RC10B4.2 things to think about

[Orange]

So, now that I have a couple of club races and a big race on my car, I thought I would go over a few things that ARE needed if you intend to buy one soon.

First and foremost, Ball cups. Don't build your kit with the ballcups that come with it. They are brittle and break easy. I'm speaking from experience. They are shiny in appearance so you can tell the difference in them and the replacements.

When you first open your kit, make sure that all your shock caps will fit the aluminum shock mounts. I had one, I have heard of up to 3 having issues. The ano on the shock cap is thick inside where it mounts. What I did was chuck up the mount in my drill press and used a scuff pad to remove the ano from the ball part that goes inside the mounting hole on the shock cap.

Replace all the arms with graphite arms... The arms that come in the kit are a strange material and flex quite a bit. Don't know what happened there, but they are just weird. I don't know but maybe they got the material backwards with these and the ball cups,

Anyway, thats all i got. We can leave this open for anything other people find in their kits,

[Orange]

maybe this should be in the Tech area. My bad, go ahead and move if needed.

[kaiser]

is this a factory team model you are talking about?

[Orange]

Yes. They don't make the 4.2 in anything else yet.

[askbob]

Do you know if the 4.1 arms are the same 'lesser' plastic?

[kaiser]

so they don't come with carbon arms and chassis? that's lame.
the chassis i can understand but arms?

any b4 arms should work, or did they change the geometry?

i was about to get a 4.2 because my first gen factory team is getting tired.

[Orange]

Bob: I do not know that. I was still on the Kyosho team up until a few months ago and this kit was my first Non-Kyosho car I have had in about 6 years.

I can find out though.

[Orange]

You can get by with the arms in the kit... I didn't replace them right away. That one is not super important. I was merely pointing it out that something is off with them..

The arms have not changed geometry. Only the outer hubs on the front.

the car rocks! I would suggest to anyone to buy it.

[Y'ernat Al]

Thanks for the info O. It also appears that between the (individual ala cart prices of) the VTS, the big bores, the bellcranks, the +8mm, and whatever else I'm missing, they did a good job at forcing one to just buy a 4.2 than to try and convert your 4.1 or 4.0.

[Orange]

They have been offering the 4.1wc with big bores and +8 chassis and from what I have seen, has the same street price as a 4.2... But still need the slipper, bellcranks and carbon parts for rear hubs. So I don't get why anyone would buy a 4.1 right now even with the big bores. Not at the same price anyway.

[Orange]

Oh, just for observation purposes... My kit was one of the first run kits, so i don't know if they are working on or fixed those problems I listed or not.

[RC10th]

I think the reason they went to the flexier nylon composition is about the the time the .1's came out. My guess is they did this due pretty much hand in hand with the transition to Lipo, the cars would have been quite stiff especially with the lighter lipos. The factory guys even switched out the carbon chassis for plastic on NiMH's. A flexier car is easier to drive and generally generates more grip, however the trade off is responsiveness. A car thats too stiff coupled with light batteries would be very skatey.

Carbon arms also have a tendency to snap instead of give, so technically the car becomes more durable at the same time. The big bores are a nice addition. I just wish however they would make a mid motor option as I feel the AE's dont accelerate out of the corners as well as the mid mounts on high traction tracks.

My two pennies

[Y'ernat Al]

They have been offering the 4.1wc with big bores and +8 chassis and from what I have seen, has the same street price as a 4.2... But still need the slipper, bellcranks and carbon parts for rear hubs. So I don't get why anyone would buy a 4.1 right now even with the big bores. Not at the same price anyway.

Yep. Sometimes with the +8 and the VTS but with the V2's. In 25 years someone is going to have to start a B4 thread that goes through the whole evolution and the different parts that showed up in differnt kits.

[Orange]

I think the reason they went to the flexier nylon composition is about the the time the .1's came out. My guess is they did this due pretty much hand in hand with the transition to Lipo, the cars would have been quite stiff especially with the lighter lipos. The factory guys even switched out the carbon chassis for plastic on NiMH's. A flexier car is easier to drive and generally generates more grip, however the trade off is responsiveness. A car thats too stiff coupled with light batteries would be very skatey.

Carbon arms also have a tendency to snap instead of give, so technically the car becomes more durable at the same time.

My two pennies

Everyone that I know, including some factory drivers, change them out right away without even using them.

[GreenHell]

I've been running the carbon front arms and b44 rear (softer than regular b4) for almost two years. That setup has worked at every track I go to. Tried carbon rear arms once and the buggy had noticeably less forward bite.

After the plastic breaks-in and starts to develop slop I go back and shim all the joints using the b-fast shim kit, but only removing about 75% of the slop.