Ofna OB-4 International [Archive] - Page 2

ZoomZoom

09-28-2002, 12:03 AM

BMW Z8, Z3?

Ferrari F50?

Ferrari Daytona?

BMW 2002?

On to other things...one of my diff's is shot on the OB4. I've rebuilt it a 3rd time now and the last 2 times I was extra extra careful that I cleaned it well and inspected all the diff bearings, thrust bearings, diff rings...everything. But it still feels 'gritty' when I turn a wheel. There is still diff action but it feels like crap. It was the rear but it handled loose as hell or it slipped like hell depending on the tightness on the thrust bearings. I put it up front after the last rebuild and set it tight and it handles great again. Still 'gritty' but at least it is back to neutral handling.

Ferrari 575 Maranello?

The new Ford GT40?

BMW 6 Series?

Mercedes Benz SL55 AMG, SLK 32 AMG, C32 AMG, ?

Audi RS6?

Jaguar XK, F-Type, S-Type?

Aston AM305?

The new Ford T-bird?

Lexus SC 430?

I'm racing tomorrow. Hope the Yok stays together. I've got all kinds of 'band-aids' holding it together :p . The temps will be in the mid to low 60's. Traction will be hard to come by. I may use foams (TRC Purples and Cyans). I have the OB4 set up for mods. Looks like it will be the last outdoor/asphalt for the season. Carpet will be the flavor from then on. Well, hope everyone else get some racing goodness in. Peace...out!

YR4Dude

09-28-2002, 01:18 AM

Okay guys,

I've given-up on my OB4 International project. There's just not enough time for me anymore to mess with it.

I've listed on E-bay a parts package enough to put together an entire car. All you need is bearings, shocks, shock towers and some fastener hardware.

So if any of you are interested take a look.

Otherwise, my other guesses are:

The million dollar benz convertable coupe with scissor top

The new Ford Thunderbird?

Tom Walkinshaw's million dollar XJR?

spenzalii

09-28-2002, 03:26 PM

Hmm. One of those answers is correct fellas! I will announce the winner when it comes out the shop. But it is on the page now...:D

YR4Dude

09-28-2002, 04:27 PM

I think its Zoom-zoom that got it.

It must be either:

Benz SL55 AMG

New Lexus SC430 roadster

Those were my guesses before when I was close but I didn't have the specific model numbers correct like Zoom-zoom.

So come on Spenzali, out with it.

ZoomZoom

09-28-2002, 04:39 PM

What does the winner get? ;)

Raced today and broke my OB4...yet again :( . The right-front bulkhead and CF top plate in 2 places. Slammed the boards good with my 11x3 in it. Luckily I had a few awesome runs with it and showed those nitro phreaks a thing or 2. After my foams wrmed up, the hooked up great. I was lapping them :D ! Stock with my Yok was very competitive. I was running with a few other stockers and some nitro too. Even with a stock motors we could hang with the nitros HA! I fried my Tekin ESC good. I mean it was smoking heavy. Oh well, good excuse to get me another 8T Pro :D . Next week will be the last time they will set up the PL track.

I missed the indoor carpet race last night at Larry's Performance RC. Josh Cyrul was there racing TC's with a prototype 7x1 motor!!! Apparently it uses a flat or sguare wire to minimize the air gaps in the windings and really wind it tight. 71,000 RPM!!!

I'm looking at getting a 12th scale next. Probably an AE or a CRC 6-Pack.

ZoomZoom

09-28-2002, 04:46 PM

YR4Dude, did you list you car on eBay as "sharons-closet"?

YR4Dude

09-29-2002, 04:04 AM

Yes I did.

To briefly explain, Sharon is my wife's name but she lost interest in trading on E-bay, so I picked up where she left off.

Anyways, I've got both my electric OB4 up for auction. I will also be listing the nitros soon as well.

You guys are great but I am giving up on the OB4 simply because of a lack of parts support not only by the importer OFNA but also the aftermarket. This is also despite the fact that I live in SoCal where Nitro House / OFNA is an hour's drive away. In SoCal, an hour's drive is not bad. However, my wife has been criticizing me on spending too much time and effort just to maintain these cars and she is right!

I've decided to go with other kits that are not only better distributed but also better supported by the aftermarket. Please don't let this discourage your enthusiasm in this kit. In fact, today at the track, I met a father and son who just bought their first serious RC car which was an OB4 International RTR. They had no idea of what they got into. They don't even know how to adjust it!!. After, I finally adjusted their car to run right for them, I pointed out all the potential areas of adjustment that they may not be using at this stage but may find useful at a later stage (ie. droop screws, caster, and sway bars. You all have to admit, its a great car considering all the room for adjustment at such an incredible price. After I was done with them, they were happy with how the car worked but I also warned them of the potential problem of having to find spare parts. I also told them to look into forums like this one for support.

There are plenty of other people just like you who have been resourceful and clever in finding ways to maintain and improve the performance of your OB4s. People like Eric Perez in the HPI forum on the nitro OB4 thread who is a great asset in advice on not only nitro cars but the specifically the OB4 as well.

So look at my items if you are interested and perhaps you'll have another useful OB4 or parts for your OB4 for another season of racing.

ZoomZoom

09-30-2002, 01:06 AM

I'd love to bid and win your OB4 YR4Dude. Unfortunately, as I posted earlier, I was recently laid off. I could be out of a job for another couple weeks or maybe even permanently out of that job. Sucks :( . So I've put a stop on all RC purchases until I get a job. My kids' gotta eat ya know.

So far my LHS (Larry's peformance RC) still has OB4 parts in decent numbers. Won't be long before I single-handedly exhaust that supply the way I've been racing lately :p . I'm looking at an RC Lab 7even for my next TC but it and parts are online only (speedtechRC.com). Also a 12th scale by AE (RC12L3).

YR4Dude

09-30-2002, 11:32 AM

Thats okay Zoom-zoom. I know how it is to be on a tight budget. Anyways the RCLab is a good choice for a potential OB4 substitute. I know the person who runs the site where it is on. Its a great car for mod racing however no more ball suspension like the OB4:(

However, for stock racing there is nothing better than a TC3. If you're on a budget, there still nothing better than a TC3. I got mine for $50 (rolling chassis of Racer kit). I gave it an alignment, put in some cheap electronics aside from my FM receiver and I was racing with guys driving cars worth almost $300 or more. Last Sat. night, I beat a group of guys driving the new X-Ray Evo 2. That's a $360 car!!!

So you can see why I don't need an OB4. Although I have to admit, it is the best handling car I've ever had out of the box. If I had the budget to run 9T mod, the OB4 would be my choice to race.

spenzalii

09-30-2002, 02:09 PM

Sorry to see you get out of the OB4 biz, YR4, but we understand. You gotta have parts. Who knows, maybe OFNA will have another electric up it's sleeve one day. Seeing how they have a nitro everything and a new truck every 2 weeks, i doubt it. Don't leave the thread, though; the support is still needed. Heck, I've been on this one just on the strength of my memory of the car. Had it stolen, you know...

BTW, I should have the body out this week.... In the meantime, I shot an older style Eclipse for my buddy. I'll post the pics when I can. I used the Mirage paint that shifts from purple to green. For a can, the look is fabulous.

ZoomZoom

09-30-2002, 04:37 PM

YR4 - are you eBaying an OB4 Pro MidDrive too!? From the pics, It looks to be in mint condition. DAMN!!! And no $$$ to get either of your OB4's. I really wanted the MidDrive too :( . Oh well..

spenz - I should post my Eclipse too. I'm afraid to race the body cuz I know it'll get tore up. I gotta use it though cuz it looks too cool to just sit.

Will ya tell us what your new body is already!!!

YR4Dude

09-30-2002, 06:12 PM

Zoom-zoom, the mid hardly had any runs on it. In fact it was never raced.

When I first got it, I converted it into an International. It drove great!! It put me as third qualifier behind Ian Aquino at last years Hitech race in a field of 50 drivers.

Then I decided to convert it back to mid. At the same time I was also running a Yokomo MR4 Worlds which has handling great. So I didn't spend much time with it in the mid configuration.

I recently I picked-up the used "A" car cheap and it does so well at my local track (SoCal Raceway) and the parts are so cheap that I couldn't help but go with that from now on.

Zoom-zoom you could understand this. Food for the family and still race? Thats a win-win situation. I mean it is so cheap to race the "A" car such that I could race almost a full season off the sale of either one of those OB4s listed. Plus it makes traction on tires too worn for other cars and makes power from old motors. In fact, I am still using a Paradox for stock racing!!

The OB4 is a great car but you just can't beat the economics of the "A" car.

Spenzali, who makes that 1st gen Eclipse body?? Is it Parma?

spenzalii

09-30-2002, 06:22 PM

Nah, HPI. You can get it n 190 or 200mm. And it may technically be 2nd gen; I don't have my older C/D's at work

YR4Dude

09-30-2002, 06:34 PM

You're right. I forgot that the current one is the 3rd gen of the Eclipse. I think it is Parma that makes the 1st gen as an Eagle Talon.

ZoomZoom

10-01-2002, 12:51 AM

Ya' know what YR4, I seriously thought about the 'A' car and I did understand the ease, convienience and availability not to mention performance of it. But, I am one that likes to march to his own drum. I want to be able to beat the status quoe with an unconventional car. Which is the reason I chose the OB4, my Yok MR4-TC Pro (I've only met one other person racing this series car here), and the reason why the RC Lab 7even is next (after I get a job :p ). I like being the 'underdog'. That makes placing well or winning that much sweeter. I also understand that I need to build my skills up too but they are coming along just fine. Still learning though.

Anyone try the Real Race Gen 2 RC racing PC game yet? One of the guys I raced with last Sat. is burning me a copy of the 1st one and gen. 2. Gen. 2 looks sweet!!!

SyberSerulean

10-02-2002, 10:54 PM

body! lets see body!

YR4Dude

10-03-2002, 12:05 AM

Ya!!!! Out with it!! At least tell us what it is so we know what to anticipate.

ZoomZoom

10-03-2002, 10:19 AM

BODY...BODY...BODY...BODY...BODY!!!

YR4Dude

10-03-2002, 11:52 AM

Zoom-zoom,

I know exactly what you mean about being different. How do you think I got here in the first place?

Anyways, the way I do it is this; my "A" car is $50 and everyone at the track knows it. It has no options, and it has cheap electronics. The fun I have is passing by other guys with cars whose bare chassis cost more than my entire package alone.

BTW, I have a new car. Its also another bargain box special. A Kyosho TF-4 R. Its got all sorts of options like alum Integy hubs, alum parts from Trinity, delrin diff, and graphite motor pod brace. All for $35 plus shipping on E-bay!! If you look at it closely, its like having a 414 except with better battery hold down than tape and without the crazy price tag.

However, this baby's got parts support online not just only from Tower but also from other aftermarket suppliers. Broke a delrin outdrive last week; no problem, a new one is available online for $10.(not the same for my OB4) So far, I tried it and it is very steer happy. I had to turn down all sorts of steering just to drive it right on the the track. Even had to sauce the front tires by half only. Maybe a little more suspension tuning will help.

Hey guys I'm not against the OB. Its just that I am frustrated with the lack of parts support in the U.S. Especially from the aftermarket makers. Maybe it is better overseas or in Canada. I've noticed that it is very popular in Australia as well. So in those parts of the world, its still a good car to have.

Spenzali, I can't hold them off much longer to keep this thread going. C'mon out with the body or at least post what the body is so we can talk about that.

SyberSerulean

10-04-2002, 12:30 AM

yeah aftermarket support sucks...
ah well....

BODY!!

spenzalii

10-04-2002, 02:18 PM

Man, A TF-4? That was Kyosho's big gun before the KX0One came out, wasn't it? 35 for it is a definate steal! Unfortunately, I can't go for too many of Kyosho's products, as their relatively steep price, limited local availability of parts (yes, I know Tower has them in ******, see my next point) and really bad experience with their MKII Spider with the GSX-11 engine. I spent more time and money buying replacement parts from Tower than I paid for the car. Run it once, fix it, rinse, repeat. In retrospect, I probably would have been better off getting the StreetForce and playing around with that.

I'm calling right now to find out if the body is finished. 25 points goes to ZoomZomm for the correct guess. Now you just have to figure out which one it was....:p

P.S. When I post the pics, it will not have the rims I want for it. I have to wait until Schummacher releases them. If they take too long, I'll have my buddy ship me some.

YR4Dude

10-04-2002, 05:30 PM

Okay,

After looking over the previous posts, I had it narrowed down to either:

Benz SL55 AMG

Lexus SC430 roadster

So my choice is the SL55 AMG. Since you did get the body from your quazi half brother (well you know what I mean) from Europe, it must be a European car so that is why it is th Benz Luxo roadster.

ZoomZoom

10-04-2002, 07:23 PM

I'll say the BMW Z8 then (YR4 beat me to my 1st choice :p ).

Ha, I was thinking of getting the KX-One. My LHS stocks parts I believe.

SyberSerulean

10-05-2002, 01:01 AM

damn! i wish it was a delorean! *cries*

ah oh well.

spenzalii

10-05-2002, 12:41 PM

Ah, so close but so far...

I wonder why I don't see anyone running the KX-One. I would think people would see it as an alternative to the XXX-S if you were that biased against Losi. But I haven't seen any on the track, and very little aftermarket support.

I'll give you guys one more chance. The car wasn't ready yesterday, so I may break down and tell you.

BTW, YR4Dude, my buddy will be stationed in San Diego starting in January. Any good places I should tell him about? (He's in the Navy, so I'm not sure what base he'll be stationed yet)

YR4Dude

10-05-2002, 01:58 PM

Spenzali,

I am not very familiar with the SD area but for sure, Hobby Town in San Marcos is a good place to start. They, BTW, have a good stock of OFNA parts including all the options for the OB4 both nitro and electric.

Another place is Hobby People in San Diego on Convoy St. Hobby People is a large chain that serves So Cal and Las Vegas. They have a race series throughout their locations with big raffle prizes plus race bucks to winning racers. People have walked away with Hitec FM radios as a prize eventhough they didn't win their main. So that is a fun one to go to.

Those two places should be enough for your buddy to start on.

OUT WITH IT!! BODY! BODY!! BODY!!!

SyberSerulean

10-06-2002, 05:07 PM

BODY BODY!

spenzalii

10-06-2002, 08:37 PM

Thanx for the heads up on the shops. I'll let him know. One more round for the last 25 points fellas...

YR4Dude

10-07-2002, 12:20 PM

Are you saying that both Zoom-zoom and I missed the mark?

Okay, then its gotta be the Lexus SC430!!

Out with it BODY! BODY! BODY!

spenzalii

10-07-2002, 01:17 PM

Coming soon to a concours event near you (when he's finished painting it....)

spenzalii

10-07-2002, 01:19 PM

Get around that!:D :D :D :cool: :cool: :D :D :D

I told you ZZ had it on his post... I'll just keep those extra 25 points. Now if I can only get those Schummacher rims, I'll be set.

YR4Dude

10-07-2002, 01:36 PM

A Jag??????????

What Schumacher rims are you talking about? I searched their site and didn't find any pictures.

spenzalii

10-07-2002, 03:21 PM

Yup! Try and find one in the States...

For the rims, try here (http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98212)

YR4Dude

10-07-2002, 04:44 PM

Nice wheels. Definitely for show only. I wouldn't even dare run them.

So which one are you gonna get? The blue split spoke??????????

Its got real nice chrome on it. Not that plasticky look like the RPMs. However, expect to pay top dollar for it. I would expect it to be at least $11/pair street price. The Kawada's I have were similar but no color like these and they were at $9/pair at least!

BTW, what tire are you gonna use?? HPI ADVAN??? or one of the ones made by CROSS Racing?

spenzalii

10-07-2002, 06:34 PM

I gotta see how the paint comes out. I personally like the chrome 5 stars, but it depends. The choice of tire won't really matter too much since I will only run it once. In a wide open lot. Without anyone else on the lot. I may slap some Fury meats on it for the sake of the tread pattern. But if I get my other body (the DB7) I may use the rims on that too.

YR4Dude

10-07-2002, 10:28 PM

Doesn'tn Proline already make the Aston Martin?

ZoomZoom

10-07-2002, 11:21 PM

That's gonna look SWEET spenz!!! The Jag body is a great choice for a 'show' body cuz it has a lot of 'character lines' in it. Put a vote for the 5-spokers for me too :) . They sorta remind my of Racing Hart C5 wheels. Are you getting the colored ones or straight chrome? I prefer the straight chrome but depending on you body color, a set of colored ones may look better. What color is your body being painted?

spenzalii

10-08-2002, 10:52 AM

I think the straight chrome. It should be silver pearl with a hint of blue. If he could faschange blue it first, it may be great. I'll have to check on it this week. I told him take his time on it, so I'm in no big rush, but I do want to get the pics of it up for you guys. Yeah, Protoform makes the DB7; it will be my replacement for my Stratusfear.

YR4Dude

10-08-2002, 03:35 PM

Okay Spenzali,

You've got to get this for your next body.

spenzalii

10-08-2002, 04:15 PM

Giggles. Actually, I want a 70 Nova, but there are two problems with that

1. I need to get my Project SpeedStick II: Codename Mitchum set up (12 cell brushless RC10TL03)
2. The Bolink body is pretty ugly

SyberSerulean

10-08-2002, 06:35 PM

i can find a jag in the states.....

*grabs his neigbor's jag*
see?

anyway....

http://www.hpiracing.com

go to the english (unites states) one, and look on the HPI challenge report.

Im Chris Arellano and look for that name, :-)

SyberSerulean

10-08-2002, 06:38 PM

http://www.hpiracing.com/challenge/2002/4-ca/DSCN0502k.jpg

yeah thats me in the jacket, 1st place baby!...err...the young guy in the jacket, lol.

SyberSerulean

10-08-2002, 06:43 PM

im racing the 0b4 this weekend at the hobby people races.
Im going up a class because i hate their handout motors. Sportsman Stock here i come.....

any tuning tips?
its a medium length track with kind of alot of turns. Its got a fairly long straight. maybe 40-50 feet or so? not sure. Im still at stock gearing and i need a little more top speed. I don't want to sacrifice too much torque but i really need the top speed too. Im running a freshly cut Hellfire rs4 stock motor.

spenzalii

10-08-2002, 06:50 PM

Good job SS! And good laugh smartypantz. OK, a LEXAN S-Type, ya happy?!

Do you have time to practice on the track? You could drop down a few teeth at the pinion (between 30-32) from the stock setup. See which one gives you more 'punch' out the hole.

Devin

10-09-2002, 09:13 AM

Glad to hear that the OB4 electric is a good car too. I race a OB4 nitro that's all hopped up to take the punishment of racing. It has a Trinity picco .15 engine and a Trinity pipe. For electric I race an Xray Evo II, I would of considered getting the OB4, except it's really hard to get parts support for ofna here. Glad you guys like your cars. If you want, I can post pics of mine.

spenzalii

10-09-2002, 09:16 AM

By all means! I may pick up a nitro OB4, you can get them for under $200 these days, and it's quite capable to boot

Devin

10-09-2002, 09:28 AM

yep, ace-hobbies.com $190 dollars for the pro kit which is a very good deal! I would suggest a few things though as the speeds of nitro can break the plastic parts easily. The hop ups I have on my car is the Alum Y brace (needed, the nylon plastic one does no good for chassis flex), alum front bulkheads, aluminum pullies 15 and 17's and a good steering servo (I have a futaba S9303). Other than that, it's pretty much stock. Oh make sure that you get a bigger bumper, the weak spot of the car is the front upper arms, the break very easily. I converted a NTC3 bumper for the ob4 and put the ob4 bumper on top so I have a double bumper..this protects the front end very well and you wont break upper arms! I also replaced all the turnbuckles with titanium ones as I thought it was a good idea cause they seemed to strip out every once and a while due to collisions.

spenzalii

10-09-2002, 09:52 AM

Thought about the aluminum arms? I believe Ofna makes their own set. I wonder if they fir the electric one...

ZoomZoom

10-09-2002, 10:19 AM

Hey, what's the diff between the nitro "Pro" and the "Slimline"?

Also, has anyone seen any pics or heard anything about the new LD3 (Nitro OB4 replacement)?

spenzalii

10-09-2002, 10:30 AM

Looking at the specs, not much. Didn't the slimline come with an engine, but no electronics? It's been awhile since I saw ads for it. As far as the LD3, I haven't yet. Maybe YR4Dude can sneak over to their hq and find out for us....:eek:

Devin

10-09-2002, 10:51 PM

the difference between the two cars is subtle but here goes.

The slimline is the OB4 that is RTR. It comes with a graphite upper deck instead of the carbon fiber one of the pro. Also the two speed is a finger style instead of a clutch type like in serpents and NTC3's. The clutch style is much smoother for engagments to the second gear. There might be more subtle differences between the two but it's worth getting the pro kit as you put it together and you know exactly how it goes together. Im not a big fan of RTR kits, but they're good starter kits if you want to get up and running fast. Im a firm believer that you can put together a better setup than RTR's with your choice of electronics and engines. I have enjoyed my OB4 greatly mostly since they can support pull start motors. I hate flaming out and if you need to run and get your car and put it on a starter box you loose that much more time. I have a great time with my Picco .15 and it's pull start. I keep up very well with serpent pro's and NTC3's with my ofna and generally beat them out too and TQ my events. Here's somethings to chew on. Email me if you have more questions! Pics soon as I need to download them to my GF's computer from my camera.

Devin

10-09-2002, 10:57 PM

Originally posted by spenzalii
Looking at the specs, not much. Didn't the slimline come with an engine, but no electronics? It's been awhile since I saw ads for it. As far as the LD3, I haven't yet. Maybe YR4Dude can sneak over to their hq and find out for us....:eek:

I haven't heard of a LD3 from ofna, just rumors. Also ofna makes delrin arms CNCed but they're 55 bucks! Pretty pricy if you ask me. GMP also makes aluminum arms for cheap but I hear that they're hard to come by. Megatech also makes arms for the OB4 but I really don't like Megatech much as it's too spotty for parts and I never saw any in person from that company. I think the OB4 electric and nitro share parts but im not sure. The nitro part numbers for the arms are 39050 for the front upper arm and 39060 for the lower. So if that's your part number than they are the same. Good luck!

SyberSerulean

10-09-2002, 10:59 PM

no no, i need more top speed. Im always getting passed in the striaghts. It has stock hearing right now (35/124) and i need good gearing to have a high top speed and enough punch for turns and stuff.

ZoomZoom

10-09-2002, 11:04 PM

Thanks for the info on the cars. My first nitro is still several months away. Especially since the nitro season is over with here in Michigan. I'll be doing a lot of comparison shopping in the off-season.

I don't mind RTR's. Sure you get a better understanding of the car by building a kit, but I completely disassemble and reasemble RTR's anyways so that point is moot to me. Did that on my OB4 International. So far I'm leaning towards the Kyosho V-One-RR, NTC3 or Yokomo GT-4R. Ofna is still in the hunt but I'm waiting to see what that new LD3 is all about.

So ya like the Picco's eh? Have you tried other engines that you can recommend?

spenzalii

10-09-2002, 11:31 PM

no no, i need more top speed. Im always getting passed in the striaghts.
OK, are you getting run down down the straight (you get the holeshot and they catch you downwind) or are you just getting beat off the line on down? Try moving to a 38-40 tooth pinion and see how that goes.

As the arms go, I think if the holes match, the arms may fit. Your OB4 will be wider, as the nitro is 200mm and the Int'l is 190mm.

SyberSerulean

10-09-2002, 11:36 PM

I get the wholeshot when im near the front or at the front.
Then all the cars catch up but by then im whizzing around the turns. (exactly what happened the first time i raced the Ob4 at hobby people races, 1st place in my 1st qualifier, i started 1st and ended 1st). I was lucky though, some would catch up on the straights but i out turn them most of the time (but now im bumping up so i really need better gearing). Anyway, i don't want to sacrifice too much torque so would a 37 or 38 tooth pinion fit the bill?
I'll see if i can get a "bag-o-pinions" with my desired range hopefully before sunday. Well see ya guys later.

YR4Dude

10-10-2002, 12:05 AM

Originally posted by Devin
... The hop ups I have on my car is the Alum Y brace (needed, the nylon plastic one does no good for chassis flex), alum front bulkheads, aluminum pullies 15 and 17's and a good steering servo (I have a futaba S9303). Other than that, it's pretty much stock. ....

...The slimline is the OB4 that is RTR. It comes with a graphite upper deck instead of the carbon fiber one of the pro. Also the two speed is a finger style instead of a clutch type like in serpents and NTC3's. The clutch style is much smoother for engagments to the second gear. There might be more subtle differences between the two but it's worth getting the pro kit as you put it together and you know exactly how it goes together. Im not a big fan of RTR kits, but they're good starter kits if you want to get up and running fast....

...Megatech also makes arms for the OB4 but I really don't like Megatech much as it's too spotty for parts and I never saw any in person from that company. I think the OB4 electric and nitro share parts but im not sure. The nitro part numbers for the arms are 39050 for the front upper arm and 39060 for the lower. So if that's your part number than they are the same. Good luck!

1st of all Devin, once you change the front & rear bulkheads along with the "Y" brace and all the pulleys to alum. you can't call it "Stock" anymore. Just those parts alone is about little more than $200!!! More than the price of the kit from Ace. And nobody discounts OFNA hop-ups!! So we're already talking about a $400 car not including the engine.

2nd, carbon fiber is graphite, but what you really meant is that the RTR comes with alum. components where the Pro comes with graphite/ carbon fiber pieces.

3rd, the clutch type two speed is always better than the finger two-speed but original Pro versions came finger two-speeds and side belt configuration like the RS4. Only the later versions of the Pro had the clutch two-speeds with a side belt configuration behind the engine like the Mugen. The clutch two-speed is another $100 hop-up if your kit came without. Not all stores have the current Pro version because many shops are still selling the original version that came with the purple vinyl bag. The later version came with a larger dual section red vinyl bag, which Ace is known to currently carry. The RTRs were almost as good as the Pros until the recent update in Pro's std. features.

4th, you should know this Devin, the red head motor on the RTR is just as capable as your Picco. So long as you follow Eric Perez's port mods (see OB4 Nitro thread for link). In fact, Eric even beat other cars with Novarossi engines with that stock RTR motor.

5th, both the OB4 Pro and RTR are called the "Slimline" because of the narrow aluminum chassis that they both share in common.

6th, all parts on both electric and nitro EXCEPT chassis, motor bulkheads, belts, diffs, pulleys and universals are exactly the same and are compatible.

Lastly, Megatech sells some select OB4 aluminum parts at HALF PRICE. Except you must purchase it through America's Hobby Center's website. Their parts fit perfectly and it even has the same tone of purple anodizing as well.

Now as for other nitro cars, I have them all. I have the V One R, the Mugen MTX, Yokomo GT4 and an OB4 Nitro Pro. Which one should you get???? Its up to you to decide based on you location and the availability of parts and support in your local area for each particular car.

The LD3??? Well since when have you seen a shaft driven car lately that doesn't look at all like the TC3?;) If not then it would have to look like the RS4 Nitro 3 with a center gear and half-shafts. No word on whether the suspension would be the same or not. But it would benefit them and us all if it was because there wouldn't be any changes to the spares we all have.

YR4Dude

10-10-2002, 12:23 AM

Okay to help in your questions here it goes:

Zoom-zoom, an engine I would recommend is the RB Concept 3 port. Its got good power in mid range and is very durable. I've had nothing but smiles when running that motor. This is despite the fact that I run it rich. Even when I lean it out more, I get a lot more power and it temps at less than 220F. Ask around, you won't get a negative opinion on the RB. Another would be the OS 12TR. Everyone knows about OS quality and performance and the TR is a screamer.

Spenzali, the arms on the nitro and the electric are exactly the same. The differece in width is in the spread between the bulkhead halves. Thats why the diffs on the electric will not fit the nitro. But strangely the universals are wider on the nitro than on the electric. Don't know why but its just is.

SS, try running a Green Machine. Make sure you have one with High R's. Gear it low to get the holeshot. Use light springs and hard brushes so your motor can achieve high R's for more top end. Most of the guys who have been fast at SoCal have been running the Green Machine. Also, DO NOT use 767 brushes on the Hellfire. Someone at SoCal ran them and his motor burned out twice. Use only the Orion brushes if you decide to continue with the Hellfire.

Thats it. Hope that helps guys.:cool:

spenzalii

10-10-2002, 10:24 AM

HMMMMM, not so sure about the GM3, YR4. I've seen many of them go up in smoke around here. Now, whether that was manufacturing or bad gearing, I'm not gonna say, as most use the P2K2 and smash the comp whether flowing or technical track. Methinks you're on the right track SS with the gearing. No bigger than a 39 should keep your low end and still give you a bit more top end speed. Just test and see...

BTW, I dodn't know Ofna switched to a clutch type 2 speed. Now, is that on the two speed mechanism or the clutchbell (with the 'powermixer' clutch as it's so affectionately called here:p )? I may still go and get one if this job thing works like it's supposed to. And with half price parts, I smell a full option OB4 in the works:D

ZoomZoom

10-10-2002, 10:48 AM

SS - I was told that the Core Stock TOP based motors are very similar to the P2K in its powerband. Lower RPMs but high torque. I have never tried the Hellfire but whether it is similar to the Core/P2K or the P2K2 (more RPM, less torque) then here are some gearing tips that I do - the P2K I usually run it 5-7 teeth higher at the pionion than my P2K2. My P2K2 is geared at 37-38T x 124 using the 16T layshaft pulley (35T/16T=2.1875 internal ratio). With my P2K, I gear it 43-45T at the pinion.

I also got more torque with my P2K2 by cutting a vertical slot (in same direction as comm slots) and using a lighter green spring on the + side. I tried this after reading it in Big Jim's Motor Black Book and I liked the results. I've also tried drilling a 5/64" hole in the face of the brush with a red spring with similar results. The latter doesn't seem to have as much punch out of the corner but it seems to "kick it in" around mid-RPM. Both 'cuts' were made using #4499 brushes after they were seated (serrations worn away). Neg. side is #4500 w/ green spring and uncut. I like the slot cut a little more so I usually go with the slot. Gearing I keep the same. I seem to have a bit more RPM with the lighter spring on the + but the low end punch is definitely noticable.

YR4 - One of the guys I usually race electric with is one of the better nitro racers and lives and dies by RB Concepts. Good to see others like this engine too.

Spenz - yeah, the GM3's you need to gear it down 1-2 teeth and let the RPM's work for ya. My GM3 (I got a GM3 and P2K from the guy I mentioned above in a trade) has a Dyno RPM of 32000+.

SyberSerulean

10-10-2002, 06:03 PM

so gearing up 4-5 teeth on the pinion would be sufficiant for what i want?

SyberSerulean

10-10-2002, 06:22 PM

yr4 dude...you race at SoCal?

My friend races there all the time! His name is Rusty Buzoff. If you go back a few pages and look at the picture i posted of the win at "Lowes Summer Shootout", thats him. He drives a Pro3 and hes pretty good too. Im gonna be going to SoCal's big event in december. Also, i have to look for good gearing on the hellfire because i don't have the time or money to go buy a new motor.
:-/, plus, the hellfire is running great now since the comm was just cut. So i think i'll go with a 38 or 39 tooth pinion? That sounds good.

spenzalii

10-11-2002, 09:40 AM

Here's what you can do. set up a makeshift sweeper/straight. Find a nice open lot, mark off a corner and roughly how long the straight is, and some corners. Run it and see how it feels from the seat of your pants. For more accuracy, have someone time you with a stopwatch once you pass a certain point that you'll mark off. Of corse, if the track you race on is permanent, you could always go up and practice there. But that's your best and only way to see. Take some time and see how it feels to you and your driving style. But you're on the right track!

Devin

10-11-2002, 12:59 PM

Pics of my OB4 nitro.

Devin

10-11-2002, 12:59 PM

Another

Devin

10-11-2002, 01:01 PM

My Xray -

Devin

10-11-2002, 01:03 PM

both cars with my transmitter and race bodies.

SyberSerulean

10-11-2002, 08:30 PM

the ob4 nitro looks like its wider than stock....
...:-/

anyway i already bought a 39 tooth pinion. I'm sure it will perform better than with the 35 tooth pinion. Also, im gonna paint my skyline body i picked up from the HPI challenge and get it ready for the Hobby People race on sunday. YAY! Its gonna be red on the top half (at a slant) with silver on the bottom half. Then im gonna put the carbon fiber sticker that I also got from the HPI challenge on the hood then the decals then yeah its gonna be cool! pic tomorrow!

