RC10 DS Classic - Build

[XLR8]

The lights look awesome! I was a little worried that a single LED in each taillight wouldn't illuminate the entire panel evenly but yours looks great -- probably due to the chrome paint you applied. I reckon you installed a red 3mm LED?

Anyway, you've probably seen the Tamiya driver cockpit sets. I've been using them in many of my on-road cars -- when I can find them.



They can be a little hard to get sometimes so I'll cut and fit a piece of black poster board to function as a placeholder. I just use masking tape to hold the poster board in place and it seems to work well enough to darken the driver's compartment, hide the chassis, wiring, etc. - at least until I can find a driver cockpit set anyway.

[GreenBar0n]

Thanks! The Tamiya TLU-01 controller comes with 5mm LED's, and they are really bright. The LED's being sealed in the reflective buckets, does seem to focus the beams well.

I hadn't seen those Tamiya Touring cockpits before, those are pro. If I had a 3D printer, that would be the first thing on the list, interior plates.


Here's the opacity of the PS-31 window tint.


Tamiya TLU-01 tacked down and routed out of the way.


Going to use a magnetic DC coupler, for quick connect/disconnect from the chassis.

The Factory Works shorty LiPo holder should be here soon.





Thinking seriously about using foam donuts on my aluminum wheels for this, until AE sells tires and wheels for the DS.

[GreenBar0n]

Factory Works shorty holder made it today.


Even with the ESC installed, I was able to fit a Tamiya wrench on the locknut that secures the holder to the chassis, had no trouble installing this.







https://factoryworks.com/shop/ols/products/vintage-rc-associated-rc10-battery-mount-kit-2c-shorty-lipo/v/VNT-RC-SSC-RC128-CRB-SET

Going to try these out with some foam tires, soon.

[GreenBar0n]

I had no idea how specific the DS wheels are. Notice the backspace and offset of the stock wheel, compared to standard 26mm and 31mm hex wheels.

My foam wheel sets won't work either, as a result.


The axle is 1/4", not 3/16", so that also makes using any other wheels difficult.


AE announced they would be making parts for these, but I wonder how soon it will be before we can get DS wheels and tires.

I'll have to glue and run these stock wheels and tires, no other choice.

[Dangeruss]

I had no idea how specific the DS wheels are. Notice the backspace and offset of the stock wheel, compared to standard 26mm and 31mm hex wheels. I'll have to glue and run these stock wheels and tires, no other choice.

I see a lot of choices ... but the easiest would be high offset drift wheels. 9mm to 12mm should be enough to get the wheels out wide enough to look right... modded to fit the axles, obviously.


The other choices bouncing around in my head got progressively more "Rube Goldberg with a 3D printer" levels of awesome.

[XLR8]

I'm just to bag E (shocks) so I'm no where near ready for wheels but I've been giving it some thought.
For the front, I have a set of Bandit steering blocks (TR3636) that will accommodate hex drive wheels and they will reduce wheelbase by about 5mm. The Bandit blocks will require some minor mods to fit AE caster blocks -- nothing too drastic.
Not sure what I'll do with the rear. DS rear axles are 3/16" dia. while many hex drive touring wheels are meant for 4mm axles so I'll probably need to drill them as well. Finding modern touring wheels with the correct offset might be the real challenge.

[MarkyDents]

If it’s just a matter of being able to use it without wearing out the original wheels and tires do you think you could run regular buggy dish wheels and some on road tires under that body ?
That’s what I’d probably attempt to do.

[GreenBar0n]

The backspacing is what ruins every other option, the DS is very shallow, can't just hang an odd size wheel off of this, and expect it to be balanced. Look how short the axle is, and where the camber turnbuckle is, no room back there.


Turns out there is one very solid choice available still.

Front
https://www.ebay.com/itm/276591716120


Rear
https://www.ebay.com/itm/115337033911


Picked up a set of each.

I have a decent collection of spare donuts and a truer now, should be able to re-skin these wheels as they wear out. Foam wheels will also make it easier to fit the aftermarket bodies, if I can shape them. Revell Chrome Spray should clean them up a bit too.

