TheMadHatta

So i dont really wanna spent anything, but ive kinda decided that i cant really work with my old ta05 v2 r that im loving since i cleaned it up, tuned it, and converted it to CS with my spare parts.
While im in love with CS and donno how i feel about investing in rwd(dont rly even have the money to do so)
I came to the realization that if i wanted to crank up my CS ratio id pretty much need to buy a ta05 center one way which is around $40 or so. I dont see any info online about mods allowing for the cheaper and more accessible center one ways for the ta05 ifs to be usable so i started thinking....

I might be better off investing in a 4wd sakura d3 or d4 and converting to cs as it seems like its build around that whole concept so it shouldnt be hard even using my spare parts or some cheap pulleys etc online to get what i want with a more modern and futureproofed chassis than my ta05v2r.

As im having to break from reading up on all this i was hoping you guys could help me out with figuring out my dilemma on what would be best for the least possible investment money wise as i can work through the sakura d4 but it would dry my funds up completely which isnt rly worth it.

But say theres a kit like the d3 out there for only $97 and then a $15-$30 CS kit that gives me different ratios to choose from that would be ideal. I also am not familiar with the sakura d3 or d4.

EDIT(THESE ARE DETAILS U CAN SKIP):
Ive been away from the rc scene for some time, last time i was active my 5100mah 7.2v 6cell nimh speedpack was the way everyone was going and now it sounds like ppl have gone back to lipo which sounds crazy to me. Im reading about rwd and gyros on rc cars and its just crazy compared to how tech was back when i got my ta05v2r and it was pretty much the go to and pretty high end option for a cs newbie or even vet who just wanted a bashing kit.

Anyways any recs, insight would be much appreciated. Im very good with modding so i can always make something work, came up with my own steering mod unlike anything ive seen for ta05 involving 2 steering kits, removing ackerman and bringing my steering to at least 50 degrees if not much greater :P even found a way to vertically mount my steering servo if that makes sense.

wareagle84

My initial advice is stick with what you got. If ~$100 is that big of a deal, wait and save up more money. Even the $97 D3 kit you speak of (which if it's the one on eBay, isn't Sakura brand, it's a knock off) requires some extra little parts and work/tuning to really perform well. It's worth the money from what I've heard if you do the necessary work.
New D3 or D4 is probably the cheapest, effective option, all things considered. That or a base spec MST.

As far as batteries go...LiPo are really what you want for drifting. I initially started with traditional NIMH as that's what I was accustomed to, but after going with LiPo, the performance (consistent power and quick initial punch to start drift) and weight savings really made a huge positive effect for me.

TheMadHatta

wait so the 97 dollar one(i figured it wasnt the best to go for) is a knock off? Which one would be the one ud recommend and from whom? 3racing i wasnt sure how reputable was the only other one i really saw lsited for like another 20-30 more.

As for the budget its just what i have to work with now im gonna be building up money the way things are atm the money is either there or not its not like i can really make much of a buffer for savings, its hard to explain.

The reason i came upon this concern or question/inner debate was because i wasnt sure what would be more cost effective of the two options, i know my ta05 is already fairly reached its ceiling and its very hard to find parts for and when its not hard theyre pricey, and since it wasnt originally designed with countersteer even being a thing at the time really the gearing is a pain to figure out what works and doesnt to get where i need to.

As for the d3 it seemed like the ta05 back when i got it, as oppose to the d4 being like the next level up that i dont think i need. I could later spend what i would instead spend on parts for the ta05 on the d3 with a much higher ceiling and initial level of stuff to work with.

Edit: Got a bit off topic with the next bit so i decided to ask before continuing on....
Do the lipos pick up better and last longer? The whole idea of them blowing up or more so lighting on fire when improperly taken care of scared the heck outta me. Is it simply that the batteries are last longer with less of a droop to their power when they get low and are lighter or why exactly has it changed? Like i said last i remember it was nimh or go home, i remember reading a thread where people were treating lipos like an age old relic that have long been left behind in terms of modern technology and nimh being able to out perform them :P

I do however have a df03 ra from tamiya that i never finished building but easily can and i don know anything about non belt driven rc cars so much so that i thought you could only get cs going on belt driven chassis but apparently im reading otherwise today. Since i dont know much about the df03ra as i havent read up on it since i stopped work on it many years ago i was planning to make it a fun rally chassis for some kind of rally and or rally cross fun but if it can out drift my ta05 with a bit of work maybe that would be a better option.

gigaplex

iTrader: (2)

You could try popping the front belt off and trying RWD for the TA05. Much cheaper than buying another car to see if RWD is right for you.

