Kowalski

HA HA! I managed to break my DI, while practicing table top jumps at a little BMX park near my house. All the big jumps on wood and concrete bent a rear shock piston shaft. It's OK I have the upgrades coming soon. My first DI breakage! To me it feels safer to land the car on it's front wheels and let the back ones catch up, rather than have a chassis slapper where the car bottoms out, the noise unnerves me. How should I be landing jumps? Does anyone know any good tutorials online? Elliott.

So, is the hybrid viable? Did you try it? It sounds like a class idea. Elliott.

Those thick white piston's look nice. I'd have more confidence in them than the thin black ones on the sprues. The set looks even better when those details look good. Elliott.

Let me know what you get in the kit. Are there any parts that you need from the placcy shocks? We're rather swamping this thread huh DCM? How are everyone elses DIs, fellow Tamiyaclubbers? Elliott.

After another dusty run last night, I checked out the reasons behind a slight drop in speed and acceleration. The back diff was tighter than normal, when I took it out it was BLACK. It was caked in dust and quite 'grindy'. Having applied DCM's patented 'lube to the gearbox covers' trick to the top covers I neglected to do the cover for the rear diff. I noticed the stiffness at the back was caused by some nylon string wrapped around a bearing in the rear hub carriers. It's become my pet peev, I get it quite a lot. Anyway the diff was thoroughly cleaned and rebuilt and the whole arrangement was a lot better. As a matter of curiosity I checked the top cover as well. I either didn't grease it enough or I have to stop running in the dust, because there was a little bit of dirt ingression in there as well. I have to say this is a dissapointing design flaw. Anyway all is well now. My jumping skillz are getting pretty good, but I'm not going to get the CF shock towers because it still skids along on its roof from time to time. I blame the tree roots. Elliott.

That is some fast shipping.

I've been to their Tokyo store. It was a mission to get there, it's not in the main part of the district in which it is situated, it's a bit out of the way. The shop is rocking, it's piled high with all kinds of stuff. The servo I purchased from the shop is now steering my Dark Impact. Elliott.

Vellrip? Who are they? Ah, a Singapore concern on th'bay.

jr-rc has the very sexy looking new threaded shocks (53926) available on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/53926-Tamiya-DF03-Al...1QQcmdZViewItem Elliott.

It's the wait isn't it. I don't like it. I think they are doing alright though.

I understand. It was a light hearted comment. Do you get supplied by Tamiya direct or do you queue up at 'RC Champ Advisor' (if you are in Tokyo) every so often with a basket of goodies? Elliott.

ditto. If you're cheaper than Jason in Shibuya, you can have my money. Elliott.

I was going to reply, but I'm a bit confused. 7500 Yen is £35 converted by xe.com.

£47 from America and £35 from Japan. £35 isn't bad for four shocks. I'll take 'em (from Japan). The plastic shock really scare me. Even the old Yellow CVAs look stronger. When I rebuilt the back shocks last night the oil was already black from the dust. They were also squeaking a bit. Elliott.

So, HOW expensive are the shocks going to be? I saw 3000 yen quoted somewhere, which is around £15. This may have been for all four. I agree the new shocks look absolutely special. Even this frugal tight-wad may stump up the cash. Also when are they going to be released? Another run with my Red-Impact (painted the shell) last night, it really is a class car, in the leafy, but dusty glade, I was putting up huge clouds of dust, with some nice power slides and other rally style moves. I've almost finally worked out how to jump. I'm currently landing precariously on the front wheels but righting the car flat after the jump with the driven front wheels. I stiffened the back shocks when I got home, I'll see how that goes next time. Still loving it. Elliott.

This makes me sad. I thought the drivetrain at least was good enough. If they remould the cases and add interchangable hinge brackets in the front and rear and rejig the chassis a bit. DCM's words make Kowalski sad. [] Elliott.

I saw that auction two the pic is of the slipper, but the auction offers the pinions. Try this, http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/53925-Tamiya-DF-03-S...1QQcmdZViewItem He's renowned around these parts as a good guy. Elliott.

Shodog, what is the number for that green paint? It's lush. Elliott.

Genius. Will do.

I didn't realise you can use the kit spurs with the slipper. Cool design. The instructions for the slipper have a proper ratio chart which was something missing from the instructions. I did a little mod to use the bigger kit spur gear and the kit pinion (26/85). Which is near as **** it the same ratio as using the slipper kits spur and a 25 tooth pinion (25/82) according to a separate spreadsheet I knocked up.. When I cracked open the rear gearbox to swap the layshaft there was dirt in it. It was quite bad on the hollow tube that supports the gear next to the layshaft. Has anyone else seen this? I was thrashing it in the dustiest conditions recently however. The car appears to bulletproof or flexible enough to take the knocks it landed on its roof a few times and cartwheeled abouty five times with no damage. Elliott.

My slipper clutch arrived last night. I fitted it and it looks well made as you'd expect. I'll run the car tonight. Elliott.

I didn't prime the body because I thought the darker primer colour would dull the yellow paint also I didn't want the door detail to fill with paint. Oh well [] Elliott.

Nope it's TS16. Standard Yellow colour. NON Polycarbonate. I think the paint for the white shells is more glossy. I've just used some on my LB. Elliott.

I had a clicking from my front gearbox the other day, that went after I removed and replaced the input shaft. Could it be that? I think screw tension on the gearbox case could have been a factor. Elliott.

Another handicap to keeping the Dark Impact cool is its name. Having a name like Dark Impact, most cars are going to be painted a dark colour. The dark colours will absorb the heat energy from the sun (when outside) and from inside the motor, motorplate and battery. Whereas a lighter coloured or white shell will reflect the heat from the sun and be cooler under the shell. Of course ventilation, fans and (proper) heatsinks will affect the temperature of the hot parts, but I think the colour of the shell would also play a part. Of course I have no hard scientific backing for this, it's only a hypothesis. [] I've had the car weeks and still not done the body. I think I'll do it red, rather than the metallic grey I was going to do it. Elliott.