[PeterV]

The big news at RCX was the debut of the Factory team TC4. Much more than the usual titanium turnbuckles and blue stuff, the Factory TC4 showed off a plate graphite chassis. The setup represent a new level of adjustability for the TC4. A graphite “spine” bridges the upper and lower decks, and four screws in the top deck can be loosened or removed to adjust the car’s torsional ridgidity without compromising front-to-rear stiffness. Graphite shock towers, MIP CVDs, and aluminum arm mounts are standard. There are also new aluminum components used to replace parts normally molded into the stock chassis. Looks tight!

Official Associated press release, added June 13:<BR><BR>Team Associated’s new Factory Team TC4 already has a big win before the
kits have even been boxed.

Team Associated’s U.K. driving star Craig Drescher won the prestigious
invitational Touring Car class at the 2005 Reedy International Race of
Champions. Craig beat the world’s best drivers, chassis, and motor
builders in the industry to take the overall win.

This was Associated's first race with the Factory Team TC4 and the
entire team was impressed with the level of performance and
adjustability provided by the new chassis design, and Craig winning the
event was truly, “icing on the cake”!

The FT TC4 marks a milestone in electric touring car development by
allowing maximum chassis stiffness adjustability without replacing the
main chassis. It features a double deck 2.5mm woven carbon fiber chassis
that incorporates an adjustable carbon fiber spine plate. The chassis
spine plate allows an extremely wide range of chassis stiffness
adjustment in small increments. This allows the chassis to be dialed in
for high grip carpet racing or for low grip parking lot racing and
everything in between. In addition to the spine plate, there are four
blue aluminum chassis brace standoffs that allow even more chassis
stiffness adjustment.

Racers around the world will appreciate that they do not need to
disassemble their entire car or shell out more cash in order to change
the chassis stiffness of the Factory Team TC4. Just make the adjustments
to the chassis spine plate or standoffs and you’re dialed.

If all these tuning options were not enough, we included two,
three-piece anti-roll bar kits for the front and rear of the FT TC4.

Another major tuning option included in the FT TC4 is that you can
choose between two types of differentials, based on the class of racing
you participate in. The lightweight composite diffs provide increased
acceleration in 19 turn or stock class racing. The lightened, steel
differentials easily tolerate the very high demands for strength which
modified racing requires.


The Factory Team TC4 includes:

Double deck 2.5mm woven carbon fiber chassis
2.5mm woven carbon fiber center spine
2.5mm woven carbon fiber front shock tower
3.0mm woven carbon fiber rear shock tower
Carbon shock tower mounts
Carbon antenna mount, easy access (remove antenna/receiver without
re-threading)
Carbon servo mounts
Carbon input bearing cap
Carbon center spine mounts
Blue aluminum motor bulkhead
Blue aluminum camber link spacers
Blue aluminum standoffs
Blue aluminum clamping hex drives
Blue aluminum triangle arm mount
Blue aluminum circle arm mount
Blue aluminum square arm mount
Blue aluminum x-2.5 arm mount
Heavy-duty CVD dogbones
Full titanium turnbuckles
Factory team blue aluminum hardware
Front anti-roll bar kit (includes 3 different bars)
Rear anti-roll bar kit (includes 3 different bars)
Aluminum shock bushings
Lightweight TC4 foam bumper
2 differentials - plastic or steel. (plastic outdrives, D-rings,
diff-bolt and nut) or lightened steel outdrives (diff rings, T-nut and
bolt). Both choices are included!
2.5mm ball end L-shaped Allen-key wrench

Part number and retail pricing:
#30102, Factory Team TC4, $599.99

Availability:
Available July 2005

[TRF TT-01]

Looks like this car is competing against other high-end cars with the new carbon chassis. This car looks great!

[PeterV]

Bigger pic:

[Pat Fierle]

Looks like the best touring from Associated. cant wait to hear how it does on the track.

