3LikesTeam Magic G4RS 2009
06-29-2009, 04:54 PM
#137
06-29-2009, 05:01 PM
#138
if I had the time to run on-road I would but I dont, if things change Ill pick up a Serpent 733 or even this, I still have a soft spot for Tm even though I question their cars, My first real race car was a G4 inspired design so thats why I like the G4.
but right now I have a job working early morning almost every day so I have no time.
my on-road needs to go.
but right now I have a job working early morning almost every day so I have no time.
my on-road needs to go.
06-29-2009, 05:10 PM
#139
if I had the time to run on-road I would but I dont, if things change Ill pick up a Serpent 733 or even this, I still have a soft spot for Tm even though I question their cars, My first real race car was a G4 inspired design so thats why I like the G4.
but right now I have a job working early morning almost every day so I have no time.
my on-road needs to go.
but right now I have a job working early morning almost every day so I have no time.
my on-road needs to go.
K I will let you know as soon as I get rid of one of my RRR's, and I will get your G4RS.
Sorry
06-29-2009, 11:57 PM
#143
Tech Adept
Thread Starter
I finally got my car today!!!
This thing is awesome!!
Now, I have not started putting it together and will not until the weekend, probably. So my opinion here is based on first sight only. I will continue to comment on my experiences with the car as I follow along.
So far, I can say this is a very well finished product. I will definitely disagree with those that have a different opinion, but they are totally entitled to it. Plastic parts seem to be well molded and that speaks of good tooling there.
Sure, I would have liked for the kit to include aluminum wheel hexes, wire-type front sway bar, aluminum hinge pin brackets and such. However, I can see that cost is a reason for leaving out such items. I have no problem throwing in some hop-ups since it looks like not very many will be needed anyway.
The main shaft is made out of aluminum!! It is unbelievably light!! I think it should hold up just fine, since previous G4's had aluminum middle shafts. In justice, I have to say it could have used some hard-anodizing to make it that bit stronger and longer lasting. I cannot say what kind of finish the shaft has. I assume that after some disassembly-reassembly, the shaft could get slightly scored at the tips or where the bearings sit. This can make it difficult to extract bearings for maintenance. However, the part where the spurs and two-speed sit is made out of steel. This of course provides for a strong base. All in all, I assume this two-part assembly should be just fine and only time will tell how it performs and wears.
The middle shaft in this case is made out of steel. That is the opposite to previous models, but I am sure this will become an option after some time. Count me in for weight savings!!
Shocks are pre-assembled, ready to be filled with oil. Ball ends are already inserted into their ball cups at the top of the shock. I gotta say I really appreciate that one! A certain old version of the G4 did not come out like that and you could easily break the ball receptacle during insertion. This is also a point that I very much hate about my RRR (even the latest version).
Shock collars have a pre-drilled 1mm hole that allows easy bleeding. No more over-filled shocks!!
You really have to see the diff satellites for your self!! They are incredibly small!! Hahahaha!! They are awesome!! I am sure this will be a very light drive-train. I am not sure 50,000 wt silicon oil is the right thing for my dusty home track. I will start off with 50k and change it if necessary.
The rear diff is also very small and very narrow!! That is the reason why the rear aluminum CVD shafts are sooo long!! I will take my reserves here until I compare with other cars, but the front spool (of diff to replace with in some time), seems to be very narrow, too. Front CVD shafts would then be longer than any previous G4, but not as long as the rear onesin this car. Again, I will have to double check on this one.
Belts are the typically long lasting units by TM. I am not sure these are the most efficient and will for sure require a long break-in period. They are a little stiff, if compared to the SP belts by Kyosho. Of course you cannot have both long wear and efficiency. I would have preferred efficient but I am also sure many drivers and mechanics will appreciate the high-quality of these units.
I think we all have seen how the wire-type sway bar mounts on a couple of shafts that are inserted from under the lower a-arms. What I did not know is how to capture the ball end of the shafts. There is a pivot ball cap that threads into the a-arm from the bottom. These caps strongly resemble the pivot ball caps for the front knuckles and rear uprights, but these are a lot smaller!! They are cool!! The a-arm is not pre-threaded. Threading in the cap will take some finess. It is easy to get it wrong, so take your time there.
The rear radio tray supports also serve as mounts for the fuel tank. Apparently, the fuel tank will not sit as low as possible if you mount it as instructed. I think there is room to lower the back-end of the tank by grinding down a few millimeters right where the tank sits, not where the radio tray is mounted. You will see this one when you get your car. I will also have to verify if this is true or not. I have to check for the battery and throttle servo not to interfere with a lower mounted tank. This is just a thought, so far.
The transmission ratios are a lot more in-line with contemporary touring cars. I am surprised to see, though, that the jump from first to second gears is 6 teeth, out of the box. Kyoshos and others only jumped five. I am not sure about box-stock X-rays. But again, this can only be an improvement and I am very positive this is going to work very well!
CVD shafts are preassembled into rear uprights and steering knuckles and inserted into their bearings. Pivot balls are also pre-inserted and capped. Less wrenching here, as well!! Servo saver is also preassembled but I like less ackerman in my cars than how it is assembled. This is one of the few things I will change even before running the car. This is personal preference and a prejudice if you will. The track will tell the story here.
The receiver box is a lot larger than I expected, so I think it will carry most commercial race-worthy radio receivers. The box has a fairly open window at the back that should allow cables to come out easily. However, the box is far from sealed and dust, oil and grinded foam will sure find way into it. I do not care if the box seals perfect or not. I will use one or two balloons over my receiver and not take any chances.
It's a shame the receiver battey is not included. Of course no other race kit includes one, but some of us got spoiled with the G4S and its included battery pack.
It's almost 2 am where I am now, so I am stopping here for now...
Gone to bed!
This thing is awesome!!
Now, I have not started putting it together and will not until the weekend, probably. So my opinion here is based on first sight only. I will continue to comment on my experiences with the car as I follow along.
So far, I can say this is a very well finished product. I will definitely disagree with those that have a different opinion, but they are totally entitled to it. Plastic parts seem to be well molded and that speaks of good tooling there.
Sure, I would have liked for the kit to include aluminum wheel hexes, wire-type front sway bar, aluminum hinge pin brackets and such. However, I can see that cost is a reason for leaving out such items. I have no problem throwing in some hop-ups since it looks like not very many will be needed anyway.
The main shaft is made out of aluminum!! It is unbelievably light!! I think it should hold up just fine, since previous G4's had aluminum middle shafts. In justice, I have to say it could have used some hard-anodizing to make it that bit stronger and longer lasting. I cannot say what kind of finish the shaft has. I assume that after some disassembly-reassembly, the shaft could get slightly scored at the tips or where the bearings sit. This can make it difficult to extract bearings for maintenance. However, the part where the spurs and two-speed sit is made out of steel. This of course provides for a strong base. All in all, I assume this two-part assembly should be just fine and only time will tell how it performs and wears.
The middle shaft in this case is made out of steel. That is the opposite to previous models, but I am sure this will become an option after some time. Count me in for weight savings!!
Shocks are pre-assembled, ready to be filled with oil. Ball ends are already inserted into their ball cups at the top of the shock. I gotta say I really appreciate that one! A certain old version of the G4 did not come out like that and you could easily break the ball receptacle during insertion. This is also a point that I very much hate about my RRR (even the latest version).
Shock collars have a pre-drilled 1mm hole that allows easy bleeding. No more over-filled shocks!!
You really have to see the diff satellites for your self!! They are incredibly small!! Hahahaha!! They are awesome!! I am sure this will be a very light drive-train. I am not sure 50,000 wt silicon oil is the right thing for my dusty home track. I will start off with 50k and change it if necessary.
The rear diff is also very small and very narrow!! That is the reason why the rear aluminum CVD shafts are sooo long!! I will take my reserves here until I compare with other cars, but the front spool (of diff to replace with in some time), seems to be very narrow, too. Front CVD shafts would then be longer than any previous G4, but not as long as the rear onesin this car. Again, I will have to double check on this one.
Belts are the typically long lasting units by TM. I am not sure these are the most efficient and will for sure require a long break-in period. They are a little stiff, if compared to the SP belts by Kyosho. Of course you cannot have both long wear and efficiency. I would have preferred efficient but I am also sure many drivers and mechanics will appreciate the high-quality of these units.
I think we all have seen how the wire-type sway bar mounts on a couple of shafts that are inserted from under the lower a-arms. What I did not know is how to capture the ball end of the shafts. There is a pivot ball cap that threads into the a-arm from the bottom. These caps strongly resemble the pivot ball caps for the front knuckles and rear uprights, but these are a lot smaller!! They are cool!! The a-arm is not pre-threaded. Threading in the cap will take some finess. It is easy to get it wrong, so take your time there.
The rear radio tray supports also serve as mounts for the fuel tank. Apparently, the fuel tank will not sit as low as possible if you mount it as instructed. I think there is room to lower the back-end of the tank by grinding down a few millimeters right where the tank sits, not where the radio tray is mounted. You will see this one when you get your car. I will also have to verify if this is true or not. I have to check for the battery and throttle servo not to interfere with a lower mounted tank. This is just a thought, so far.
The transmission ratios are a lot more in-line with contemporary touring cars. I am surprised to see, though, that the jump from first to second gears is 6 teeth, out of the box. Kyoshos and others only jumped five. I am not sure about box-stock X-rays. But again, this can only be an improvement and I am very positive this is going to work very well!
CVD shafts are preassembled into rear uprights and steering knuckles and inserted into their bearings. Pivot balls are also pre-inserted and capped. Less wrenching here, as well!! Servo saver is also preassembled but I like less ackerman in my cars than how it is assembled. This is one of the few things I will change even before running the car. This is personal preference and a prejudice if you will. The track will tell the story here.
The receiver box is a lot larger than I expected, so I think it will carry most commercial race-worthy radio receivers. The box has a fairly open window at the back that should allow cables to come out easily. However, the box is far from sealed and dust, oil and grinded foam will sure find way into it. I do not care if the box seals perfect or not. I will use one or two balloons over my receiver and not take any chances.
It's a shame the receiver battey is not included. Of course no other race kit includes one, but some of us got spoiled with the G4S and its included battery pack.
It's almost 2 am where I am now, so I am stopping here for now...
Gone to bed!
Last edited by gtrmx; 06-30-2009 at 12:10 AM.
06-30-2009, 05:52 AM
#144
I finally got my car today!!!
This thing is awesome!!
Now, I have not started putting it together and will not until the weekend, probably. So my opinion here is based on first sight only. I will continue to comment on my experiences with the car as I follow along.
So far, I can say this is a very well finished product. I will definitely disagree with those that have a different opinion, but they are totally entitled to it. Plastic parts seem to be well molded and that speaks of good tooling there.
Sure, I would have liked for the kit to include aluminum wheel hexes, wire-type front sway bar, aluminum hinge pin brackets and such. However, I can see that cost is a reason for leaving out such items. I have no problem throwing in some hop-ups since it looks like not very many will be needed anyway.
The main shaft is made out of aluminum!! It is unbelievably light!! I think it should hold up just fine, since previous G4's had aluminum middle shafts. In justice, I have to say it could have used some hard-anodizing to make it that bit stronger and longer lasting. I cannot say what kind of finish the shaft has. I assume that after some disassembly-reassembly, the shaft could get slightly scored at the tips or where the bearings sit. This can make it difficult to extract bearings for maintenance. However, the part where the spurs and two-speed sit is made out of steel. This of course provides for a strong base. All in all, I assume this two-part assembly should be just fine and only time will tell how it performs and wears.
The middle shaft in this case is made out of steel. That is the opposite to previous models, but I am sure this will become an option after some time. Count me in for weight savings!!
Shocks are pre-assembled, ready to be filled with oil. Ball ends are already inserted into their ball cups at the top of the shock. I gotta say I really appreciate that one! A certain old version of the G4 did not come out like that and you could easily break the ball receptacle during insertion. This is also a point that I very much hate about my RRR (even the latest version).
Shock collars have a pre-drilled 1mm hole that allows easy bleeding. No more over-filled shocks!!
You really have to see the diff satellites for your self!! They are incredibly small!! Hahahaha!! They are awesome!! I am sure this will be a very light drive-train. I am not sure 50,000 wt silicon oil is the right thing for my dusty home track. I will start off with 50k and change it if necessary.
The rear diff is also very small and very narrow!! That is the reason why the rear aluminum CVD shafts are sooo long!! I will take my reserves here until I compare with other cars, but the front spool (of diff to replace with in some time), seems to be very narrow, too. Front CVD shafts would then be longer than any previous G4, but not as long as the rear onesin this car. Again, I will have to double check on this one.
Belts are the typically long lasting units by TM. I am not sure these are the most efficient and will for sure require a long break-in period. They are a little stiff, if compared to the SP belts by Kyosho. Of course you cannot have both long wear and efficiency. I would have preferred efficient but I am also sure many drivers and mechanics will appreciate the high-quality of these units.
I think we all have seen how the wire-type sway bar mounts on a couple of shafts that are inserted from under the lower a-arms. What I did not know is how to capture the ball end of the shafts. There is a pivot ball cap that threads into the a-arm from the bottom. These caps strongly resemble the pivot ball caps for the front knuckles and rear uprights, but these are a lot smaller!! They are cool!! The a-arm is not pre-threaded. Threading in the cap will take some finess. It is easy to get it wrong, so take your time there.
The rear radio tray supports also serve as mounts for the fuel tank. Apparently, the fuel tank will not sit as low as possible if you mount it as instructed. I think there is room to lower the back-end of the tank by grinding down a few millimeters right where the tank sits, not where the radio tray is mounted. You will see this one when you get your car. I will also have to verify if this is true or not. I have to check for the battery and throttle servo not to interfere with a lower mounted tank. This is just a thought, so far.
The transmission ratios are a lot more in-line with contemporary touring cars. I am surprised to see, though, that the jump from first to second gears is 6 teeth, out of the box. Kyoshos and others only jumped five. I am not sure about box-stock X-rays. But again, this can only be an improvement and I am very positive this is going to work very well!
CVD shafts are preassembled into rear uprights and steering knuckles and inserted into their bearings. Pivot balls are also pre-inserted and capped. Less wrenching here, as well!! Servo saver is also preassembled but I like less ackerman in my cars than how it is assembled. This is one of the few things I will change even before running the car. This is personal preference and a prejudice if you will. The track will tell the story here.
The receiver box is a lot larger than I expected, so I think it will carry most commercial race-worthy radio receivers. The box has a fairly open window at the back that should allow cables to come out easily. However, the box is far from sealed and dust, oil and grinded foam will sure find way into it. I do not care if the box seals perfect or not. I will use one or two balloons over my receiver and not take any chances.
It's a shame the receiver battey is not included. Of course no other race kit includes one, but some of us got spoiled with the G4S and its included battery pack.
It's almost 2 am where I am now, so I am stopping here for now...
Gone to bed!
This thing is awesome!!
Now, I have not started putting it together and will not until the weekend, probably. So my opinion here is based on first sight only. I will continue to comment on my experiences with the car as I follow along.
So far, I can say this is a very well finished product. I will definitely disagree with those that have a different opinion, but they are totally entitled to it. Plastic parts seem to be well molded and that speaks of good tooling there.
Sure, I would have liked for the kit to include aluminum wheel hexes, wire-type front sway bar, aluminum hinge pin brackets and such. However, I can see that cost is a reason for leaving out such items. I have no problem throwing in some hop-ups since it looks like not very many will be needed anyway.
The main shaft is made out of aluminum!! It is unbelievably light!! I think it should hold up just fine, since previous G4's had aluminum middle shafts. In justice, I have to say it could have used some hard-anodizing to make it that bit stronger and longer lasting. I cannot say what kind of finish the shaft has. I assume that after some disassembly-reassembly, the shaft could get slightly scored at the tips or where the bearings sit. This can make it difficult to extract bearings for maintenance. However, the part where the spurs and two-speed sit is made out of steel. This of course provides for a strong base. All in all, I assume this two-part assembly should be just fine and only time will tell how it performs and wears.
The middle shaft in this case is made out of steel. That is the opposite to previous models, but I am sure this will become an option after some time. Count me in for weight savings!!
Shocks are pre-assembled, ready to be filled with oil. Ball ends are already inserted into their ball cups at the top of the shock. I gotta say I really appreciate that one! A certain old version of the G4 did not come out like that and you could easily break the ball receptacle during insertion. This is also a point that I very much hate about my RRR (even the latest version).
Shock collars have a pre-drilled 1mm hole that allows easy bleeding. No more over-filled shocks!!
You really have to see the diff satellites for your self!! They are incredibly small!! Hahahaha!! They are awesome!! I am sure this will be a very light drive-train. I am not sure 50,000 wt silicon oil is the right thing for my dusty home track. I will start off with 50k and change it if necessary.
The rear diff is also very small and very narrow!! That is the reason why the rear aluminum CVD shafts are sooo long!! I will take my reserves here until I compare with other cars, but the front spool (of diff to replace with in some time), seems to be very narrow, too. Front CVD shafts would then be longer than any previous G4, but not as long as the rear onesin this car. Again, I will have to double check on this one.
Belts are the typically long lasting units by TM. I am not sure these are the most efficient and will for sure require a long break-in period. They are a little stiff, if compared to the SP belts by Kyosho. Of course you cannot have both long wear and efficiency. I would have preferred efficient but I am also sure many drivers and mechanics will appreciate the high-quality of these units.
I think we all have seen how the wire-type sway bar mounts on a couple of shafts that are inserted from under the lower a-arms. What I did not know is how to capture the ball end of the shafts. There is a pivot ball cap that threads into the a-arm from the bottom. These caps strongly resemble the pivot ball caps for the front knuckles and rear uprights, but these are a lot smaller!! They are cool!! The a-arm is not pre-threaded. Threading in the cap will take some finess. It is easy to get it wrong, so take your time there.
The rear radio tray supports also serve as mounts for the fuel tank. Apparently, the fuel tank will not sit as low as possible if you mount it as instructed. I think there is room to lower the back-end of the tank by grinding down a few millimeters right where the tank sits, not where the radio tray is mounted. You will see this one when you get your car. I will also have to verify if this is true or not. I have to check for the battery and throttle servo not to interfere with a lower mounted tank. This is just a thought, so far.
The transmission ratios are a lot more in-line with contemporary touring cars. I am surprised to see, though, that the jump from first to second gears is 6 teeth, out of the box. Kyoshos and others only jumped five. I am not sure about box-stock X-rays. But again, this can only be an improvement and I am very positive this is going to work very well!
CVD shafts are preassembled into rear uprights and steering knuckles and inserted into their bearings. Pivot balls are also pre-inserted and capped. Less wrenching here, as well!! Servo saver is also preassembled but I like less ackerman in my cars than how it is assembled. This is one of the few things I will change even before running the car. This is personal preference and a prejudice if you will. The track will tell the story here.
The receiver box is a lot larger than I expected, so I think it will carry most commercial race-worthy radio receivers. The box has a fairly open window at the back that should allow cables to come out easily. However, the box is far from sealed and dust, oil and grinded foam will sure find way into it. I do not care if the box seals perfect or not. I will use one or two balloons over my receiver and not take any chances.
It's a shame the receiver battey is not included. Of course no other race kit includes one, but some of us got spoiled with the G4S and its included battery pack.
It's almost 2 am where I am now, so I am stopping here for now...
Gone to bed!
06-30-2009, 12:36 PM
#145
06-30-2009, 12:48 PM
#146
Post pics of build up pls.
06-30-2009, 03:54 PM
#148
I finally got my car today!!!
This thing is awesome!!
Now, I have not started putting it together and will not until the weekend, probably. So my opinion here is based on first sight only. I will continue to comment on my experiences with the car as I follow along.
So far, I can say this is a very well finished product. I will definitely disagree with those that have a different opinion, but they are totally entitled to it. Plastic parts seem to be well molded and that speaks of good tooling there.
Sure, I would have liked for the kit to include aluminum wheel hexes, wire-type front sway bar, aluminum hinge pin brackets and such. However, I can see that cost is a reason for leaving out such items. I have no problem throwing in some hop-ups since it looks like not very many will be needed anyway.
The main shaft is made out of aluminum!! It is unbelievably light!! I think it should hold up just fine, since previous G4's had aluminum middle shafts. In justice, I have to say it could have used some hard-anodizing to make it that bit stronger and longer lasting. I cannot say what kind of finish the shaft has. I assume that after some disassembly-reassembly, the shaft could get slightly scored at the tips or where the bearings sit. This can make it difficult to extract bearings for maintenance. However, the part where the spurs and two-speed sit is made out of steel. This of course provides for a strong base. All in all, I assume this two-part assembly should be just fine and only time will tell how it performs and wears.
The middle shaft in this case is made out of steel. That is the opposite to previous models, but I am sure this will become an option after some time. Count me in for weight savings!!
Shocks are pre-assembled, ready to be filled with oil. Ball ends are already inserted into their ball cups at the top of the shock. I gotta say I really appreciate that one! A certain old version of the G4 did not come out like that and you could easily break the ball receptacle during insertion. This is also a point that I very much hate about my RRR (even the latest version).
Shock collars have a pre-drilled 1mm hole that allows easy bleeding. No more over-filled shocks!!
