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Issue Date: November 2007, Posted On: 9/24/2007
High Roller Project Minis
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Options, options, options. For almost every extra-small ride available?from the Mini-T
to the Mini-Z?there?s a long list of hop-ups, option parts and aftermarket goodies ready
to transform and improve your rig?s looks, handling, speed and acceleration. Here, we
have taken four popular rides to the RC Car Action garage. Check out what we?ve done
with DuraTrax?s Vendetta, Kyosho?s AWD Mini-Z, Team Losi?s Mini LST and XRAY?s
M18.
DuraTrax Vendetta
Chassis
DuraTrax (graphite)
>> Chassis?item no. DTXC6996, $22
>> Front brace?DTXC6599, $6
>> Front shock tower?DTXC9186, $8
>> Rear shock tower?DTXC9187, $8
>> Steering servo hold-down?DTXC8813, $14
Suspension
DuraTrax (aluminum)
>> Bellcrank posts?DTXC6303, $5
>> Front hinge-pin support?DTXC8066, $10
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>> Front knuckle?DTXC8216, $35
>> Front shock?DTXC8997, $17
>> Rear hinge-pin cover?DTXC8058, $13
>> Rear hub?DTXC8005, $30
>> Rear shock?DTXC8998, $17
>> Shock bushing?DTXC9279, $8
>> Steering bellcranks?DTXC8863, $22
DuraTrax
>> Front shock spring (green)?DTXC9277, $4
>> Graphite drag link?DTXC7489, $4
>> Front swaybar set?DTXC9602, $12
>> Rear swaybar set?DTXC9603, $12
>> Front upper turnbuckle?DTXC9813, $6
>> Rear upper turnbuckle?DTXC9814, $6
Drivetrain
DuraTrax
>> Aluminum wheel hex?DTXC9902, $15
>> Graphite center driveshaft?DTXC7482, $15
>> Graphite diff case?DTXC7443, $10
Electronics
DuraTrax
>> 19-tooth pinion gear?DTXC8348, $5
>> Aluminum motor heat sink?DTXC8279, $5
>> NiMH 7.2V 1200 flat pack?DTXC2194, $17
>> VR3 motor?DTXC3309, $15
Futaba
>> AM receiver?R152JE, $35
Body, wheels & tires
DuraTrax
>> Clear body with decals?DTXC6507, $15
>> Square Block tires (4)?DTXC9663, $7/pair
>> Yellow wheels (4)?DTXC9887, $5/pair
>> Yellow wing?DTXC9776, $7
Build Notes
If the graphite driveshaft doesn?t perfectly fit the front diff?s pinion gear, carefully file
away graphite material until the fit is perfect.
If you run on carpeted indoor or off-road tracks, file off the tires? pin spikes to create a
smooth slick tire.
The aluminum shocks don?t include fluid. For outdoors, try 25WT at all four corners.
Indoors, start with 40WT in front and 40 or 50WT in the rear if the track has many tight
turns.
Drive Time
The stock Vendetta is a lot of fun and is even a capable racer in out-of-the-box trim, so
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I knew my tricked-out pro version would perform even better. Besides making it faster
(which is the easy part for most vehicles), I wanted to make this buggy more durable,
so I added a bunch of aluminum parts. To prevent my Vendetta from becoming a
heifer, I also added in some lightweight graphite parts. My project Vendetta is a bit
heavier overall, but it?s significantly stronger, and its performance is much better. The
swaybars work awesomely. The Vendetta handled well before and was easy to drive,
but now it corners like a touring car?flat and fast. The VR3 motor more than makes up
for the solid ounce gained because of the beefy aluminum parts. In fact, my
race-prepped Vendetta now has more power than I need for tight indoor racing. My
modified Vendetta accelerates strong, rips down the straight and is still just as easy to
drive?albeit much faster?as it was with stock gear. The stock shocks worked fine, and
the aluminum shocks, as expected, work even better.?Matt Higgins
Kyosho AWD Mini-Z
Chassis
Kyosho
>> SP skeleton chassis set?item no. MDF001CB,
$23
>> Titanium screw set?MDW019, $23
PN Racing (aluminum)
>> Motor heat-sink cover?MA0111BL, $20
>> Pro front upper cover?MA0104BL, $20
>> Pro rear upper cover?MA0105BL, $20
Suspension
Kyosho
>> Aluminum rear-toe control rod?MDW015, $13
>> Suspension spring set?MDW004, $13
>> Setting tie-rod set?MDW003, $9
PN Racing (aluminum)
>> 2.0 camber knuckle?MA0106-20B, $19
>> 0.5 camber knuckle?MA0106-05B, $19
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Kyosho?s trick-looking translucent blue
skeleton chassis is a little lighter than the
stock chassis. The PN Racing motor
heat-sink cover improves motor cooling, and
it looks good. A Kyosho X-Speed AWD V
motor provides plenty of scoot, and the PN
Racing aluminum 15-tooth pinion is smooth
and durable.
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Drivetrain
Kyosho
>> 64-titanium center shaft & pinion
gear?MDW006, $8
>> Ball-bearing set?MDW001, $39
>> Front one-way unit?MDW017, $48
PN Racing
>> Aluminum hard-coated pinion gear
set?MA0118, $14
Electronics
Kyosho
>> Mini-Z X-Speed V motor?MDW002, $18
>> Speed Power 900 Mini-Z cells (4)?71995,
$20/4-pack
The PN Racing machined-aluminum upper
cover is strong and rigid, and it?s only 1
gram heavier than the stock plastic piece. A
Kyosho front one-way diff allows the front
wheels to freewheel off power and improves
steering as you enter and exit corners.
Body wheels & tires
Kyosho
>> Aluminum wheel set R34 6-spoke
silver?MDH200S, $30
>> Brake disc rotor?MDF002TA, $5
>> Radial tire no. 20 set?MZW28-20, $9
Build notes
Installing Kyosho?s translucent skeleton chassis on
the AWD Mini-Z requires a complete vehicle
teardown. The skeleton chassis comes with
instructions, but keep the original instructions that
came with the car nearby; they?ll come in handy
during reassembly.
Kyosho?s aluminum R34 6-spoke wheels
look awesome, and 20-shore radial tires
provide the hookup. Check out the aluminum
brake rotors?sweet!
The skeleton chassis includes all the bits and
pieces you need to completely replace the stock
chassis, but I did not use the servo gear plates; I
just pulled the entire servo and potentiometer out
of the old chassis as a single unit (with the gear
plates intact) and transplanted it onto the skeleton
chassis. This simplifies the conversion greatly
because you don?t have to take apart and
reassemble the servo. I installed Kyosho ball
The PN Racing machined-aluminum steering
bearings and a titanium center shaft while I had
knuckles have Teflon sleeves over the
the car apart.
kingpins for smooth pivoting action and
provide 0.05 degree of negative camber.
Kyosho?s stiff yellow springs and setting tie
The PN Racing aluminum front and rear upper
rod set complete the suspension mods.
covers, camber knuckles and motor-heat-sink
cover bolt right on without any fuss, thanks to the precise machining. Just be sure you
don?t overtighten the screws that secure these pieces.
If you decide to go with the Kyosho one-way front diff, apply a couple of drops of thin
bearing oil on the diff-cup shafts to ensure smooth performance. I also installed a
complete set of Kyosho titanium screws. To make installation easier, I placed the
screws on a towel and sorted them by size and type. I then removed one stock screw at
a time and threaded in the corresponding titanium screw into place until I completed the
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entire chassis.
Drive Time
The Kyosho X-Speed motor and Speed Power batteries boost speed and run time
tremendously. I?m sure the ball bearings and lightweight titanium center shaft
contribute as well. At first, the car felt almost too fast for the small RCP track system
that I have set up in my garage, but the more I practiced, the more I became
accustomed to the extra speed.
The one-way front diff provides a major boost in on-power steering. The car holds a
tighter line in the corners, and the one-way provides rear-wheel braking only; that
makes it possible to swing the car?s rear end around by tapping on the brakes before
you enter the turn to negotiate tight corners?and drifting. Getting used to the one-way
took a little time, but I don?t think I?ll go back to the front-diff setup any time soon.
