Pictures Of My Slightly Evolved Dirt Thrasher

[pylamy 0]

Hi,

I just wanted to share with you some pics of my dirt thrasher. It has been built from a manta ray chassis with DT body and a TA01 chassis with lots of spares + 2 esc I bought 2 years ago from ebay for 90 including transmitter. Front wheels look crappy, I couldn't get that stupid paint off. I definitely need to buy a new set.

Specs :

Dirt Thrasher body (not so properly fixed, but it did my best : it was broken at a very fragile spot, just between the front shock tower) Note the clear yellow sticker on the windows.

TA-01 grey chassis and gearboxes (lookin' good!)

Bulky propshaft made of aluminium (Any idea where the prop shaft could come from?)

Manta Ray drive train, fully ballraced (except steering)

Rear balldiff from the TA01

SuperStock BZ motor with 18t pinion

TEU-101 BK (I have two in case the BZ burns it)

and voil...

[Gruntfuggly 553]

Prop shaft looks like a hop-up item. Much better than the original piece of coat-hanger...

[pylamy 0]

Much better than the original piece of coat-hanger...

I still have the original propshaft. I laugh every time I look at it, figuring out how much power was wasted by that flimsy piece of junk...

[TA-Mark 195]

I still have the original propshaft. I laugh every time I look at it, figuring out how much power is wasted by that flimsy piece of junk...

It doesn't really waste power, the wire flexes and spits out when you put fast motors in. The wire 'coat hanger' makes a good rear swaybar when you bend it to the right shape and combine it with the TA-02 Touring Swaybar set.

The tub is TA-01 or DF-01, a TA-02 tub is 20mm shorter.

[pylamy 0]

The tub is TA-01 or DF-01, a TA-02 tub is 20mm shorter.

You're right, tub should be TA01. By the way, I noticed that the grey TA01 tub had "MANTA RAY" engraved. Otherwise it would have been a TA02 and I wouldn't have been able to fit the DT body onto it.

[TA-Mark 195]

Manta-Ray is a DF-01, TA-01 is a tourer derived from the buggy DF-01 chassis.

[HereBeMonsters 9]

I was wondering about the propshaft - all the hop-up items I have seen have thicker shafts (oo, er, vicar, etc.) but the same "ends" to connect in, so the power will be lost by flex there?

I've just kept the standard item as a kind of slipper clutch...saves the gearbox!

[acorn 0]

I was wondering about the propshaft - all the hop-up items I have seen have thicker shafts (oo, er, vicar, etc.) but the same "ends" to connect in, so the power will be lost by flex there?

I've just kept the standard item as a kind of slipper clutch...saves the gearbox!

Quick brain wave. Do those props have flat ends? If so, just wrap some electrical tape round the flat ends to take up the slop to see if there is any significant difference. If nothing else it should run a little quieter. Granted it wont last that long, but it might prove some sort of point!!!!

[terry.sc 16]

I was wondering about the propshaft - all the hop-up items I have seen have thicker shafts (oo, er, vicar, etc.) but the same "ends" to connect in, so the power will be lost by flex there?

There is no power loss through the drive joints.

All the upgrades are to stop the shaft itself flexing when you put a faster motor in there. You lose performance when the propshaft starts bending in the middle and starts bouncing off the top deck, shortly before it catches on the chassis and is thrown out of the drive cups leaving you with RWD. The thicker propshafts increases the rotational mass (so gives you a little less performance) but by being stiff they stay in place.