You really have to see the diff satellites for your self!! They are incredibly small!! Hahahaha!! They are awesome!! I am sure this will be a very light drive-train. I am not sure 50,000 wt silicon oil is the right thing for my dusty home track. I will start off with 50k and change it if necessary.
The rear diff is also very small and very narrow!! That is the reason why the rear aluminum CVD shafts are sooo long!! I will take my reserves here until I compare with other cars, but the front spool (of diff to replace with in some time), seems to be very narrow, too. Front CVD shafts would then be longer than any previous G4, but not as long as the rear onesin this car. Again, I will have to double check on this one.
Belts are the typically long lasting units by TM. I am not sure these are the most efficient and will for sure require a long break-in period. They are a little stiff, if compared to the SP belts by Kyosho. Of course you cannot have both long wear and efficiency. I would have preferred efficient but I am also sure many drivers and mechanics will appreciate the high-quality of these units.
I think we all have seen how the wire-type sway bar mounts on a couple of shafts that are inserted from under the lower a-arms. What I did not know is how to capture the ball end of the shafts. There is a pivot ball cap that threads into the a-arm from the bottom. These caps strongly resemble the pivot ball caps for the front knuckles and rear uprights, but these are a lot smaller!! They are cool!! The a-arm is not pre-threaded. Threading in the cap will take some finess. It is easy to get it wrong, so take your time there.
The rear radio tray supports also serve as mounts for the fuel tank. Apparently, the fuel tank will not sit as low as possible if you mount it as instructed. I think there is room to lower the back-end of the tank by grinding down a few millimeters right where the tank sits, not where the radio tray is mounted. You will see this one when you get your car. I will also have to verify if this is true or not. I have to check for the battery and throttle servo not to interfere with a lower mounted tank. This is just a thought, so far.
The transmission ratios are a lot more in-line with contemporary touring cars. I am surprised to see, though, that the jump from first to second gears is 6 teeth, out of the box. Kyoshos and others only jumped five. I am not sure about box-stock X-rays. But again, this can only be an improvement and I am very positive this is going to work very well!
CVD shafts are preassembled into rear uprights and steering knuckles and inserted into their bearings. Pivot balls are also pre-inserted and capped. Less wrenching here, as well!! Servo saver is also preassembled but I like less ackerman in my cars than how it is assembled. This is one of the few things I will change even before running the car. This is personal preference and a prejudice if you will. The track will tell the story here.
The receiver box is a lot larger than I expected, so I think it will carry most commercial race-worthy radio receivers. The box has a fairly open window at the back that should allow cables to come out easily. However, the box is far from sealed and dust, oil and grinded foam will sure find way into it. I do not care if the box seals perfect or not. I will use one or two balloons over my receiver and not take any chances.
It's a shame the receiver battey is not included. Of course no other race kit includes one, but some of us got spoiled with the G4S and its included battery pack.
It's almost 2 am where I am now, so I am stopping here for now...
Gone to bed!
This thing is awesome!!
Now, I have not started putting it together and will not until the weekend, probably. So my opinion here is based on first sight only. I will continue to comment on my experiences with the car as I follow along.
So far, I can say this is a very well finished product. I will definitely disagree with those that have a different opinion, but they are totally entitled to it. Plastic parts seem to be well molded and that speaks of good tooling there.
Sure, I would have liked for the kit to include aluminum wheel hexes, wire-type front sway bar, aluminum hinge pin brackets and such. However, I can see that cost is a reason for leaving out such items. I have no problem throwing in some hop-ups since it looks like not very many will be needed anyway.
The main shaft is made out of aluminum!! It is unbelievably light!! I think it should hold up just fine, since previous G4's had aluminum middle shafts. In justice, I have to say it could have used some hard-anodizing to make it that bit stronger and longer lasting. I cannot say what kind of finish the shaft has. I assume that after some disassembly-reassembly, the shaft could get slightly scored at the tips or where the bearings sit. This can make it difficult to extract bearings for maintenance. However, the part where the spurs and two-speed sit is made out of steel. This of course provides for a strong base. All in all, I assume this two-part assembly should be just fine and only time will tell how it performs and wears.
The middle shaft in this case is made out of steel. That is the opposite to previous models, but I am sure this will become an option after some time. Count me in for weight savings!!
Shocks are pre-assembled, ready to be filled with oil. Ball ends are already inserted into their ball cups at the top of the shock. I gotta say I really appreciate that one! A certain old version of the G4 did not come out like that and you could easily break the ball receptacle during insertion. This is also a point that I very much hate about my RRR (even the latest version).
