Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 So when I was a kid I always wanted a manta ray, but it never happend, 25 years on here we are. The intention for this build is for the car to be used mainly at the beach. So here we go! 26/08/2018 FINISHED PRODUCT, See bottom of thread for more. 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juggular 4964 Posted August 22, 2018 "What on earth is that hu~ge tire?" Then I realized that it was the box... 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 Where possible I’ll be using stainless screws from one of my parts trays. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 Gear diffs front and rear for this build. Since it’ll be a beach rig I want the diffs pretty tight so the cars not getting bogged through 1:1 scale 4wd wheel tracks and the like. I’m using “Ride 45 hardness” diff putty. It’s important not to put any other grease in with the putty or it can cause the putty to just slip off the gears. Generally takes a good half a battery pack or more to settle the diffs right in with this stuff before you really know how firm. You don’t need a lot, it’s easy to overdo it. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 Yeah racing one piece motor mount and MST 0.6 module machines steel pinion gear. Both pretty much must have. Also rather bling. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 Fitted up a TA02 touring car gearset, stock alloy parts are rubbish. Yeah Racing bearings throughout. Also fitting the optional main drive shaft from the top force kit. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 I’ve got 2 pairs of top force FRP damper towers, I’ve laminated/glued them together to get a stiff and strong tower for those accidental upside down landings off dunes. But mainly I wanted the extra damper hole options. Required top force J parts for this to work. Front tower turned out a bit too thick and fouled the gearbox, so I had to grind a bit off it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 Ugh, the red knuckles had to go. Dogbones ditched for yeah racing cvd’s. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 The yeah racing units come assembled but without threadlock and without lubrication. A light coating of aw grease hopefully won’t attract too much dirt. Fitted up with bearings to the hubs and locking alloy hexes. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 Gearboxes completed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 Still waiting for alloy steering set, for now stock plastic will do the job. Fitted high torque servo saver while I’m at it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 22, 2018 Chassis is pretty much together, shocks and electrics tomorrow! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwistedxSlayer 1290 Posted August 22, 2018 Looking really good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 23, 2018 I didn’t like how the rear shock tower just swings off the rear bulkhead on 2 screws so I added a stabilizing bar to it, will it make any difference to a upside down backwards airborne landing? Well even it if doesn’t it looks cool! For the upper arms I had intended to use top force turnbuckle set and the reinforced adjusters however that combo didn’t work and then I decided I might just use some of the leftover shafts and parts in my parts tray instead. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 23, 2018 Hi cap dampers, ready to go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 23, 2018 Top force hicaps assembled, few differences from the instructions, front shocks built minus the 5.5mm spacer to give more droop up front. The gold colored included springs for the dampers apart from looking awful are simply too firm. I opted to use the manta ray kit rear springs and some fronts from my parts trays. I then used the manta ray kit supplied spring retainers. Rounded out with clear bottom out o rings instead of orange. Built with 2 hole pistons and Tamiya yellow #400 oil for stability. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 23, 2018 Shocks installed. Time to get the soldering iron out. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 25, 2018 The abisma/hobbywing 10bl50 50a sensorless 3400kv system just squeezed in. Turned out fairly tidy. They put the heatshrink on the wrong motor wires as it went backwards on initial wiring. No biggy swapped orange and yellow all fixed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 25, 2018 Last thing Friday my alloy steering set rocked up, little bit of tinkering to make it fit as gpm never supply any instructions. Few extra washers from the parts tray got it smooth and slop free. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 25, 2018 As per usual with these DF01/TA01/TA02 cars, even with perfectly measured tie rods, camber was still out by 4 degrees left to right. Seems pretty standard on this layout my Porsche TA02sw was exactly the same out by miles. A setup station makes life easier getting the car to handle the same turning left and right. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topforcein 1764 Posted August 25, 2018 she looks great but if it was me i would not use them hi-caps for bashing esp for beach bashing the stock ones will be ok for what you want out of it. and i would cover the fan on the esc to stop the sand getting in it and i would not have greased stuff either as it will act as a grinding paste with the sand plus i would have left the kit bearings in aswell . but hey thats me 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 26, 2018 I’ve actually got a top force with the same shocks etc on it that is a shelf queen. The stock shocks are junk (not even as good as the ones that came with the car in 1992) and dont come close to what I want/expect performance or aesthetically, a set of cva v2 probably be ok, but then I’m not in a position where I need or want to compromise. I could have gone with a df03 damper set, but the blue didn’t go with my color scheme. I agree about the fan, undecided as yet how to go about that one, but then all my other beach vehicles have had fans on the esc and they have not had any issues. I might make a little hat for it from lexan that shrugs off the sand that would otherwise directly fall in there. I also was in 2 minds about the grease on the unis, hence putting very very little in there. At the end of the day they are $10 yeah racing unis that are readily available so meh.. lol basically the idea of this car is so I don’t use my top force. (Not that the top force was ever destined for the beach haha). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juls1 1661 Posted August 26, 2018 So while i was recently on vacation interstate i visited about 10 hobby stores, at one of the stores they had 30 of these Super Manta Ray shells there, all prepainted/stickered.. Only issue, no wings. Meh i got one anyway because they where letting them go for a song. decided I will use this as my running body, i wacked on a Spare TRF201 wing I had laying around. only issue is I don't have a wing sticker.. but for now I don't mind. I've got the stock body, wheels and tires for when it's sitting on the shelf now. So she's pretty much done, the paddles are not glued on yet, havn't decided if i'm happy with these wheels yet. Took it for a spin in the backyard with some normal tyres, handles great in this layout, left to right the handling has worked out very equal, the motor combo is probably a little more powerful than the car needs, particularily in the initial punch, so will be dialing the initial punch back on the esc to preserve the cars drivetrain a little and reduce the wheel stands. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites