swap out for turnbuckles. I've got a spare pair from a TT02 Type S kit but they're easy enough to find anywhere from most places.

I've built mine in low ride height MWB (225mm) format and have it on Pit Shimizu mini tyres and an HPI BMW 2002 turbo body. This gives it ample rear clearance for the motor although it doesn't seem to be slung out quite as far as on an M06.

My M06 donated it's rear upper turnbuckles which are 3x18mm for quick camber adjustments. The rear end has to use the kit supplied M05ra 2 degree hubs as the MF01X has a bolt on extension piece that needs the second hole in the hub as a locating point. However, I'm not a fan of the red mouldings in the kit so I'll be swapping them out for some black M05ra parts. The front end already has been built with stock M05 C-hubs and knuckles as I don't need the redundant holes to raise the ride height up.

The front end diff assembly is per the M05 so by omitting the press in bearing carriers you can fit bigger bearings (1280 I think but I'm not sure) and use an oil diff such as the 3Racing M06 one. The gear train is stock TL01 (same part number even) so the speed tuned gears for that should fit which may offset the gearing loss dropping from regular wheels (per a TL01) down to M-chassis wheels. The rear gearbox will only accept the diffs that could be used in an M03 as the bearing supports are 1150 direct fit only, so common sense dictates the TA03 diff as being the best option or maybe the stock diff with a blob of 500k diff oil in it.

The kit comes with a 16t pinion but it happily accepts a 24t one with clearance for more (I think a 26 is probably as big as it'll go). And as the motor mounts are slotted not drilled you are not limited to the usual 3 fixed pinion choices, Tamiya are - slowly - learning. If you plan to run oil shocks with ball stud fittings the rear ideally needs 4 of the 5mm x 9mm ball connectors (you do get 2 in a 54000 damper set, they're the shiny silver ones) part number 19805611. The lower damper mount is midway along the arm so the dampers sit vertically at the moment, I may try the M06 Pro ball ended hinge pin to allow the bottom mount to sit further out.

I have a lot of upgrades planned many of which I'm culling from a spare M06 and a dead M05 that I just cannot get on with:

Carbon reinforced v2 arms with droop screws.
M05 setting arms for the front end to give -1 degree camber.
Oil diff for the front.
TA03 diff for the rear.
M06 Pro ball end hinge pin rear mod.
TL01 speed tuned gear set.
Hop up alloy motor plate
Hop up carbon rear damper mount
Hop up aluminium servo mount.
3x32mm steel turnbuckle steering links.
3x18mm TRF blue turnbuckle rear top links.
M05 front C-hubs and steering arms.
M05ra rear hubs.

As I say, this has lots of possibilities. Just for a giggle I've put a boosted 13.5 in it at the moment with a 24t pinion. I'll simply say that even on 55 profile Shimizu tyres it's straight line speed is "more than adequate".

sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

No pictures?

ic-racer

Here are some pictures of my Jimny with lights.

ic-racer

sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

Nice work! For a second the car looked real. GJ