Team Associated B74.1D 4WD buggy build 2.0

[DavidB1126]

This is the 2.0 thread of my AE B74.1D 4wd race buggy. On this thread you will see what I change from the stock set up, testing and tuning to the car and some race/practice videos.

Current electronics:
Hobbywing XR10 Pro 160A ESC (Legacy version)
Hobbywing V10 G4 13.5 Stock motor
Xpert 4000 series high speed servo
Maclan 7.6 LiHV 6100 packs

Other parts:
Protek Aluminum Motor fan
Jconcepts Ellipse silver compound F+R
Associated offset wheels from the B64
Factory Team 20mm aluminum servo horn
Protek RC 20T 3.17bore 48p pinion gear (will change in the future, probably anywhere from 25-28)
Stock kit spur (78t 48p)
Using Radiolink Rx/Tx (Radiolink RC4GS V3) (later down the road I will upgrade to a mid range futaba or sanwa) (Futaba 4pm, Sanwa Mt44)

And that is it on what I have in the car right now. Later in the future I will post the following

Changes to kit set up
Testing
Tuning
Videos of racing and practice

Happy RCing or Racing!

 

[DavidB1126]

Getting all packed up to go to the track tomorrow. They are club racing at noon but I just want to get there at opening to test, tune and get a feel for the buggy and track since this time I am running a faster servo and a proper 13.5 racing system. I might race but I'm not sure. My younger cousin is going with me so I'll have her be my marshall.

Just bringing the buggy. Not anything else. Mini b is not ready since I need custom ebay parts. I could take the slash or the rustler but I don't have proper tires.

Also when I am there I am going to see if they can hook me up to their lap timing system with my name and class. Don't have that much in my spare parts. There is a very very well stocked shop on location and they probably do have AE parts. But hopefully I don't break anything. I just want to get through 1 day with out breaking a car (with the Traxxas cars on a carpet track I'll be off the track within 5mins for something)

Should be a good day and fun day. Still running kit set up and stock ESC/Motor settings. Once I do my first race, that's when I plan to change some setup. Maybe I will like the kit set up. Not sure yet.

 

[Doom!]

Have fun and soak up some knowledge from the experienced racers.

 

[DavidB1126]

I already charged up batteries tonight so once I get there I can go straight on the track. The only thing I would have to mess with on the buggy is the gear mesh. Seems like I can't get it right and it is too tight. Also while I'm there, I'll see if they got a 25 to a 28 tooth pinion in stock. When my uncle ran 13.5 on carpet he used a 26t pinion to get the max speed. Right now I have a protek 20t. So basically 20/78 gearing. 78 is the stock spur. The kit also came with a 72 optional spur.

Have fun and soak up some knowledge from the experienced racers.

Will definitely do! From what I had seen last time, they mostly run slicks or sanded down tires. I have the JCon Ellipse all around. Might try to sand them down and maybe use traction compound sauce. Or I'll just get slicks in general. (Been looking at the JCon smoothie tires). With the ellipse I do slide around some corners if I turn to hard but its not bad. (forgot to mention that I am using the silver compound) Also I'll talk to some racers to see what they use as for diff and shock oil since I would change that. Not sure if I want to dig into the diff heights or the axle heights or any of that. It's just normal club racing just for fun. Don't want to do racing at a competitive level as the big national races.
After driving the buggy tomorrow and doing a couple races here. I will be more excited for beach RC for summer Vaca. I told my uncle to bring his buggy and RC stuff. Hopefully to spend a day and do some racing at beach RC at Myrtle Beach this summer Vaca. (We had been going down for every summer for the past 6 years and we did everything so it's basically a relaxing Vaca instead of like Disney world Vaca)

 

[Jamr]

Try tightening the two gears together with a piece of paper between the gears. Once tight, pull out the paper. That made the distance perfect and worked for me. I always carry some blank paper around in my tool box for this purpose.

 

[Greywolf74]

good luck at the track!