YR4Dude

10-11-2002, 09:43 PM

Does that a bumper on your Nitro do double duty as a snow plow?? Like wow its HUGE!! I believe in protecting the front end of my car as much as anybody but from the looks of your bumper, it looks like your planning on plowing more than just snow on the track.

When you load up the car with aluminum, it not only strengthens the car, it adds a considerable amount of weight as well. I never had a problem of breaking the front arms on my OB4 until recently when I obtained an all aluminum optioned OB4. One night someone turned on my frequency in the pits just as I warmed-up the car and put it in the first turn. The car hit the wall and snapped front arms like it was a twig. It was so quick that it was a clean break. When I think back, if the car had plastic parts, it would have given some and bounce back unless it was pushed till it couldn't give any more and then break after the part was stretched some. However, because the car was heavy and extremely stiff, there was no room to give so it snapped before it had a chance to bounce back.

The point is, stiffness can be achieved without the need to use aluminum which adds weight. However, the problem with the OB4 was that the only way to improve upon the cars weak points was to exchange it with aluminum. A heavy and expensive solution. After having other cars like the V One R, Mugen MTX, and Yokomo GT4, I realized that gas cars need to be their own design for certain reasons and electric cars need their own as well also for certain reasons. The idea that what works for electric works for gas and vice versa was a nice concept while it lasted but doesn't work anymore.

Devin

10-11-2002, 10:59 PM

I like the double bumper...it protects well. The lower one is the NTC3 bumper...both fit under the body fine...why not use it? and how much weight is a bumper, 1/4 oz max! I think my car can handle it as it hit 65 mph radar tested!

I only have 3 alum parts on the car for the aftermarket... Front bulkheads and Y brace. That doesn't add that much weight. I saw your car when you first got it and it was an aluminum magnet. I only got parts that I felt were lacking. I dont break crap now mostly since I stay off the boards.

SyberSerulean

10-12-2002, 01:51 AM

the body is done but no time for pics now....need...sleepy....

SyberSerulean

10-12-2002, 10:04 PM

^_^

yeeaaaahhhhhh

SyberSerulean

10-12-2002, 10:06 PM

SyberSerulean

10-12-2002, 10:07 PM

:D :D

SyberSerulean

10-12-2002, 10:08 PM

:D :D :D

sorry about the bad lighting, i'll get better pics some other time.

SyberSerulean

10-14-2002, 10:37 PM

alrighty, sunday was the race day! whoo!

With the 39 tooth pinion, i was going really fast! It wasn't fast enough, there were still people going faster than me but thats because i didn't want to use their crappy hand out motors. Instead i bumped myself up a class to sportsman stock (sportsman 4wd sedan). I took 6th in the first qualifier with an avg. mph of 16.07. I took 5th in the 2nd qualifier with an avg. mph of 17.08 mph. Then came my main, i qualified 5th in the B-Main and got 6th in that class. My bro with his pro 3 got 7th, right behind me. With my pede i got 3rd place in my a-main, yeeaahhh.

Even though i was still getting passed with my ob4, i wasn't getting passed as much and i usually caught up on a few cars on the turns. I'll try to get some pics of the racing later on.

:D

ZoomZoom

10-15-2002, 10:49 AM

If your motor is not blazing hot at the end of the heats, then you might be able to go up another couple teeth. You really need to find the 'sweet spot' of your motor. I thought just going up a couple teeth for my P2K from what I usually gear my P2K2 would suffice. But in actuallity, 6 teeth higher was the 'sweet spot'! I would suggest getting a few more pinions. I know Robinson Racing Products (RRP) make packs of six in odds and evens in 48 pitch, but I don't think they make the sets in 64 pitch. Still, the more pinions you have, the better. You can also adjust your internal gearing by switching out the 15 tooth layshaft pulley to the 16 or 17 which will give you 2.1875:1 and 2.0588:1 ratios respectively. If you combine them with your 39T pionion and 124T spur the you wil have 124/39 x 35/16 = 3.179 x 2.1875 = 6.954 final drive. And 124/39 x 35/17 = 6.545 FDR. As you can see, 6.954:1 and 6.545:1 are higher FDR's (lower #'s but higher gearing) than 7.4:1 (3.179 x 2.33 = 7.4). I am assuming you are currently using the 15T layshaft pulley.

If you do go up a tooth or 2 on the layshaft, then make sure to adjust the belt tension via the wheelbase cam at the bulkheads. When I switched pulleys on mine, I had to shorten up my wheelbase cuz the belts were too tight. A shorter wheelbase also has another advantage - quicker turning and transition handling.

YR4Dude

10-15-2002, 12:26 PM

Devin,

You're right about my car, it was an alum. magnet. Maybe if I had the Delrin arms, it would withstand more punishment. However, the price of those things is enough to buy another RC car used.

About your bumper nothing wrong but it is HUGE! I suppose you have a very limited choice of bodies that you could fit over it. Either that or you probably have it set to fit only one body style that you always prefer. However by the looks of it, doesn't seem like you could fit a Stratus or Crowd Pleazer without pushing the nose out at an angle. I'm sure you could fit the Andy's Accord body without a problem

Hey, about those Delrin arms, I guess it wouldn't be a bad investment. My source at OFNA says the LD3 will be using the same arms as the OB4. In fact, he says that everything outside the chassis and the diff outdrives is the same. Not sure if the shock towers will remain the same either. However, he did say that the only change will the chassis layout and drive method. He also aluded that it looks very similar to another popular shaft driven car.

Kits(LD3) will be released around November. Regardless of the long shoreman strike, the kits will be "Air shipped" in to be in time for the holidays.

However, guys, let this be a warning, buy everything you need that is imported while it is still on the shelves!!! Stock up if you can. The backlog of ships coming into the harbor has them littered all over the coast of Southern California. Other companies may choose to air ship products in to prevent a shortage but it may not last before things are back to normal. Don't get sidelined by a shortage at your local retailer.

YR4Dude

10-15-2002, 11:30 PM

Spenz- WHERE'S DA BODY!!!!!!!!??????????

Zoom-zoom- What do you use for pulleys to upsize the drive ration. Is the alum. pulleys for the Nitro?

Syber - Yes, I do race at SoCal. The "A" car is king when it comes to stock class racing. Losi is good there too. HPI Pro 3, too much flex, needs the new graphite conversion. OB4, not a stock class performer but a good choice for Mod (great suspension, not the greatest drivetrain).

About the Hellfire, they didn't name it that for nothing. It Is HOT!!! However, don't use anything but Orion/Peak brushes for it. Also, it is not like a P2k, don't gear it like one. Its more like an MVP.

Also, has anyone tried the new Integy Matrix metallic pink can stock motor? Its suppose to have extremely high rpms more so than Green Machine. I heard its really good for big tracks where you need a lot of top end.

spenzalii

10-16-2002, 08:54 AM

YR4, the body is still in the shop! The airbrush man is backed up something bad! I hope it will be done by this weekend. As far as the layshaft question, the OB4 came with 2 sets of pulleys in the spare parts bag: a 16 tooth and a 17 tooth. Ofna used to offer the 15 tooth in aluminum, but I don't know if they're still available. In a pinch, you could use the RR pulleys for the RS4. I can't remember off the top of my head how many teeth those are, but they will work.

Devin

10-16-2002, 10:16 PM

Double post, sorry.

Devin

10-16-2002, 10:17 PM

Originally posted by YR4Dude
Devin,

You're right about my car, it was an alum. magnet. Maybe if I had the Delrin arms, it would withstand more punishment. However, the price of those things is enough to buy another RC car used.

About your bumper nothing wrong but it is HUGE! I suppose you have a very limited choice of bodies that you could fit over it. Either that or you probably have it set to fit only one body style that you always prefer. However by the looks of it, doesn't seem like you could fit a Stratus or Crowd Pleazer without pushing the nose out at an angle. I'm sure you could fit the Andy's Accord body without a problem

I have no problem fitting my Protoform stratus body over it, and thats what I run on that car. I found it gave great handling, much better than the HPI BMW body. The delrin arms are too expensive to justify the price. If I wanted, I could always take the top OEM ofna bumper off, but I figured I run titanium body mounts through the bumper that it would strengthen it up. Sofar it has taken the punisment without problems. My xray on the other hand is a tank, never broke one part on it yet and I have jumped off of other cars during a race and tumbled nose over ass. It's by far the best electric car I have ever raced or owned. I race against someone with a OB4 electric and lap it with ease.

SyberSerulean

10-16-2002, 10:17 PM

its not blazing hot but it is quite hot after the heats. I can only hold my finger on it for a few seconds.

yr4-Why wouldn't the ob4 make a good stock class racer? and whats with the drivetrain?
also, the pro3s seem fine by me, yeah they flex alot but my buddies always get great places with them, and the chassis is all stock. My friend does the the front and center one ways.....and some other goodies....the suspension is dialed in....and hes won lots of stuff from soCal. Hes actually going this weekend.....

*shrugs*

is there a front one way i can use for the ob4?

YR4Dude

10-16-2002, 10:35 PM

Devin - For the money the X-ray costs, I would expect it to always be in the top ten

SS - I don't know who your friend is but I've never seen anyone with a stock Pro 3 in Sportsman Stock. I doubt if you friend is Thad Garner, he's the only one I've seen make a Pro 3 fly. Even still, lately he's been running the Pro 4 shaft drive prototype. If you're looking for the front oneway, you may have to take a trip down to HobbyTown in San Marcos. They have the front oneway diff for the electric OB4 at $30. The drivetrain on the OB4 is tight, not because of belt tension, it just wasn't as free as other belt cars I have. Even the center oneway was not free. It was good for me at last years Hitec race (3rd qualifier) but not fast enough for SoCal.

ZoomZoom

10-16-2002, 10:52 PM

I argree with YR4, the OB4 is "tight" at first. But as the belts wore and stretched and after I rebuilt the car (especially the bearings w/ lighter oil), It is as "free" as any car I've driven. At least ones with F/R diffs and solid center.

YR4 - I bet Hara can make a stock Pro 3 fly ;) :D .

I was actually quite successful with the OB4 in sportsman stock racing. I was able to run with FT TC3's and XXX-S's. I never made the A-Main in the big events but I think that is more a matter of my current level of skill. I do make B-Mains quite often (we usually run A, B, C & the rest go home :p )

spenzalii

10-17-2002, 12:49 AM

That's interesting. Over on the right coast, I've only seen a few Pro3's running on carpet, never on asphalt, and they are always heavily modded. I could have picked one up for $200 with battery pak and Quantum esc, but I didn't really want one. Once I get my brushless setup for my XXX-S (and swap the already fast Speedgems Pro 9x2 in there now), I will probably get another electric before forging back into the world of nitro. Had to put that behind me because of job force reduction and baby boy. (SS, just be glad you're young). Now, fortune may be looking my way, as a new position has opened up as of Nov 1, allowing a little more breathing room in the budget. Huzzah! ZZ, hold your head! Believe me, I know how you feel; I been there and I'm not far from that now. Just do for your fam the best you can and it will all turn out fine.