Shock collars have a pre-drilled 1mm hole that allows easy bleeding. No more over-filled shocks!!
You really have to see the diff satellites for your self!! They are incredibly small!! Hahahaha!! They are awesome!! I am sure this will be a very light drive-train. I am not sure 50,000 wt silicon oil is the right thing for my dusty home track. I will start off with 50k and change it if necessary.
The rear diff is also very small and very narrow!! That is the reason why the rear aluminum CVD shafts are sooo long!! I will take my reserves here until I compare with other cars, but the front spool (of diff to replace with in some time), seems to be very narrow, too. Front CVD shafts would then be longer than any previous G4, but not as long as the rear onesin this car. Again, I will have to double check on this one.
Belts are the typically long lasting units by TM. I am not sure these are the most efficient and will for sure require a long break-in period. They are a little stiff, if compared to the SP belts by Kyosho. Of course you cannot have both long wear and efficiency. I would have preferred efficient but I am also sure many drivers and mechanics will appreciate the high-quality of these units.
I think we all have seen how the wire-type sway bar mounts on a couple of shafts that are inserted from under the lower a-arms. What I did not know is how to capture the ball end of the shafts. There is a pivot ball cap that threads into the a-arm from the bottom. These caps strongly resemble the pivot ball caps for the front knuckles and rear uprights, but these are a lot smaller!! They are cool!! The a-arm is not pre-threaded. Threading in the cap will take some finess. It is easy to get it wrong, so take your time there.
The rear radio tray supports also serve as mounts for the fuel tank. Apparently, the fuel tank will not sit as low as possible if you mount it as instructed. I think there is room to lower the back-end of the tank by grinding down a few millimeters right where the tank sits, not where the radio tray is mounted. You will see this one when you get your car. I will also have to verify if this is true or not. I have to check for the battery and throttle servo not to interfere with a lower mounted tank. This is just a thought, so far.
The transmission ratios are a lot more in-line with contemporary touring cars. I am surprised to see, though, that the jump from first to second gears is 6 teeth, out of the box. Kyoshos and others only jumped five. I am not sure about box-stock X-rays. But again, this can only be an improvement and I am very positive this is going to work very well!
CVD shafts are preassembled into rear uprights and steering knuckles and inserted into their bearings. Pivot balls are also pre-inserted and capped. Less wrenching here, as well!! Servo saver is also preassembled but I like less ackerman in my cars than how it is assembled. This is one of the few things I will change even before running the car. This is personal preference and a prejudice if you will. The track will tell the story here.
The receiver box is a lot larger than I expected, so I think it will carry most commercial race-worthy radio receivers. The box has a fairly open window at the back that should allow cables to come out easily. However, the box is far from sealed and dust, oil and grinded foam will sure find way into it. I do not care if the box seals perfect or not. I will use one or two balloons over my receiver and not take any chances.
It's a shame the receiver battey is not included. Of course no other race kit includes one, but some of us got spoiled with the G4S and its included battery pack.
It's almost 2 am where I am now, so I am stopping here for now...
Gone to bed!
Thanks gtrmx that's some good feedback and some very helpfull tips. By the sounds of it TM are heading in the right direction except maybe for the allum. 2 speed shaft
Why you would make that one out of light alluminium to try and save weight. Any gain is probably lost by the heavy steel middle shaft
PS: Is the tank made of lexan or just a very, very clear plastic?
Impalabob64: Have you tried imageshack. It's an image hosting site and is very easy to use. It will be the only way to get pics up. Any other image hosting programme should work aswell.
06-30-2009, 04:26 PM
#149
I have checked everything in the box and totally agree with GTRMX, everything is high quality
Here is Part 1 I recommend using a caliper to measure and test fit parts before putting anything together (that is something I always do)
TIP: make sure the oring 152006 goes in the inside of 504017.
06-30-2009, 04:33 PM
#150
I have checked everything in the box and totally agree with GTRMX, everything is high quality
Here is Part 1 I recommend using a caliper to measure and test fit parts before putting anything together (that is something I always do)
TIP: make sure the oring 152006 goes in the inside of 504017.
PART 2 SHOCKS COME PRE-BUILD ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS FILL THEM WITH THE PROVIDED SHOCK FLUID OR USE THE ONE OF YOUR CHOICE.