I use the TM springs and the Associated lower spring retainers. The big problem with the shocks is the casting ridge around the edge of the piston. Sand that smooth and the shocks are fine.

Hi:

We received a lot of emails about our sale last month. People complained that we didn't let everyone know and that it did not last long enough. We don't do as many sales as some places do so it is important to check the web site on a regular basis. With that out of the way we will have a pretty spectacular sale starting on Friday. We stocked up for this and it will go on for as long as supplies last. It will also be the lowest prices anywhere (I can't see anyone beating this one). Also if you are looking to be "surprised" for Christmas please get our phone number or email address to whomever you want to surprise you and we will make it happen.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!


Wolf

I'm running asphalt with rubber tires. Can't decide between the E4RS or the E4FS. According to the Wolf Hobbies site it says that the FS is good for both foam and rubber. I like that it has the single crank steering as opposed to the dual crank steering on the RS.

Would the FS with the thicker chassis, hook up on an asphalt track with rubber tires? Or would it be best to go with the RS? Why do the two have different steering systems?

Hey guys, basically came on to ask the same question.... How do you determine between the FS or RS. I am racing on carpet right now but as soon as spring hits us I will be outside racing with whatever TC I get.... Indoor I will be using spec blues for the tires so should I not even be thinking about the FS? Also it seems like an awsome deal they got going on now but why is the FS discounted more then the RS? Hopfully someone can enlighten us....

Hi:

Good questions. The answer is based not just on my experience but also feedback from almost all of the team and sponsored drivers. This is not intended to spark a debate but is our opinion based on experience and tons feedback. The general feeling is that because of the suspension geometry and the centerline mass the car is more responsive with the thicker chassis used on the FS. Other cars go through such massive changes in center of gravity during cornering because of the battery mass hanging out in space. Turning in one direction the center of gravity goes down as the car leans and in the other direction it raises. This makes most cars inherently unstable and they have to resort to stiffer springs and sway bars to counter the imbalance problem. With the stiff springs and sway bars the cars rely on chassis flex to maintain tire contact with the ground. Since the E4 does not have that problem it is possible to go with softer springs and shock oil. In this situation the stiffer chassis makes the car more consistent and responsive. In full size race-cars the challenge is to make the chassis as stiff as possible and make the suspension do the work. The reason is that suspension reaction can be dampened with the shock absorbers whereas chassis flex cannot be dampened and leads to oscillation. We have tried every combination of chassis top deck and stiffener posts and have come to the conclusion that the fastest combination of parts on carpet regardless of tires is the FS upper and lower deck with the front spacers installed. For asphalt we also found that the FS chassis has an edge over the thinner RS chassis for most drivers. Whether the front spacers are used or not depends on tires, track surface and driver preference. FYI: at the Reedy race we experimented with several chassis (some custom made for the event) and we all ended up using the stock FS upper and lower decks (In the spirit of full disclosure, the upper decks we used were the Wolf Hobbies decks which have the same dimensions as the stock decks but use countersunk flat head screws to better keep things lined up in the event of a crash). The bottom line is that it is always easier to make a stiff car compliant than it is to make a soft car stiffer. I have a carpet and asphalt car. They are both FSs.

As for the steering systems we have found that the single arm is better on carpet. On asphalt there is a split. I hate the single arm on asphalt because it is too responsive (being over 50 I don't have the benefit of years of video game "training" that most of you have.) so I use the double arm. My son (and Dave) on the other hand find the car too "mellow" with the double arm and use the single exclusively. All in all we find about a 50 - 50 split on drivers that race on asphalt exclusively. The single arm has issues with bump steer that requires about 7mm of spacers but we have a really slick solution but just haven’t had time to put it on the web site yet.

At the risk of sounding silly I have to say that Jaco blues seem like they were made for this car. Whenever I have a test day and get frustrated that I cannot get the car to do what I want (like when I test with a tire that is going to be a spec tire at an event) I slap a set of blues on the car, it just flies and I get me confidence back. I always look forward to going to an event that uses the blues because I know that my car is pretty much set up as soon as I put it on the track (purple springs in front, pinks in the rear and 30 or 35 shock oil depending on whether it is asphalt or carpet)

Why is there a price difference between the FS and RS? Because we bought all the E4FSs that TM produced. We got a better deal from the manufacturer and can pass on the savings to you. We pulled out all the stops on our Christmas sale. Times are tough for us all and we really want everyone to have the best season ever so we even dropped the price on the RS to match the FS to level the field and make it possible for everyone to get whatever they want. In fact we only have a few of the special edition cars left. If you email me and ask nicely I will give you $75.00 off on the remaining stock of those cars. (this also helps us see how many of our customers follow this thread and lets us know how much we should spend on advertising here)

We really appreciate all the support and kind words we have received over the past two years. We consider all of our E4 customers special. You all could have followed the herd and bought what everyone else bought but you blazed your own trail. In our opinion this makes you ALL special. This sale is our way of saying thank you and to help you to show everyone else the quick way around the track.

I have the first generation team magic E4 how can you get clearance in fitting the big Lipo Packs?

That was a great post Wolf. I appreciate your response.

I have a JS that has worked great for me so far with the exception of some slop issues in the front end steering. I was planning on beefing up the front end with some option parts but for the cost of what I would spend in upgrade parts alone, I can practically get a new FS with the sale price.

As for that "special" RCTech deal, can I PM you for that or does it have to be e-mail?

When I race, I'm the only one there with an E4. I used to run an XRay and many people I race with are die hard XRay drivers and Cyclone drivers. When I tell them that I am now running the E4 they all give me a "" look. But they all can see at the same time, how well my E4 handles. Not to mention the fact that they are amazed how an "entry" car like the JS (mostly plastic) can handle just as well as some full graphite cars.

To me, the E4 layout is the most sensible given the advent of both Lipo and BL. I'm tired of seeing the same two belt design that was conceived way back when there was only brushed motors and NiCad batteries. What you (Wolf) said about the CG working differently when turning left vs. right is so very true.

+1 on chassis layout ...in spec racing u can really see how the car eats up infields it changes direction like no other car out there...

if some of u are on a budget the E4js is a good 17.5 car...and a perfect TA car

I want one, I want one, I want one lol Just hoping the sale holds out long enough for me to get the money to pick one up and be the odd man out at the track... I have NEVER seen one in person and will be anticipating the weird looks and smirks at the track but I don't care.. It seems so simple the only thing is that everyone else has there cars they way they have them for a reason don't they? O well I will only be running 17.5 and will prob be running that for a while since I just started racing in Oct.... I currently run vta and 1/12th 17.5... Looking to get out of 1/12th for the cost aspect but need the money to get into TC... for $50 bucks more it seems like the RS is a no brainer but wish there was a sale on the js too lol so I could change my vta car and then buy a sweet TM car carrier and then really turn some heads lol....

If someone wants to pm me about how their E4 is kicking but at the track vs xrays, ae's, and TOP's it would make my decision so much easier and prob get me to scrounge up the cash quicker....

thinking of picking one up for next season but which one is the 09 spec at wolfs hobbies? Hopefully its the one on sale. The part number seem to be the same on the one on the site as the 09 but it doesnt specify. please inlighten me.

I am looking for a new TC for outdoor low/medium asphalt and indoor medium/high asphalt in 17.5 BL Stock Class. I will also be running the Team Trinity 5000 mA Lipo packs. My choice of 17.5 BL is still in the air. I have a set of Tamiya TRF Shocks that I would probably put on the car as well.

The E4FS and E4RS are on my short list. Love the design and Wolf has always given fantastic customer support.

How is this car on asphalt compared to the Tamiyas, XRays, and Hot Bodies of the world? What are the pros and cons?

What spares are recommended?

What hopups are recommended?

Worlf - This was asked a few posts ago, but I am also curious to know if the E4RS 09 Spec is the one that is on sale. Sent you an email...

Any help would be much appreciated.

Chi

What battery pack do you have in your E4? I've seen the Intellects in E4s and just wondering if SMCs fit and anything else.

Hope this might help! I just picked up the E4RS 09 but haven't race it yet. I too race, or have a couple times at pound it. The E4RS 09 is all the hopups you need. The e4js has the lower end shocks so you would want to run the tamiya shocks with the AE springs and bottom spring retainers. The E4rs has the upgraded shocks. It by far is the best model out there. YOu will want to remove the sway bars front and back. I got mine from Krazy Kevins with the wolf steel battery tray. Paul at KK is another person locally who can get you parts and help you set it up. He told me to use stock springs in rear and 14.5lb springs in front. 40wt oil in front and 35 or 30 in the rear. I myself have never seen a TM car on the track in person but hear alot about them. After doing some research, the chassis/weight distribution design seems far superior. But that's just MO! I did however put on the JCConcepts clear chassis protector sticker on the bottom of mine. I will be running a Fantom Ion 2 17.5 motor with a 72/37 gear setup. Seems to be a good starting point. 48pitch. The cost difference of what you will end up buying if you get the E4JS is alot compared to the extra 50 bucks you will spend on the allready modded E4RS 09. Plus if you pick up the E4RS, you and I will have someone to bounce new ideas off of as far as what works for setup and what won't. Not a big deal if you have a cyclone or xray where we race. Everyone here has one of those. But so far, that I know of, I am the only one gonna be running a TM in our local race circuit. Get one dude!!!!!! You won't be disappointed!!! But then again, I have been running a AE TC3, and locals are telling me that it's gonna be a huge difference in comfort, response, and ease of driving. After seeing some videos of them running against other cars, a tight track seems to be where it shines. Corners seem to be a breeze! I have also been running a stock servo, which is a joke I know, but that's all I could afford and at the time, I didn't know better ones made that huge of a difference! Now I am installing a Futaba 9152? A digital with .11 speed and 134oz of torque. I couldn't believe how fast that servos was, under load, in a TC3. So in a car that the steering is ball bearing, better layed out, better design and so on, it should make worlds of difference! A gentleman in Orange County sent me his take on what he runs in his car, if you like, pm me and I will forward his info that he so graciously gave to me. I have only raced 3 times, but been watching for a while. It seems, after watching others, where they're cars lack precision in cornering, the TM should SHINE!!!!!! So get one!!!!!!!! Then we can take turns walking the Xrays and Cyclones back to the finish line!!!!! hth, Vinny

Whats the chosen method of routing for the sensor wire on these. I had a JS and the sensor wire on my Novak 17.5 SS was a pain to route. The only sensible way was to go through the belt and over the top of the chassis. Bending it to go in between bulkheads and out the other side was impossible since it prohibited the motor from being able to rotate toward the front of the car. And even then I still couldnt rotate the motor all the way because the sensor wire boot bumped into the bulkhead?

To increase front and rear track, is everyone using the aftermarket wheel hex adaptors that add offset? Can you use the ones made by other companies like Tamiya or will they not fit the pin? Any information would be helpful.

Also has anyone tried to use the KO PDS-951 ICS servo in their E4? It is a 1/12 servo that weights 29g but is 0.09 seconds and 107 oz of torque. Will the mounting holes support this or would you have to find a different way to mount it?