BTW Devin&YR4, what do you recommend on the nitro side anyway? I'm currently looking at the Nitro OB4 (can't beat the price), the NTC3 (most popular shaft drive around here, and no I will NOT consider the NRS4 Pro3), the Ultra GTP or a converted Ultra MBX Pro w/ 8 port Hyper 21 (big car, big weight, big rip) or a converted SNRS4 (the wolfpack kit makes it nice, and quite a few of them drag race with Collari or CBR .21s around here).

YR4Dude

10-17-2002, 01:41 AM

Well guys, it looks as if I may not be leaving the world of OB4 completely. My OB4 International partial chassis didn't sell as to my expectations. All it needs are: shocks, bearings, hardware(susp. balls also), bumper, and center oneway.

For anyone who has an OB4 or a couple of them, its almost an instant car. Because lets face it, we all have plenty of spares in our garages/hobby room.

Anyways, I couldn't get more than $35 on E-bay for it. I was looking to get at least $75. So at that rate, I might as well keep it as a project.

Spenz - About your nitro choices, seems like you're looking for anything onroad that is nitro. Anyhow, you seem to like having the cars that go silly fast. I would recommend that you take a look at the Schumacher Fusion. 1/10 sedan .21 motor(no I did not transpose the numbers), 3-speed trasnsmission!!! As for competition in a parking lot, the V One R/Trinity Reflex is good and durable. If you like the hubs on your OB4, you will hate the ones on the NTC3. Yokomo GT-4 is also a good one as well.

spenzalii

10-17-2002, 06:53 PM

I forgot all about the Fusion. There's a guy in Fredrickburg that sells them. It's about 60 miles out, though. I think I may get one, but I'm scared what may happen when it hits something and I need parts. I'd be out of a car. What's the deal with the hubs on the NTC3?

SyberSerulean

10-17-2002, 08:24 PM

why not the Nrs4 3?

how about the better version, Nrs4 3 SS?

why the hell is everyone against HPI? i don't unserstand, i hate it when people are biased...its just stupid.

ZoomZoom

10-17-2002, 11:05 PM

Yeah, everyone around here looks down their noses at HPI cars in any race event. The thing is, I've never seen one win or even in the A-Mains. I almost bought a Pro 3 but the guy at the LHS totally talked me out of it after I told him my intentions of racing. When I went to Seattle to visit my sister, I dropped by Redmond Hobbies and watched them race. A bunch of guy run HPI there. Actually the RH owner said that's what most people buy from him and race. He even has an autographed Hara body proudly displayed in his shop.

I think a lot of it IS bias, but there's gotta be SOME truth behind all the trash talk. Maybe HPI cars aren't quite up to snuff with the other "world class" chassis' like the TC3, XXX-S, TRF-414M2, Xray, and Yok's. Sure Hara is fast with one, but that is Hara and an HPI that us common folk can't get our mits on. I think skill level is a great equalizer. But all things being equal, meaning if I were in the Expert and up ranks, I'd want a car that makes no compromise in performance.

YR4Dude

10-17-2002, 11:26 PM

HPI is just a toy car. They just want to be another Tamiya.

If it weren't for the brand specific races(i.e TCS and HPI Challenge), no one would buy those cars to race.

Lets face it, even the guys who have 414M2s, use it only because they want to have a car to run at Tamiya races or here locally at the Tamiya USA track.

Many people were also let down last year when HPI didn't have a race in Southern California. But aside from those races, ask anyone, and they would rather have something else if it weren't for the "Brand Specific" races. In fact, I was toying with the idea of buying the a cheap Pro 2 off E-bay or even the Spirit RTR just to run at the Challenge race and then sell it afterwards on E-bay. However, I figured it was too much trouble just for one race and that I could find other places to race instead.

I have seen the Pro 4 shaft drive prototype but it is still uncertain if we'll see it like the car Thad Garner is driving. Chances are it would have many molded components. However, its not due until 2003. By then, who knows, maybe the LD3 will have an electric version also available on the internet.

gringoloco

10-19-2002, 12:07 AM

I find it interesting that, in the OB-4 discussion there are still other brands for whom the choir sounds forth in ominous tones- we all do or have driven a car that has been abandoned on these shores. A car which is difficult to get parts for. A car which, when I have put mine in the hands of better, more experienced drivers has always performed beyond their expectations; expectations which are often barely above Nikko in the Wal-Mart.
Yet we still seam to disparage the HPI because it isn't fast enough, it flexes too much ... etc.
I drive the OB because I liked the stock configuration and I could afford it. I have a freind who drives HPI for the same reason. The difference is, his years of driving skill and patience at cleaning and preping his car ( which includes knowing when to stop wrenching and drive) have put him on the podium for the A main more and more often.
On our recent Sunday at the races, he wrapped up a third place rookie season (Rookie for this league only)- driving against much more expensive cars. At the same time, I managed a fourth in the B. I started in tenth, outdrove no one, but I was still running at the end.
The fastest way around the track doesn't matter as much as finishing. I would hope that there could be more support for other racers rather than the sqabbles about who's car is worse than ours. I drive with people who have spent more on their chargers than I have on all my gear combined- but one wrong turn still puts them out with a DNF.
Sorry about my soapbox- every LHS I talked with said by the A car, not the Ofna. I have gotten some excellent technical advice from all of you. I appreciate the help with setups and gearing- even got a fleet of RD Logics tires based on this board. Lets get back to driving...

ZoomZoom

10-19-2002, 12:29 AM

gringo - My LHS actually said the OB4 was a "secret gem". The 2 guys I talked to (actually after I bought it) said 1 other guy races it and he is one of the faster ones there. And he, like your friend, readily stomps $500+ hopped-up cars. But my point is, he has a much higher skill level than many of the other drivers in Sportsman. All other things being equal (skill, ESC, motor, batts, etc.), I believe that the HPI's and even the OB4 will come up short. I don't race in that league yet so I don't have to worry much about it. My level of racers has a lot of inconsistancy inherent with the Sportsman class. So the advantage of a couple seconds per lap is not there. Skill level, or lack there of, is a great equalizer. :D

SyberSerulean

10-19-2002, 01:11 AM

HPIs aren't toy cars. Bah, Biased..damn you!
:o

yeah some of the new stuff flexes. Well, that great for parking lot racing. My friend has a pro 3 and hes always getting into A-mains and B-mains and SoCal. Its HOW you use it basically. I want to try modifed class racing with the ob4....but i need new wheels (sorex 36s maybe), a new motor (expensive D5 is what i want). Well still, oh well to you biased people. Dread the day when an HPI beats you.

YR4Dude

10-19-2002, 03:19 PM

NEW OB4 ELECTRIC CURRENTLY AVAILABLE OVERSEAS!!

Heres the link for more info:
Robitronic ETC (http://www.robitronic.com/robitronic_e.htm)

YR4Dude

10-19-2002, 03:24 PM

Heres another pic:

SyberSerulean

10-19-2002, 03:24 PM

*gasp*
fix the link buddy!

that thing is awesome!

SyberSerulean

10-19-2002, 03:30 PM

gah! whats the price on that thing!? ITs AWESOMe.

so your thinking ofna is pick it up and sell it to the US as the Ob4 International Pro or something like that?

YR4Dude

10-19-2002, 03:41 PM

Spenz - looks like you might have to give up your Losi for this one.

Okay from what I see in detail heres some rough specs:

All hubs, bulkheads(f/r), suspension arms and shocks are the same as previous OB4s

The steering gear is the same as well.

The delrin diffs are the same as well!!!!

New front bumper and new graphite rear bumber.

Body mounts off the front and rear bumper. No more body mounting off the shock tower because the shock tower doesn't allow room for body posts. This is good because often shock towers are broken at the body post mount.

Shock towers have changed to allow for more adjustments.

Rear hub is still basically the same except for more holes for adjustments as well.

So anyways, if you can't afford the new car, you could possibly afford some of the new parts to add more adjust-ability to your current OB4.

However, if I were to get this OB4, I would buy at least two just for the sake of parts.

;) ;) ;) ;)

SyberSerulean

10-19-2002, 03:43 PM

Yeah i want that now, lol. Whats the price on it? Any guesses? Its seems that trinity might pick this one up. On the resllers page it shows that the only U.S reseller is Trinity.

:cool:

YR4Dude

10-19-2002, 03:58 PM

This is the graphite plated single belt everyone wanted when they saw Kinwald's XXXS prototype. Of course, many were disappointed when it came as a molded chassis.

Anyways, some of you know this and some of you don't but here it goes. The manufacturer of this car is Hong Nor. Hong Nor contracts with various agents to sell their products under the agents name. In the case of the U.S., its OFNA. However, in Europe, it was GM with the TC4 (same as International), but now it looks like it is Robitronics.

OFNA has stated that they are not planning on distributing electric cars ever again. So who would pick it up in the U.S.?? Robitronics U.S. distributor????? Well if you know who that is then you'll know that it may cause some disruptions with their closely related ally. But if that happens, it will be called another name. And even if that happens, that distributor is even bigger than OFNA and would consider going directly to Hong Nor themselves. However, I doubt if that will ever happen.

So look to buy it on the Internet from an overseas retailer. Make sure to buy two if you're really interested.;)

SyberSerulean

10-19-2002, 04:00 PM

Trinity should pick that up, it would be soo cool.

ZoomZoom

10-19-2002, 05:56 PM

O M G !!! :eek: :eek:

That WILL be my next car if it goes stateside!!!

That is SWEET!!!

spenzalii

10-19-2002, 09:46 PM

Woah! Methinx, no, meknowz I WILL get one, even if I have to order it from oversees. It goes without saying that I will probably never run it (I'd have to get another Jaguar just for it), but the 2cool factor would be off the meter! It looks as if they did Losi one better by having a standard spur gear mount, but it won't be as durable since it isn't enclosed like the XXX-S. But it looks like a strong candidate for my next electric R/C. Forget the Daytona, that's what I want.:cool: :D :cool: :eek: :cool: :D :cool:

satrnfreak

10-21-2002, 10:55 PM

Been awhilw since i been here. Got a parts car off EBAY and my OB is on the move again. Glad to see ZOOZOOM and YR4 still here. So Yr, you think they won't carry it because of who? Associated? Don't leave me hangin here. Cause it looks like an awesome car. I ain't gonna by one from overseas, but if it comes here, maybe. Ever race an ATLAS car? Integy is dumping them on EBAY for 125, with a mod motor. Laters all, and keep wit the info on the "new OB4"

ZoomZoom

10-21-2002, 11:23 PM

satrnfreak - link please! I'd like to see that Atlas auction.

satrnfreak

10-22-2002, 10:09 AM

Here you go ZoomZoom, this one's ended, but im sure he'll have another one up soon enough. I keep seeing them. http://**************/ws/*******************************1777947272 . If you get one let me know how it is. Im interested in it too, but can't seem to find anyone who has one. His part support is also pretty good on his website, so iy doesn't seem like your gonna have problems like with or OB.