The PM Racing motor heat sink becomes hot after 10 minutes of running, and that
indicates that it?s doing a good job of pulling heat from the motor. The car seems to
react more quickly to steering inputs, and that is the product of many things, but I think
the smooth pivoting action of the camber knuckles is the main contributor. The 20-shore
radial tires grip very well?so well, in fact, that the car traction rolls if I enter a corner
with too much speed. Like any race vehicle, the AWD Mini-Z can be tuned to suit
different tracks and driving styles. The equipment and tuning accessories that I used
helped dial in my car, and it feels good enough to race. I added the Kyosho aluminum
rims mainly for looks, but the extra weight on the tires makes the car feel a little more
stable.?George M. Gonzalez
Team Losi Mini LST
Chassis
Hot Racing
>> Aluminum servo & upper deck mount?item
no. MLT2606, $10
>> Roll/handle bar with plate mount?MLT11206,
$10
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Team Losi
>> Chrome chassis side-rail set?LOSB0904C, $9
>> Graphite lower chassis-plate set?LOSB0903, $34
>> Graphite upper chassis-plate set?LOSB0902, $3
Suspension
Dynamite
>> Front/rear shock tower (2)?DYN8254B, $37 each
Hot Racing (aluminum)
>> Arm pin rear mount?MLT0906, $5
>> Bulkhead plate pin lock (2)?MLT0808, $10 each
>> Center gearbox?MLT3806, $25
>> Knuckles?MLT2106, $15
>> Reservoir shock set?MLT363R08, $44
>> Revised rear knuckles?MLT2206, $17
>> Upper arm set?MLT5406, $17
Lunsford
>> Titanium turnbuckle & ball-stud kit?2140, $44
Drivetrain
Hot Racing (aluminum)
>> 55T spur gear?MLT4855, $9
>> Heat-sink motor mount?MLT1806, $14
MIP
>> Ball-diff kit (center)?1565, $30
>> CVD kit?1567, $22
>> Front/rear ball-diff kit (2)?1564, $35 each
>> Hard-coated lightweight top gear?1563, $7
>> Hard-coated slipper?1562, $9
Electronics
Dynamite
>> 1900 mAh 7.4V Li-poly pack?DYN1421, $50
Team Losi
>> Insane 370 motor (2)?LOSB0837, $31 each
Body wheels & tires
Team Losi
>> Clear Mini LST body?LOSB1310, $12
>> Mini-Kingpin tires w/foam (4)?LOSB0982,
$11/pair
>> White dish wheels (4)?LOSB0977, $5/pair
Build notes
The MIP diffs will loosen a bit as they break-in, so be sure to set the diffs a little on the
tight side when you build them.
The Hot Racing aluminum servo/upper-deck mount and the heat-sink motor mount are
thicker than the stock pieces they replace, and the motor heat sink has large cooling
fins that make removing the stock clear-plastic gear cover impossible without some
disassembly. When these two aftermarket components are installed, you will not be
able to bolt the gear cover to the motor mount. Cut the mounting ears from the gear
cover; the motor mount?s cooling fins wrap around the gear cover and hold it in place,
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and that makes bolting the gear cover to the motor mount unnecessary. If you use the
Hot Racing allow spur gear as I did, set the gear mesh a little on the loose side to
provide smooth performance.
The Hot Racing reservoir shocks come fully assembled, but they do not have fluid in the
shock bodies. Fill the shock bodies all the way with shock fluid, and then fill the caps
half way with fluid (I used Team Losi 25WT). Quickly thread the shock caps into the
shock bodies, and try not to spill any fluid. Compress the shock shafts a few times, and
the shocks should operate smoothly.
If you decide to use a Li-poly pack as I did, make sure you don?t damage the pack by
over-discharging it. Stop running the vehicle the moment you notice a decrease in
power. As a precaution, install a voltage-cutoff device that will cut the power to the
motor when the pack reaches 3 volts per cell.
Drive Time
The Losi Insane Acceleration 370 mod motors and the Dynamite 1900mAh Li-poly pack
greatly improve acceleration and top speed. I get longer run times, too. The Dynamite
pack has nearly twice the capacity of a typical NiMH pack; its power remains consistent
throughout the run, and its punch doesn?t fade as the battery dumps. The chassis
handles the extra power very well. The Losi Kingpin tires provide great traction on a
variety of dirt surfaces, and the MIP center ball diff distributes the power to the front
and rear wheels evenly; the stock center-gear diff used to unload most of the power to
the front wheels during acceleration. The truck feels more planted in the corners, and I
suspect that is the result of replacing the front and rear gear diffs with MIP ball diffs as
well.
The Hot Racing aluminum components are bulletproof, and that gives me the confidence
to drive the truck completely strapped. I like that the upper arms have turnbuckles that
allow camber adjustment, and the revised rear uprights eliminate need for the rear toe
links that can pop off the ball studs. Speaking of ball studs, the Lunsford titanium
turnbuckles, ball studs and ball cups that I used to replace the stock steering links allow
front toe adjustment, and the tighter-fitting ball cups rarely pop off the ball studs.
Bump and jump handling are greatly improved. The reservoir shocks work very well.
The threaded bodies allow easy preload adjustment, and the included soft red springs
are perfect for off-road action.?George M. Gonzalez
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XRAY M18
Chassis
Motek
>> Panther 140 Pro chassis kit/orange?$55
Suspension
Atomic
>> Short spring set?XR045, $10
>> Threaded shock set?XR61, $8
Team XRAY
>> Adjustable turnbuckle set?38330, $13
>> Aluminum suspension block/left (2)?382252,
$30 each
>> Aluminum suspension block/right (2)?382262,
$30 each
>> Suspension arms (6-deg. caster)?382106, $9
Soldering posts on the Tekin Mini Rage make
for a super-clean installation. The JR 241MG
servo is just a little bigger than a postage
stamp, but metal gears make it plenty tough.
