Well, I'm going to put some energy into seeing just how well one can build an Associated gear diff. Maybe put some of this schooling I paid for to good use instead of rotting in my cube . If i come up with something good, I'll let you know.
Oh, give me some objectives you think would be worthwhile. I already have an idea for a limited slip sort of arrangement, or a diff that gets tighter as you apply more torque/rpm to it.

Can somebody please advise who would supply standard countersunk 4-40 screws that don't have the label stamped in the top of them.
The ones that actually sit flush with the chassis and don't stick out like the ones with the labels stamped into the head.

I only want RC suppliers as I can't order from McMaster etc

Thanks

Whats the big deal with the screws?

I haven't seen one yet, but does anyone have a list of parts/upgrades that they recommend or is needed for the factory team wc b4.1? Im planning on getting one in the near future an want to make sure to get everything I need for the car all at once.

Interesting reads for sure about the diff rebuilds, I am still trying to figure this one out myself. I have watched the diff rebuild vids from TheRacer53 on YT. I can definitely get them smooth in the beginning after the rebuild, but it seems like as soon as I run it on the track and pull the wheels off and rotate the hexes I feel grittyness. I have had several people feel it and say that it feels fine, and that is normal. Maybe I am describing it wrong, but it definitely does not feel the same as a fresh rebuild. I can spin the wheels and not feel the grittyness.

Using ProTek ceramic balls every time, new diff rings, and new washers/thrust balls (MIP washers, ASC Thrust Balls) Sometimes I flip the rings, or sand them, other times I just replace..what ever I feel like doing that night.

What am I looking for to know the diff is 100% shot and needs to be rebuilt?

I normally like running I normally like running the diff a little tighter, where I get about 3/4 of a rotation of the wheel when I spin it by hand.

Dude, that'd be a breakthrough. No more sad moments stuck on the side of the track, your free wheel spinning at a hundred miles an hour and the stuck one at a dead stop. Might be a problem trying to throttle through turns, though. Who knows? Keep us updated on the coolness!

That is the beauty of using the #P66 B-Fast kit. It has carbide diff balls and ceramic thrust balls. Also the diff rings are much harder than the stock AE ones. With much harder components, the life goes way up. I only have recently gone back to running AE cars, but in my 22 and my XXX-SCT, I went thru 2 diff kits per car in a year of racing. And from October to April I run 2 nights a week with buggy and one night a week of SCT.

Put it together with the right parts, break it in, and set it right, they will last 2-3 months. At that point I turn the rings over (they are softer than the balls) and it will feel like new for another 2 months. They are an exceptional value IMO.

I think that people in general try to run the diff as loose as they can, which will help rotation around the corner. But not every track requires it. That and people tend to run their slippers too tight, because they have the punch on the ESC turned up too high. All in which will "bark" the diff because it is getting too much load from the motor.

Maintenance wise, the gear diff IMO is just as much work, as the outdrives are made from softer steel and tend to get notched quickly (which can cause binding in the corners when the car rotates = push) and they tend to wear out the diff housing at a fast pace, causing more binding / leaking.

my screws dont stick out.....

tires. the car comes with everything you need. maybe some lead weights too.

Only things I would recommend would be the Avid triad slipper and Avid steering rack.Dont get me wrong these are just recommended parts not must have the car is good out of the box.

Hideeho
What would you be willing to pay for an dif that transferes power away from a wheel that is slipping & to a wheel that has traction? $50? $100? $300? $500?

I checked into having a limited slip dif built for a 10th scale or 8th scale buggy. I was basing the design off a 1:1 gear lsd. I checked with a couple of machinists. They all said it would cost thousands to build a prototype (even out of plastic) & then a cost in the hundreds to mass produce. Keep in mind, that is cost to produce, not retail price. Personally I would say a retail price of $100 would be acceptable, but $300-$500 is not. Maybe one of these days I'll run across a machinist that would be more interested in the challenge than the money. If someone could get that done for a resonable price it would be an ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER! It would be a MUST have for any one racing an rc vehicle.

Bfast rings are not harder than stock rings. They are ae rings that have been sanded flat.

Google Torsen differential, more specifically R/C Torsen diff.

Hideeho
These are the mods I would recomend in order of importance to me.

practice time

correct tires for your track

balast weight to balance car & help setup

Avid steering blocks (or at least glued factory saver)

carbon c-hubs w/ shaved u-brace

bb shocks (will be available oct 1) not sure about the springs yet as the AE springs aren't out yet, but I'm betting Avids will be the ones to have

slipper upgrade Avid triad>rcshox garodisk>AE VTS>stock

There are a million other little mods you can do. some will help a little (TiNi ball studs), some just look cool (anodize the Ti turnbuckles), some will help a lot but are expensive (full ti screws, shock mounts, front axles, & hinge pins).

One other mod you will hear a lot about is converting to hexes. Personally I do not consider that a vital mod at all. Doing this mod is a convenience thing only. IT DOES NOTHING TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE. As a matter of fact, it increases the unsprung weight & rotating mass of the wheel. Both of those things are actually going to hinder performance of the buggy. It is a VERY SMALL change, probably not noticable to 99.9% of the drives out there, but personally I know its there & can't justify spending $$$ on a mod that will actually reduce the performance of my buggy, regardless how little that reduction is.

After all that, I would also say only #1 & #2 are required to win with this buggy.

Actually hey are made for B-Fast by a vendor.

Stock rings have a radius on the edge, and if you polished them the radius would still be there. B-Fast rings have a sharp edge on them. And if you took stock ones and ground them down far enough to take the radius off, the rings would be too thin and the hubs would bottom on the diff gear.