Firstly i would make sure you get the updated kit listed on the Mugen site the part number is T2002. Don't get the old kit. I think the new kit has revised brake pad material also.

no parts are needed, except for the usual spare belts spurs and optional pinions/spurs.

in this thread i posted my opinions on what needs to be done to avoid stripping gears and 2 speed issues so if you search this thread for posts under my name it should all come up.

it's a good kit, honestly, the only ugly design feature is the ommision of a rear brace....it's a significant design flaw considering the braking system is a forward pulling mechanism instead of a side pushing mechanism like conventional brake systems.

Tom,

How many race meets/races have you done with your car with the pads still not grabbing properly?

Also have you stripped any gears??

Gear wise i haven't experienced any of the issues people have reported here. I can honestly say, from my experiences the gears have been bullet proof for me.

I did an entire Nationals with the gears. I striped one, but it was due to the two speed clutch. i increased the gap and it was fine. I jumped the curbs many times without a hint of gear stripping.

the stock brake pads went through practice, qualifying and quarters. i raced approx 6 litres with the pads.

It's funny because the issues people are reporting, i haven't experienced yet (gear diffs blowing, spur gear stripping) but here i am whinging about brakes, but no one seems to have the same problem.

someone posted here that the brake pad material has been revised in the newer kits, can others confirm this?

we used 1/8 stering rod wtth ilets each end you can use it 2 keep plate straight yoy have 2 put little spacer under it aalso used small piece of aluminion sidways away from brakes/pads there is a lovley piture back a couple of post above yours its not ours but same idear /// dose yours strip gears we have ran about 25 leters and gust did 2 i donol noww if we had gears meshed right just the same as always
greg

No worries......I'm guessing that was the nationals that was prodominately rained out in November 2011 in Victoria, and most likely you haven't raced the car since, given where you live. So perhap under some true race/track conditions these pads will come to life.

As for the stripping issue I would suggest with some confidence and evidence that it is limited to a few kits only, with the vast majority running without issues.

I would also suggest with some confidence and evidence that Mugen are more than happy to assist drivers with resolving any issues if your kit is not as expected.

6 litres is a fair amount of racing for the brakes to come good. I've also been trying it here at the local netball courts so i've got an opportunity to test the brakes out I'll keep at it, hopefully they come alive soon.

I never said Mugen were not happy to assist drivers, nor that i was not happy with my kit. If you look at my last post, i said the car is honestly good.

what i did say was the website needs a hell of a lot more info I mean, posting info that there are updated parts and not explaining why, or what these changed parts differ to the old parts is a good example of poor website communication.

thanks for the suggestion though. I'll keep running the car here at the netball courts and hopefully the brakes come good by the time i decide to race again.

tom when you say make gap biger how mutch ar you talking about in 4r we had 2 keep it small or it did wat ours has started 2 do we think the car is very good ex on twisty bits well thats what bailey tels me he carnot wait til easter so we can come down again
greg

lets face it mugens web site is a low budget offering and minimal data at the best of times. (for the record i race a mtx4r and i'm thinking about going to a 5 ..... maybe.)

Steve H

I made that alum pc, it is 28.50mm tall 7.8mm round and drilled in the middle of the rear chassis screws between the screws of the rear frt hinge pin holder and the side rear screw of the 2sp bracket, need 2" tie rod and lunsford titanium or firestorm hpi #86897 steel 15mm long 4.8 ball stud and x-ray 4.8 eyelets.

I am going to make a ALUM stand off that takes the place of the two plastic stand off that holds the rear tray up, those stiffners, only because of the plastic I can not find a ball stud longer than 15mm to go in deeper into the plastic like I would like. I think that the ball stud are not deep enough when using the roll bar and it can possibly pull out under hard impact. I think the ball stud will work fine without using the roll bar, I like using the roll bar. There is a lot of thread in there, just trying to me safe than sorry so it can work and I don't have to work on that pc at the track. I really don't know if you need that stiffner, I have not ran the car. But hell with all this talk about the car, I just mite as well start making parts. If some of these problems are true, going to Florida a long way to have problems, I mite as well make the parts now, lol.

Pic under car where drilled

Billy try replacing the lunsford ballstud with an xray ball end (I think you have some in the shop) and just use a long screw to go threw it and thread deeper into the plastic. I did that on the rear hubs on the serpent since its easier to find longer screws then longer set screws.

Plus with the head of the screw over the top of the cup it keeps it from popping off in a crash...

Thanks Scotty, I will look into that right now.

Thanks i will try to get the new kit! i have contact with Robbie Collings From Mugen so i will let him know abt the new parts.

the two speed in the 5 is different to the 4. it uses the cylindrical rollers instead of a steel ball, so the shift is better and more consistent

the idea of increasing the gap was suggested to me by a victorian racer...it worked for me so i thought i'd pass it on. I screwed out the grub screw so there was only the smallest amount of gap, maybe 0.05 to .1mm? just guessing. Stripping gears can come if the 2 speed is set incorrectly. Ie it shifts late, the 2nd gear engages just before a corner and if you hit the brakes the 2 speed shifts down but one of the shoes can remain engaged on the 2nd gear. if both gears are engaged, you will get the smaller gear stripping. This is what i was told by the racer who told me to increase the shoe gap.


i honestly don't think you need the stiffener. If you look at the design of the 5, the least flexiest part of the car is where the engine, two speed and front two screws of the rear baulkheads are. It doesn't flex here simply because of the amount of alloy and screws.

The car's flex point is right infront of the engine and where the chassis chanfers at the front (where the steering horn bearing can be seen on the chassis).

you don't want to change the plastic top deck holders because these are what give the car the flex, if you cange it you get less flex, unless of course that's what you want

i'm interested to see if the brace actually stops the upwards flex...i have my doubts, but i could be wrong. Keep us posted. Personally i recon, if you want to stop the flex you need to make a brace that connects to the two front upper baulkhead screws...as ugly as the car looks when the whole rear end lifts up when the brakes are applied...i think it's one of those things you need to just live with and let it be...and remember that you don't see it when it's on the track....also we will need to bear the brunt of GOAT drivers making fun of the flex

The 5 is a very symetrical design, which equates to equal flex on both left and right sides. use of a brace seems to ruin that i recon

ARENA 7075 Hard Coated Chassis