Associated Electrics TEAM ASSOCIATED RC10B4 User manual

INSTRUCTIONMANUALFORTHE
TEAMASSOCIATEDRC10B4
©2003-2006 Associated Electrics, Inc.
ASSOCIATED1:10SCALEELECTRICBUGGY
ASSOCIATED1:10SCALEELECTRICBUGGY
INSTRUCTIONMANUALFORTHE
TEAMASSOCIATEDRC10B4
RS-1
TT

FINAL ADJUSTMENTS
RADIO ADJUSTMENTS
Use the following steps to make the final ad-
justments on your car.
1. Turn the transmitter on.
2. Make sure the motor is disconnected.
3. Connect your battery pack (if RTR) and/or
turn the ESCs power switch on (if included).
4. Move the steering control on the transmitter
to the right and left. Do the wheels move in the
correct direction? If not, you must reverse the
steering servo direction on your transmitter
(see radio manual.)
5.Adjust your steering trim (see radio manual)
until the #9659 steering rack is centered un-
der the top plate. Then, using the two steering
turnbuckles, adjust the front wheels so they
are pointing straight ahead.
6. Adjust the ESC (electronic speed control)
according to the speed control manufacturer’s
instructions. Some manufacturers have the
motorconnectedduringadjustmentandsome
do not. Now turn the power switch off.
7. Connectthe motor.Placeyourcaron ablock
or car stand so that all four wheels are el-
evated.Turn thepower switchon again.Check
the ESC and steering settings you have made
and then turn the power switch back off.
8. Remember this! The transmitter is always
theFIRST TO BE TURNEDONandTHELAST
TURNEDOFF.
Make these adjustments before you drive the buggy
MOTOR GEARING
To get the most from your motor, proper gear-
ing is important. The gear ratios listed in the
chart are recommended starting gear ratios.
Ratios can vary from track to track, but you
should not change the pinion size more than
one tooth from the recommended ratio.
FINAL
MOTOR PINION SPUR DRIVE RATIO
24° stock (torque-based) 24 81 8.78:1
24° stock (RPM-based) 22 81 9.57:1
Spec 19 22 81 9.57:1
14 turn modified motor 23 81 9.16:1
13 turn modified motor 22 81 9.57:1
12 turn modified motor 21 81 10.03:1
11 turn modified motor 20 81 10.53:1
10 turn modified motor 19 81 11.08:1
MAINTENANCE Follow these steps to keep your buggy in shape for racing
CHECK FOR FIT
You should periodically check all the moving
parts: front and rear end, suspension arms,
steering blocks, steering linkage, shocks, and
so on. If any of these should get dirty or bind
then your car’s performance will suffer.
MOTORMAINTENANCE
Between runs, inspect the brushes to ensure
they are moving freely in the brush holder. This
is done by carefully removing the spring and
sliding the brush in and out of the holder. If
there is any resistance or rough spots, remove
the brush and carefully wipe the brush clean.
This will clean off any buildup so the brush
slides smoothly in the brush holder.
Afterevery3to5runs,removethebrushes
from the holders and inspect the tips for wear
and/or burning. If there is a noticeable amount
of wear, replace the brush with a new pair. If
the tip is a burnt blue color, then the lubricant
in the brush has been burned away and new
brushes should be installed.
Aftereveryotherbatterychargeyoushould
carefully clean the motor. One recommended
method is to spray motor cleaner directly on
the brush and commutator area. Run the mo-
tor for approximately 15 seconds. Disconnect
the motor and spray it again, making sure the
runoff is clear and clean. If the runoff is still
dirty, repeat the spraying action until clean. Af-
ter completing the cleaning, apply a small
amount of lightweight oil to each bushing or
bearing for lubrication. Be careful not to apply
too much oil, for this will pick up dirt and con-
taminate the commutator and brushes.
20
ASSEMBLE BATTERY PACK
If you are not using a stick battery pack, here is
how to assemble your battery pack. Solder in-
dividual cell connections as shown.