The sexy orange motor mount and large
cutout under the motor are sure to keep
things cool.
Drivetrain
Acer Racing
>> Ceramic nitride pro series bearings?M18, $85
Team XRAY
>> 42T spur gear?385742, $6
>> Aluminum universal shafts (2)?385201, $30
each
>> Composite adjustable ball diff (2)?85002, $20
each
Height-adjustable Atomic shocks and springs
>> Composite pinion set (13-16)?385701, $11
make setup changes a breeze, and the
blue-alloy XRAY universals get all the power
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Electronics
GWS
>> Pico 4RPII 75MHz FM receiver & micro
crystal?GW/R4PII75/F, $30
JR Racing
>> 241MG sub-microservo?JRPS241MG, $40
MaxAmps
>> 1100mAh 2S 7.4V Li-poly?$25
Tekin
>> Mini Rage Performance Brushless
System 5.4kV?TT1101, $150
to sticky HPI foams. XRAY?s alloy knuckles
look cool and add serious durability.
Body, wheels & tires
Pro-Line
>> Stratus 3.0?1484-00, $15
HPI
>> Pro Foam tires w/black dish rims
Firm 14mm?4163, $9
Medium 17mm?4167, $9
The powerful (15A constant and 20A bursts)
MaxAmps 1100mAh Li-po sits securely in its
Lexan tray; note the included balancing plug.
Build notes
Make sure that the gearboxes are fully seated in
the chassis; if they aren?t, open the positioning
holes slightly until they sit nice and flat. This will
ensure that the gearboxes are perfectly aligned
and won?t shift on impact.
Because of all the insanely small electronics,
I was able to lay everything flat on the
140mm chassis to get a very low center of
To help break in the seals and ensure that the
gravity, and that makes the car handle like
lube has worked into the Acer ceramic bearings, I it?s on rails.
ran the car through a couple of packs while it sat
on a stand; that way, the car hit the track with the bearings in optimal condition.
If you run your wheels on the wider settings, buy O-rings with the same inner diameter
as the rims and sandwich them between the rim and inner wheel; that will prevent your
width settings from changing in a crash.
Motek?s Panther chassis has cutouts for 2?3A cells, but if you intend to run Li-po packs,
Motek recommends that you make a Lexan tray to hold them; I did that, and when
used with the included carbon-fiber battery hold down, my battery didn?t budge.
Motek does a beautiful job of cutting the carbon chassis plates, and I wanted to be sure
they would remain pristine, so I lightly sanded all of the edges and sealed them with
two coats of CA. I also did the ends of the included carbon driveshaft. To show the
chassis even more love, I polished the CA with a little car wax?bling!
By directly soldering the 5.4kV motor to the soldering posts on the Tekin Mini Rage
speed control (instead of using the connectors and wire that came with it), I not only
managed to clean up some clutter but also saved weight, too.
Drive Time
With the first pull of the trigger, I knew I built something serious! The Tekin 5.4kV
motor had wicked rip on the tight carpet track, and the HPI foamies were overpowered,
but I had no worries?a few tweaks to the onboard programming of the Mini Rage speed
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control were all I needed to get things under control in the power department. The
brushless motor and free drivetrain (thanks Acer!) produce very low drag; the car rolls
so easily that I had to add drag-brake to the speed control to keep up with it! The stiff
Motek 140mm chassis with the Atomic shocks and springs made for a very responsive
M18?but not too responsive, thanks to the medium-speed JR servo. The GWS receiver
impressed me; I was told that they are widely used in battle robots (I bought mine at
BaneBots.com). I can see why; I never had a single glitch! Even with high traction and
tons of power, the MaxAmp Li-po always cranked out the juice?and it continued to do so
for substantial run times. I have found my new favorite toy!?Elvis Machado
Sources Acer Racing acerracing.com Atomic rcatomic.com Bane Bots banebots.com DuraTrax,
distributed by Great Planes Model Distributors; duratrax.com Dynamite, distributed by Horizon
Hobby Distributors; dynamiterc.com GWS gws.com Hot Racing, distributed by Hobby Etc.;
hobbyetc.com JR Racing, distributed by Horizon Hobby Distributors; jrradios.com Kyosho Corp.
kyosho.com Lunsford Racing lunsfordracing.com MaxAmps maxamps.com MIP miponline.com
Motek Racing motekracing.com PN Racing pnracing.com Team Losi, distributed by Horizon Hobby
Distributors; teamlosi.com Tekin teamtekin.com XRAY, distributed by RC America; teamxray.com
Zegers RC Graffixx zegersrcgraffixx.com
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