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Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:50 am
by DennisM
CB´s at the rear and Optima rear´s at the front.
Belt converted - Lazer ZX belt protection - TBG body
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:44 pm
by rccars4sal
Whats a CB? Looks real nice! Im glad you guys are trying out the tbg bodies. They seem to be o/k?
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:48 pm
by GoMachV
CB are the 1/8 scale shocks, from cars like the Vanning.
Looking good Dennis!
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 4:05 pm
by DennisM
Thanks Jeff -
The TBG Optima are not bad for the price - The body is a bit short (3-5mm) so when You ream holes for the mounts, You should start at the rear. Then mount it and mark the front.
I cut and adjust all my bodys before painting them.
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:08 pm
by rccars4sal
One of the few styled buggies that looks great without a wing.
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:20 pm
by GoMachV
Now that I've said something nice, I can say something like "what do you plan to run into with that nose brace?"

it looks pretty beefy!
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:34 am
by DennisM
Just the corner marshal, this will teach him to stay alert.
It could be an old front weight frame ala John Deere, they just forgot to paint it green
It´s antique, came with the buggy and doesn´t have the slot for the stabilizer.
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 1:37 am
by GoMachV
Oh cool, I figured it was a new part
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 2:47 am
by alcyon
rccars4sal wrote:One of the few styled buggies that looks great without a wing.
I wonder if the optima would handle better with a wing.
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:38 am
by DennisM
I guess it would improve performance, but at the speeds back in the day, it wouldn´t have that much to say.
Many will argue this

and I have no scientific proof for my opinion. But looking at the past´s dakar buggy´s, I don´t recall seing any with a "real" rc size wing.
To me it´ll just be an upside down plough

Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 4:43 am
by alcyon
I ask this question because the optima mid cant work without a wing. That could be because of the mid motor. For the optima the motor is overhung at the rear giving it more weight and grip and less steering too. So perhaps a wing might cause more understeer .
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 5:21 pm
by Coelacanth
alcyon wrote:rccars4sal wrote:One of the few styled buggies that looks great without a wing.
I wonder if the optima would handle better with a wing.
It does, actually. The Optima back in the day tended to land nose down. Adding a wing helped it to land jumps better.
Re: The bumper brace: Pargu makes an aluminum brace that includes the notch for the stabilizer bar. I have one of those on Barney, but I had him anodize it in black so it looks almost like the original plastic part.
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:09 pm
by alcyon
Coelacanth wrote:alcyon wrote:rccars4sal wrote:One of the few styled buggies that looks great without a wing.
I wonder if the optima would handle better with a wing.
It does, actually. The Optima back in the day tended to land nose down. Adding a wing helped it to land jumps better.
Re: The bumper brace: Pargu makes an aluminum brace that includes the notch for the stabilizer bar. I have one of those on Barney, but I had him anodize it in black so it looks almost like the original plastic part.
That's funny, even with almost 200g of motor weight at the back and it still lands nose down. I have never driven an Optima before.
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:51 pm
by Coelacanth
It has more to do with front/rear weight distribution than motor weight at the rear, I guess. The Optima was a very evenly-balanced 4WD car, but tended to nose-dive off jumps. That's probably why aftermarket wing kits soon appeared for the Optima.
Re: Optima Long travel Suspension
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:59 pm
by GoMachV
It does beg to ask....why then did they move the battery forward on the Pro, while still lacking a wing? Not saying one is right or wrong, but strange that the evolution of the series after the Turbo and Salute that did have wing went to the Pro without wing and more weight to the front