TheMadHatta

Oh god no lol did i give the impression i wanted to straight shoot for rwd 100% without a gyro? Id have to buy a gyro before trying rwd, i was only looking at the AWD versions of the d3 or d4 kits.

Btw what are the knock off d3/d4s? Im guessing powerday might be one orprobably integy as i know 3racing is pretty big and fairly respectable and hobbypower is big and respected like 3racing...

wareagle84

As far as the D3 and D4 go...the D4 is just a newer, updated chassis than the D3. It's not necessarily a "step up", it's their newest drift chassis. The knockoff D3's I referred to are just that. Some Chinese manufacturer reverse engineered/copied the real deal and make their own. The quality and fit is hit or miss and there is no warranty or guarantee actual Sakura or 3Racing parts will fit perfectly, but generally do. Like I said, many people have been happy with them, for the price you pay. They just require a little more messing with to run smoothly.

LiPo has been the superior battery and the battery of choice for years now. I prefer them over standard NIMH because they don't have the noticeable power drop as they get used and the throttle response is better, which helped with drifting. The fact that they weigh less than half of NIMH also helped me. Was able to handle the car much better without all that weight shifting around. I too was skeptical at first after reading all the horror stories, but if you take care of them you'll be fine. They don't just randomly explode, and in the rare case that yours does, thats why you keep them in LiPo safe cases and then inside a container made of non-flammable material like aluminum or steel. It's all about taking proper care of them and never letting the cells get damaged.
I use the "store" mode on my LiPo charger whenever I know I won't be using them, keeps the cells at a safe level. I also keep them in their LiPo charging bags and then keep those inside an airtight steel box that I have. If they do catch fire somehow, the only loss is the batteries and the bags. Most people store them in military old ammo cans.

TheMadHatta

Wow sounds intense but very wroth the payoff of the lipos so long as u know what ur doin which a lot ppl think they do which is why i assume people had problem with them way before i got into the rc scene. Keep in mind its been like 8+ years now i believe that ive been gone :P its funny to come back and see it flipped. Thanks for the heads up ill really have to keep an eye on that as an investment.

My only question now really is regarding how to tell what the knock offs are, im still confused because i was asking if it was a specific name brand that were out of county loop legal kits or what have you being sold, or if they are actually replicating the real kits so well they can pass them off as the real deal like what happened with a lot of the beats by dre headphones for a while. Heck i had a pair myself im actually wearing their replacement the exact same model right now, they wouldnt honor their warranty because amazon at the time wasnt a licensed or valid vendor and for all they knew i was trying to get them to fix fake beats lol.

Before i posted up here i do remember reading a lot of ppl popping up and saying they had problems with alignment, belt tension, small isolated sounding issues here and there that were not hard to remedy but could be problematic for ur less tech savy or average rc enthusiast. So i guess thats what that was all about. But yeah again i just wanted to be clear if it was a name i can avoid if i were to save up for a d3 or if it was just gonna be kind of a luck of the draw based on where i get it sorta deal?

Also thanks for all the explaining and taking the time to help out.

wareagle84

I think the seller of the knockoffs is actually trying to be very vague yet careful not to say it's an actual Sakura D3, but yet they call it a D3 in the description. It's been over a year or longer since I looked at an actual listing. It is a pretty well done clone for what you pay. If you want the real deal, only buy from a known licensed seller/shop. And yes, those are the issues I was talking about, small stuff, but if you're on a tight budget and don't have a lot of rc experience can add up and get frustrating.
Legit D3's are very cheap nowadays and I've seen some used go for $100 with some aluminum and CF upgrades.