DF03ra or XV-01

[Pteppic 62]

Thinking of building a rally car on either DF03ra or XV01 chassis.

However where I like to run in a forest the ground is covered in twigs, sticks and pine cone so here's my question....

Which of these 2 chassis has the better ground clearance so I can ride more of these hazards and not get caught up on them.

Currently run a Racing Lancer on a DF01 chassis and the ride height is just fine on that.

Thanks.

)

[qatmix 953]

Xv01 without a doubt is the car to get out of those listed. I've rallied tamiyas for many years and the ta01 /02 cars are great for rallying, the tb01 is also good (brushless and lipo make it come alive and address its old issue of power / weight). Df03 ra was nice, but it didn't geek to have the character of the other two chassis.

The XV01 (I have the rally pro version) is quite simply the best rally chassis out there. It has a fantastic balance and is able to pOwerslide better than any of the others. The belt drive is efficient and reliable (the assembly is sealed). It's slash proof (great for the uk).

I actually think the xv01 is the best all round chassis available, it can rally, hold its own as a tc at club level, and also drift. Superb bit of Tamiya design.

[Yello 6]

I like these videos of the XV01:

[TA-Mark 197]

Your DF01 is a better chassis than the DF03RA. The only real advantage the DF03 line of chassis has over the TA01/02/DF01 chassis is the ability to fit a slipper clutch if you use crazy powerful motors or want to do crazy sized jumps with it like a buggy. TA01/02/DF01 and TB01 have been the best options for a rally chassis until the XV01 was released.

[kontemax 1794]

So this DF03RA is so terrible?

I own a Dark Impact and is a very good car to drive, well balanced and strong.

Max

[TA-Mark 197]

So this DF03RA is so terrible?

I own a Dark Impact and is a very good car to drive, well balanced and strong.

It's no worse than the buggy version. Same soft aluminium mainshaft gear, and tight spaces around the steering bellcranks and the back sides of the wheels that jam with even small rocks. Other buggy chassis are better, just the same as other rally chassis are better.

I too own a Dark Impact and a DF03MS myself, but I'd rather drive my DF01 Top Force as I have less problems with it.

[Pteppic 62]

OK, so now you've all got me leaning towards the XV-01, but what's it's ground clearance like?

DF-01 seems to have about 20mm, DF-03ra claims 15-25 when I can find it reviewed, but very little on XV-01, guess I need an XV-01 owner with a ruler to help me out!

Thanks.

[B.M.T. 127]

So this DF03RA is so terrible?

I own a Dark Impact and is a very good car to drive, well balanced and strong.

Max

On top of what Mark said... I got one, and regret it. Nearly at full up travel the rear upright hits the bottom of the camber link causing it to pop off the ball stud. If you don't want to loose travel you must start shaving bits of suspension off and the front ball joints will just all fly off for no real reason, making sure you loose a dog bone. Not talking a clapped out chassis here, talking new built.

[RS2RSR 17]

It's no worse than the buggy version. Same soft aluminium mainshaft gear, and tight spaces around the steering bellcranks and the back sides of the wheels that jam with even small rocks. Other buggy chassis are better, just the same as other rally chassis are better.

I too own a Dark Impact and a DF03MS myself, but I'd rather drive my DF01 Top Force as I have less problems with it.

So the Top Force is a better car than the DF03 ?

With a silver can on asphalt maybe, but with a brushless 7.5 on a dirttrack with jumps, no way..

To answer the TS question, you can have any ride height you want changing the ballend on the dampers.

I also think the XV-01 will be more fun to drive if you like powersliding, with all that weight up front, but the drivetrain on the XV-01 has more friction than the drivetrain of the DF03ra.

I`ve never driven the XV-01, but I like my DF03ra (and DF03) wery much.

[kontemax 1794]

I don't know, I own both DF01 and DF03 chassis, both hopped up at top and there's no way, I think DF03 is a lot better.

Transmission is smooth and stronger (you only need the steel gear and you solve every problem but remember that on DF01 you must change to full plastic TA02 gears), ball diffs are far better, you have a slippery clutch, the gears don't strip after any jump, the gearbox cover don't pop up for the torque.

The chassis handle very well on DF01 but better on DF03 imho. I never broke the DF03, I never loose the shafts or the ball connectors.

Don't know about the DF03RA edition, maybe the shorter arms can give some articulation problems but noting non solvable. We are modelers, modifications is our hobby.

I also used a TA02 rally car that has the same DF01 problems. I also must work on suspension design to improve the height of the car. I never used DF03RA so I can't speak about.

This new chassis has two characteristics I don't like a lot:

1) Belt transmission

2) Front motor mount.

I don't know...

Max

[TA-Mark 197]

I was using a 9.5 turn brushless in the DF03, and couldn't keep mainshaft gears up to it. I've spent more on replacement mainshafts than than I paid for the whole DF03MS kit. Now I run the DF03 on a 27 turn Dirt Tuned with a Five Stars mainshaft fitted. I had three DF03s. Sold two, and bought one of them back when I could get a Five Stars mainshaft for it.

I use a 7.5 turn in my DF01. Oh and my track is offroad dirt with jumps. Admittedly the DF03 is about 2 sec a lap quicker (330 foot long track), but you do need to finish a race in order to win...

Just for your information, with a silvercan, same gearing, same battery, same ESC, same wheels. The DF03 is faster on tarmac than a DF01, the DF02 is even faster than that again, and the DB01 leaves them all behind.

Bevel gears to a diffs at either end will never be more efficient than belt drive. There is a good reason all the top level buggys are belt drive.

Whether the DF01 buggy or the DF03 buggy is better is off topic. This thread is about rally chassis.

[RS2RSR 17]

I was using a 9.5 turn brushless in the DF03, and couldn't keep mainshaft gears up to it. I've spent more on replacement mainshafts than than I paid for the whole DF03MS kit. Now I run the DF03 on a 27 turn Dirt Tuned with a Five Stars mainshaft fitted. I had three DF03s. Sold two, and bought one of them back when I could get a Five Stars mainshaft for it.

I use a 7.5 turn in my DF01. Oh and my track is offroad dirt with jumps. Admittedly the DF03 is about 2 sec a lap quicker (330 foot long track), but you do need to finish a race in order to win...

Just for your information, with a silvercan, same gearing, same battery, same ESC, same wheels. The DF03 is faster on tarmac than a DF01, the DF02 is even faster than that again, and the DB01 leaves them all behind.

Bevel gears to a diffs at either end will never be more efficient than belt drive. There is a good reason all the top level buggys are belt drive.

Whether the DF01 buggy or the DF03 buggy is better is off topic. This thread is about rally chassis.

DF01 VS DF03 off topic I know, but you brought it up.

Your statement about all the top buggys are belt drive tells me that you don`t know so much about top level buggys anno 2013..