just got the R40 - 2004 spec with lots of titaniums (that breaks too- i thought they dont break - i was wrong - wrong tool maybe) - I plan to do the assembly in 3 days. I will be disassembling the RS4 digital 9451s to fit it into the r40.

I said i have given up on the rs4 but the lessons i learned from it are really hard earn i cannot put the car up for grabs in the forum for sale. I will still be on this forum just in case some guys would be needing some tips.

Titanium usually does not break or bend unless under some freakish circumstances. Glad to see that you got your R40 2004-Spec and will not sink much more monies into the RS4-3. Good luck building it and have fun racing it.

On a positive note, I hope we can keep this thread going for all the racers out there that want to keep modding their rs4-3ss as much as possible. EVERYONE loves to bash this car as too expensive to race like this hobby is cheap if you race any other rc car!!! I have nearly maxed out all the mods to my car (only better f&r sway bars needed), that I will also be running a Serpent 710 IF the rs4 ss does not perform in parking lot racing. This car seem the most out of the box racer to buy without upgrading it to run competitively. I still love my ss but I like running other rc car aswell not instead of like all the other bashers that come on this forum trying to convince us with logical arguments like cost/performance. This is a JUST a hobby...get a life if you do not like us wasting our money on such a crappy car...

hey,
I have a hopped up rs4 3 for sale including a wasp .12 se-ps, racing clutch, turnbuckles and ms airfilter to name a few. P.M. me if you want a full list of hopups or if you want to buy or want pics.
Thanks

well tower now is listing the stage d kit for $190. its a bit more than i want to spend for what it is

..

Maybe I am missing the point here, But you guys actually are going to drift these cars? because that kid moves the CG insanely forward in the car, and will make it useless for racing. Well more useless than the car already is.

Well atleast they are finding a use I guess...

Clegg
Please explain how the stage d kit will be "useless" for racing??
With the engine, throttle servo and battery in the middle of the car, this car should behave more like a mid-engine car which should (theoretically) make it a better handling car than a rear engine car. I would only use for parking lot type racing where I think the bettler handling would be appreciated. With foams all around and softer springs on the back and a solid axle up front, I think this would make a good racer. And for $200 or so, I am goin to find out one way or another...

lola, share your evaluation on this one, i only got the tires.

Umm all the mass and weight is up front. Its there because in a drift car thats where you want the rotation point to be. In a road race car you want weight in the center as much as possible.

A high bias in either direction will cause the car to over/under steer. This setup is a killer over steer setup. I mean theres a reason they call it a "drifting" setup.

Also the long cast steel prop shaft is perfect for braking. the small ones brake all the time with a strong motor due to the lash that develops in the driveline after a few runs.

In terms of ballance, this cars all wrong for racing. In terms of drift its purpose built for it. and to throw 200$ at that is amazingly obsurd on a car thats meant for the ass end to brake loose, for 260$ you can buy a near pro level race car made to handle good. (FW-05R, MXT3, etc... )

Looking at it again, the amount that the ass end breaks loose will increase as teh run goes because the only real balast in the back of the car is the fuel. Also the exposed servo haning off the side of the chassis is asking for parking lot bashing to take it out. Oh and the reciever pack being mid car also doesnt help the ballance of the majority of the mass being at the centerline and forward. The majority of the mass of the engine is forward also.

You can fix it with lead weights but at that point you will make the car just a lumbering tank.

The long exhaust header also will kill torque on the plant acting as a pipe tuned for rpm.

I guess I see it completely different as balancing the rs4-3ss in its current position gives more than 60% weight balance to the right rear. Most of the weight of the engine that is directed forward is in the front half of where the piston is located. If you look at the picture (stage d) this is much closer to the center of the car than at the front of the car. This car is definitely a MID-ENGINE design not a front engine car. It only holds a good drift mainly because of the drift tires, rear sway bar and possibly a solid axle which HPI is offering because of the stage d. Take that all away with the solid axle up front with foams all around and I think the handling would be neutral to understeering which should be much easier to control than the natural oversteer of a rear biased car. The weight of this car is definitely more closer to the center than to the front and thats why I think it should handle better than rear biased standard rs4-3ss.

Ponder this for a minute:

If having the engine and tranny forward, why are the best cars on the market all rear or center bias'ed for engine and tranny. For some reason I really doubt HPI stumbled on a winning car setup when they moved everything to the front of the car.

Forward weight bias is an easy way to throw the car off in high lateral G corner. the over steer is not controllable, where as having a push in the car is controllable and able to be tuned for to remove it. One setup causes the car to be uncontrollably tweaked, where as the other leaves much room for tuning to the drivers preference.

When has HPI ever been at the cusp of new racing dynamics. The R40 is a design that just copied almost every other 200mm racing chassis out at that time. Now if Serpent, or Mugen or Kyosho, etc... came out with cars wth all the static weight in front and dynamic weight in the back... then maybe HPI would be vindicated. But I don’t think that’s ever happening with this setup.

Also lets not forget the privilege of having this work is nearly 200 F'n bucks. I mean what the hell is in the kit to be worth 200$, what who designed it? etc...

I mean a ZAC project conversion for a FW-05R is around 400$, but that replaces almost every part of the suspension, chassis, Deck, Suspension geometry, etc... and produces a world class race car.

For 200$ you get a car who’s handle'n will be questionable at best, and lets say it works, its going to work no better and probably MUCH worse than the stock car. HPI is laughing themselves to the bank on this one. "Dude I got an idea lets take the old and busted car, and make a drifting kit. Yeh man we can make a killing off that market! lets charge 200$, those kid's will pay it to be able to drift!"

The delusional people looking to "race" this car in a non drift sense are just bonus material for them.

Clegg
Everyone is entitled to an opinion but this is just a toy car!!! I too have a serpent 950 1/8 scale and a kyosho v-one rr evo. Both are great cars and look forward to running this spring. I am not delusional in thinking that the handling of the rs4-3ss can be improved from stock. If the handling does not improve, so what. It still just a toy car!!! Any money spent on these toys is not what I call a rational investment. I get my enjoyment from hopping up this car and trying to make it better. Sometime its works sometime is does not. My next kit car is going to be a "pro" car either a Serpent 710 or Kyosho v-one rrr. These are great racing machines and I will run them accordingly. I just also get a great kick in modding this rs4-3ss and racing around a tight parking lot. I have no intentions of taking on the world of "pro" racing cars on a smoothly paved track. Thats what the 1/8 serpent and kyosho are for. But on an average small to medium parking lot, the rs4-3ss seems to run real good and this stage d kit looks like it could make it run better for tight parking lot type racing only. I too do not think HPI has stumbled onto a great discovery but I do firmly believe that with the stage d kit, it is more of a mid-engine car than a front biased car. I love all these flames that say your an idiot because of xyz!!! Its just a toy car... If you are crying over $200, how the heck do you expect to race a full season without spending money. If you really want to run these pro cars against other cars, this hobby is going to cost you a hell of a lot more than $200!!! Money wont make you a winner but experience will and sometimes it costs...
Thanx for you comments and I will keep them in mind. While I do not think I am delusional, I definitely will try to have an open mind and try to see things your way before I purchase the stage D kit.