[cheerwhiner]

looks like i will keep the kit chassis until that one is available as a hop up

[charlieB]

I wonder if the fan provisions are available for that chassis.

[rcboy201]

tape in batterys that sucks, i hope they have a option strap you can buy if not ill have to come up with somethin or just run 1 battery

[gizmoguy303]

Taping in your battery isn't that bad at all. You can reuse a strip of tape for quite a while. I usually use one strip for my practice runs, then put a new one in when the heats begin.

The new TC4 looks good. I wish they would have had this one from the beginning - I might still own one.

[ExtremeDuty]

Wow, I'm very surprised! When I read FT TC4, it came to mind that it would be carbon composite plastic version like TC3 FT.
I like AE's approach. Indeed, they are answering recent competitors' entries.

As mentioned previously, AE has to engineer battery strap something other than tape.

Overall, it gets my approval.

[synapse75]

more pics here

http://www.rcworld.ch/neueprojekte.asp?id=2149

[frank13]

so i guess i can use that rear tower on my ntc3 V2

[synapse75]

Originally Posted by frank13

so i guess i can use that rear tower on my ntc3 V2

looks like they would.


as for tape, it is the best way to secure batteries because it prevents them from moving at all, and is also the lightest.

For the weekend warrior, I imagine AE will develope a battery clip like the yok SD or the Pro4.

[Prelude14WRX]

I was waiting for a car to take over racing from my awesome tc3, and this might be it! Great job AE!

[NitroBoy24]

Wow, that is very nice. Lots of CF + Blue Anodizing looks good But I bet anyone racing that exact car will have a hell of a time switching batteries out between heats..That is if it's soldered how I think it is, straight from the esc to the pack w/o any plugs

[J_Bone]

What about diff cups?? The plastic ones gotta go.

[tecman_pants]

Originally Posted by NitroBoy24

Wow, that is very nice. Lots of CF + Blue Anodizing looks good But I bet anyone racing that exact car will have a hell of a time switching batteries out between heats..That is if it's soldered how I think it is, straight from the esc to the pack w/o any plugs

lots of people solder there ESC wires to there battery pack with no plugs. I even do that

[supermanisdead]

nice dose anyone have a price

[mccrash59]

Looks pretty much great finished handmade parts, for sure the production car will be similar but not identical. This upper deck looks like the other new cars launched lately, geez, we won´t be able to say the brand of a car without the bodyshell stickers, they all look like the same.

[gizmoguy303]

Originally Posted by NitroBoy24

Wow, that is very nice. Lots of CF + Blue Anodizing looks good But I bet anyone racing that exact car will have a hell of a time switching batteries out between heats..That is if it's soldered how I think it is, straight from the esc to the pack w/o any plugs

I tape my batteries in and solder them in directly w/o plugs. It's PRO!!

[microrcdude]

I use deans, because normally my 7 year old brother is the only one who comes with me to the track.

Is there an estimated price yet?

[Wosstifer]

That thing is awesome. I'll start saving up maybe.

[fantomcat]

im guessing it will be around the same price as the pro 4. probably $282 or somthing like that. you could also use some velcro straps for those batteries. if you have them tightened down good enough, they pretty much work as good as tape strips

[Rookie Solara]

I would say using the TC4 or TC3 battery strapping bar with some mod would work on this new chassis..........or use the Pro 4 one. A little cutting here and there.
About using plugs...isn't it against ROAR rule that "NO PRO were allow to use PLUGS"...LOL....soldering the batteries off the car and switch a pack and soldering back to the ESC will take me 2 minutes tops.........and I am extremely bad on soldering and lazy too. Pro ppl can do it for less then 1.

[gizmoguy303]

With a good soldering station it takes less than ten seconds to get a battery pack out. You need to work on your times Rookie Solara!

[tecman_pants]

I am going to buy this thing the first day it comes out because it is so sick and I have a XRAY T1