TOPIC:

eddrick wrote:

260960778034 was one, the other was the Jaguar, in better condition, which went for similar money. Give it a few days & check the seller's feedback, maybe you'll be able to view the car from there (Using 'view item' link).
They all sound like great projects, but most get no further than rattling around in my head until I'm bored with thinking about it!
Off subject I know, but you're a man who'd probably know - just bought a "lightweight front wheel set 53046" for the Astute, but the tyres that came with the car don't fit them. They look like the right tyres, but might not be as they were fitted to rims similar to Wild one. The new rims measure 51mm diameter where the tyre sits - is this the same as the standard 'kit' rims? ie are the lightweight ones something special that need special tyres, or have I just got the wrong tyres?

I'll have a look at the auction...

If I'm not mistaken parts number 53046 is the same as 0445139 - which is the spare part listed in the Astute manual.
So they should be the same rims that came with the kit...
The fact that they are in the range of the optional parts is probably because Tamiya made it a hop up for an earlier model.
My guess would be that the tyres are the wrong size...


These are for the Astute, Madcap, Saint Dragon and Bear hawk...
Eddrick, how much is the inner diameter of the ones you have?

I just had a look at the Group C on eBay - someone got a great deal for a complete car...
The price might have stayed low because international shipment was limited.
Probably the same reason why I couldn't find the auction before.

I was thinking they could be from the Super Hornet. Tyres are the same as the Wild One.
Rims are also similar...



The size of these should be close though. Maybe a few mm larger...

The rib/spike tyres are what I have here, (Inner dia 55mm) NOT the spike only in the previous pic. Wheels that were fitted to the car are as these orange ones, but mine are white. I think that answers the questions, cheers Edou!
Yes, both Group Cs from that seller went cheap, more to do with the listing/description though I suspect. Still gutted about it....

Cool that I had the right hunch...

Got some friction damper grease in the mail today!


Surprisingly it makes a big difference - this is actually what makes the whole setup functional.
The grease is thick and sticky but smooth at the same time...
These characteristics make the friction plate feel like a proper damper.



I also know why I had to heighten the TRF battery tray with some nuts :


The pivots inside hardly stick out of the plastic :


While that is obviously the case on the tray that came with the F103RS Toyota :


So the pivots I had to use here are a bit too short. Works perfectly fine now though...

Video footage will follow...

Got some of that damper grease here too, came with my highlift. From what I can see, it looks like goopier type foodgrade silicone grease.
Can't see what's going on with that pivot - are they a pressed in ball type thing?

The middle of the tray can be unscrewed to (re)place the (MA31) pivots...
This image is from the F103LM-TRF which has it as a standard part :


The tweak screws MA2 have been placed on the other side (near the gearcase) in the setup I did.
The outer (normally used) point swings less with the tray being placed on nuts so that doesn't leave much to adjust.
I also pressed some rubber O-rings into the pivots of this car - changing the normal characteristic.
It normally just rests on 3mm washers...


The shorter pivots on this car - also the original ones are threaded inside and these aren't :




When placing the body on the chassis, I noticed I have to make another slight adjustment there...
And some more hop ups will follow soon!
I decided to make the C car an original build so some upgrades will come from that.
It's gotta deserve the title F102 TRF, even if it's virtual...

No more hop ups possible (I think) now that I've put on the parts from the upgraded Group C :


What is new...

- Front suspension with RD king pins and carbon reinforced knuckles
- Black Group C wheel hubs (still waiting on the special nuts though)
- Kawada 8-ball 0.4mod spur replaces 12-ball spur
- 10 pcs. 3x12mm titanium tapping screw
- 2 pcs. silver aluminium 4mm flanged lock nuts

What was already on it :

- F102 carbon chassis and modified FRP upper deck
- Aluminium motor heatsink
- F103 T-bar and friction plate
- TRF pivoted battery holder
- TRF damper with black spring
- Kawada carbon rear axle
- F103RS axle and diff parts
- F103GT gearcase parts and axle spacer
- F103GT damper mount
- 3Racing titanium turnbuckles and high torque servo saver
- One piece ball thrust bearing
- 6 pcs. 3x10mm titanium round head screw
- 2 pcs. 3x18mm titanium countersunk head screw
- 1 hard steel black hex head 5mm ball end

Just a bit of work to do on the bumper and front body posts...

Something else you could do with that pivot ball - if you replace it with a slightly over-length well-fitting piece of rubber tube, you could then adjust how stiff/floppy the pivot is (Your adjuster nut would have to be a nyloc one to stop it working loose)

Would that be strong enough - not too flexible?

I will not be able to run the C11 shell on a F103RS chassis btw...
The wheelbase of an RS is actually the same as an F102 - 260mm.
Which means that I could run the GT-One body on this build!