Got to assembling the r2 these last two evenings as a break between my full scale work that needs doing. i prob wont get to the track to test it out until.. maybe wednesday/thursday? ill see how far my full scale gets in reassembly. busy busy month. I hadn't planned to even buy an r2 for a little while but couldnt really pass up the deal i got.
car went together pretty well using the RSD prototype chassis. I received an early prototype so refinements are likely to be made to the final version you can buy. everything in the drive train bolted up just fine and aligned perfectly. one thing i noted as this being my first aluminum chassis car was how accurate everything seems to be in contrast to carbon. cf is good, but it seems like the countersinks can be more easily deformed than aluminum.
I had to do FAR FAR less tapping and adjusting of the countersinks trying to take tweak out of the car and this was very welcome considering what building a spec r properly entails heh.
id say this car was.. BETTER to build than my r1 and s2's ive built for the club. the new plastic parts are finished better and fit together better. though im sad to say MOST of the plastics are unchanged. ballcups seemed to be made of the new plastic they used for the lower arm inserts. they are better than previous version, but still fit too loosely on the balls.
an improvment, but not the right one i think.
as for the lower arm mount inserts, they do fit into the blocks easier and push out easier. id say its kind of a stubtle difference but you can feel it.
you get metal pivots this time instead of plastic, should last a while.
you can see the bulkhead clearly here and im sad to say there i just no compatability with the r1 platform, including s2.
as i said, all the bronze/green parts are all new and the chassis is drilled differently for them.
sadly the top plate hole spacing is also different.
I know the one side layshaft is all the rage, but im not sure what i think of it, esp in mod. when you want to run your belts tight to handle the power, its totally gonna tweak on the layshaft. you have to be super careful how you shim it to keep it right in the center.
swaybars are unchanged. as for the new shocks.. they are a few mm shorter to properly match the lowered shock towers. regular touring car springs work just fine. i use yokomo springs.
i didnt have any problems having to adjust the rod ends or anything to get the right droop, and ride height is no problem, something s2 owners were fussing about. they look sharp and adjust well, but i miss the knurled finish for assembly ha. I drilled all the caps rather than mess with rebound setting. i have undrilled if i should want to test.
its too bad they look so good BEFORE you put your stuff in them.. I almost dont wanna finish it lol.
hopefully the next revision will have matching aluminum bits. car looks sharp though.