Laters..
Mike

Devin

10-22-2002, 12:48 PM

Originally posted by spenzalii

BTW Devin&YR4, what do you recommend on the nitro side anyway? I'm currently looking at the Nitro OB4 (can't beat the price), the NTC3 (most popular shaft drive around here, and no I will NOT consider the NRS4 Pro3), the Ultra GTP or a converted Ultra MBX Pro w/ 8 port Hyper 21 (big car, big weight, big rip) or a converted SNRS4 (the wolfpack kit makes it nice, and quite a few of them drag race with Collari or CBR .21s around here).

It all depends on what you want to get out of the car. For racing my top choices are the Serpent Pro (now 705), TC3 (fast, but breakable) and I really like the Mugen MRX3 and the Reflex but they take a bit to get them dialed in right. Im having a supurb season with the Nitro OB4 but they do require some hopups and modification. Get a good steering servo, it needs it. I run a S9303 right now but would look into getting a Hitek Digital servo for cheaper money. Look at the parts support for your car locally as that is a main feature. I also wanted to stay with a pull start car and that's why I can run my Picco 15, a lot of cars you need a starter box and that just causes more complexity into the equation.

spenzalii

10-22-2002, 03:33 PM

You know what? you're the ONLY person advocating a pullstart motor. Strange as most of the cars you mentioned only take non pull start engines...

Devin

10-23-2002, 07:49 AM

I guess I have had great luck tuning my engine, it never flames out and starts up on the first or second pull. I guess if I got a new car it would be a non-pull rear exhaust engine, probably on a serpent. After a year of racing under my belt, I think I could manage it fine.

SyberSerulean

10-27-2002, 05:55 PM

yeeahhh...
..yesterday was so cool.

An entire day of racing with my ob4. I got up at 6:30 am, left to the hobby people fountain valley race. I did okay in that race, got 5th in first qualifier, 6th in second qualifier..and prolly 6th again for the a-main (yah i made it to the a-main) but i didn't stik around to check. Right after my main i left to race at SoCal. I fared better there. That place was so cool. First qualifier i got 5th and my avg. speed was 14.00 mph. Something happened to my Y-connector and my steering started to glitch in the 2nd qualifier so i ended up getting 8th i think (i still finished the race though!:D)
I qualified 3rd in the b-main (i think) and finished 2nd. WHOO! 1st place guy was a lap ahead of me, and i wasn't faster than the people behind me. They caught up, right on my tail, then they (only 2 of them) fought each other to get to me and crashed. That happened throughout the race. :-)
i got an avg. speed of 14.53 mph that time. Yeah, yesterday was so cool.

yr4dude, were you there yesterday? (10-26-02)

YR4Dude

10-27-2002, 09:31 PM

SS, yes I was there. I was in sporstman running my Kyosho TF-4. You must have been in intermediate because I didn't see anyone in sportsman running the OB4.

YR4Dude

10-27-2002, 09:33 PM

Hey Spenzali, when are we ever going to see this body of yours???? Its been almost a month. Are we ever going to see it???

AznJunkie

10-27-2002, 10:51 PM

Hello all,

I just purchase an Ofna OB4 International RTR. I didn’t realize that Ofna discontinue it. Can anymore recommend any online hobby store that sill carry OB4 parts? I know Hobby Etc has some parts, but some parts are on order. I don’t have the car yet. It’s on its way. So I don’t need any parts right now. I’m just afraid that when I do need it I won’t be able to get it. :(
I haven’t check with my LHS, but I’ll check with them soon. :)

TIA,
AznJunkie

SyberSerulean

10-28-2002, 12:25 AM

sorry i can't help you, i have trouble myself.

nah yr4, i was in novice sedan. My car isn't fast enough to keep up with anyone in higher classes. The only reason i pulled 2nd in the B-main is that i was a better driver than the people behind me. They were faster but they always crashed when they tried to get around me. The 1st place guy was just out of reach though, he had one lap on me most of the race.

Okay, im still looking for a better gearing on the ob4. Im still running my Hellfire motor, and right now id do anything for more speed (besides spend alot of money).

can anyone reccomend good performance brushes that will last a good amount of time?
Im thinking about bumping up to 40 tooth pinion to get a little more top end, does anyone else have some better gearing reccomendations?

Its sad how i can't even keep up with the the other novice guys. :mad:

oh, also, i might go again next week.

oh, another way to tell where i was and what race i was in...
i was sitting 2 tables away from the front desk. My 1st race...
...it took maybe 5 or 6 minutes to start cause my receiver needed a Y-Connector. gah! oh well though.

alrighty then.

ZoomZoom

10-28-2002, 09:53 AM

SS - For brushes, I use Trinity's 4499 and Reedy's 767. If you wanna cut down a bit on comm wear, then you can try polorized brushes. This is basically a high-silver content brush like the 4499 or 767 on the pos. (+) with a harder compound brush like Trinity's 4500 or Reedy's 766 on the neg. (-). You can also try cut brushes. I really liked the results with a vertical cut (used a Dremel) in my pos. (+) brush. It seems to give me more punch AND RPM when used with a lighter green sping on my P2K2. Reedy also has a brush w/ a small hole predrilled that is popular at the local track (don't know the part #). So far, that's all I've been able to try.

Make sure your brushes are aligned. Misaligned brushes are big power-robbers.

Lastly, rebuild your bearings. Use motor spray to thoroughly clean out the thick (and probably dirty) grease. Then use a lighter oil like Trinity's Royal Oil or Zubak's Speed Juice to lube them. Also, along the lines of freeing up the drivetrain, I read somewhere that soaking your belts in WD40 overnight will loosen them up. But by now, I guess they should already be stretches and loose :p .

Anyways, hope that helps.

SyberSerulean

10-28-2002, 06:19 PM

eh, im still gonna get brushes for it but im also gonna buy a new motor. Im leaning towards the new Trinity monster horspower stock motor. D5 technology on a stock motor has got to have some good results eh?

gringoloco

10-28-2002, 08:39 PM

AznJunkie-Nitrohouse (http://www.nitrohouse.com/) is where I have had good luck. Most of the suspension parts for the Nitro are the same on the OB-4 RTR electric. For any parts that are not the same- belts, steering linkage and a few others (I personally reccomend a steering linkage- see earlier post) a phone call was all it took to get my needed parts

They list the nitro parts on the website by part number. The part numbers will be available in the booklet that will come with your car. You LHS can probably order what you want as well. The car is still available in other parts of the world.

Welcome to the club!

AznJunkie

10-28-2002, 09:38 PM

Thanks gringoloco! :D

I was thinking about getting a TC3 instead, but I decided to stay with the OB4. I was looking at some of the nitro ob4 parts and it did look like it will fit the electric. So thanks for confirming that. I ask my LHS and they told me they would order parts for me if they can get it.

Hey gringoloco, where in FL do you live?

AznJunkie

spenzalii

10-28-2002, 10:22 PM

Hey Spenzali, when are we ever going to see this body of yours???? Its been almost a month. Are we ever going to see it???
You know what? If I knew it would have taken this long, I would have gone and bought a compressor and painted it myself! I honestly think Scott lost my body and is scared to even tell me. I have no clue. I'll make a trip up to the show Wednedsay and harrass him about it after I pick up my son.

SS, what kind of gearing were you running? You may try a 43 tooth pinion and a 120 tooth spur. The 120 gives you a pretty good balance no matter what pinion you use, I found. It may add some spring to your step. As far as wantong more speed, why not step up a class? Do they run 19 turn spec in SoCal? Man I'm jealous! Wait till my buddy moves to the Bay. I'll force him to make a drive out there when I come for a visit!

SyberSerulean

10-28-2002, 11:23 PM

nah i want to stay in stock class. Need to race like this for maybe a year more so i can get to know my car better. (its still more or less in stock configuration, just relocated shocks, removed rear sway bar, and new motor)

alright i'll try that gearing.

a kimbrough 120 tooth 64 pitch spur would work eh?
and an RRP 43 tooth pinion maybe?

lets hope the monster horsepower motor is what i expect it to be.

spenzalii

10-29-2002, 01:49 PM

That sounds about right. I used to run that combo with an old Speed Gems 2 when I had my OB4. It flew! Since I'm not too sure on the rpm/torque rating on that Hellfire, I'd check your motor and make sure it won't run too hot, but that should be a pretty hot setup. I actually bought a HPI spur since it was purple; it made the car look so puuurdy...

Too bad parts support is becoming a hassle. I finally got a real job (HUZZAH!), so I can afford to splurge a little bit. Of course, the only place that seems to have them any more is Tower, and I can't see paying $300+ for a car I can't find parts for, especially when they were sold for under 200 everywhere else around this time. Ah well, I'll hust wait until that other monster is imported over (and go thru the exact same thing...)

SyberSerulean

10-29-2002, 10:25 PM

heres the specs on the motor (my hellfire)

RPM: 26,921
Power Max: 114 Watts
Power Average: 74.7 Watts
Efficiency Max: 65.4%
Efficiency Average: 43.6%

RPMs seem kinda low to me, but this motor has been out for a while. Plus, thats just an average.

alrighty, let me know some better gearing options now that you have more specific specs.

thanks. :D

ZoomZoom

10-30-2002, 12:50 AM

SS - #'s do seems kinda low. I thought my P2K2 Pro was average with the following -

Max RPM - 30,721 RPM
Max Power - 130W
Max Torque - 172Nmm
Max Efficiency - 69.3%

I guess it depends on the how it's dynoed and what dyno was used. Does anyone know how Peak Dyno's compared to Trinity?

From what I've been reading about the new Monster Stock, it's suppose to be heavy on RPM. If they can boost the torque up along with the RPM, the power (in Watts) should be a nice increase. If the torque is not increased tha much, then I'd just assume use my P2K Pro and gear up. It really takes well to gearing up (never runs hot). High RPM's really wears the comm. I seem to need a cut/true on the comm more often with my GM3. I've already replaced my brushes with only a few uses (practice days). Let us know how what the #'s are like on the Monster and of course, the 'real-life' performance.

BTW, I'm pretty excited. A new track/shop opened up close by (15 min. away). It has 2 indoor tracks - 1 off-road (that's bigger than the one 5 min. from my house) and an asphalt oval. Here's a link to Brighton RC Raceway (http://www.brightonrcraceway.com/index1.htm). The oval looks like a mini Martinsville. Floor it, turn left. Life is good :D !!! Now I gotta get an oval car. Maybe a AE 10L3 Oval or 12L3 Oval or both :D . Oh, and did I tell ya, I got another Losi XXX Kinwald of eBay. This one came with an LRP IPC SR speedo and JR hi-speed/hi-torque servo and is very new. Time to get down and dirty :D !

SyberSerulean

10-31-2002, 12:15 AM

from what i hear, the monster horsepower stock is supposed to be high rpms and torque. Even says so on the trinity website.

GM3-RPMs
P2kpro-Torque
P2k2pro-torque/rpms
Monster Horsepower stock pro (phew!)- improved torque/rpms

i don't know the exact specs on my motor cause my bro threw away the printout when we got it. anyways, ima get the Reedy 767 brushes...what about springs then?

