My B3 Project - 15 Years Later

[MayorRC]

UPDATE ON PAGE 2.

Hello RC10talk,

Found this forum while searching for parts a while back for my B3. I purchased this car as a 7 year old back in 1998, with dreams of being the next masami or mark pavidis. My parents had little interest in the R/C racing and without their support, I wasn't able to race much. In 2003, I purchased a B4, and this car took the shelf, collecting dust, with broken parts, worn out CVD's, a shot diff, and many other problems.

Late 2011 I got back into the hobby, mainly through short course, and had a blast. I decided then that I wanted to build my B3 back into a race buggy, but had little time or cash to make it happen. It needed a ton of work.

At the beginning of this year, I'd had enough, and decided to build the B3 and race it. With the help of my friend Tommy (Tommy911t) I sourced a T3 to use as a parts rig, pulling things like the diff to use on my B3.

I work for our local track, Top Gear Hobbies, in Portland, Oregon. My goal is to make the B-main in stock buggy with this car at our Spring Shootout race.



I also added the following to the car:
B4 Top Shaft
B4 V2 Slipper w/ heavy duty spring
B4 72t Spur Gear
B4.1 CVD's
B44 Rear Plastic Hubs (Large Outer Bearing)
JConcepts Hexes (Rear only, B4 Rear Fitment)
Proline Bulldog body for RB5
JConcepts Rear Wing
Small-bore V2 shocks off of the B4.1 Worlds car



For electronics I am running an LRP SXX V2, Shurr Speed 17.5, Savox 1258 Servo, and a Reedy Wolfpack 5000mah 25c. Car weights 1499g, the ROAR limit

Out of all of the R/C cars I have driven, both new and old, this car is by far the best. It's so lightweight and easy to drive on our high-bite track. We've had a few people drive it and the consensus is all the same - I can win with this car. A local Kyosho driver, who's name we will keep quiet, said the car was better then any buggy he's ever driven. My boss, a Roar Regional champ and buggy fanatic, threw down the car for the main only, and after starting 8th, was 2nd until the chassis broke.

At the time of this post, I have two days of testing on the car and I am very happy with it. If any thing too much steering, but I'm going to try running a closed cell front foam to dull it down a bit.

If anyone is interested, I'd be willing to post a set-up for anyone wanting a high-bite 17.5 setup.

[THEYTOOKMYTHUMB]

Looks good. Too bad everyone complimented the car so much. Now you have no excuses! Good luck.

[mikea96]

I would like to see a setup posted!

[MayorRC]

Looks good. Too bad everyone complimented the car so much. Now you have no excuses! Good luck.

Granted, it's still a few tenths off of what well-developed B4's are doing, but with only one day of tuning on the car so far, I'm rather happy. Hardest part has been sourcing parts and such, but oh well. Hoping to get more practice with it this weekend when I work

mikea96, will upload the set-up asap

[littleVETTE]

not surprised with your results. excellent work on your buggy, it looks killer. try a plastic or carbon top plate, that should loosen up the front end. have you tried using losi pistons, traxxas shock cups and collars, and larger diameter springs? also what are you using up front for carriers? 30 degrees?

[MayorRC]

I have tried the plastic and carbon front top plate, but it just softens the front and gives it more steering. I've got 30 degree caster hubs on it now, going to try 25 just to eliminate the possibility. I'm also thinking of raising the front another 1mm to see if that helps.

I have considered doing the big bore spring mod, but I'd have to modify so much to make them work on the car I really don't see the use for it. I have tried running Kyosho springs, and that's been a good move, but hard to compare there rates to AE's rates.

[flipwils11]

Very cool, I wish my B3 racer build had been so competitive.

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=26260&

[MOmo]

Nice work Kyle.


You know I want to drive it next time I come down!




MOmo

[littleVETTE]

check out the very first pdf. that could help with the spring rates. go down to the kyosho pdf. they have a chart in both standard and big bore.

http://www.petitrc.com/reglages/UniversalSpringChart.htm

[popboy905]

looks great! i like how the kyosho body fits. did you use wide gt front axles with b4 wheels?

[MayorRC]

I actually used the T4 front axles. I've got a set of wide GT axles I want to try as well. I just worry about making the car too wide and pushing it out of ROAR specs.

Spent more time running the car this weekend, and scored some B3 parts cars off of a local racer! Hoping to put together another car here soon

[MayorRC]

Small update on the project. Hoping to put the Avid Triad slipper on the B3. Noticed a huge improvement on my B4 and T4, and I think it will work great on this car.

Looking for some spare time to really tear the car down, go through the trans and put all new bearings, idler, and a new diff as well. Has anyone tried the murfdogg outdrives? Curious as to how well they'd work.

[popboy905]

I actually used the T4 front axles. I've got a set of wide GT axles I want to try as well. I just worry about making the car too wide and pushing it out of ROAR specs.

Spent more time running the car this weekend, and scored some B3 parts cars off of a local racer! Hoping to put together another car here soon

i used wide gt axles on my b3 with b4 wheels and it made the front end a little to wide, the car had weird handling, it was kinda of darty if you know what i mean. so i took them off and used rc10 team car axles which are a little wider then the b3/t3 axles and that gave me the width i was looking for and it handled much better.

your car looks great, i like how that kyosho body fits

[MayorRC]

Spent a lot of time working on the car the past few months, turns out Top Gear Hobbies had "The BIG RC/Mayor RC" series and I was able to bring home the class championship in the vintage class!

Planning to grab the car off the shelf and get a bunch of pics in the next day or so. Things have been rather crazy around here and somehow my bench is full of on road cars.

[flipwils11]

Very cool, congrats! I want to see pics!