Hi Tony,

Great review there and will definitely follow it till the end.

Noticed that you installed the rear upper link on the lower hole of the rear knuckle. Tot normally we would install it on the upper hole instead.. Mind explaining the handling effect?

Thanks.

Because that's what the instructions said..

For the intial build it was done as per kit in that regard.

The thing about bump steer in an M chassis is that since it's there, you may as well make it work for you. I tend to run my car VERY low so it's not as much of an issue, but I do try to make it advantageous.

EG: I set my toe to be almost completely neutral at ride height. So, if the car is rolling along a straight, the wheels are dead ahead and providing minimum resistance. When I come off the throttle to enter a corner, the wheels toe in a little (which in theory is a bad thing) and this sets up the outside wheel for a little more of an aggressive posture and maybe a little extra bite. Exiting a corner under full throttle, the wheels will return to neutral or toe out a little. I find this helps snap the car into the proper line for exit.

I suppose toe in at the entrance to a corner could be a bad thing if you're dealing with a traction roll problem, but if you remember the cardinal rule of minis "Slide the front, stick the rear" it shouldn't be an issue.

Of course, all of my tuning is based on running on an ultra smooth, carpeted track, so it may not apply to all situations. I suppose the other factor that may make all of my advice moot is that there is so much slop in the steering anyway that toe is the least of my worries.

Jim

Well, check out rc-mini now.



I've added on some interesting photo comparisons between some 03 and 05 parts.. Have a look.

MO5 front alloy knuckle is the same dimensions as the MO3R alloy front knuckle and uses the same 1050 bearing, for those that are interested.

TFG,

Thank you for the build report, might commence mine soon. Great job as usual. Are you using the tech racing wheel hexes on your MO3?

Regards,

Calvin.

The M05 runs pretty much the same as the M03. I ran against one of our fast guys, and the lap times didn't differ by much. However, this chassis resists traction rolling much better, so there is potential there if you can make use of the extra front grip that can be added.

Like I said before, there are other things this chassis is capable like the separate rear lower suspension block, and compatibility with a modern ball diff. It may be the same now, but there is more potential to be unleashed.

Tony, thanks for the detailed build blog!

+ YouTube Video

Noticed that the "L" version has the rear shock installed in front of the tires....

Theory behind the upper/lower holes, if you use the upper hole you get more camber gain, meaning as the suspension rises (the wheel rises) the camber increases more than the lower hole. Can give you more grip, to a certain point. Its something to play with if you have a tonne of side bit, and traction roll alot. Ive always used the upper hole, and had the rear as low as possible. Its changing your roll centre, ive seen a website which describes the theory at length. If i find it ill post it!

I don't think so.

If your steering/suspension allows that much slop. then I think you will notice that under power the wheels toe in and rolling off power they will toe out (front wheel drive, right?).

This is easy to check. Push your car by hand to replicate rolling off throttle (car pushes the wheels not wheels pull the car) and you will see the wheels toe out instantly.

Next, turn radio and car on, hold the car so it can not drive away and apply throttle forward (this is to replicate car being pulled by wheels under normal throttle). You will see the front wheels toe in instantly.

Good luck.

Had my first shakedown of the car today at the track. Car is easier to drive than the M03 definitely. Posted modest laptimes too. About 0.1s faster than my M03 which had a good setup on the track. Things are looking good.

Good to hear Kail. Was that using the box stock setup?

Regards,

Calvin.

m05 pro manual http://www.tamiya.com/japan/download...8443m05pro.pdf

Hey Leonard, good to hear you can get yours out on the track. I'd like to do the same but rain, wind, thunder and lightning is the weather here at the moment. With no letup expected until next week!
I'll get some indoor action with our car tonight but that wont tell us much....

I should fly up to Sing to test..

Tony, where is your home track in Melbourne?