sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

Green is fun, I like this color.




Here's how the headlamp surround decal should go on with no wrinkles.




Since I was going to redo the red's headlamp surround decal anyway, I went ahead and heated it real high and pushed/stretched at the wrinkles. Pretty much fixed it.

Going to work on painting the side mirror base matte black this afternoon.
Hope you all have a great Sunday.

Granpa

Mike and I were talking about the TA03 ball diff and not the M05 ball diff you've been using. For the track conditions you run on, it might be better than the TA03 ball diff. But you'll have to admit that your circumstances are fairly unique in that few of us have a basement track of our own. The two diffs are entirely different and what applies to one, may not be applicable to the other.

The primary reason so many Mini racers use the TA03 ball diff is that it can be run much tighter than the M05 ball diff. The popularity of the after market gear diffs is that they can be run tighter than the 05 diff. The weakness of the 05 diff is that for some reason grit can work into the thrust bearing quickly so that the diff isn't smooth as when first assembled. This does require fairly frequent rebuilds. You may not have run into this phenomenon, due to your unique circumstances. However, the 05 diff is a very good unit if you don't mind the maintenance issues and run the diff fairly loose.

By the way no one is questioning your R/C credentials and experience or your obvious talent. Mike is running a TA03 ball diff and seems to have had a similar experience with the 05 ball diff that many of us have had. And that is the diff screw snapping when you try to run a tight diff. If I'm not mistaken , he also has to support his sons racing so running out and buying several 05 diffs might not be a good option fr him.

We all wish the best for him and Gold Dust--do I have that right???--- so my option was to see if we could make what he was using work better.

monkeyracing

iTrader: (10)

Y'know what's frustrating? Putting ceramic balls in your TA03 diff. SO buttery smooth, but you can never crank it down super tight. It just stays smooth!

sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

Granpa we're all good!

Granpa

Yeah, you're right. I think when I wrote the tutorial I never tried cranking it down super tight like some do who run on carpet. As you know the way to adjust the TA03 ball diff requires a partial tear down of the diff itself so that was not something that was tried. My apologies.

However, I've run on carpet and did not have to adjust the diff. There was no "diffing" and the turn in was great. With that being said, it was with a Silvercan so don't know how it would work with the 21.5. I would guess that some tightening would be required. Don't know how the ceramic diff balls would hold up under that ugh pressure.

While we're on the subject, The diff running rough seems to be more of a function of the thrust bearing failing than the diff balls flattening or the diff rings galling. I posted back aways that the thrust bearing is the weak link, so if the diff starts running rough quickly after a rebuild, replace the thrust bearing even if it looks "good". It would be interesting to see what others have experienced with these thrust bearings and compare notes.

I will replace the thrust bearing if the diff has been through a previous rebuild. Since most of he diffs I build will last upwards of a year, this is not a huge expense.

monkeyracing

iTrader: (10)

Well, I've got my 3Racing in my M05 and a very smooth TA03 in the M04. I think the Xevo is going to get either last years ball diff, which was wonderfully notchy or a shimmed stock diff. I'm also considering a TA03 with those 3mm Delrin plugs that replace the balls, effectively making it a slipper spool. Tough call. Better decide though. Changing the diff in a Xevo is a bear.

KA2AEV

iTrader: (1)

Yep once I got the screw too super tight and snapped that little sucker.
I was lucky that the guy I spoke with at Tamiya understood my dilemma
and got me a replacement. (BTW THANK YOU TAMIYA FOR GREAT PARTS SUPPORT!!!) I wish I could remember the guys name, but ...
Anyway as for the Ball diff, I not only took Bobs advise but several other mini racers that we run into at various events that told us to run the TA03
and between his tutorial, which is really helpful for all you new comers, and the guys helping me set it up, it has ran pretty well over the past season, and this one event that screwed everything up
Golddust ran my 03 in the Enfield event and we benched his 05, and he ran pretty well taking the C Main, so hopefully with his gaining experience he start to move into the B and eventually up to the A. Now if I can only start driving like him! Maybe I should spend more time on Xbox and less time at work??? I think I may just be on the fast track to a divorce if that happens!

KA2AEV

iTrader: (1)

It may be fun but its an unlucky color in racing!!!

