It is as you suspect that the U-joints are reaching a critical angle. Once a u-joint passes a certain degree of rotation, it will start to vibrate due to binding at one point and free operation at another. Nothing to worry about. Most of the time when you're racing you won't be using that much steering angle anyway.

Jim

Someone there might be of some help; there is a guy in Cambridge looking for an off road track to practice. I know this is a Mini Cooper page but I referred him to this page for some help in your area- Thanks, Eric. BTW I saw on tower hobbies they dc'ed the M-03!-- What is this world coming to?

Just got the Suzuki Swift M03, my first! Can't wait to run it to see how it handles as compared to my Alfa Giulia M04.

Thanks Jim, glad to know that it's not something kooky going on with just my mini's. I think I'll set the EPA so that the steering servo stops just as the vibration starts.

I was originally intending to increase the steering angle, to overcome the understeer inherent when using a fixed axle. I want to continue using a spool though, as I love the acceleration it gives out of the corners. I'll have to start driving more smoothly now, rather than just cranking the steering straight to full lock when I get to a corner...

Try it with the diffs again and see what happens first. Might be the spool has a slightly different width than the diffs.

The spool I'm using in the M05 fits inside the standard gear diff case (see pic below), and there is a little sideways play when the whole gear unit is fitted in the chassis, so I think it should be OK. I can set the steering EPA to 60% before the vibrations start, so that should be enough lock.

Was referring to the M-03 Rover Mini- Enjoy your M-03m Suzuki! Built mine w/MM 7700- 2s 4000 Lipo, 40wt ft,rear,added 3 oz wt in front w/GRP's on the ground--wow.

hmm....i have the same vibration even using ball diff....

spool are uj breaker as the have no free play

Hi All, first post in this thread after reading hundreds of pages. I have just got a M05 after 2 years with a M01. I like to correctly understand 60D, M chassis, A, M, & S type tires and inserts, but even on rc-mini.net there are only photos, no explanations. Would anyone mind helping?

What is the difference with these / best suited for?

50686 M chassis 60D insert (grey)
53204 M chassis inner sponge (grey)
53255 M chassis 60Dinner sponge hard (blue)

Those 'in the know' at my carpet track tell me that the A type tires and 60D are actually smaller in diam thus slower? is this true?
And I thought all the tires are '60D' so why does one of the types carry this name and not the others (M,S,A etc?)

And is this the correct summary, or.... (blush)

A most grip / low temp track surface ?
M sticky / soft
S less sticky/grip/harder


Thank you

All those tyres you've listed are 60D. (60 mm diameter) So those 'in the know' are not - in the know....

Type A is a soft slick - mainly for outdoor
M Grip is 'soft' treaded tyre
S Grip is a 'medium' treaded tyre
the standard kit tyres are the hardest of all.

Most other companies Mini tires are around 55 mm diameter.

I don't use the Tamiya tyres all that often. But on carpet I run Kit - front/S or M Grip rear. Or S grip front/M grip rear.

And I only ever use the 53255 inserts.
Messing around with different inserts is confusing and difficult. I stick to the same inserts all the time and let the tires be the thing that makes the difference.

Hi Tony!

Thanks very much for replying

That's cool. Yes, I thought the same about the 60D comments. But those commenting are rocket fast regularly and swear they have checked this with calipers. However the mind is powerful...

I will stick with your recommended hard inserts then. Some do double stuff, infact I did too with my old M01 (with folded tissue , it seemed to work) but I'd now like to be a bit more scientific with my new M05 We run on carpet, it is Tamiya only tires (TCS). Oddly most here run the opp set up to you, M front, S rear. I will try both Should I be cutting touring car inserts in on top of the foam as per the old tamiyausa article of years ago?

I had to sell alot of my other r/c stuff to fund the new car and I want to make the most of my spend

Love your site btw!

Strictly speaking they all vary slightly one way or the other from 'true' 60D. 60D is an all-encompassing generic Tamiya term, no more than that.

And pretty much all the Tamiya Mini tyres (except for the ones on the XB kits) are this size.

I dont double stuff - it's just another thing that distracts you from getting out and actually running, which is WAY more important than any amount of messing around with inserts.

Keep it Simple...

has any one tried the tuned gear set from 3Racing ???

Just to confirm then, is M-grip a stickier/softer compound than S-Grip (or is the reverse true)?

zangonli, might depend on surface. in general, carpet m is stickier than s. in asphalt, s is stickier than m. others might have different experience.