Xray have introduced optional medium compound chassis side guards for the XB4 buggy. Softer than the kit side guards, they are a tuning aid for chassis flex adjustment. The medium-hardness side guards increase the torsional flex, leading to a softer overall chassis assembly and they are therefore recommended especially for low-traction tracks.
Source: Xray [teamxray.com]
Following the XB2 Carpet Edition 1/10th 2WD buggy kit that was introduced back in November, Xray now also release all information on the forthcoming Dirt Edition kit. The buggy was designed for very-low to medium-high traction conditions and it comes with a 3-gear gearbox with high layshaft design, moving the motor much closer to the differential than the Carpet Edition gearbox. This makes for improved rear traction in low-grip conditions which is further helped by the inclusion of a ball differential instead of a gear diff as in the Carpet kit. Other Dirt-specific features include medium composite suspension parts, composite front and rear shock towers as well as a specially designed motor upper brace and battery strap. The kit will hit the stores world-wide very soon.
View the features and more images here
Coming soon from Avid and made for the Xray T4’16 is the adjustable 2.0mm hard carbon fibre top deck. The first of its kind, it allows to adjust the twisting stiffness in the front, simulating a 0.5mm soft top deck all the way to a 2.2mm hard top deck by simply sliding a clamp back and forth in the front. The rear section of the TD also allows a clamp adjustment which is only capable of stiffen the rear for advanced setup gurus. Five small position holes have been added on each rail to help with precise adjustment changing and monitoring and the deck is cut from 100 percent premium carbon fibre with layup angles balanced left and right to insure equal twisting resistance side to side. The top deck is recommended for use on all conditions, it fits the T4’16, ’15 and ’14 and it includes the upper deck, clamp, and an Avid mini decal.
The adjustment is explained here
New US company Evo have introduced their Zirkon Power 5000mAh LiPo battery pack. Built from lightweight yet powerful 40C cells the battery weighs in at only 230g, making it ideal for everyone who wishes to achieve a low overall vehicle weight without compromising runtime. The hardcase pack is of standard dimensions and it utilises 4mm connector tubes as well as a 2mm balancer port.
Source: Evo [evotechrc.com]
Avid have introduced the Triad direct drive set that allows stock racers to remove the entire clutch assembly for conditions where the driver feels having less rotating mass and zero slip except from the differential is beneficial. The unit is of a very lightweight design which was accomplished by removing all the plates and pads as well as the steel spring with a minimalist design done in aluminium. The DD plate is hard anodised for strength and the DD post is gutted for weight removal for a grand total of 0.8 gram. For B5M owners, there is also an included M4 aluminium flanged locknut to remove even more weight. The direct drive set is a direct fitment for Team Associated 5th generation vehicles such as the B5, T5 and SC5 and it is also usable on TLR22 and Kyosho RB6 kits with the latter requiring the Avid Triad Kyosho aluminium top shaft. The set will hit the stores soon.
Team Associated have introduced the Reedy Zappers high-voltage and high-performance battery packs. Originally referring to Reedy’s proprietary NiMH voltage enhancement technology, the new LiHV batteries offer a 7.6 nominal voltage which means that, with a suitable charger, the battery can be safely charged to 8.7V or 4.35V/cell. This makes the batteries ideal for outlaw racing series or bashing. When the typical 8.4V or 4.2V/cell charging limit is enforced, the battery still offers a significant advantage thanks to a flatter discharge curve, which results in more voltage deeper into the race. For those who race where approved batteries are required, 7.4V Zappers packs are available and feature the same discharge curve characteristics as the 7.6V versions. Each pack features a high-quality, durable hardcase that helps prevent damage while heavy-duty 5mm socket connectors keep power-robbing resistance to a minimum. Pass-through sockets reduce jumper wire lengths in applications where two batteries are utilised. The 7.6V packs are available as 6000mAh (277g) and 8000mAh (329g) variant while the 7.4V packs come in 5600mAh (277g) and 7400mAh (329g) specification.
View the other new battery packs here
Fenix have released new optional chassis and pod plates for the Xray X1 and Serpent SF2 formula car kits. Starting with the X1 chassis, it was designed to be way slimmer than the original, reducing scrubbing during hard cornering. Thanks to strategically machining the chassis weighs in at about 76g and it offers a good balance between torsional flex and rigidity. Also available is a suitable aluminium motor pod. Made as a direct replacement for the standard carbon fibre parts are the aluminium chassis and motor pod for the Serpent SF2. Machined from 7075-T6 aluminium and coming black anodised the parts make for different flex characteristics which can be beneficial in a range of track conditions. Additionally Fenix have also announced the Rattlesnake chassis conversion kit for the SF2 that allows to run the desired cross battery position. Included are the chassis, motor pod plate, upper plate and crossbrace.
Taking all of the performance engineering developed for the RC8B3 nitro and RC8B3e electric buggies, Team Associated have finally announced their new nitro powered truggy, the RC8T3 Team Kit. Sharing many parts with the RC8B3, offering the perfect solution for multi-class racers, it uses a unique proprietary hard anodized 7075-T6 aluminium chassis specifically designed for optimum weight distribution and superior handling, making the RC8T3 drives like a champ. The RC8T3 has received an updated suspension that features a pillow-ball front upright for maximum steering and durability. Refined 16mm Big Bore hard-anodized aluminium threaded shocks and 3.5mm alloy shock shafts provide plush suspension travel, while precision universal drive shafts front and rear keep suspension travel free through the entire stroke.
View more details & images here
