Goldie into Runner Build #2 - Stealth edition

[Ruffy]

Protech, I for one never liked the vipers look, since the day it came out, til today. I just have never personally cared for that body and always used a stock protech RC10 body or one of the ones from Cliff (RCPS).

For me it was always in this order of preference:
1. RCPS Mirage SS
2. RCPS Turbo Mirage
3. AE Protech

Looks good so far, keep up the good work!

Just to clarify: Mine is a completely stock CE with Stealth tranny and I have no B4 components whatsoever on my gold racer.


You could also get a set of MIP CVDs for the B2-B3 (MIP pn. 1198) and then use either the B2-B3 wheels or the Duratrax wheels with it (PN. PD8982 for rears) and if you put on the regular CE or Team Car front axles you can use the Duratrax fronts (like B2-B3 wheels Pn. PD8979)
I saw Jeff's Duratrax wheels in white and they look awesome (pn. PD8982). I just placed and order for myself for fronts and rears from Tower. This way you don't change the car's basic racing geometry that we had back in the 90's, and they run better this way than with the B4 stuff.

[JK Racing]

i had planned on the Thunder Tiger wheels on the rear, just open them up a bit for the 1/4" axle (yes, contemplating CVDs).

the duratrax wheels are an option, but i had read they were more plastic than the others and prone to cracking around the bead area. I only planned on the B4 front wheels. I do have the original front axles though, maybe these GT axles will go into my fully B4 wheeled conversion car (other build). are the thunder tiger front wheels correct?

i only updated to the B4 slipper because i was already missing components. i know it isnt needed, but it was more of a convenience thing.

[Ruffy]

I'm sorry those part numbers are for the Thunder Tiger wheels, not Duratrax.
The fronts are correct for a B2-B3 setup, which are the wheels I will be using now on my gold runner. Basically all my wheels and the rear cvds are for the B3.
I'll be taking my gold runner to OCRC raceway (near you) and racing from Jan 13th to 16th

Your build is what I like personally, and it looks alot like my stock Gold Runner. I just got done milling me a new gold chassis to see if I have time to switch everything out before my trip to California, and test it prior. If I don't have the time to test it I will leave my old chassis on there, as it has been very successful with it. It is a very neutral feeling car, very easy to drive fast with it. I just still have to give some thought on air-time attitude with it, but I see OCRC's new layout doesn't have "monster" jumps. Kudos to them!

Last time I ran my Gold Racer RC10 at the RC Asylum, most of the B4's had to swerve to get out of my way on the straight as my RC10 was faster than most if not all the B4's racing that day. Jeremy's grandfather told me that my car even had some more ponies over Jeremy's car and that it was very noticeable on the straights as we duked it out for the lead. This was with a stock 2.25 stealth transmission, ThunderPower 5300 65C Lipo, LRP TC SXX ESC and an LRP 8.5 motor. And it was easy to drive!
I just wish I had used a newer set of tires than the flat fuzzies I used back in the 90's I believe while racing at the Winter Champs and then used them again that day a few weeks ago.

[JK Racing]

PM me the days you are racing, I will make every effort to be there.

Your car has had a lot of influence on this build. I will be doing to full TT wheels then, makes it easy on me

[Ruffy]

Sent you the PM.
Make sure you are running 25 deg caster blocks up front. 30 at worst case, anything else (5, 10, 15 & 20) and you will have an awful push. Once you get her on the track, just use the basic setup I provided in a pdf here in my gold runner thread, which is for a neutral feel, and then fine tune from there.
Depending on how your chassis is tweaked or bent, you may have to do some fine tuning. Pay particular attention to the back, where the chassis meets the motor plate with the two screws. Try not to pull the chassis up to meet the motor plate, but rather put spacers in between as needed so you dont change the rear squat built into the suspension mounts. Use a straight edge to check your chassis left and right sides for being straight front to back. Before putting her on the track, use a straight edge like an exact knife, lift up the front end only from the center bottom of the noseplate slowly and both tires should leave the ground at the same time. Do the same to the back as well.

This is with everything in the car, including your battery strap method as these could cause your car to have a tweak in it.
Hope these small tips help. You got a great car there in the works, just fine tuning and tweaking to get her to suit you.

[JK Racing]

those are great tips, i spent quite a bit of time "working" the motor plate so that there was no gap, but the straight edge will come out tonight. i should be ordering my wheels here soon, and a full set of gold barcodes or MC scrubs/suburbs for OCRC right afterwards.

how can i tell what caster blocks i have? as far as i know, these are the kit ones.

[Ruffy]

Very hard to tell outside the packaging, except if you can find a set of 25 deg blocks to use as a guide, then put all of your blocks on a 1/8 tool rod (like hand wrench or allen wrench shaft). Using the 25 deg blocks as a gauge for the others, put them side by side on the shaft one at a time comparing it to the 25 deg ones; if they have more angle or tilt than the 25 they are 30's.
I guess you could use this method and using an angle finder, rest it on the 1.8 shaft going thru the block and measure the angle to the flat block face of the caster block. This is the angle you are looking for to be 25 deg's.
The stock caster blocks are most likely 15 deg unless you got a CE, Team or Worlds I think.
ExtreemDuster here found this out when he brought his gold runner out to the track and his car had a terrible push. I then showed him this method to check the caster blocks and I believe he found he had a set of 25 or 30's with him in his spares.

Once you find the 25's use an exacto blade and cut the "25" into it on the inside of the block; Or drill a very tiny spot face into the inside to identify it as a 25 deg block. (sharpie dissapears in time)

I personally have never used anything but 25's in the buggy for racing. I did try the others, all the way to 30 and found out myself that the 25's felt the best.

[JK Racing]

this car is an original CE, B stamp, stealth holes countersunk, 6 gear holes not countersunk. steering arms use the round inline axle, not the older hex inline axle (my other CE car has those). I will pull all the carriers i have and use the "wrench" method to do my best on finding these...or purchase a set of new black ones, LOL.

[JK Racing]

I shaved down the Houge steering, works perfect. Backed all the ball studs with mini nuts. Took the blue GT wide axles off and put the stock alloy ones back on there. Installed all the electronics and wired it up nice and pretty. Then I test fit a lipo...dammit, doesnt fit. I will remove the stock battery cup and put in 2 posts and hope I find a nice worlds battery strap and pick up a set of thumb screws.

So on the list still:

RPM bumper (or other kydex one, just something to protect it)
battery posts (probably use something from Axial, they seem to have lots of alloy bits)
thumb screw set
worlds battery strap
new tie rods/ball ends

oh...tires/wheels

Pics tomorrow, I'm too tired tonight.

[extreemduster340]

Ruffy you are correct! Its a different car now LOL! A quick way to check to see if you have 30 deg blocks is that they are at the same angle as the shock tower. View the car at eye level from the side. 25 will be slightly less. 15's and 20's must have been in the kits as I must have 40 of them and these are what I had in my car the day i ran it.

Jamie

[Ruffy]

Excellent Jamie,
I figured that was what your RC10's problem was when you indicated that your car had a severe push to it, which is why I asked about which caster blocks you put on the car. Most every kit sold early on had the 15 deg blocks, which were not as good as 25 or 30 deg blocks if you wanted the car to steer competitively.
Nice way to gauge the caster blocks there too Jamie, I will try and post a pic tonight of how I do it with a camber guage and 1/8" dia shaft, for those that want to see how I determine what block is which when helping people.
In the past, as a privateer and while I raced for Associated, I would always mark my blocks as I removed them from the bag with a very small cutter I have to form the numbers on the inside. This was hard to see sometimes, but if I needed to know I would just rub this area with a pencil and the deg number would pop right up.

[extreemduster340]

Dug into my old dirt oval box and would you know I actually marked all the blocks like you stated:)

I have 30's on the car now, I need to identify and mark all the other blocks i have. Thats going to be fun Going to try and get some practice in this weekend to see how the car reacts to the changes i have made since last time out.

[JK Racing]

updated with a used body I have...will do for now.

full electronics installed too (pardon the CE wheels, I needed something to test with ) :





And a little flair on the slipper plate (Eau Rouge inspired):



Temporary battery holding down system (some old bits I had in the toolbox, maybe ultima steering posts?)

[JK Racing]

and the 3 sets of steering carriers I have (yes, installed on my 3 buggies):

30 degree?

25 degree?

15 degree?

[JK Racing]

trimmed up steering, works perfect !