August 15, 2007

TM M1B Turbo – Full details

TM M1B Turbo - Full details

Team Magic have released the, pretty extensive, run down of improvements on their M1B Turbo buggy, the follow up to their troubled entry into the 1/8th scale buggy market, the M1B. Most of the changes are for improving durability with the inclusion of some previously released K-Factory parts, while some changes are to aid performance such as given the car a longer wheelbase, lower C of G and a stiffer chassis through the use of better bracing.

Click more for the full details of the changes…

Low Profile Radio Plate (dual lay-down servos)
The M1B Turbo wouldn’t be a Team Magic car without the revolutionary dual lay-down servo design. In 2003 the G4 was the first car in its class to feature both the steering and throttle servos positioned between the chassis and radio plate. This new design created an incredibly low center of gravity. That’s one of the reason why the G4 performs so well, so it no surprise that this fantastic design was added to the M1B Turbo.

In addition to the extremely low center of gravity design, a quick release set-up is also an important feature. The carbon radio plate is held securely by five aluminum posts. Just remove three R clips and you have instant unobstructed access to the entire carbon radio plate. Of course, it’s necessary to remove some pivot cups and the battery wire first. The aluminum posts are machined to perfectly fit specially designed nylon location tubes, plus there are two extra dowels used to finely position the servo mount. Three orange colour silicone pads are installed to prevent any unwanted vibrations reaching the electronics.

The receiver battery box also has a quick release design. Just remove one R-clip and you can easily change the receiver battery pack. It’s also very easy to perfect your wires. Just put all the wires inside the tunnel and you can get a perfect looking radio gear set. All these features were carefully thought out to make sure that even the smallest maintenance job can be completed quickly and easily.

One-piece Center Mount Design
Instead of using two separate mounts to hold the center diff, the M1B Turbo has a one-piece mount design to align the center diff perfectly. This will largely affect the overall transmission efficiency. The M1B Turbo one-piece center diff mount design helps the center diff to be level to the chassis and parallel to the centerline. The nylon cover is made of very hard material which not only help to increase overall rigidity, but also makes sure the center diff. is well located.

It’s normal to change the center diff in the setup stage. If the center diff can be quickly removed and installed, the needed maintenance time will be much shorter. M1B Turbo’s quick-change one-piece center diff mount design will fulfill this demand. The center diff cover is also well designed to cover the whole brake system. To prevent fuel spill or other small articles to the break system when refueling.

Advanced Front & Rear Gear Box
The gearbox of the M1B Turbo sits quite low with a small part of the box protuding out of the chassis. Two openings on the chassis were created with the purpost of positioning both gear differentials as low as possible. We all know that the differential is one of the heaviest parts of a buggy so placing them lower always helps improve handling performance. Furthermore, the differential is also positioned on the centerline to provide better transmission efficiency and weight distribution.

Thanks to modified front and rear gearboxes, the M1B Turbo now has the strongest and smoothest transmission available. This improvement in transmission reliability and performance is thanks to a new, specially designed material used during the manufacturing process. The mold and shape of the gearbox has also been altered with each gearbox now forming a secure enclosure for the differentials.

Advanced Bevel Gears
In addition to improvements in transmission efficiency from the gearboxes, the bevel gears attached to the front and rear differentials received some alterations too. The pitch angle of the gears has moved to 15 degrees to improve power delivery and reduce friction. On top of that, the new gears go through a new hardening process to make sure their more reliable than the previous version.

Advanced Steering Block Carrier
The material used to manufacture the steering block carrier is also changed to improve this components strength and durability. The new part can now handle even the biggest bumps or jumps due to improved flexibility during distortion. No more breakages or splitting.

Flying Wing Suspension Arms
The flying wing suspension arms have been one of Team Magic’s best design. This special shape marks the arms as light as possible, easily recognizable as the best on the market. This clever shape also makes cleaning and maintaing the M1B Turbo very easy indeed.

Extra Strength & Flexibility
The front arms of an off-road buggy take a massive pounding during a race. Their exposed to every part of the track and are the first part of the car to impact with a jump or bump. It is important that they are strong but also flexible. Team Magic has improved the strength and durability of both the front upper and lower arms with changes to the material used in addition to increasing the lower arms thickness. These alterations give the M1B Turbo a big boost in front-end durability.

