Factory Team TC4, rugburned, shunned and laughed at???
10-28-2005, 11:54 AM
#46
Well it its true I haven't own a tc4 or a ft tc4 but I had driven both of them and helped my track buddies setting them up. I don't dislike them and I'm sure they are capable cars on the right hands. But the fact is in terms of durability, quality and fit the xray is better.
10-28-2005, 12:06 PM
#47
Tech Adept
I think we're straying too far from the topic of the thread. So often threads about what a certain car is like turn into a '______' vs xray debate. It's clear to me that the TC4 FT is in total a cheaper car. However, the quality and fit is probably slightly worse. I guess these are the comprimises you have to make when buying a new car. I think we'll have to wait to see what happens results-wise, as the AE car has only been released recently.
Back to the reason for the thread anyway. What is there that people don't like about the TC4 FT?
Back to the reason for the thread anyway. What is there that people don't like about the TC4 FT?
10-28-2005, 12:19 PM
#48
You're right, It shouldn't turn into a "__________" vs. Xray debate. 
10-28-2005, 12:35 PM
#49
By the way the price mention by Ralph on stormer hobbies is for the Xray kit that includes a regular diff and both 2.0 and 3.0 chassis 
10-28-2005, 12:41 PM
#50
I think too many are stuck thinking its a perception that the TC4 isnt a racer since it doesnt have graphite or aluminuim parts, the tc3 didnt, and it worked great. The tc4 for a while wasnt as quick as a tc3 (but the team wasnt allowed to go back to the old car) and i am curious if the FT TC4 is as quick. The problem with the original car was stiffness, and also the shocktowers flexing pretty badly (team guys had cf stiffner plates early this year to fix that before the new car came out though). While vegas wasnt nessiarly a fair showing of how well the new car could go, to not see someone like blackstock not even make the show in mod foam (albiet everyone has off weekends...) and then have i dont think in stock foam make the show (I think walt made it in 19t?) compared to how well the old car placed...
The tc4 has yet to prove its pace on carpet with foams....
The tc4 has yet to prove its pace on carpet with foams....
10-28-2005, 12:45 PM
#51
Tech Adept
Originally Posted by porsche928gs
By the way the price mention by Ralph on stormer hobbies is for the Xray kit that includes a regular diff and both 2.0 and 3.0 chassis
10-28-2005, 01:00 PM
#52
Tech Addict
iTrader: (4)
i currently own a ft tc4 and love it so far i have beat the xray and corally cars but once i saw the corally rdx carpet spec in person i fell in love and i think i can run faster with one than i am with the tc4 not saying the tc4 isnt a great car i havent lost with it in a month of racing just saying the corally looks a little better suited to my needs
10-28-2005, 01:00 PM
#53
Originally Posted by ralph_c
fair enough, missed that. It was after all an 'additional product note' and not in the main specs.
10-28-2005, 01:08 PM
#54
Tech Rookie
Originally Posted by GroffBall
Off topic but what would I do to my droop to eliminate torque steer, increase or decrease.
10-28-2005, 01:23 PM
#55
Originally Posted by acyrier
Nope...I'm in Indiana. If your shop is selling them that high... you might wanna see if there is another shop near by. That's especially high for the associated product. I was hoping your shop was selling the fk05 for the 330ish mark. I would have called and ordered. :-)
10-28-2005, 01:43 PM
#56
Originally Posted by acyrier
economics... not totally sure about that...guys at our place who are running the fk05 also had to buy the 3.0mm chassis on top of the kit they just bought... and extra 65ish. I would imagine if you purchased a BMI and a Tc4 or even a FTtc4 your almost at the same $ amount as the xray +3mm chassis. I know they are shipping "SOME" of the fk05's now with the 3mm chassis, but according to rcamerica they are doing that to make up for lack of CF at the manufacturing level. (If I read that right on their (rcamerica) site. There are other upgrades that people are buying for each car including battery braces, different top plates etc. I think no matter what.... your gonna spend a "mint" for a new car. I have the same delima about purchasing a new car. I currently have a BMI tc3 and it runs pretty well. Unfortunately, there's a guy at our club that puts the smack down and laps the rest of us by 2 laps. I'm struggeling as to purchase an xray or TC4. Only problem I have is cost/parts for an X-ray over TC4 are a little more. Am I gonna be able to make up (2) laps...probabaly not.
10-28-2005, 01:57 PM
#57
The reason Xray is so popular is that there is no effort required to build and set the car up compared to a TC4 or a Losi. Corrally is similar in it's excellence. Both manufacturers have good sized teams running the car in mod and stock. They have the setups that work, and the parts fit is great. They also seems to see the racing effort as a way to sell cars, vs. trying to sell a car as an RTR, or past successes or whatever.
Associated made its bread and butter on carpet tracks in the midwest. The TC3 dominated for YEARS, and I saw many early Xrays get sold for TC3 cars. There was not much that could keep up with a TC3 in stock for a long time.
Xray did put a huge effort into refining their car on carpet. Obivously, it paid off in results and sales. Corrally is going down a similar route.
Associated had the luck of building an excellent car the first time out, one that was so good it didn't need replacing until a year ago. When you talk to guys who have gone to the newer Euro cars, you hear things like "it is mindless to drive", "it requires very little effort". A Tc3 takes a lot of effort to drive fast. They can be very twitchy, and hard to drive, but super fast. If you can make a car easy to drive, and still be able to put up the lap times, drivers will want it. Tc3s also wear a lot of parts, the chassis can be warped, the older style gearboxes had to be played with a lot to get them free, etc. You bolt an Xray together, and it usually is ready to rock without shimming or grinding, etc.
I think what we are seeing now is a shift to desire for not only a car that is highest quality, but also has the support and testing behind it to allow even average drivers get the most out of it without endless testing. That's not to say that these cars are without fault. I just think that sometimes companies think the consumer will "figure it out". In the past, that may have been good enough. Now things evolve so fast, and are becoming so advanced, leaving a large part of testing to the public does not work well.
Associated made its bread and butter on carpet tracks in the midwest. The TC3 dominated for YEARS, and I saw many early Xrays get sold for TC3 cars. There was not much that could keep up with a TC3 in stock for a long time.
Xray did put a huge effort into refining their car on carpet. Obivously, it paid off in results and sales. Corrally is going down a similar route.
Associated had the luck of building an excellent car the first time out, one that was so good it didn't need replacing until a year ago. When you talk to guys who have gone to the newer Euro cars, you hear things like "it is mindless to drive", "it requires very little effort". A Tc3 takes a lot of effort to drive fast. They can be very twitchy, and hard to drive, but super fast. If you can make a car easy to drive, and still be able to put up the lap times, drivers will want it. Tc3s also wear a lot of parts, the chassis can be warped, the older style gearboxes had to be played with a lot to get them free, etc. You bolt an Xray together, and it usually is ready to rock without shimming or grinding, etc.
I think what we are seeing now is a shift to desire for not only a car that is highest quality, but also has the support and testing behind it to allow even average drivers get the most out of it without endless testing. That's not to say that these cars are without fault. I just think that sometimes companies think the consumer will "figure it out". In the past, that may have been good enough. Now things evolve so fast, and are becoming so advanced, leaving a large part of testing to the public does not work well.
10-28-2005, 01:58 PM
#58
I'll keep that in mind!
I just need to bite the bullet and figure out which car I want/can afford. heck, by the time I make a frigg'n decision. the 06 will be out, and my debate will start all over!
Speaking of that.. do we think X-ray will be shipping out a new design every year. Like somebody said earlier..the tc3 is a 6yrold design. and the tc4 isn't that far different. BMI's TC3 chassis (with the NTC steering mod) puts a LOT of the modifications into the tc3..battery placement, weight distribution.
Corner speed on TC4's... so if corner speed is the problem w/teh tc4's...what's the solution?
different tires? different suspension locations (mounting holes) Seems like besides shaft/belt we should be able to come close to duplicating the geometry of another car...x-ray for example) Even if the parts are not "superior", as long as there's not an a$$ load of slop should be equally fast. (or close enough) Our fast guy is pretty fast no matter what car he has. He's just that smooth around the corners...and consistant. Probably my biggest problem. But I don't think it's me. For example..my 12th scale...on the same track..my laptimes are MUCH more consistant from lap to lap then my TC. Makes me believe the car is the problem. I'm putting in a new servo (S9451) vs. the hi-tec one I got. The servo I have now (hi-tec) accounts for MORE then 1/2 the slop in the steering. Pretty lame really.
I just need to bite the bullet and figure out which car I want/can afford. heck, by the time I make a frigg'n decision. the 06 will be out, and my debate will start all over! Speaking of that.. do we think X-ray will be shipping out a new design every year. Like somebody said earlier..the tc3 is a 6yrold design. and the tc4 isn't that far different. BMI's TC3 chassis (with the NTC steering mod) puts a LOT of the modifications into the tc3..battery placement, weight distribution.
Corner speed on TC4's... so if corner speed is the problem w/teh tc4's...what's the solution?
different tires? different suspension locations (mounting holes) Seems like besides shaft/belt we should be able to come close to duplicating the geometry of another car...x-ray for example) Even if the parts are not "superior", as long as there's not an a$$ load of slop should be equally fast. (or close enough) Our fast guy is pretty fast no matter what car he has. He's just that smooth around the corners...and consistant. Probably my biggest problem. But I don't think it's me. For example..my 12th scale...on the same track..my laptimes are MUCH more consistant from lap to lap then my TC. Makes me believe the car is the problem. I'm putting in a new servo (S9451) vs. the hi-tec one I got. The servo I have now (hi-tec) accounts for MORE then 1/2 the slop in the steering. Pretty lame really.
10-28-2005, 02:53 PM
#60
On getting the TC4's better in the corners, we never figured it out. When the racer vers. was out, we thought it was b/c the car flexed to much and scrubbed speed. This obvioulsy isnt the case, the new chassis is very stiff. It has do with how soft the setups are and how they make a lot of body roll in the turns. I looked up all the FT setups that are being run recently and they are running springs that are un-heard of until now in TC. They are also completely without any swaybars, I almost never ran a TC on carpet without a sway bar. So as of now, I dont have any real answer to why the TC4 is weird in the corners. Not to say its not fast, b/c it is. But on the note of slop, I think all cars will have a certain amount, some maybe more than others. But as we saw, the TC3 had TONS of play and slop and forever was the fastest car to ever touch carpet. I think sloppy is potentially fast 
. I too am in the same boat as you, I dont want to spend a fortune, but I want a competitive car.
. I too am in the same boat as you, I dont want to spend a fortune, but I want a competitive car.