TT02 FRD: Swapping Eagle Parts to Reduce Front End Play

I really like my Eagle Racing TT02 FRD, and plan on keeping it for a while. If I have one main complaint about the chassis it is the excessive amount of front end slop it has. I have changed rod ends, and shimmed up places as much as I could, but there are some things that can't be fixed as easily without causing binding. The stock upper arms are one of the main culprits here. Despite having a seriously long pivot shaft, the arms were designed too narrow, and due to manufacturing tolerances, this created a lot of slop in some cases.

I think Eagle listened to it's customers and team drivers, and chose to make this better on the new TT02 RWD chassis that was recently released.

Project Update: Yokomo Drift Package Type C RWD

Sorry for the lack of content recently. I've started a new job, and have been working on some other projects that have kept me away from the keyboard lately.

A while back I posted about an upcoming build of the Yokomo Type C chassis. It took a little longer than expected to complete, but it has been a fun project. I'm not going to detail the entire build but will give you the highlights of what I am calling a "budget" RWD build.

The build is pretty straightforward, and I used a limited number of upgrades along the way.

Product Showcase: Usukani Front Bulkhead for Sakura D4

Usukani has released several great upgrade parts for the Sakura D4 in the past several months. One great part that seems to have gone unnoticed by many is the Front Bulkhead. It is a great mod, and provides multiple benefits to the the D4 chassis.

Product Showcase: Usukani Rear Shaft Conversion Kit for Sakura D4

There is no doubt that the 3 Racing Sakura D4 has taken off since it was introduced. The same can be said for Usukani. This young brand has gained interest and momentum worldwide in a short amount of time. They have put a lot of focus on the Sakura D4 and are delivering unique upgrades for this popular chassis. Usukani's latest and most significant upgrade to date is the Rear Shaft Conversion Kit for the Sakura D4. They are producing it in Pink, Black, Silver, Yokomo Blue, and Red. The USA pricing on this little gem is a mere $78.

This kit is very comprehensive, and replaces the entire rear drive section and bulkhead on the D4.

It comes packaged neatly, and protects the finish on all the parts nicely.

A Tale of Two Body Builds: ABC Sileighty + Addiction BN Sports Part 1

Not long ago I saw a video on YouTube from Street Break Circuit that featured a USDM 240SX Coupe. ABC Hobby doesn't make that particular body, and the one in the video had the front end from the ABC 180SX grafted on. As much as I loved the shell, I could not justify buying two pricey bodies only to cut one up for the front clip. Then after some searching I learned that the pig nose 180SX body came molded as a Sileighty that included a separate nose section with the pop up headlights.

That is when the lightbulb came on and a plan was formed. I ended up buying both bodies to build. The Sileighty is being built first and I intend to put it up for sale once it is completed to offset the cost of getting the parts I needed to do the 240SX. Originally, I was just going to make it a stock version of a Sil80, but the new Addiction RC BN Sports kits kept calling my name, so I picked up those sets as well, and I'm glad I did.

New Build Coming Soon: Yokomo DP Type C

I've had a Yokomo Drift Package build on my 'to do' list for a long time. Looks like it has finally made it near the top of the list. My intention is to make this a two-stage build. First the plan is to build it mostly stock, using a few upgrades up front to convert it to RWD. I really want to experience it in all it's plastic tub chassis glory! :) Eventually I wold like to pair it up with one of the many conversion chassis that are available for the full experience. This chassis should keep me busy for a while...

Designing a New Style of Wire Retainer

One of the things that I haven't used in my chassis builds up until now is motor wire retainers. I like the look of them, but don't care for the cost. Once I have my motor wires all done up neatly, what do I do with the sensor cable? Recently I gained access to a 3D printer, so I thought I would work on a better wire retainer design as a first project. Someone may have already done it, but I have not seen a design that also retains the sensor cable. So I modeled up the design in Solidworks, and printed out the first prototype parts.

Project Bad Bunny: Status Complete

This project has taken some time, but I am happy with the end result. The primary goal was a dark and subtle style for this Rocket Bunny FD RX-7, and I think that goal was achieved. I have to give special thanks to P!PES RC Exhaust, who provided the awesome "BigAss CF Muffler" for this build. This is a brand new product for P!PES and I am honored to be a part of the introduction and advertisement for it.  As usual the quality is top notch, and the look is distinctive.

Full gallery after the jump...

Sakura D4: Suspension Blocks and Rear Lower Arms

A lot of time has been spent de-anodizing (pink) and polishing aluminum parts on this chassis, and hopefully this will be the last batch for a while. It is really time consuming.

I would have done these mods earlier, but had to wait for some of the parts to be in stock. The suspension blocks are from 3 Racing and the rear arms are Yeah Racing D3 arms. As mentioned in an earlier post, I like the D3 arms because of the narrower track compared to the D4 arms, giving a little more adjustment range by using spacers and/or wheel offset. This is a short term solution while I am waiting for Usukani to release their new rear arm design. Hopefully soon...

Sakura D4 + Usukani + Punisher S13 @ Tri Acres

I have been posting about my D4 RWD recently with all the Usukani parts installed, and have been talking about how I am loving the way the car runs. Finally I got a chance to put together some video of it in action at Tri Acres RC Drift Circuit. Here it is in the current state of tune.

Sakura D4: New Dampers, Aluminum Parts, New Gyro, and New Screws

I've really been enjoying the D4 so far, and the more I work with it, the more I like it. 3 Racing made a nice step forward over the D3 and now that factory upgrades are starting to filter through the pipeline, essential upgrades can be completed.

The first order of business is taking care of my main gripe with the stock chassis... steering wipers.

Product Showcase: Usukani Tube Style Turnbuckles

One of the interesting products offered by Usukani are these neat tube style turnbuckles. They come in several standard lengths; 23mm, 27mm, 33mm, and 39mm. They also come in the following colors; Pink, Purple, Red, Gold, Tamiya Blue, Yokomo Blue, Silver, and Black. They have internal threads that work with plastic rod ends. Usukani recommends using them with Yokomo rod ends, but I was able to make them work just fine with my 3 Racing parts. I think they will work with other brands as well, but I have not been able to test them personally.

I chose the 39mm Silver version for my Sakura D4 rear upper turnbuckles. As you can see in the comparison with the stock turnbuckle assembly there is plenty of thread engagement, and adjustment range. They should be very strong, too. The turnbuckles can be adjusted with a 5.5mm tool, on the flats, or there are a couple of small holes through the middle that a small hex tool can be used in. There is also an identifying band machined in one end to designate left-handed threads, making it easy to know which way to adjust them.

The Usukani tube style turnbuckles add a nice extra bit of style and functionality to your drift chassis. They should look really good once I have some more aluminum upgrades on my own chassis.

Project Bad Bunny: Paint and Starting Assembly.

Work has been moving slow but steady on project Bad Bunny. All the parts are painted and assembly has started. I went with Tamiya PS-23 Gunmetal for the color, and backed it with PS-5 Black to make sure it had a dark hue to it.

The first part to go on was the rear wing. I did that in two stages to make it a little easier. First I attached it at the back with shoe goo. Once that was dry I used body screws for the part that attaches to the trunk.

Usukani D4 Carbon Option Set: Completed Chassis Gallery

As promised, here is a gallery of the completed Usukani Sakura D4 Carbon Option chassis set. I really love the look of the black version. It matches great with the de-anodized aluminum parts and I almost don't want to finish adding the electronics.

Before I assembled it though, I took steps to keep it looking good...

Usukani D4 Cabon Option Set: Overview and Detailed Pics

Usukani recently released their carbon option set for the 3 Racing Sakura D4. It's available in either black or silver carbon. Both look great, and I chose black for my build. The set includes the main chassis, upper deck, front and rear shock towers, front bumper support, rear battery mount, and a spur gear holder.

The main chassis looks really nice, with a good carbon pattern. It has nice styling with some relief cuts in various spots on the bottom of the chassis. It is 3mm thick vs. the 2.5mm thickness of the stock chassis. The machining is clean and consistent, and all the countersinks are nicely done.

Welcome Aboard Usukani!

I am excited to announce that Usukani has chosen to offer me sponsorship. Usukani is a new brand that is turning out new and innovative products. In partnership with them, I plan on bringing some in-depth product features to this blog. I also have a full option Sakura D4 build that I will be starting soon, featuring many of the products that Usukani has to offer. If you have seen some of the pictures they have been posting on Facebook, then you know that some exciting things are coming for D4 owners along with other manufacturers' chassis. Please be sure to click their logo on the main page of the blog and check out what they have to offer.

Project Bad Bunny: Intro and Body Prep

I am finally getting around to a project that I have been wanting to build for quite a while. The Demi Works Rocket Bunny conversion for the Tamiya FD RX-7 has been in my sights since it first came out. With some other projects out of the way, it is time to get started.

The Demi Works kit is pretty nice overall but, as mentioned by others, the lexan is a little different in how it cuts, so I changed my normal procedure for trimming it out.

Sakura D4: Smoothing Up the Drivetrain and D3 Rear Arm Swap

The D4 has been a solid runner so far, but that doesn't mean I should stop trying to improve on it a bit. Like everyone else, I have been waiting for 3 Racing to finally release their upgrade parts for the D4. I desperately want to replace the plastic steering arms with some aluminum parts. I'll probably try out some of the rear suspension mods that they have coming as well. In the mean time, I did a few mods with some parts that are already available.

The Punisher Comes out at Night...

Took the Punisher S13 to the track for a little night drift session this past Sunday.  It sits on the new Sakura D4 chassis, which I am still enjoying and tuning.  It made it through the maiden voyage with only a couple of bumper scuffs from some wall taps.  It looks pretty menacing at night.

My buddy Patrick shot a little bit of video and put together a short clip of it in action.  The backfire unit looks awesome at night!

Project Punisher S13 Part 3: Finished

With all the finishing touches completed, I grabbed a few pics.  I'm pretty happy overall with how this body shell turned out.