Winning Equation – X Factory X-6 Squared

Track test
Before we headed to the first track test with the new X-6 Squared we did some ‘workbench’ set-up work. We fitted 28 gram of lead in the front bulkhead and behind the steering with additional 14 gram around the motor bay. Tyre-wise we went for Schumacher Mini-Pin’s yellow on the rear and Schumacher Stagger up front as our plan was to run the car on a permanent carpet indoor track. The remainder of the set-up was identical to our non-Squared NiMH X-6 we usually used for 2WD off-road races with 32.5wt oil and black pistons/blue springs in the front and 30wt oil and black pistons/red springs in the rear.

With the first pack we drove we instantly noticed a huge amount of understeer all the way through the corners but a pretty much planted rear. We had the feeling that this was due to the 4 degrees rear toe block and a less-than-perfect (too hard) shock set-up. With just above 1430 gram the buggy was too light for the stiffer ‘NiMH’ set-up that was ideal for a car in the 1700 gram range. Therefore we changed to blue front spring for a silver one which gave a touch more steering into turns. To further help with steering we also raised the front inner camber link from 1mm to 2mm as this adds steering response at the apex of a turn. The next run was much better but still not ideal. Therefore we now cared for the back end of the car and swapped the 4 degrees toe-in block for a 3 degrees one. Less toe-in on the rear allows the buggy to rotate better into turns and the back end is also less prone to ‘hook’ coming out of tight corners. For those who want even more steering into the corners we recommend the 2 degrees blocks but we where happy with the car so we just changed the shock oil to 30wt in the front and 27.5wt in the rear with a pink rear spring to suit the bumpy sections of the track. We ended up with a car that was very easy to drive and that flew just perfect over the large table-top jump and the numerous smaller jumps.

Conclusion
The X Factory X-6 Squared really is a step forward. Not necessarily in terms of performance (the Squared is not slower or faster than the old car) but when it comes to maintenance and durability. The new one piece chassis plate is a big improvement in design and quality and shows an enormous attention to detail. In total the X-6 Squared is the best overall X Factory buggy so far and the only further improvement we could think of would be a proper set of brass weights to fine-tune the weight (distribution).

Specifications
Scale: 1/10
Chassis: Composite plastic
Drivetrain: 2WD rear
Differentials: ball differential
Suspension: independent double wishbone
Shocks: alloy/oil filled/coil over spring

Dimensions
Length: 420mm
Width: 250mm
Wheelbase: 272mm
Track – front: 221mm
Track – rear: 208mm
Weight: 1430gr

Equipment
Car: X Factory X-6 Squared [2wdrc.com]
Motor: Team Orion Vortex Race 2008 6.5T [teamorion.com]
Speedo: Team Orion Vortex Race Spec [teamorion.com]
Battery: Vampire Racing 4000mAh 35C [vampire-racing.com]

Option parts
Nortech Racing ‘Whities’ o-rings NT0003
Nortech Racing 4-40 Kit of 4 Shock bottom retainers – Blue aluminium NT0009
Nortech Racing Blue aluminium countersunk washers NT0010
Nortech Racing Blue aluminium mini 4-40 lock nuts NT0015
Nortech Racing Blue aluminium 4-40 low profile lock nuts NT0017
Nortech Racing Solid rear driveshaft pins NT0081
Vampire Racing X-6/X-60 4° aluminium toe-in bar blue VR-2002
Also available:
VR-2001 X-Factory X-6/X-60 3° aluminium toe-in bar blue
VR-2003 X-Factory X-6/X-60 3° and 4° aluminium toe-in bar blue

Performance Tips
> Loads has been written about the X Factory cars in various forums and possibly the most comprehensive information source beside www.2wdrc.com is www.oOple.com by our friend Jimmy Storey. It features a dedicated section for the X Factory brand that sees regular visits by Chazz and Paul Sinclair of X Factory plus the various European X Factory team drivers in the like of Ellis Stafford, Dan Greenwood and others.
> The most important thing when building the X-6 is to try and achieve a weight distribution of 65% on the rear and 35% at the front of the buggy. This seems to be the sweet spot of the car as other rates may lead into too much understeer or a lack of traction. We had our car at 37/65 with 1430 gram ready-to-run weight. Some also say that it might be a good idea to run the car at a weight of 1740 gram! This especially applies on rough and rutted tracks. If you run a lighter car you may find that you need to use lighter springs and oils to help with grip and rough track handling.

Review by Sebastian Suerstedt