Modern 2wd - TeamC TM2 Mid Mount - Vintage Content Pg.3

[DerbyDan]

Thanks for the performance update. The motor orientation is reminiscent of the Tamiya Avante, I think. So how much did the car weigh, without the battery? I'd also be interested to know approximately where the balance point is, front-to-rear. Gives me a sort of reference point for what I'm trying to achieve with my OptiMutt build.

Sorry I haven't had chance to weigh it yet - I don't have my own scales, i'll try & answer your requests in due course (I know we have digital scales at our club but we rarely bother to get them out!)

In terms of balance of everything - it seems the biggest affect on these mid-motored cars is the location of the motor & how rotating masses affect the car under accellerating/braking - the bulk of static weight is generally very similar on most of these mid-ship buggies.

[DerbyDan]

Since my first race-report/update I have raced my TM2 at two subsquent race meetings. The first meeting was again at the indoor astro turf track at Moulton (Silverstone Buggy Club) - again the car performed really well - enough for 5th on the grid for the 'A' & a 3rd place finish in the final, most encouraging were my lap times & being able to keep up with the top guys.

My 3rd meeting with the car was at a traditional grass track in Hinckley (Leicestershire)



I must admit that due to this car being marketed as a high-grip special, I was quite apprehensive about this race meeting since grass although initially can be grippy it quite quickly wears give a more drifty/sometimes dusty surface. Anyway i'm happy to report that the car was great throughout the day... the track didn't deteriate into a complete dustball partly due to the fact that this was the first meeting at the venue this outdoor season.... time will tell as the season progresses. Anyway the results speak for themselves - TQ in 2wd & finishing the final 2nd in the 2wd class. Due to the low number of 4wd cars (only 2) - they were put in with us in the top heat with us for qualifying & as both were driven by decent drivers (& have a significant advantage over 2wd) they filled out the front two rows on the grid for the A final - annoyingly I was having a great battle after a poor start on my my part, with the eventual 2wd winner when the 4wd leader came round to lap us but rather than respecting our 'class battle' we both tried to let him through but then he made a mistake so it kind of upset our race & I am sure I could have made a clean pass to take the 2wd win had the lapping 4wd kept out of the way

[Charlie don't surf]

love those tracks.

I might just have to move to the UK after my nursing licensure-

[DerbyDan]

Reggie, I'd love to have a race on a proper US style dirt track, for me that's the type of track that hark back to the true origins of 1-10th buggy racing...... of course my TM2 would be useless on that type of track

I raced the car again at the Silverstone club last night on their indoor astro track. I was trying to eek out an old pair of rear Minispike tyres during qualifying - each run was dogged with a couple of costly mistakes on my part, but I was holding onto 3rd until the final round when I dropped to 5th. On to the final & I decided to swap to the tyres that I ran on the grass over the weekend & had very little visible wear. Starting from midway up the grid is always a bit of lottery as you have to defend from those behind yet watch out & avoid incidents in front, this time however I managed to avoid some first laps carnage & found myself in second behind another returned old-Skool racer (also driving a TM2) that I used to enjoy a close rivalry with Bitd, the close chase continued for the whole race with a few failed but clean challenges for the 1st place, so in the end I finished 2nd o/a, but in doing so, also dropped in three of the top ten quickest laps of that race - something that very usual for me, ordinarily being a more cautious driver relying on consistency rather than speed to get the result.

[kaiser]

dan, what's the deal with the grass tracks in the uk? how do they wear in over time.

i ask because i have a large area to build a track at my house but with other large projects going on i'm just planning on mowing it very short and running on it with some non race cars like older tamiya's and mt's. just something to entertain me when i can't race, and too entertain my son of course.

[DerbyDan]

dan, what's the deal with the grass tracks in the uk? how do they wear in over time.

i ask because i have a large area to build a track at my house but with other large projects going on i'm just planning on mowing it very short and running on it with some non race cars like older tamiya's and mt's. just something to entertain me when i can't race, and too entertain my son of course.

Well - its pretty obvious I guess, but with a track layout set-up for the day/meeting, with the sheer quantity of cars running over the same area of grass, all braking, accelerating & corning at the same points means that the grass gradually gets flattened & churned up. On a particularly busy meeting or in the dry summer months the grass can be worn away completely, leaving bald patches & revealing the dirt/soil beneath. Normally on these tracks we run a round-by-round format of qualifying to try & take into account that the track surface will change throughout the day along with the ultimate lap time.

For casual running of just a couple of cars - you are unlikely to wear your grass away... but you might be able to see a 'racing line' develop after alot of running?

[kaiser]

ok i get it, they are temporary tracks.

[Coelacanth]

Dan, I'd still be interested to know your car weight, without battery, if possible.

[DerbyDan]

Dan, I'd still be interested to know your car weight, without battery, if possible.

Sorry Coelacanth!

Just weighed it this lunchtime on the scales at work;

Without battery;


With battery;


Have been trying to measure the balance point front-to-back aswell with the cells mounted - its roughly 290mm O/A wheelbase (between axle c.ls) then 120mm from the c.l of the rear axles to the balance point line across the chassis - hope that makes sense & is of some use?

[Coelacanth]

That's perfect Dan, thanks! I'll compare it to my OptiMutt specs this weekend, just for the hell of it.

[JK Racing]

love the car, I see they are making an SC in the same format...I am not sure I can hold off much longer

[Coelacanth]

Dan, I'd still be interested to know your car weight, without battery, if possible.

Sorry Coelacanth!

Just weighed it this lunchtime on the scales at work

This is coincidental, but I just weighed my OptiMutt car...the body/wing is trimmed but unpainted yet, but still has the overspray film on...and I have some slightly oversize 2.2" wheels & tires mounted, I'll be ultimately fitting some smaller wheels & tires, but it weighed in at 1340 grams (including the undertray). Almost identical to your car (without battery)!

I figured with all the aluminum parts I installed to bulletproof the chassis, it would end up weighing a lot more, but then again your car has a long-wheelbase chassis.

[DerbyDan]

love the car, I see they are making an SC in the same format...I am not sure I can hold off much longer

Yes I saw that on TeamC's Facebook page - it looks good, but with getting used to the characteristics of the TM2 buggy I'm unsure whether it would translate too well into a format that has a somewhat top heavy shell & run generally more ride height??

Some of the guys at my local club are running TM2s from the first batch released earlier this year which has highlighted a couple of issues with a buggy with which you get the impression has been an excercise in marrying up the ends of two different buggies with a few nice peices of Carbon Fibre & by some educated 'fluke' it happens to work really well! The two main problems that TM2 drivers have encountered has been stripping teeth off the kit supplied spur gear & excessive wear on the drive pin of the long centre driveshaft where it couples to the output of the spur/slipper assembly (one driver I know has had the bearings on the layshaft also) It seems the combination of a very direct drive with the geared diff & the high grip surface on which we race really puts alot of shock loads through the whole layshaft/slipper assembly - where as on the 4wd these loads are shared with an output to both ends.

The spur gear issue is cured with the purchase of an aftermarket Delrin spur that has already been developed for this specific car by RW Racing - I fitted one of these spurs during the initial build of my car. RW also offer a spur gear that utlises Durango slipper pads as some people have had problems with the TeamC items.... so far (touch wood) my slipper adjustment to the manual has worked well & the pads seem to have stood up to the torture (I think a bit of care making sure that they are properly seated into the grooves of the spur helps ensures a proper slipper action & adjustment) The drive pin to the centre driveshaft can be replaced with Mugen items which are said to be of better quality - at the moment i've been keeping all the drive joints well lubed with white lithium grease normally used for bicycle chains etc, which seems to be minimising wear at the moment

I just hope TeamC/Absima address these slight issues with the SC & future TM2 Buggies?

[Charlie don't surf]

I had issues with drivetrain shock on my B44.1 on an ultra-traction surface with locked slipper, if you had any wheel rotation under power on flat landings, you were chewing a diff gear or shaft pinion.

[kink]

This buggy looks extremely well designed and made. If I didn't have such a crazy retro obsession I'd love something like this. I'd probably put an old school body on though.