[RogueIV]

Good choice on going with foams.

The Speed Hawg replicas in the kit are pretty good on pavement but they have a couple things against them. They wear fairly fast and the sideways are not stiff enough to take side loads. I'll go into more on my thread though.

[GreenBar0n]

Good choice on going with foams.

The Speed Hawg replicas in the kit are pretty good on pavement but they have a couple things against them. They wear fairly fast and the sideways are not stiff enough to take side loads. I'll go into more on my thread though.

Thanks! Looking forward to guilt free driving .

The stock front tires are so thin and pliable, wish I could feel good about gluing a set of those on and laying in to them at full throttle. The day they sell the stock tires and wheels in the shops, I'm ready for.

I'll definitely check your thread for details on running the stock tires, those things are worth $369.99 (a new kit) in my mind.

[GreenBar0n]

Finally addressed the toe setting of the front wheels, can get it close enough by eye, but this RPM toe-in gauge helps confirm. The manual settings gave it the worst toe-out.




The RPM camber gauge is a must have, especially when the manual gives you the wrong settings to begin with.


Was able to use the original AE tool to adjust the turnbuckles, another must have is the old tool kit.




I had to reset all of this once I put the electronics and pack in, my camber setting changed.


The stock body is growing on me.




Will wait to trim and clearance the Bandit wheel wells until the foam wheels gets here; the rear wheels are in the mail, no word on the fronts yet.

[XLR8]

Your boxart body looks amazing! Well done sir.

I've tried to use that plastic turnbuckle tool but it slips - they fit too tightly in the ballcups. I'm considering making a simple metal wrench.

Have you set ride height yet? I've installed my rear shocks and at full droop, the arms are level which seems wrong. The design intent is for the arms to be level at ride height with a few mm's droop when the suspension is unloaded. My rear shocks are assembled with the 1/32 internal spacers and they are too short to allow for any droop. The front shocks are also assembled with spacers but their length allows for some droop.

BTW, what does "Rear dogbones just below level" mean?
Are there front dogbones??

Are they saying the trans end should be lower or higher than the axle end? The original manual doesn't include this note but there are ride height recommendations near the end of the manual (page 49).

[TRX-1-3]

I think they mean trans outdrives lower than stub axles "just below level". But I don't know why I think that.

[GreenBar0n]

Your boxart body looks amazing! Well done sir.

I've tried to use that plastic turnbuckle tool but it slips - they fit too tightly in the ballcups. I'm considering making a simple metal wrench.

Have you set ride height yet? I've installed my rear shocks and at full droop, the arms are level which seems wrong. The design intent is for the arms to be level at ride height with a few mm's droop when the suspension is unloaded. My rear shocks are assembled with the 1/32 internal spacers and they are too short to allow for any droop. The front shocks are also assembled with spacers but their length allows for some droop.

BTW, what does "Rear dogbones just below level" mean?
Are there front dogbones??

ride height note.JPG

Are they saying the trans end should be lower or higher than the axle end? The original manual doesn't include this note but there are ride height recommendations near the end of the manual (page 49).

Much thanks! The boxart was a fun challenge, didn't think I'd like it at first, but turns out it was the plastic gold wheel inserts that were not for me.

I had good luck with all of the stock ballcups (the 40th was a different story), no popping off or slipping with the little AE wrench; once the turnbuckle rod had been threaded fully and backed out a bit, the stock cups adjusted very easily for me.


I re-read that ride height section of the new manual a few times last night, when they went from imperial to metric it threw me off the track entirely, I just gave up and set the ride height to nearly the top. I intend to drive this on unswept asphalt, so I need some ground clearance.

I'm guessing the NOS AE DS foam wheels are the same diameter as their rubber tires, but I may need to redo all the settings again when the foam wheels get here.

[KidAgain]

Tamiya F104 tires are an option for stock wheels and handle darn good you also want 2° camber front and rear