 

[DavidB1126]

My cousin didn't go with me today but that is fine. The car felt really good. Getting better at lap times. My fast today was a 19.18 I think. The owner got me hooked up in their lap system. She put me under MOD but that is fine since most racers there do mod anyways. I can run stock in a mod class but I'll just have to up on my pinion alot. Didn't race today since of my schedule. Next time I can go back down is later next month on a Saturday which I will race that Saturday. I broke 1 major part. Broke the front shock tower directly where the shock mounts too. They had one in stock for the OG B74. This one has less camber link adjustments but that is fine since I am still using kit set up. The esc had came off too. Which I used the 3M tape that came with it. Also used my Protek clear tape which did the same thing. Another racer gave me his gorilla tape and that holded in better and shouldn't be going anywhere. Also bent a screw for the battery strap which I fixed that. Only went through 1 battery pack. Also another thing to note is I am getting better with controlling the car in the air. So next time I will definitely race. Just hopefully I get through that race day with out breaking any thing.

 

[DavidB1126]

Out with the old and in with the new.

 

[DavidB1126]

 

[DavidB1126]

I had just found a new track in the area. They have a new carpet track (Grey EOS carpet) I had got some new carpet tires. I got Schumacher Cactus rear and Jconcepts Swagger fronts. (Running what my uncle is running on his xb4) He has a whole box full of spare foams so he cut some foams for me. And I will keep the foams I got for spare parts. I will be gluing them up tonight and letting them sit over night and to the new track tomorrow. Last time at the local clay track I broke the wing mount so I got a new wing (Jconcepts B64 wings) and a new wing mount.

 

[DavidB1126]

Back to the build. Tonight I rebuild the shocks. Front with 50wt and rear with 35wt. Also put on new red springs in the front. I also dialed in camber and ride height. I had also used gorilla tape as a chassis protector and for the battery wires.

 

[WickedFog]

That is a sweet looking kit man. Especially the carbon fiber, which looks to be a very nice cf.

 

[DavidB1126]

That is a sweet looking kit man. Especially the carbon fiber, which looks to be a very nice cf.

It is a nice kit. TLR, Yokomo, Xray, all of them are pretty nice and good kits.

Today at the track, I got my name and class in the system for the off road track. They had expanded the track and changed the layout. More fun now. At the end of the day I jumped into the pole / beam and broke the whole front end. I broke the shock tower again, a arm, shock shaft, and maybe something else. I did scrape the A block but its still useable. Also since they are setting up drag racing, I raced the buggy against a bandit 2wd and a couple of losi mini cars. Pretty fun. The strip is 86ft long from the starting light to the end sensor and I think 20ft for braking. They are using a traxxas drag system and app. For the buggy my fast today was a 2.3 seconds at 29/30mph with the 13.5 motor and 20/78 gearing. Not that bad. I can always gear up all the way to a 26/27 pinion but ONLY for drag. A 26/27 pinion on the size carpet track, the motor will overheat. I did went live on IG for drag racing but didn't work out since IG won't record in landscape. To view the lives go to the "RC Underground Arena" Thread. With the expanded track layout I am pretty sure the straight is about 70ft. With the ride height, camber, and oil changes, the car handles pretty well on the off road carpet track. I am still running kit diff oils so 10k,200k, 10k. In the shocks I am running 50wt/35wt (from the carpet car) and red spring out front. Next time I plan to take all the cars that are running. I will be drag racing the rustler and slash but I need to figure out tires for them.

 

[DavidB1126]

 

[WickedFog]

I am so jealous. That place looks awesome!

 

[DavidB1126]

 

[DavidB1126]

Back with the build. Going to the track this Saturday with my uncle if he is open with his buggy. I got his surprise bday present which are his turnbuckles. Man, xray parts are too expensive. 36 dollars for 4 turnbuckles. Also they are super thin so I see why they bend. Also getting the buggy for its first race in the next couple of weeks. Over the last couple days I had rebuild the shocks to 50wt/35wt and the diffs to 15k/200k/15k. I did get 500k for the center if needed. I also got an aluminum shock tower, fixed the bent shock shaft, and a couple other things. Should be ready to go. I just need to slow my roll with my driving. Also I try to keep my tools organized but it does not work out. Lol.

I did get another carbon shock tower. What I will be doing is putting CA glue around the edges of the shock tower to help not separate the layers. Mostly had problems with the front carbon tower but will do it to the rear just to be safe.

The body has some cracks in it. The stock AE body is "light weight" Planning on getting a Jconcepts body. And changing up my paint scheme a little. Maybe some Spencer Rivkin colors. Some dark blue and purple and some silver. That would look nice.

 

[DavidB1126]

Nothing new to the buggy, no new parts, no set up changes, nothing. I had just been practicing at the local carpet track. I will be going down Next Thursday for my first race with this car, should be fun.

On Monday, I am going down to the local clay track. I will just change the tires and nothing else. I might change set up when I am down there. I am also more at the carpet track than I am at the clay track.

Here is a video from last weekend. You can see a huge improvement in my driving.

 

[DavidB1126]

Yesterday, I had one of the locals put in 500K center diff oil for me. It made a huge difference in qualifier 2 last night. Car drove way more better.

And when he opened it, it was bone dry!
So if I am going to be racing every week to every other week, I will be needing to rebuild my diffs, and probably shocks, every 2 to 4 race days.
Time for an AMain diff and shock oil order!
One of the locals just ordered a oil refill off of amain, so ill see what he has in stock in his collection.
Also learned alot on the past couple race days. Most guys are running 1 to 2 million in there center diff. Around 30k in the rear, and 10 to 15k out front.
Before he changed the diff oil for me, I was running 15k,200k, and 15k. The 200k was stock kit setup. The 15k I stole from the kit setup from the carpet version.
I'm not sure what they run for shock oil so I will ask all of them next week. I am currently using 50w in the front, 35w in the rear.
Since I changed to the clay setup when I went down to the clay track the other week, I kept the kit setup, yellow springs in the front, and blue in the rear. The carpet kit setup calls for red springs in the front which I have, I just need to get the stripped screw out to change out the springs, that should make a huge difference on my driving.
Also, I learned, that I am not going to use the electric screwdriver anymore, I will only use it for my battery strap screw, and very long screws. Also not to over torque / tighten things anymore. Gotta get over the fear of the screws backing out, it will be all fine.

 

[DavidB1126]

Car and race news from the past races:

Clay track visit 6/19: https://www.rctalk.com/forum/thread...ime-the-track-in-gaithersburg-6-19-23.138683/

First 4wd stock buggy race EVER: https://www.rctalk.com/forum/thread...ound-arena-thursday-club-race-6-22-23.138684/

1/10 Buggy and Mini B racing Saturday: https://www.rctalk.com/forum/threads/1-10-buggy-and-mini-b-racing-saturday.138685/

I did went and race last night. Like I said earlier, We put 500K in the center and it made a huge difference. The car drove so much better. Just need to rebuild the front and rear diffs, and change out the front springs.

Here are my results from last night:

Heat 1 in round 1: Started out in second, and finished in second. Fast lap of an 14.7. Consistency of 92%. Scoring: https://rcundergroundarena.liverc.com/results/?p=view_race_result&id=4429428

Heat 1 in round 2: Started out in second, and finished in second, Fast lap of an 14.8. Consistency of 89%. Scoring: https://rcundergroundarena.liverc.com/results/?p=view_race_result&id=4429627

Main: Now for the main, a couple guys had to leave early, so we combined the B and A mains together. We also did the same with 2wd. I started out 5th and finished in 5th. Fast lap of a 14.4. Consistency of 89%. Scoring: https://rcundergroundarena.liverc.com/results/?p=view_race_result&id=4429828

Overall: My fast lap for today was a 14.4. Really good. Top Consistency of 92% which is really good.

After all of the racing, I brought the mini b so I took that out for a spin, and let a couple guys drive it as they were looking into getting one / racing them on Saturdays with us. We were talking about the class (what we run, which is Mini B open) and my upgrades on the car.