First Buggy
 

Recently picked up a B5M roller, this is my first foray into the buggy world. Was wondering if it would be beneficial for me to do a tear down of the roller in order to learn the ins and outs of the buggy? Thanks for the advice.

Yep tear it down so you know its inner workings and you can replace anything that may need it

As others have said, it's good to tear down any used car you buy. First, you get to know it well and can then perform track-side fixes much more efficiently. Second, with some experience, you'll be able to figure out which parts are the most likely to break and thus can buy some spares. Lastly, when you put it back together, you can make sure that the setup you put on it is the one you want. Who knows what the previous owner did, it may be the completely wrong setup for your track.

I'd start with the factory setup and adjust it from there. Get to know the local "fast guys" and get some tips from those running B5Ms, which I imagine is plenty.

Definitely tear it down. Then on the rebuild pay close attention to hinge pins, bearings and slop in the suspension. I like to replace all the bearings on a rebuild. The Avid Revolution bearing kits are inexpensive and cheap insurance that you won't have issues when you first start out. You can't get any faster if you are in the pits fixing stuff.

thanks for the advice, that is what i was figuring. I am in the process of tearing it down now.

Tear down in modules, front bulkhead, rear, radio plate etc. Discover how to access diffs and other high maintenance components

Use good tools.

Hidden treasure
 

I bought my first buggy here as well and was glad I spent a week tearing it down and rebuilding everything. Finding those hidden treasures like stripped screws, bent pins etc was a lesson learned and well worth the time invested to ensure it was put together properly. Things get out of spec after time and its good to get it up to snuff. Good luck with it and enjoy!

It's experiences like yours that keep some people from buying used. After getting burned a few times, I only buy used from reputable (or local) people. At the same time I try to be super honest about the kits I sell, I don't want someone to be "surprised" by something I sell them. Pay it forward type of thing.

Best way to get to know any rc car, be it a 1/8 buggy, 1/10 onroad nitro or even a 1/12 pan car is to either build it from scratch or if you buy it built, disassemble it and put it back together again. Just my 2 cents

Disassemble?

Oh man... right in the childhood.

Johhny5
 

Yup, do you need more input? 8)

Do it twice for good measure, as the way you do it the second time is like 10 times better than your first attempt. I've dissembled 3 times in a day before while i was recording a video for the model on youtube.