ZoomZoom

10-31-2002, 12:29 AM

I don't go lighter that a Trinity Green or heavier than Red on the pos. (+) with stock motors. Heavier than Red starts to choke RPM's and lighter than Green seems to make it flat in punch. Trinity Green is always on the neg. (-). I'm not sure about equivalent Reedy or other brand springs.

SyberSerulean

10-31-2002, 12:31 AM

ok so what goes on where again?

lol

:eek:

ZoomZoom

10-31-2002, 10:29 PM

:) :rolleyes:

Try Trinity Red (or equivalent) on the positive side and Trinity Green on the Negative. This is the way the "Pro" designated stock motors come from Trinity. A slightly heavier spring (Red) on the positive will improve commutation by better resisting brush blow-back when the comm/brush arcs.

SyberSerulean

10-31-2002, 11:36 PM

okay then, so the deal is...

trinity green springs on the - side
trinity red springs on the + side
Reedy 767 brushes or Trinity's 4499 brushes
120 tooth spur
43 tooth pinion (im willing to sacrifice a bit of torque for more top end)

and that is supposed to make my car run alot faster with the hellfire motor?

Orion has brushes like that...err..Bullet is what they're called i think. They have a little indent or something like that drilled in the brush

http://www.team-orion.ch/images/products-41009.gif
heres some info on that one.

"
Full face brush surface, but with hole. The hole will give more top speed, but no acceleration will be lost. Efficiency will stay the same also. This brush is a great brush in 4wd driven cars or for stock motor use.

Long Life / 10-30 runs
41009 "Bullet" Modified Stand-up 10-30 Enduro
41109 "Bullet" Modified Stand-up 10-30 Enduro w/eyelet

Power / 2-6 runs
41019 "Bullet" Modified Stand-up 2-6 Sprint
41119 "Bullet" Modified Stand-up 2-6 Sprint w/eyelet"

i wonder if i should go for power or life?

:confused:

SyberSerulean

11-01-2002, 12:07 AM

whoa, take a look at these brushes....

they're by trinity
http://www.teamtrinity.com/rchta/images/brushes/RC4504.jpg

"RC4504 “CrossCut” Stock Motor Brush With Terminal $3.50

RC4504NT “CrossCut” Stock Motor Brush No Terminal $2.99

New diagonal serrations use more of the commutator surface so commutator stays cleaner and wears less. Same compound as our popular 4499 brushes."

ZoomZoom

11-01-2002, 12:36 AM

I like the serrated brushes. Once they are seated, these have the best power and efficiency to me. They seem to have the most punch and top-end out of all the 'cuts'. Unfortunately, I dont have a brush serrator like the one Tinity (Brush Factory (?)) and Integy makes so keeping them serrated isn't possible. Tha's why I do my own 'cuts'. The slot and hole are pretty close to the serrations in terms of performance.

The 'Crosscut' serrations look interesting :) .

If you don't mind replacing brushes and cutting/truing your comm often, then go for the "Power" brushes. 2-6 runs.....ouch! :eek:

You can also try using 'polarized' brushes. From a previous post...If you wanna cut down a bit on comm wear, then you can try polorized brushes. This is basically a high-silver content brush like the 4499 or 767 on the pos. (+) with a harder compound brush like Trinity's 4500 or Reedy's 766 on the neg. (-)

SyberSerulean

11-01-2002, 05:39 PM

do polarized brushes affect performance at all?

ZoomZoom

11-01-2002, 11:02 PM

From what I have read, only slightly. But the difference is negligable. In 'real life', I can't tell any performance difference between dual 4499 brushes and a polarized 4499 (+) & 4500 (-) brushes.

SyberSerulean

11-02-2002, 12:45 AM

alrighty, i just got back from the hobby shop a few hours ago. I spent 2 1/2 hours getting my car ready cause i might go to SoCal tomorrow. whoo!

i picked up...

reedy 767 cavity style serrated brushes
trinity red and green springs
a battery discharger
a new battery (dynamite "dyna-fun" 2000 mah)
and thats about it.

that discharger sucked ass. Its the venom battery discharger...it was 2 hours since my bro put my half run 2400 mah battery and it still didn't finish. I plan on returning it and then buying better gearing for my ob4.

oh yeah, i also direct soldered my motor, hope that helps a bit.

alrighty, thats all for now.

ZoomZoom

11-02-2002, 02:21 PM

If you get a battery discharger, get one that best simulates the discharge of your pack during race conditions. Usually a 20A discharger for stock racing and a 30A discharger for mods. These high amp dischargers help train the pack and lower the IR (internal resistance) for better voltage. If you don't have a discharger, try to run down the NiCD's until it crawls before recharging to avoid the 'memory' effect on them. NiMH's don't have that prob so just recharge them after it cools after a race/run.

Yeah, I direct solder my motor wires to, but I also have a Deams connector in between for quicker motor changes.

Good luck and have fun at your race :) .

SyberSerulean

11-03-2002, 11:10 PM

the races were ok. I didn't have enough time to tune my suspension. that = blah. Last week the ob4 took some major tweaks. >_<. I ended up with positive camber in the rear by the time my race came up. >_<
Well, that race sucked. I got 5th out of 7. 1)I didn't get enough time to put traction compound on (that really helps actually)
2)the positive camber gave me too much understeer, i couldn't turn sharp where i needed it.(it was at +1 on each side). 3)there was a false start at the beginning of the race and i was only using 1500s (not good for runtime but they got soom good voltage and amp power). 4)i was geared too high, the track was really technical this week

my 2nd heat was alot better, I out -1 degrees camber in the rear and fixed all the rest of the suspension settings. I bought a 37 tooth pinion (down from a 39) and it helped alot. (1st raceavg. mph was 10.28, after all the tuning and gearing fixes i got up to 11.91 avg mph.). I was handling alot better. This race i took 3rd. :D. I qualified last in the A-Main with 15 (laps) 4:13 time. I didn't want to be in the a-main, i knew all the faster guys would beat me...and they did. I was handling perfect taking everything good in my main but it still wasn't good enough. I got 6th out of 7th. My bro got 3rd in the b-main with his pro 3 (it has the HPI woven carbon fiber chassis and HB woven carbon fiber upperdeck thingy). My friend rusty got 1st in the b-main (he shoulda been in the A instead of me) with his pro 3 (hpi carbon graphite chassis on that one).

>_<, well, at least i qualified in the A. Rusty only made it to the B becuase of a few little mistakes. ah oh well, i'll do better next time.

yr4dude, were you there yesterday?

p.s
heh, i raced under the name "Mr.Ob4", and ima use that name for now on. :cool:

YR4Dude

11-04-2002, 12:19 AM

SS, Nah, I wasn't there. I raced last Saturday and Tuesday so I decided to take a break. Spent the night fixing my TF4 and rebuilding an MT12 motor for my V One R.

Anyhow, as for all the suggestions you got on tuning your Hellfire, heres my suggestion, DON'T USE 767!!!! One of the guys in Sporstman class did that on his Hellfire and it burned-up on him. This guy is consistantly at the top of the A-main in sportsman and because of the 767 it put him in C-main. His solution, put only Peak or Orion brushes in the Hellfire.

Now as for gearing, I want you to know gearing is not the only thing that may be the cause of your problem for more speed. You mentioned batteries in one of your posts. Having good batteries with high voltages also helps in the top speed department because it allows you to gear taller without overloading the motor.

Not having the right brushes is also another factor and you got plenty of suggestions already. However, I want to point out one key factor that everyone overlooks in motor tuning. Brush Hood Alignment!! We've all seen the tools that does this job made be various mfgs. The truth is, there is no tool that does this job quickly. The reason for this is that there is a little slop in the brush hoods. When the brushes come in contact with the comm, the comm pushes the face of the brush towards the direction of the rotation. When this happens the brush gets angled slightly as it pushes on the comm. It is this angling that robs power because you are not getting the most efficient electric flow onto the comm.

So how do I know this and how do you fix this problem? Go to about.com and search on electric motor tuning. There will be articles written by one of the motor gurus, Big Jim Greenmeyer. Read through them and he'll set you straight about motor tuning. He also has tips on which brush and spring to use on some of the popular motors. And if you are really interested in knowing all there is to know about tuning electric motors, Big Jim even has a book called Big Jim's Black Book of Motor Secrets. According to him its available at Amazon.com for $20.

I applied his advice one time to a Paradox motor and it became a screamer. People couldn't believe that I was using such an old motor to beat them running P2K2s.

SS, if you really want to be fast, you may want to consider dumping your current electrics and get yourself a new charger and batteries. The fast guys change batteries every six months and if you're still using tired old 2000s that haven't been cycled and conditioned properly, you don't have a chance no matter what gearing you're using. If you decide to do this, may I suggest you buy yourself two good Sanyo 3000HV packs and a Reedy Quasar Pro or equivalent charger. The nice thing about the Quasar Pro is that its AC/DC and discharges your batteries up to 20amps to condition your packs. Ya, I know its about $400 but its a good investment towards all those race bucks once you start winning.;)

SyberSerulean

11-04-2002, 12:59 AM

sorry. I, already bought the brushes and put them on. They seem fine to me so far (4 runs so far, and as i said i qualified a-main).

well im 15, and all of that stuff you told me to buy is infinitley out of my grasp. the 2000 i have i bought on friday. The 1500 and 1400 ive had for a few months, and i've conditioned them and reached their max peak on a tekin charger (not mine). Both peaked in the 9.40-9.50 volt range. Also, i have a dynamite Mega Peak peak charger (i want to get a superbrain 959) and an Integy iNDi dishcharger. It discharges at 30 amps and ive heard that a bit much for stock class racing. Once i get a job, every paycheck will go into R/c (bad move, no? so what, lol).

also, does anyone know of a center and front one way for the ob4?
i know a front one way froma certain Rs4 model will work, but im not sure about the center. Maybe one from a Xray or a 414mII?

YR4Dude

11-04-2002, 01:21 AM

SS, you didn't exactly say how much faster you want to be. All that motor tuning is a bit much if you're looking to be fast in novice class. However, if you can get the Super Brain do so. Also just make sure you have a clean comm before you run and try to cut your comm about 8-10 between cuts. Always use new brushes with a cut. The final ratio for gearing stock is about 6.7 to 6.8 for most motors. (drive ratio x gear ratio). Make sure to condition your packs by properly discharging them at 20Amps min. You can do this with just the bulb discharger for $10.

How's your driving? Because in novice class its more about driving than it is about speed. Poor suspension tuning can slow you down more so than a bad motor or battery. I would not consider the oneway(center or front) because its not the best way to go fast if you're running novice. Spend your limited budget on a good set of Sorex 36Rs. Sometimes, good tires can make-up for just about any bad set-up.

ZoomZoom

11-04-2002, 12:57 PM

SS - Sounds like you're doing pretty well for yourself. Good job on your last race :) .

