Tamiya F104 Pro!
#2056

Wow what a nice track!

#2057

While we're sharing track pics, this is Jackson R/C. We'll be running F1 there this summer, dancing wings and wheels on the curbs!
Pics courtesy of John_da_wee.

Paulie said it was one of the best tracks he'd ever raced on. Whooped the 13.5 class in the process.



Paulie said it was one of the best tracks he'd ever raced on. Whooped the 13.5 class in the process.


+ YouTube Video | |
#2058

that track looks awesome. I was actually wondering if they were going to start an F1 class. I live in North Jersey and have been looking for people to run on-road with. Do you have any details on what the requirements will be?
While we're sharing track pics, this is Jackson R/C. We'll be running F1 there this summer, dancing wings and wheels on the curbs!
Pics courtesy of John_da_wee.

Paulie said it was one of the best tracks he'd ever raced on. Whooped the 13.5 class in the process.



Paulie said it was one of the best tracks he'd ever raced on. Whooped the 13.5 class in the process.


+ YouTube Video | |
#2059
Tech Fanatic

I have a couple of questions:
My friends and I are thinking of racing F104s with the SMC 1 cell 25C lipo with the EZRun 35A ESC with a 13T 3000KV 3650 brushless motor combo.
Is this a good choice?
Second, is there anywhere besides D-Drive sports that you can get current
F1 decals? I want to paint up and decal an F60 body to look like Hamiltons'
Vodafone McLaren from 2009.
My friends and I are thinking of racing F104s with the SMC 1 cell 25C lipo with the EZRun 35A ESC with a 13T 3000KV 3650 brushless motor combo.
Is this a good choice?
Second, is there anywhere besides D-Drive sports that you can get current
F1 decals? I want to paint up and decal an F60 body to look like Hamiltons'
Vodafone McLaren from 2009.
#2060

Greg is that track right near to Raceway Park?
I ran a hpi challenge race there about 10/11 years ago (back in the day when I ran onroad). Think it was under a different name then.It did NOT look that nice back then. Unless I am thinking about the wrong place....
Yery cool!.
I ran a hpi challenge race there about 10/11 years ago (back in the day when I ran onroad). Think it was under a different name then.It did NOT look that nice back then. Unless I am thinking about the wrong place....
Yery cool!.
#2061

Team Lotus.
I could not find a place for F1 decals in the us...
I had to have someone cut my Marlboro decals for me.
I could not find a place for F1 decals in the us...
I had to have someone cut my Marlboro decals for me.
#2062

I have a couple of questions:
My friends and I are thinking of racing F104s with the SMC 1 cell 25C lipo with the EZRun 35A ESC with a 13T 3000KV 3650 brushless motor combo.
Is this a good choice?
Second, is there anywhere besides D-Drive sports that you can get current
F1 decals? I want to paint up and decal an F60 body to look like Hamiltons'
Vodafone McLaren from 2009.
My friends and I are thinking of racing F104s with the SMC 1 cell 25C lipo with the EZRun 35A ESC with a 13T 3000KV 3650 brushless motor combo.
Is this a good choice?
Second, is there anywhere besides D-Drive sports that you can get current
F1 decals? I want to paint up and decal an F60 body to look like Hamiltons'
Vodafone McLaren from 2009.
I don't know what that speedo, or motor equates to, but I have run a Tekin RS 1S, with a 17.5 and it is a great combination, and similar in pace to a silvercan or 21.5 2S.
#2063

Jackson is in Jackson, originally enough.
The track you ran the HPI Challenge at was the long standing American Raceway in Englishtown. The property management ran the hobby shop out, leveled the property and put up a strip mall.
F1 at Jackson will likely be a rubber tire class, open chassis with 103/104 type front end, 2c lipo, and Johnson 540 motors. There's alot of momentum behind the class right now. Check out the ever expanding sLowbirds race at Horsham because it's all the same people who will be at Jackson.
We're going to do some FUN stuff with the F1 race program this season, including an impromptu TCS warm up race in mid-summer. Here's the 2010 Jackson R/C thread.

F1 at Jackson will likely be a rubber tire class, open chassis with 103/104 type front end, 2c lipo, and Johnson 540 motors. There's alot of momentum behind the class right now. Check out the ever expanding sLowbirds race at Horsham because it's all the same people who will be at Jackson.

#2064

I am hoping someone can help me with a setup question.
I run at Aliso Viejo (Tamiya) with my F104 on foams. First run out with my 104 I was having a strange problem I haven't had with my F103s.
I am running a little taller gearing than I usually do (93T spur and 30T pinion) and more motor than I usually do (Formula tuned motor). This is the same setup that David Jun recommended in his article on the F104. (Clearly I am not David Jun when it comes to car control, but I thought it was a good starting point, anyway.
). All other settings (camber, etc) are as recommended, and running stock front springs. I am running the soft Tamiya T-Bar also. For one thing, I have decided that this is probably a little too much pinion for me, (especially with this motor) but not sure if that's my only problem.
Anyway, on the last corner before the straight, (just at the beginning of the straight as I am applying power coming out of the last corner) the car does not want to straighten out, and I am clipping the barrier on the left side of the straight. I have to really over-correct to avoid the left barrier, to the point where I go swerving down the straight. This is really not fun! I have never had this happen with 2 different F103s.
I didn't really notice the problem on the other corners, but it may be there.
So, my question is: Could this be the diff setup, or something else? I think the diff may be a little looser than I am used to, but not terribly loose because I am getting good acceleration from a standstill and after corners. It almost seems like the inside wheel is not getting any power, but I really only notice it on this corner.
The rear pod can move freely, and is not obstructed by wiring or anything. I run the rear pod relatively loose - about how I am used to running my F103s.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance! I haven't really had much time to go and work on different setups in the past few months.
I run at Aliso Viejo (Tamiya) with my F104 on foams. First run out with my 104 I was having a strange problem I haven't had with my F103s.
I am running a little taller gearing than I usually do (93T spur and 30T pinion) and more motor than I usually do (Formula tuned motor). This is the same setup that David Jun recommended in his article on the F104. (Clearly I am not David Jun when it comes to car control, but I thought it was a good starting point, anyway.

