Wheel_Nut

The flux capacitor allows some degree of time-travel. It takes me back to when I was 15 years old visiting Hong Kong and bought a Tekin esc300 to put in my Tamiya Falcon. The RS-pro3 also comes with a capacitor (I think its 330uF). However its a PITA to install along with the 12ga wires on the solder posts. Fortunately I'm competent with a soldering iron.

Brushless motor running.

I received a few upgrades for the Truck. Pro-line Trencher wheels and tyres #1194-11. They came ready mounted on 2.2" rims. Tamiya Brushless Motor TLBM-02S 17.5 turn. Tekin RS Gen 3 brushless controller and hotwire programming interface. The Pro-line wheel and tyre combo is a good fit to replace the CC-01 wheels. The body is mounted 4mm lower than before and uses a revised Front shock tower so the tyre doesn't hit the wheel arch at full compression. The brushless motor gives a huge amount of torque, so I have to be really gentle on the trigger. Throttle exponential might be part of the solution. Currently its using 18 degree timing advance programmed into controller timing profile. I realise the Tekin Controller is overkill for my usage. The motor runs in sensor-less mode because I didn't want to use a sensor cable and currently I don't have one. I may need to connect a sensor cable to get smoother starting and reduce the shock on the transmission.

This may be better than CC-02 if the steering geometry has less bump-steer. The steering was the weakest thing about the CC-01, and I'm not sure if its any better in the CC-02. Now If they could find a way to make the prop shaft a bit straighter, I'd be keen to put one together. (So much whining on my part)

I would like Tamiya to manufacture lots of replacement parts for the re-release and solve any distribution issues so that we can purchase the spares from more than one source at any time we need them. Without a good supply of spare parts, the re-releases are not very attractive to me. I'm especially unlikely buy optional upgrades such as ball diff, if it looks like it will be impossible to buy other parts in a few years.

For off-road running it would benefit from softer and wider, more grippy tires. I'm looking at the following from the comical series cars (WR-02CB, GF-01CB). The tires are not very scale, but the bubble shape will add compliance to the rear suspension which can help with the un-sprung weight aspect. I won't raise the body any higher. I will use the rubber tubing suggestion from Waterbok to reduce the rear travel. For the front, I can make a new shock tower to keep the same overall suspension travel, but have more rebound travel and less compression travel.

A simple video of today's running in the park.

This is the design that impressed me.

Mark C's post about 4 parallel links with Panhard rod is a good idea. I'd just like to add, once you have a panhard rod to locate the axle laterally, 3 parallel links are enough. Using a Panhard rod with the 3 link setup eliminates the possibility of binding so there is no requirement for the 3 links to be perfectly parallel. In the case of the Lunchbox, you can have 2 lower links, but the upper link on the left side only. That will avoid any issue with the clearance on the right side where the motor is fitted. There is a youtube video somewhere of a 3 link grasshopper rear suspension where the upper link is located at the top of the gearbox (positioned like the screwdriver in the picture used by Mark C).

I could lower the body, but the tires would rub at full compression. I'm thinking about changing the wheel and tire setup for something bigger and softer. I will run it some more before I make a decision.

The truck has been finished off in the last few days. A new 2.4GHz FHSS receiver was added, with my ancient Mtronics ESC that I last used in 2006. I took it to my local park for a run. It seemed quicker than I expected from the standard 540 motor. More rear grip would be a help. On ashphalt the handling is precise and responsive, but it has some rear-end hopping under power on rough surfaces. I'm unsure if its torque reaction lifting the suspension, or just due to the un-sprung weight of the motor. I'll try to post a video next time I run it.

According to RCmart: Front tires #54865 (SOFT), Diameter 95mm, Width 46mm. Rear tires #54866 (SOFT), Diameter 98mm, Width 56mm.

IMO its the Fox. Its the only one of the early buggies that could actually go club racing and have respectable performance. Not as many flaws as the other buggies of the time. I don't remember when the Madcap was introduced. The design layout was good, but everything was very flexible and under-engineered if you ask me.

I got a laugh out of your comment, but its true. The entire chassis rails can be made from wood if it has aluminum reinforcement in the places that take the highest stress.

Front bumper is now attached. It uses a plastic bumper molding from the TA-05 "B Parts". I used the body posts from the same sprue. The FR4 plate to attach the bumper is bolted to the chassis rails via a 6mm thick piece of plywood used as a spacer.