YR4 has some great advice, but I'd have do disagree with him on a few points (sorry YR4, no offense :p ).
First, I see nothing wrong with using 767's with you application. Big Jim even recommends 767's for any stock motor. I can not imagine that a particular set of brushes causing harm to a motor. Sounds like a 'fanboy' bashing another brand. I can attest that 767's are widely used in all brands of stock motors where I race. I have a set on my P2K currently.
Second, I would not recommend the MRC SuperBrain 959. At least for racing purposes. I had one until recently (sold it on TeamRCV.com forums for $25). When it was my only charger, I noticed it false-peaked often. It caused me to dump in a qualifier as I was hurried into the Q and didn't have a chance to check the charge info. From then on I would watch the charge more closely and noticed it would false-peak 10-15 min. into a charge. Now, if you don't mind watching the charge times closely then it is a good charger, especially for the price. But if you want a 'set-n-forget' charger, I'd look at another. I got a Novak Millennium (not Pro) for $60 from one of the RC forums and it has worked flawlessly. It shows all the charge info after it is done too, including the peak volts. The 959 only shows charge time. You have to watch the display at the very end of a charge for peak volts :p . You can look on eBay and find a Millennium for $60 or less.
Thirdly, I would disagree with changing brushes after every comm cut/true. Reason - After 5-6 runs, the brushes are still good and actually ideal cuz they are properly seated. I am still using my 4499's after 25 runs! The key is to skim cut the comm and clean/deglaze the brushes more often. Even Big Jim states this in his book (can you tell I have the book :p ). Once the serrations are gone, you can have them re-serrated on a brush cutting machine or you can add a 'cut', which is what I do since I don't have a machine like Trinity's Brush Factory.
Fourthly, one-ways are a matter of taste. I have found running dual one-ways (center & front) on my Yok MR4-TC to be very benificial after I got a feel for them. Stock racing and the speeds associated are perfect for one-ways. Since the speeds are not that high, the instabilty while braking isn't much of an issue at all. At least for me. I hardly ever brake anyways in stock class :p . With on-ways, I have learned to be much smoother and more aware of proper racing lines. This was a very important step in my racing. Car setup is very impotant here too. If you set your car up properly, you can rail corners without ever braking. Even hairpins! Having a programmable ESC that allows 'drag-brake' works great to. Dial in 20-40% drag brake and you'll never have to apply the brakes :cool: .
Lastly, On motor gearing and final drive ratio's, the 6.7 to 6.8 is a bit high for the P2K2 and similar powerband motors like the Reedy MVP and Peak Hellfire. That's closer to P2K, Peak Chrome Stock FDR. I gear mine aroune 7.14 to 7.33 FDR (37 or 38T pinion and 124T spur, 2.19 tranny ratio).

I do agree on YR4's stand on batts though. My 2 weakest 2400 matched pack peaks at 9.66V. Whereas my best 300HV pack peaks at 10.98V. I have 2other 2400 packs that range between 10.4-10.5V and my 3000 Ultra Metals are 10.20V. If ya gotta save for them, do so, but get some better high-capacity cells. Also, brush hood alignment is important and I do believe I stated that in and earlier post too :rolleyes: . Car set up is important but if you get the tires right, you are 90% done. Like YR4 says, Sorex's are a great choice. I would recommend Take Offs too. But most important is driving skill and specifically, consistancy. It's one thing to get in a fast lap or 2, but it is another to do so every lap.

Now YR4 and I (and others) have given you a bunch of advice and I will not say with absolute certainty the I am right or that YR4 is right (or others). These tips we give you are what works for us. It's really up to you to see what will work for you and your driving style.

YR4Dude

11-04-2002, 01:58 PM

ZZ, I agree and disagree on your corrections.

1st - My comment on 767 was not a 'Fanboy" bashing. I run 767 myself on my Trinity stock motors. However, that situation of the 767 burning up in the Hellfire really did happen so my recommendation was not to use it specifically in the Hellfire.(just to be safe) However on other motors its okay.

2nd - You must keep in mind that SS budget is very limited as he stated and the 959 is a good charger because it is AC/DC for less than $50 versus a used Millenium for $60 plus a power supply that is anywhere from $60-$100. False peaking, a slight inconvenience but the just watch the charger and spend the extra money on better cells.

3rd - This I agree and disagree. While it is true that you can re-use the brushes, changing to new brushes every time you make a cut doesn't hurt either. This is more a preference between the two. Although, I do like the idea of using my brushed for 25 runs.

4th - Oneways takes time to master. A driver needs to be smooth before he should consider a oneway. While I don't disagree with ZZ that a properly set-up car with oneways can be very fast around a track, a non-oneway car can be just as fast because it allows more stability to enable the driver to drive more agressively. On a tight track like SoCal, agressive driving in some of the lower classes often win races. Think of this, even the Reedy Race recently banned oneways to allow for tighter more agressive racing action and everyone was satisfied by that rule.;)

Last - 6.7 - 6.8 is the gearing for So Cal that works on my MVP, Paradox, and even P2K2. We use that gearing and run for 5minutes. Anything above 7 is only suited to high RPM motors like the Integy Matrix pink can. Perhaps the gearing for your track is lower because it may be larger and more open.;)

SyberSerulean

11-04-2002, 06:09 PM

anyways, if i were to buy a good charger id buy a millenium pro.

It also makes my budget even tighter when my parents don't give me an allowance, i have to save up whatever is left over from lunch money. >_< . I currently have 40 dollars saved up from the money my brother owes me (i bought his pro3 from a friend for $75). Im going to use 40 of those dollars on a new motor (trinity monster horsepower stock pro) and the rest will go with whatever else i have saved up for either a better battery or combine it with someone else's money for a better charger (i currently have a Dynamite Mega Peak). As of now, i can only run NICDs, so thats what i might want to stick with. My bro took my Peak Powerflo Matched stick pack (2400 mah), disected it into a straight pack, and now uses it in his pro 3 (the new chassis doesn't allow stick packs) That was my best battery......and he won't even give me the money for me to go buy a new one. That ******* thing was 50 frickin dollars! Now he even put deans plugs on it so that makes it more unusable to me. It doesn't even fit in the Ob4 anymore. bah, he also took my explorer 2 speed control and changed it to deans plugs, now i can't use my own speed control. (he did give me 25 bucks afterwards for it, but that is no way in hell for a new ESC) This is the ESC im looking into.

http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/159130.asp

good for the price, no?

or maybe i should get this one?
http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/159170.asp

then there is this one, which is out of grasp for me.
http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/159180.asp

dammnnnnn!! loook at the foward current on that last one! thats more than ive ever seen! even more than a novak or Lrp!
yikes!

eh, i plan on buying another matched stick pack from peak. Those are pretty good.

well thats all for now.

SyberSerulean

11-04-2002, 07:46 PM

hmm..im changing my mind about chargers. I have these in mind now....and they sell pretty cheap on ebay too.

this one is good...
http://secure400.automatedshops.com/cgi-bin/ams/shopzone30.cgi/~wfp16353/st_prod.html?p_prodid=534&p_catid=23&sid=2dODWE0W@A9E7ys-37102396939.3e

this one too...
http://secure400.automatedshops.com/cgi-bin/ams/shopzone30.cgi/~wfp16353/st_prod.html?p_prodid=1508&p_catid=23&sid=2dODWE0W@A9E7ys-37102396939.3e

out my grasp but good nonetheless
http://secure400.automatedshops.com/cgi-bin/ams/shopzone30.cgi/~wfp16353/st_prod.html?p_prodid=1682&p_catid=23&sid=2dODWE0W@A9E7ys-37102396939.3e

heres the 16X3 pro on ebay....

http://**************/ws/*******************************1783203794

if the link doesn't work then go to ebat and out that item number in search.
16x4s go for 115 bucks.

pretty good chargers indeed.

Devin

11-05-2002, 09:24 AM

I run the integy Pro16x3v2.5 and it's a great charger. I think if I was to do it again though I would of stepped up for the 16x5 or the 16x9 if you're really serious about this hobby.

SyberSerulean

11-05-2002, 11:54 PM

whats wrong with the 16x3 pro? It has everything i need to charge any kind of battery i can get (to use in TCs). It has a screen, it conditions, its ac/dc, it tells me peaks amps and volts, it has nimh and nicd coldstart, and it also has re-peak. What else do i need?

oh, yeah i already got a discharger too so it doesn't matter to me if the charger includes a discharger built in.

spenzalii

11-06-2002, 12:08 PM

man, I go away for a few days and this thread jumps!

Let's see, batteries, motors and chargers on a budget. What fun. Ebay probably is a pretty good place to look for a charger, such as your Novak millenium. With your discharger, you should come out like a bandit. It's like the defacto choice around here for those that can't afford a Comp 35X. Your idea for a Superbrain 959 isn't bad, but you may run into tha same problems you have with your Mega Peak (ie false charging). Using a fan is a definate must with the 959, it will cut down on the false peaking. The Reedy Quasar may not be a bad bet either, but I'm not sure of your budget, which I can imagine, sucks. I'm looking at the new Triton charger from Great Planes. It only has a 3 amp discharge, which would be almost useless for simulating racing conditions, but it should charge whatever I throw at it for a decent (120) price.

Why not change your equiptment over to Deans plugs ourself? I figure turnabout is fair play. You'll cut out resistance and be able to use your brother's pak. If you remove the battery hold downs, it should work. If memory serves, the OB4 bame with pink (or was that purple?) velcro straps that you could strap your batteried down if they weren't a stick pak. That would solve the battery problem, at least temporarily.

SyberSerulean

11-06-2002, 06:28 PM

Originally posted by spenzalii

Why not change your equiptment over to Deans plugs ourself? I figure turnabout is fair play. You'll cut out resistance and be able to use your brother's pak. If you remove the battery hold downs, it should work. If memory serves, the OB4 bame with pink (or was that purple?) velcro straps that you could strap your batteried down if they weren't a stick pak. That would solve the battery problem, at least temporarily.

i can do that, not very expensive....

also...
"You'll cut out resistance and be able to use your brother's pak."

MY PAK, lol.

yr4, what name do you race under at SoCal?

ZoomZoom

11-06-2002, 10:03 PM

YR4 - :D

On #2 - ...oops, I forgot about the power supply :o . I still can not recommend the 959. Just a pain in the ass to use reliably.

On #4 - I like one-ways. I go faster with them and use them no matter what the track in stock class. Beyond stock, I totally agree with you - too hairy!

SS - You're looking at some nice chargers there.

Also, I picked up the Trinity Monster Horspower Stock :D . My LHS was out of the "Pro" version (apparently these motors are going like hotcakes) so I also picked up some 4499 brushes and red & green springs. Took it home and trued the comm, soldered the wires & Schottky and slapped it in my Yokomo and WHOOAAAA NELLY!!! With the same gearing as my P2K2, the Monster has more acceleration AND top end. This thing flies! The guys at the LHS said it has the torque of the P2K and the RPM of a GM3. They seem to be pretty accurate :cool: . I will definitely be running it this weekend at Larry's Performance RC's carpet track. Can't wait!