Team racers prefer battery bars for stur-
dier connections. Insulated wire will not allow
the pack to fit in the battery slot. SolderconnectionswithReedyBattery
Bars(#651)
DIFFERENTIAL
Adjust the differential (“diff”) as noted on page
6. Adjusting the diff is not meant to be a tuning
option. If you can hear the diff making a “bark-
ing” or “chirping” sound on jump landings, ei-
ther your diff is set too loose or your slipper
clutch is set too tight. First check your slipper
setting, then re-set the diff according to the in-
structions on step C-9.
SLIPPER CLUTCH
The assembly instructions give you a base
setting for your clutch. Turn the nut on the
shaft so that the end of the top shaft is even
with the outside of the nut. Tighten the nut 4
more turns. At the track, tighten or loosen the
nut in 1/8 turn increments until you hear a
faint slipping sound for 1-2 feet on takeoffs.
Another popular way to set the clutch is
to hold both rear tires firmly in place and
apply short bursts of throttle. If the clutch is
properly set, the front tires should lift slightly
up off the surface.
Aimnegativeleadtoward the front
CAUTION! Increasing the
pinion size by more than one
tooth can damage your motor
fromexcessheat.

Testingcamberwith the
camber gauge
Raiseor lower
the ball end
by adding or
subtracting
washershere
STEERING BLOCKS
The included trailing steering blocks (# 9581)
should be used in most cases. The Team es-
pecially recommends the trailing blocks on
high-grip or “blue-groove”.
Changing to the optional inline steering
blocks (#9577) will give the car an overall ag-
gressive feeling. Steering entering and exiting
the corners is increased, but straight line sta-
bility is slightly reduced.
TUNING&SETUPTIPS These steps prepare your buggy for maximum performance
CASTER
Caster describes the angle of the kingpin as it
leans toward the rear of the vehicle. Positive
caster means the kingpin learns rearward at
the top.
The supplied 25° caster blocks (#9580)
are recommended in most cases. For more
corner entry steering and less exit steering, try
the optional 30° blocks (#9593).
The optional 20° blocks (#9592) will give
you more exit steering and less entry steering.
FRONT CAMBER LINKS
Changing the length of the camber link is
considered a bigger step than adjusting the
ball end height on the tower. Shortening the
camber link (or lowering the ball end) will
give the front end less roll and quicken
steering response. Lengthening the camber
link (or raising the ball end) will give the front
more roll and slower steering response.
Longer camber links are typically used
on high grip tracks and shorter links tend to
work better on med-grip loose tracks.
Raise or lower the ball
end by adding or sub-
tractingwashershere
CAMBER
Camber describes the angle at which the tire
and wheel rides when looked at from the front.
Negative camber means that the tire leans
inward at the top.
Agood startingcambersettingis–1°. Use
the included #1719 camber gauge to set your
camber as shown. Positive camber, where
the top of the tire is leaning out, is not recom-
mended.
FRONT TOE-IN
Toe-in describes the angle of the front tires
whenviewedfromthetop.Withtoe-in,thefront
of the tires point inward.
Zero degree toe-in (tires pointing straight
forward) is the setting that should be used in
almost all track conditions. Occasionally you
can increase turn in by adding a little toe-out
(front of tires point slightly out). Front toe-in is
not a typical tuning adjustment used by the
Team.
FRONT RIDE HEIGHT
Ride height is the distance from the ground to
the bottom of the chassis.
The standard front ride height setting is
with the front arms level (referred to as “arms
level”). Check the ride height by lifting up the
entire car about 8-12 inches off the bench and
dropit.Afterthesuspension“settles”intoplace,
add or remove pre-load clips so that the left &
right arms appear to be flat as seen in the
following picture.
ANTI-SQUAT
Anti-squat denotes the angle of the rear arms
relative to the ground. Zero anti-squat means
that the rear arms are flat, parallel with the
ground. The kit setting is 2°, and can be ad-
justed by installing or removing the included
REAR CAMBER LINK
Changing the length of the camber link is con-
sidered a bigger step than adjusting the ball
end height on the rear chassis brace. Short-
ening the camber link (or lowering the ball end)
will give the rear end less roll and the car will
tendtoaccelerateor“squareup”better.Length-
ening the camber link (or raising the ball end)
will give the rear more roll and more cornering
grip. Longer camber links are typically used
on high grip tracks, while shorter links tend to
work better on med-grip loose tracks. The kit
setting is the best compromise of cornering
grip and acceleration.
Upper shim (with one tab),1°
Lowershim (withtwo tabs),2°
shims underneath the arm mount.
The shim with 2 tabs is for 2° and the
shim with 1 tab is for 1°. You can use any
combination of shims to get 0, 1, 2, or 3° anti-
squat. Adding anti-squat tends to make the
car “rotate” more in corners, but doesn’t
handle as well through the bumps.
REAR CAMBER
Camber describes the angle at which the tire
and wheel rides when looked at from the back.
Negative camber means that the tire leans in-
ward at the top.
Agood startingcambersettingis–1°. Use
the included #1719 camber gauge to set your
camber (shown above). Adding a small
amount of positive camber, where the top of
the tire is leaning out, will tend to improve
straight-line acceleration on loose tracks.
21
Front arms should be in a
straightlinewhenrideheight
issetas“armslevel”

ANTI-ROLL BAR
The optional #9635 B4 rear anti-roll bar kit
(also called the “swaybar”) allows you to add
roll resistance to the rear end with minimal
effect on handling over bumps and jumps. It is
an especially helpful tuning item on high-grip
tracks (try the gold bar). The silver and black
anti-roll bars are typically used on medium-
grip loose tracks.
REAR RIDE HEIGHT
Ride height is the distance from the ground to
the bottom of the chassis.
The rear ride height setting you should
use most often is with the outdrive, driveshaft,
and axles all on the same imaginary horizon-
tal line (referred to as “bones level”). Check
the ride height by lifting up the entire car about
8-12inchesoffthebenchanddroppingit.After
the suspension “settles” into place, add or re-
move pre-load clips so that the left & right
driveshafts appear to be flat as seen in the
following picture.
BATTERY PLACEMENT
This is one of the best adjustments on the car,
and it can have the biggest effect on handling.
Most of the time, moving the battery pack back
willyieldmorereartractionanddecreasesteer-
ing. Conversely, moving the battery pack for-
ward will yield less rear traction and increase
steering. But in some cases on extremely high
grip or extremely low grip tracks, moving the
pack forward will make the buggy feel more
balanced and actually improve rear grip.
SETUP SHEETS
Thebest wayto getyour carhandling rightis to
go to our website, www.rc10.com, and click on
the links for setup sheets. Our Team Drivers
help develop these setups at National events.
Also, most drivers have a “base” setup
thatthey use asastarting point forevery event.
Tryrunning someof thesebase setupsor look
for track conditions and tires that are similar to
your local track and mimic that setup.
TEAM ASSOCIATED ONLINE
Get online help, tips, and new product infor-
mation for your kit through Team Associated’s
web site, www.TeamAssociated.com.
Tech Help. Answers to racer’s questions are
posted for all to learn from.
Racer Spotlight. Racersproudlyshow offtheir
favorite kits. Get your painting ideas here!
22
Setup Sheets. Where racers find blank and
standard setups to download for their kit.
New Products. Learn of new kits and parts
before they are announced anywhere else.
TeamAssociatedInsider’s Newsletter.Sign
up for it if you want the latest Team Associated
news delivered right to your e-mail box.
Hobby Shop and Track Directory. Locate
shops carrying spare parts and tracks where
you may race your kit.
Parts Catalogs.Find the most up-to-date list-
ing of parts for your kit.
Contact Associated.Ourexpertstaffanswers
your toughest questions about Associated,
Reedy, and LRP products.
Remember, each adjustment has a pur-
pose,so copyeverything fromthe setupsheet
and then make adjustments based on the rec-
ommendations in here.
For more information on setups, please go
online to the Tuning Guide page and order the
#9656 CompleteTuningGuide:B4.
WHEELBASE ADJUSTMENT
You have three options for rear hub spacing,
Forward, Middle, & Back. The kit setting pro-
vides the most rear traction, and will be used
most often. For improved handling in bumps
or rhythm sections, try moving the hubs to the
Middle or Back position. This can also make
the car handle better in 180° turns.
Spacerstothe rear will placehubs
forward,shorteningthewheelbase
Spacertothefront will place
batteries to the rear Spacerto therearwillplace
batteries to the front
FRONT REAR FRONT REAR
Dogbones should be in a
straightlinewhenrideheight
isset as“dogbones level”