KA2AEV

iTrader: (1)

Ahem,,
So you're trying to tell us that your balls need to be tighter???

sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

No worries, my lucky number is 13.

eR1c

iTrader: (2)

-I've always heard that too, but I race w/ green as my primary color ...hmm, maybe I ought to switch?

Love the technique you used to head the stickers around the headlamps to get the wrinkles out. Did you use a heat gun? -how did you heat them? ...to what temp/how long? ...love the results.

Granpa

The first TCS event that I ran, I was in the D Main and was outclassed in that. Come to think of it, it could have been the E Main. The last few were in the A Main and there was a Win and a Second in the B on the way up. Just telling you that, not to brag, but to illustrate that even with a competitor who is driving talent challenged, you can achieve some decent results.

I've stayed competitive by having cars that were very, very good and were tailored to my driving "style". It is more of a careening from corner to corner, yanking the wheel over when the corner is reached, hoping that the car makes it thru, and mashing the throttle down hard on corner exit to careen to the next corner. Believe me the car has to be really good to put up with that and run decent times and disguise my lack of talent.

The best advice I can give you is to never run the same car twice. Adjust or change something every run. Then observe what that does. Too often you'll see guys do run after run with the same evil handling car and thinking they are improving their driving skills. IMO that's not productive at all. It's like hitting yourself on the head with a hammer an thinking that if you do this long enough, that it will stop hurting. Another thing guys frequently do is start making spring and oil changes as the first step in correcting handling problems.

Let me suggest another approach. Since you are running the 03, start out with 40 wt shock oil, zero rebound shocks, yellow springs from a #53333 spring set in front, blues in he rear from the same spring set, the light 03 roll bar in the back as a base setup. Start adjusting that. Run more camber in the back and see what happens. Try adjusting the ride height and see what happens when you raise the rear ride height, drop the front and vice versa. Play with the toe out----this is one of the most important adjustments you can make. After you adjust the bejesus out of this, then make a spring or shock oil change.

Did you know that decreasing toe out will make your car turn quicker???? Or that dropping the front ride height or raising the rear will do the same thing, but not as much???? A popular adage around here is that we can show you 98% of the stuff, but the 2% is up to you----that's the 0.5 sec you're looking for. This is the kind "crap" no one can show you and your experience may be different than mine----we don't drive alike and there may be differences in how we built the car.

I don't do this as much now, but will still play with some adjustments when I first get to the track. I'll run a couple of laps, make an adjustment and do a couple more, repeat until I'm happy before I'll run a full battery pack. That's another thing guys do is to run too long with a car that's not right. If it's got a push, believe me, running a full pack isn't going to fix it.

Sometimes when I write this kind of stuff, i'll worry that this will be insulting to some. Please, if you think this is BS and beneath you, don't pay it any attention. It was not meant for you, but for the guy who's been trying all sorts of set ups with frustrating results. It's meant to help, not to piss anyone off.

sakadachi

iTrader: (1)

Come on now, stop picking on my new paint job. HAHAHA!!

I use a small emboss heat gun for RC decals on contoured surfaces. I install clear bra, tint, and vinyl on real cars as a hobby so this is basically the same principle just using a smaller low power heat gun.

As for temperature, I don't know the exact temperature, but I place my thumb near where I am applying heat to get an idea of how hot the surface is getting.

So first step is to position your decal on the area you want to apply. Then grab your heat gun and apply heat (while placing thumb next to the decal to monitor temperature). As soon as you can see the decal get flimsy, it is hot enough to gently push it against the body to adhere. I use a soft silicon squeegee. If applied correctly, the decal will wrap onto the body and appear as if it is a coat of paint. Once cool, it will retain its shape.

Here is what a small emboss heat gun looks like. I don't use my regular heatgun as it gets too hot and heats too big of an area at once. Hair driers blow too much unwanted air, so I don't use that either.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...emboss+heatgun

Granpa

Really like the small heat guns. Did not know that something like these were available.

I prefer using Windex under the decals cause I'm not very good at placing the decals. I can shift it and it will give a second try if you'r off a bit and have not done the final heating of the decal.

monkeyracing

iTrader: (10)

My wife has told me that describing my balls on the internet is inappropriate and I should stop.