Convert a Losi nascar

[Darin K]

I bought a used Losi nascar and I would like to make it into a drift car. Any recommendations on how to go about this would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[Ritz413]

Maybe start with some drift tires/wheels, convert to rwd, and see what you can do to maximize the steering angle. Should be a good start. Am curious how it all works out if you go this root. Good luck

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

I put in a furitek motor/esc, a locker in the rear diff, med. compound tires in the front, and hard compound in the rear. Aluminum arms/knuckles/hubs.. It drifts around my smooth finish concrete garage floor very well and its a lot of fun.

However, none of that made it a drift car. Just made it easier to slide around. A true drift car is rwd, weight biased correctly, and has an enormous amount of steering travel.

To my knowledge, there are no parts available to convert it to a true drift car. You can easily remove the center driveshaft for 2wd. I'm sure you could gain some steering travel but not near what you'd want from a drift car. I guess it just depends on what your trying to achieve.

 

[Darin K]

I put in a furitek motor/esc, a locker in the rear diff, med. compound tires in the front, and hard compound in the rear. Aluminum arms/knuckles/hubs.. It drifts around my smooth finish concrete garage floor very well and its a lot of fun.

However, none of that made it a drift car. Just made it easier to slide around. A true drift car is rwd, weight biased correctly, and has an enormous amount of steering travel.

To my knowledge, there are no parts available to convert it to a true drift car. You can easily remove the center driveshaft for 2wd. I'm sure you could gain some steering travel but not near what you'd want from a drift car. I guess it just depends on what your trying to achieve.

I guess I am not looking for a true drift just something like you said you have. I have also heard many drift cars have a gyro and was wondering what it would take to put one of those in. I won't be racing it and was just looking for something different for it.

 

[Mrgoodwrench35]

I use a FlySky Noble Tx and the gyro is built into the reciever. Are you still using the factory electronics?

 

[Beer_Goggles_RC]

As stated before, you're not going to be able to get the steering angle needed for proper drifting, but that only matters depending on how sideways you want to get.

Id start with the basics and go from there. Just a set of drift wheels and tires to get started, the. Depending on what else you want to get more of start upgrading those items. Maybe remove the front driveshaft, but theres plenty awd drift kits out there so its not completely necessary.

Might be hard to find drift wheels and tires that will fit though, I think the losi tires are slightly smaller. You would also likely need an 8x12 hex adapter.

 

[xjtorc]

Hard tires and send it. You don’t need a gyro to drift a AWD car.

 

[biggman100]

Hard tires and send it. You don’t need a gyro to drift a AWD car.

I agree. A gyro on a 4WD road car just makes it harder to slide. I used to build touring cars out of the Redcat Lightning, and, as long as you had drift tires, it would slide everywhere. This is my BMW bodied one in a local parking lot (disclaimer, the music was free and this video I was using a ZD Racing 4WD chassis, but, same principle. Most 4WD and AWD touring cars act pretty much the same):

 

[xjtorc]

I agree. A gyro on a 4WD road car just makes it harder to slide. I used to build touring cars out of the Redcat Lightning, and, as long as you had drift tires, it would slide everywhere. This is my BMW bodied one in a local parking lot (disclaimer, the music was free and this video I was using a ZD Racing 4WD chassis, but, same principle. Most 4WD and AWD touring cars act pretty much the same):

I believe AWD cars with one-way bearings on the driveshaft to simulate an e-brake are way more fun to drift than today's RWD drifters.

 

[picodroid]

To see if you prefer RWD only, you can simply remove the center drive shaft and test it out. The car will work without it, just no power sent to the front diff.
As others said, steering angle will be your biggest hurdle. The servos that come with the GROMs are also not the greatest is speeds, strength, or accurate either so don't expect the greatest finesse with it.

But the tips others gave will give you the best setup without some custom designing/engineering of parts.i would also mention adjustable steering links (from a Mojave grom BLX) would probably help so you can adjust the toe angle. And some very thick diff fluid should help to make it more drifty, and avoid replacing it with a locked diff.

 

[xjtorc]

To see if you prefer RWD only, you can simply remove the center drive shaft and test it out. The car will work without it, just no power sent to the front diff.
As others said, steering angle will be your biggest hurdle.

I would advise against this with the Nascar. It won't be fun and it won't be a good representation of a RWD drift car. It'll diff out, constantly.

RWD drift cars work because all of their weight is on the rear end, their diffs are mostly locked up, and the biggest factor: they have gyros.

 

[CertifiedMike]

Just wondering if the Losi would make a good rally car. How is the suspension? Does it have any travel?
1/12 scale rally cars are pretty common so finding cool bodies would be easy too.
Might be a fun option too.

I have no input on the drift idea other than to wish you good luck with it.

 

[xjtorc]

Just wondering if the Losi would make a good rally car. How is the suspension? Does it have any travel?

I've looked at mine and shared your thoughts...BUT...Not a lot of travel, at all. Also, the chassis has a rear diffuser and front splitter/bumper built into the tub. Things that would get in the way if jumping haha.

 

[CertifiedMike]

I've looked at mine and shared your thoughts...BUT...Not a lot of travel, at all. Also, the chassis has a rear diffuser and front splitter/bumper built into the tub. Things that would get in the way if jumping haha.

You kids and your diffuser and splitters and integration and no travel...
Its usually not the jumping... the landings tho...

Ok. Rally sounds like a tough build too. Maybe with longer arms?

Monster nascar crawler or BUST!!!

Sounds like a touring car body might be a good option. Maybe build it like the RJ Speed mod type cars? Hacking and adding bars is normal with those things anyways!

 

[xjtorc]

Maybe build it like the RJ Speed mod type cars? Hacking and adding bars is normal with those things anyways!

Something similar to that has also crossed my mind…an awd brushless 1:12 latemodel that can go sideways around 100% of the dirt oval

Just ideas for me though. Mine has a nice quiet life living on the shelf. It’s waiting for a quiet time in my life where I have free time and the ability to go racing once more so I can go show these “stock” racers how it’s done. Darn kids’ sports lol.

 

[PonkyKong]

Hard tires. 6000kv plus.