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.
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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.
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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.
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Reds Racing have announced the release of the new R7 Evoke V3.0 Mario Rossi tuned .21 off-road engine. The engine represents the company’s latest high performance offering and it was designed with improved fuel efficiency, performance and reliability in mind. Like the previous lineup, the R7 Evoke is specially aimed at the use on low grip and narrow circuits where the smoother torque curve of the engine can give an advantage. New to the 7-port long-stroke engine is a new combustion camber sealing that helps to keep dirt away from the redesigned internals. Also new are the lightweight crankcase and cooling head, all adding to a lower centre of gravity engine while the tuned crankshaft, made from special carbon steel, comes double balanced and silicone-filled for maximised engine performance. Part of the package is also the Diamond backplate with a special anti-friction hard-coating that reduces the conrod-backplate friction for improved engine efficiency and performance. Rounding out the hand-made, hand-tuned and hand-assembled V3.0 engine are a high-quality, Japanese-made steel front and Swiss-made steel-ceramic rear bearing.
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Xray have introduced an optional ball differential for the XB2 2WD buggy kit. Designed to replace the gear differential the ball diff is a tuning aid for very low to medium-bite tracks where it helps to gain traction and improve drivability. The pre-assembled and externally adjustable unit features hardened Hudy spring steell outdrives and it offers an ultra-smooth operation and long lifespan.
Last weekend’s British Winter Open Championship held at the Silverstone club was the opening event to the forthcoming yearlong season. A good measure one could say to how the new rides and the teams are doing. By the time February comes round many of the drivers have competed on all sorts of indoor events on all sorts of tracks and are ready for this event. Well everyone was ready apart from the overwhelming record breaking entries that flew in when the on-line booking in system opened up just before the Christmas period. An unprecedented 249 individual entries were received within hours.
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