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.