Anyway, on the last corner before the straight, (just at the beginning of the straight as I am applying power coming out of the last corner) the car does not want to straighten out, and I am clipping the barrier on the left side of the straight. I have to really over-correct to avoid the left barrier, to the point where I go swerving down the straight. This is really not fun! I have never had this happen with 2 different F103s.
I didn't really notice the problem on the other corners, but it may be there.
So, my question is: Could this be the diff setup, or something else? I think the diff may be a little looser than I am used to, but not terribly loose because I am getting good acceleration from a standstill and after corners. It almost seems like the inside wheel is not getting any power, but I really only notice it on this corner.
The rear pod can move freely, and is not obstructed by wiring or anything. I run the rear pod relatively loose - about how I am used to running my F103s.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance! I haven't really had much time to go and work on different setups in the past few months.
#2067

I am hoping someone can help me with a setup question.
I run at Aliso Viejo (Tamiya) with my F104 on foams. First run out with my 104 I was having a strange problem I haven't had with my F103s.
I am running a little taller gearing than I usually do (93T spur and 30T pinion) and more motor than I usually do (Formula tuned motor). This is the same setup that David Jun recommended in his article on the F104. (Clearly I am not David Jun when it comes to car control, but I thought it was a good starting point, anyway.
). All other settings (camber, etc) are as recommended, and running stock front springs. I am running the soft Tamiya T-Bar also. For one thing, I have decided that this is probably a little too much pinion for me, (especially with this motor) but not sure if that's my only problem.
Anyway, on the last corner before the straight, (just at the beginning of the straight as I am applying power coming out of the last corner) the car does not want to straighten out, and I am clipping the barrier on the left side of the straight. I have to really over-correct to avoid the left barrier, to the point where I go swerving down the straight. This is really not fun! I have never had this happen with 2 different F103s.
I didn't really notice the problem on the other corners, but it may be there.
So, my question is: Could this be the diff setup, or something else? I think the diff may be a little looser than I am used to, but not terribly loose because I am getting good acceleration from a standstill and after corners. It almost seems like the inside wheel is not getting any power, but I really only notice it on this corner.
The rear pod can move freely, and is not obstructed by wiring or anything. I run the rear pod relatively loose - about how I am used to running my F103s.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance! I haven't really had much time to go and work on different setups in the past few months.
I run at Aliso Viejo (Tamiya) with my F104 on foams. First run out with my 104 I was having a strange problem I haven't had with my F103s.
I am running a little taller gearing than I usually do (93T spur and 30T pinion) and more motor than I usually do (Formula tuned motor). This is the same setup that David Jun recommended in his article on the F104. (Clearly I am not David Jun when it comes to car control, but I thought it was a good starting point, anyway.

Anyway, on the last corner before the straight, (just at the beginning of the straight as I am applying power coming out of the last corner) the car does not want to straighten out, and I am clipping the barrier on the left side of the straight. I have to really over-correct to avoid the left barrier, to the point where I go swerving down the straight. This is really not fun! I have never had this happen with 2 different F103s.
I didn't really notice the problem on the other corners, but it may be there.
So, my question is: Could this be the diff setup, or something else? I think the diff may be a little looser than I am used to, but not terribly loose because I am getting good acceleration from a standstill and after corners. It almost seems like the inside wheel is not getting any power, but I really only notice it on this corner.
The rear pod can move freely, and is not obstructed by wiring or anything. I run the rear pod relatively loose - about how I am used to running my F103s.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance! I haven't really had much time to go and work on different setups in the past few months.
A.B.
I would try the following.
Black firm front springs.
diff lube on the damper plates, so far the F-104 seems better with more damping on the pod than my 103 does.
This chassis although similar, has changed quite a lot from the 103, and I believe it requires a different setup.
Also what dia are your tires, DJ says to start @60mm, this is the largest dia I would try, they actually work better @58mm.
Some will say they let their new full size tires wear down on the track, that's fine just don't expect the car to handle like you want

and a nice round edge on the rear tires will help with side bite.
Keep the ride height low 3.5 to 4mm
Another quirk I have found, is that this chassis likes to run with the front higher than the back almost always, level at most and even at that it can be edgy.
Your gearing may be too tall, but would need to know the tire dia to help with that, it most likely is though.
The front camber plate should be in the #1 position, this is -0- deg camber.
#2 = 1.5 deg, this is too much in most cases and will likely cause high speed stability issues in corners.
When the new aluminum camber plate comes out, we will have more options from .5 on up.
Also keep in mind that the type B tires are for warmer temps, it has been pretty chilly at Tamiya these last few weeks, so less epa, and neg exponential settings on your radio would help tame the beast.
#2068
Tech Fanatic
iTrader: (11)

can you have a look at your friction pads? Just make sure that it is centered on the C/F plate. I was having a similar problem, and it tweaks the car chronically. To remedy the problem, you need to check if the top deck is aligned properly in relation to the lower deck. You might have to loosen all securing screws and shift the upper deck slightly in order to get the friction pads aligned.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.