Longer Wheelbase
The rear of the car receives almost as much attention during a race as the front so it’s critical that it’s made just as strong incase of unforeseen impacts. To achieve this, a total of four changes were made to the rear upper and lower arms of the M1B Turbo. The wheelbase of the car has changed from 320-324mm to 325-329mm. This small adjustment improves straight line stability on bumpy tracks while also perfecting steering responsiveness. The same material used for the front arms moves towards the back, increasing strength and flexibility along with an increase in thickness too. The rear upper arms have changed shape to match the differences in suspension geometry due to the wheelbase modification.

Neo- Front Universal Joints & ST Steel Rear Universal Joints 127.25mm
With the adjustment to the wheelbase in place, some changes were required for the rear universal joints. In addition to being shorter, they’re now made from K Factory’s famous ST Steel material for improved longevity. The front universal joints also feature an upgrade moving to the new Neo joints also made from K Factory’s special formula. All this ST Steel adds up to improved durability and strength.

Neo- Alum. Shock Cap & Shock Bladder
Suspension reliability and consistency cannot be overlooked as they are critical to keeping the tire in contact with the ground. Reliability gives you the ability to finish while consistency will help you move through the field towards the chequered flag. The M1B Turbo features refined shock caps and bladders to help improve shock reliability and consistency. The new shock cap helps keep the bladder in the correct shape while the new bladder is made from a softer silicone to help improve shock performance.

K Factory 1/8 Buggy Dual Stage Water Resistant Air Filter
When talk about 1/8 buggy racing, air filter is one of the most important itmes to prepare. A good air filter doesn’t only keep your engine away from debris, but also help the engine to deliver 100% horsepower. K Factory air filter is one of the best buggy air filters to reach this aim. The M1B Turbo comes with the highest quality K Factory air filter.

K Factory ST Steel F/R Differential Outdrive
Dirt and dust can really cause havoc for the transmission and drive train of an off-road vehicle. The steel on steel friction is bad enough without the sand paper action of dirt and debris between. To combat this issue, the out-drives and universals pins need to constructed from a special material. K Factory’s ST-Steel outdrives are the perfect part for the job. Hardened in a special process, they’re capable of taking a true beating while coming back for more. Not only are they strong but also light with areas not under stress machined away.

K Factory Alum. 7075 One Piece Steering Linkage Set
To continue the theme of durability and performance of the M1B Turbo, the steering system of old is replaced with a new one pieces steering set by K Factory. It’s simple but very effective. Ackerman adjustments are included with three positions available. The whole system runs on bearings so it’s guaranteed to be smooth, accurate and super strong.

K Factory Alum. Front Chassis Stiffener Rod Set
To reduce chassis flex, the new M1B Turbo features an aluminum chassis stiffener rod. It forms a strut between the front chassis brace and the front gearbox. More modifications designed to improve the strength and durability of the car. In addition to reducing flex, the stiffener rod also protects the tank from hard, car breaking, impacts.

Adjustable Pipe Mount
The ever changing selection of performance pipes for off-road buggies means the mounting system on each car needs to be universal. The pipe mount of the M1B Turbo receives a small modification and can now be adjusted to suit the exact pipe you’re running. Simply undo the two small screws, slide the mount to the desired position and fasten the screws back up. Simple!

Front Shock Upper Protective Mount
To maintain ideal performance and reliability of your shocks, they need to be protected from impacts. The new upgraded front shock protective mount is now made from a completely new material. Unbelievably, the same material used on a well known brand of sneaker outsoles! It’s incredibly flexible while maintain its shape during a hit. The mount is also responsible for forming a brace for the front gearbox mount and shock upright.

Neo- Rear Wing & Neo- Rear Wing Mount
Aerodynamics play a very important part of an off-road buggies performance. With almost all of the down-force coming from the wing, it’s important that it’s up to the task. The M1B Turbo now features a new Neo wing and mount as an enhancement to its aerodynamics package. Also changed is the material used during manufacturing to improve durability and strength. Thanks to these changes the M1B Turbo now jumps higher and handles even better with more rear end grip. Now you can get on the power earlier after every corner.

Low Profile Bodyshell
The body or shell is a critical part of any car and has the potential to greatly affect the cars handing. The M1B Tubo body and rear wing was designed by an aerodynamic engineer who ha been working in the aerodynamic field for a very long time. As the top speed of any off-road car is not that fast, we focused on down-forced and airborne performance. Of course appearance was also and important factor.

All these advance changes and modifications not only going to make the M1B Turbo be the fastest and strongest but a true top competition chassis seriously worth considering.

Source: Team Magic [teammagic.com.tw]



Usage

If you republish any elements from this page on another website, including text, original pictures or results please be sure to add a link back to this page as the source: