Thunder Shot, Fire Dragon, Etc "a5" Part Question

[gba888 0]

Hi Guys,

I'm getting a fire dragon and plan to run it. After some research, I see that the A5 part frequently breaks. I have found an ebay seller that offers a "brace" for this part, but I'd like for someone to explain how this part breaks, what causes it and *where* the piece actually splits/breaks. The following link is from a guy's restoration page...he mentions that the part in the picture is broken, but looking at the picture in the ebay sellers listing, I cannot see how the part on the restoration page is broken?

Here is the first link: restoration page with A5 part

And here is the ebay listing: ebay listing for A5 "brace"

I'd really appreciate it if someone could explain the details to me, Thanks a lot!

[taffer 949]

The A5 will really only break after much abuse/ bad landings from high jumps etc.

Have you seen this

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...216&id=1721

I have used this method many times before the re-release came out.

A brace fitted to my re-re in 2005 and its still going strong now, the link regarding the restoration fails to mention parts like the drive cups can be used from tl-01 which are really cheap and easy to find.

Hope this helps...

[gba888 0]

The A5 will really only break after much abuse/ bad landings from high jumps etc.

Have you seen this

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...216&id=1721

I have used this method many times before the re-release came out.

A brace fitted to my re-re in 2005 and its still going strong now, the link regarding the restoration fails to mention parts like the drive cups can be used from tl-01 which are really cheap and easy to find.

Hope this helps...

Thanks a LOT! No, I have not seen the link you posted, but will check it now (on my break). That is good information about the drive cups, too! Thanks again

[gba888 0]

Ok, after having read that... is there any reason why I *couldn't* cut an A5 part into 2 pieces and use that instead of an extra B8 for the top section? The kit will only have 1 of each part, and I'm looking to not have to buy a B or A tree, or the brace either. This seems like a nice solution to a common problem, I just don't have the kit yet let alone any extras.

I'm sure I could fabricate that brace piece pretty easily, but in the original post, I was searching for info as to *why* it breaks. Having seen those pics, it would appear that the bumper impact is the culprit and would send shockwaves through the whole piece in a heavy head-on collision. I don't really see how that brace would help much though unless it's the screw shafts that flex within the A5 piece upon collision causing cracking/breaking.

[Gruntfuggly 571]

The reason the A5 breaks is because the lower front arms are attached to it. When you hit something hard with one of the front wheels it pushes it backwards and pulls the arm away from the chassis - which effectively pulls on the A5. It's made of the same plastic as the rest of the kit, but has the most stress on it, which is why it breaks so often. An alloy replacement will not break, but as with all alloy replacement parts, the stress is transferred to somewhere else - in this case usually the blue arms - which is why the arms usually have white stress marks on them too...

[gba888 0]

The reason the A5 breaks is because the lower front arms are attached to it. When you hit something hard with one of the front wheels it pushes it backwards and pulls the arm away from the chassis - which effectively pulls on the A5. It's made of the same plastic as the rest of the kit, but has the most stress on it, which is why it breaks so often. An alloy replacement will not break, but as with all alloy replacement parts, the stress is transferred to somewhere else - in this case usually the blue arms - which is why the arms usually have white stress marks on them too...

Ah, ok. Now it all makes sense! And I now see how that brace on ebay would help....basically it would shroud the plastic holes so that the arms wouldn't stress the plastic. Thanks for the explanation!

[spaint2k 0]

The reason the A5 breaks is because the lower front arms are attached to it. When you hit something hard with one of the front wheels it pushes it backwards and pulls the arm away from the chassis - which effectively pulls on the A5. It's made of the same plastic as the rest of the kit, but has the most stress on it, which is why it breaks so often. An alloy replacement will not break, but as with all alloy replacement parts, the stress is transferred to somewhere else - in this case usually the blue arms - which is why the arms usually have white stress marks on them too...

Yup, that's what happened to my A5. Caught the front left wheel on something and it ripped the long (mostly) threadless screw out through the screwhole on the A5. I fixed it by epoxying washers to either side of the hole, but I'll be getting that brace shortly.

However, I believe my blue suspension arms are stressed because I left the car in storage for 16 years with the suspension monoshock pushing on them for all that time.

[Power Surge 0]

The reason the A5 breaks is because the lower front arms are attached to it. When you hit something hard with one of the front wheels it pushes it backwards and pulls the arm away from the chassis - which effectively pulls on the A5. It's made of the same plastic as the rest of the kit, but has the most stress on it, which is why it breaks so often. An alloy replacement will not break, but as with all alloy replacement parts, the stress is transferred to somewhere else - in this case usually the blue arms - which is why the arms usually have white stress marks on them too...

The re-res have re-enforced arms to help the white stress points.

[Power Surge 0]

Hi Guys,

I'm getting a fire dragon and plan to run it. After some research, I see that the A5 part frequently breaks. I have found an ebay seller that offers a "brace" for this part, but I'd like for someone to explain how this part breaks, what causes it and *where* the piece actually splits/breaks. The following link is from a guy's restoration page...he mentions that the part in the picture is broken, but looking at the picture in the ebay sellers listing, I cannot see how the part on the restoration page is broken?

Here is the first link: restoration page with A5 part

And here is the ebay listing: ebay listing for A5 "brace"

I'd really appreciate it if someone could explain the details to me, Thanks a lot!

Hey bud, read through my post in this thread....

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=55085

[gba888 0]

Hey bud, read through my post in this thread....

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=55085

Thanks Yeah, one of your posts is what helped me plan for this new car! I even ordered the upper arm kit as you suggested in your post. I'm looking forward to this build...I got back into rc stuff with a few tamtechs then got a re re grasshopper and boomerang.

[Boothy 58]

I have just started to build my re re Fire Dragon, I now have a front and a rear gear box Also I have the adjustable upper arms as per Power Surge.

I look forward to seeing your pictures! I have just ordered a new servo and reciever to save messing around and will be ordering an EZrun 9t set up as I stole the Tamiya 101 and stuck it in my very slow build Monster Beetle.

I did find the gears a little poor in quality though, I had to shave some off the edges to stop binding as they kept sticking. Possibly its just me not cutting enough off when removing from the parts tree but there did not feel like any left over stump. Hopefully they will run in ok.

cheers

Boothy

[gba888 0]

I have just started to build my re re Fire Dragon, I now have a front and a rear gear box Also I have the adjustable upper arms as per Power Surge.

I look forward to seeing your pictures! I have just ordered a new servo and reciever to save messing around and will be ordering an EZrun 9t set up as I stole the Tamiya 101 and stuck it in my very slow build Monster Beetle.

I did find the gears a little poor in quality though, I had to shave some off the edges to stop binding as they kept sticking. Possibly its just me not cutting enough off when removing from the parts tree but there did not feel like any left over stump. Hopefully they will run in ok.

cheers

Boothy

Yeah I'll have to figure out the "garage" or whatever the photo album thing is on here someday. I modified my tamtech fox at one point and put working lights on it I'm just getting impatient b/c I ordered the fire dragon from tamiya's actual site and it's been about 3 days and STILL hasn't shipped!!