I found it a real pain to cut the chassis protective sheet to the right shape and size once the kit was complete. I recommend the following alteration to the build sequence:

1. Proceed per the manual to the left-hand part of "Front End Build - Step 1". Install the front bulkhead.

2. Skip ahead to "Rear End Build - Step 1" and install the rear chassis plate.

3. Place the chassis on the chassis protective sheet. Orient it on the sheet so that one side of the chassis lines up with a long edge, and the end of the rear chassis plate is even with one end. (Part of the front bulkhead will overhang the other end of the protective sheet, and this is OK because its underside will be protected by the front bumper.)

4. Mark the protective sheet around the edges of the chassis/front bulkhead/rear chassis plate assembly.

5. Put the protective sheet aside, and resume the build at "Front End Build - Step 1" by installing the front transmission.

6. Enjoy the ease with which you apply the chassis protective sheet at the end of the build.

Why not just apply and trim around the chasis after it is stuck down with a utility blade. That's how I did it. Works great.

+1, that's the method I've always used and its fairly quick and painless.

KevinRC I understand what you mean, but what if you need to reapply tape after a few months of running?

To make it a little easier, simply remove your shocks, undo the hinge pins for the arms, and trim away with knife.

Long time racer, new to 4w Mod Bug. Grabbed me a 44.2 from the LHS this past Tues evening, got 'er all built up, ready for a large trophy race tomorrow. Ran a few laps of practice today. Had a few minor glitches, most notably two stock ball cups cracked. But all in all it felt real good, the short time I got to run today.
Also, would like to take a moment to thank UN4 for the vidz I pretty much watched a vid, completed a step, watched the next...lol. I've built many RCs in my time, but even still, learned a lot from your work.

Looking fwd to tomorrow. Can't come quick enough, even with the Day Light Savings I should be able to get some vid focused on my ride in one of my quals, and will get the Main as well, though it won't necessarily follow me.

Throw the kit ball cups away, they are junk and low quality... Not even the same cups AE sells in packages. Strongly advise to replace all of them before your big race. Trust us here, we all had the same issues.

I screwed up that post. It was in fact, PT# 7230, as mentioned in UN4's Turnbuckle vid. I grabbed them and installed first thing this AM. I know we have some RPM cups, not sure if they work. Maybe I'll take a closer look tomorrow. I thought I saw some white ones somewhere, that are supposed to be better. Anyone with info or a link? Thx

CHASSIS PROTECTOR TIPS:

Pay special attention to your wires when trimming your chassis protector, especially if you leave your blade long.

For oversized skins: Clean the chassis well, and make sure there's no loose dirt on your arms. Warm the chassis and the protector with a blow dryer. Fold in half long ways and just lay it onto the centerline first then over your arms. Run your finger down the centerline of the chassis and cut the excess material outward to relieve lift or twisting from the arms. Use your camber guage and press down from the centerline outward slowly, making sure there are no bubbles. Just hack the big chunks off then trim clean.

On pre-cut protectors you can also spray a light mist of water with a tiny bit of soap and slide it around to properly fit. Then squeegee the water out from the center to the edges and blow dry to warm it. Let it cool to pull tight and dry. Let it sit for a day. I don't recommend that unless you have to though. Your screws might rust. It's more of an MX trick for graphics. When those suckers grab you're not moving them for nothin'.

Anyway, back to ball cups... stock ones are junk, replace with RPMs or Lunsford and forget about them. Easy peezy. You'll kick yourself if you don't throw the stockers away.

The cups that come in the shelf packages are not breaking but popping off. Not sure if its the ball studs or the cups. I have gone back to JC ball cups but the RPM ones are good to. Heck anything but AE. Seems to be the trend anyway. the set ups are getting more mixed with Kyosho so much maybe we should just run there cups.... Glad the vids were useful.

Added a couple of vids this weekend.. Great way to on the fly remove tires. After he pulled them he trimmed some glue and insert debris off with scissors and re-glued them. Had I not seen him do it I would not have known they had been pulled and new inserts added...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1riFFSLnkF4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AAKghytVLo

+5000, I broke the stock ones in the first 2 runs of the car.
Cost me a good qualifying time.

On the ball cup issue. I heard from many racers to throw the AE ballcups away when I got my car, so I did in favor of rpm cups. Bad move, in 2 race days I broke 3 of the titanium FT turnbuckles since the cups did not give at all. I then spent the scratch on some lunsford punisher turnbuckles and cups, and haven't had an issue with turnbuckles or cups in the past 2 months. I highly suggest running the lunsford setup.

The Lunsford Ti rods are pretty .....

Got a picture of the broken ti rods ?

You're ahead of me then, because I don't understand what you mean. What has this to do with building a new kit?

Once the chassis sheet is applied we're all in the same boat, no matter how we first attached the sheet, right?

If I had known the time I was going to spend I'd have done it that way. (But if I build another kit with a protective sheet, I'll do as I described, and if I need a small piece of protective sheet to apply a patch later I'll have it.)

I just got done building my rig and noticed that on the left rear at close to full shock compression the shock stroke got hard. It appears the dog bone is bottoming out on the platic t-spacer in the out drive.

I feel I didn't make a mistake building it, I over looked the directions and the rig and nothing seems obvious.

Could someone please guide me on what might be wrong.

Thanks in Advance