TEAM TALK -- Electric kits and RTRs

TC4 Q&A (new page)
B4 Q&A (new page)
T4 Q&A (new page)

Frequently Asked Questions

Graphite Myths. Please read this article if you think graphite parts are stronger than stock plastic parts, or just want to know when you should get graphite parts. Also appeared in RC Car magazine.

Beginner's Guide to Choosing Your Next Electric Motor. Please read this 4-page illustrated article if you need help deciding which motor to get for your buggy or truck. Also appeared in RC Car magazine.

How do I go faster?
We've answered this question here.

So what rims can I use by AE for the 1984 rc10 buggy?
In order to use the current wheels and tires you will need the following:

#7378 3/16 axles
#9277 bearings (3/16 x 3/8 flanged bearings)
#7369 axle pins
#7368 axle shims

I have missing or defective parts.
Fill out this form so we can help you faster.

I want to convert electric to gas.
Our electric cars were not designed to handle the stresses of a nitro engine. Not recommended.

CONVERT YOUR 1:18 SCALE! Tired of your 1:18 AE truck or buggy? Convert it to 18B, 18MT, 18R, 18T with this guide.

Latest posts are at top

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Your name: Paul
Electric kit referenced: TC5R
Comments: How fast does the standard version go?

It depends on what electronics you install in the kit. Generally a stock motor will run in the area of 25-30 mph, with a good modified motor running in the mid to high 30’s.
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Your name: Ryan
Electric kit referenced: B44
Comments: Do you make a spool for the B44?

Ryan, at this time we do not make a spool for the B44.
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Your name: Cabo
Electric kit referenced: Reedy Saddle Pack Lipos
Comments: Why did you guys go with a softcased saddle pack lipo when these are going to be illegal for ROAR sanctioned events?

The first saddle packs to come out will be without a plastic case. We may also come out with a set that has a plastic case, but that has not been determined yet.
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Your name: Joshua Fitzwater
Electric kit referenced: RC10L4
Comments: Nylon Bumper Needed
I was looking at the RC10GT nylon bumper #7324 and was thinking it would be great if that style of bumper was made for 1/12 cars.

Of course the bumper would be top mounted, not bottom mounted as the 10Gt. But the style would be the same: Thin nylon with chassis lip. I would perfer the mounting holes to be the body post holes.

Don't pass on making this part. There so are many 1:12's based on the AE front end and that means alot of bumpers that can be sold.

Thanks for your input, Joshua. It is much appreciated and will be passed onto the appropriate party.
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Your name:Rick
Electric kit referenced:T3
Comments:I recently got a used t3. My question is , it came with a lrp f1 pro ESC with a 17t Team Orion rush motor. I recently received a new reedy Pulse motor from you guys because my flash reedy failed under warranty. And i Also have a Traxxas xl-10 esc. Which motor and esc do you recommended for the t3 out of these motors and esc's i listed above?
Thanks

I would run the LRP with the Flash motor. **********************************
Your name: just geting started in this hobby just wondering what is the best battery to start out with? I have been running 3300 and the run time is very short before the motor gets hot and quits. every thing is stock out of the box. we did find a solder joint stuck to the brush spring on the yellow wire, would that cause a problem?
Electric kit referenced:
Comments:

What car do you have? If the runtime is short due to the motor overheating then that is an indication that you are over geared. What motor are you running? How long is your runtime now?
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Your name: hashoobe
Electric kit referenced: T4
Comments: I have an LRP Sphere Comp and with a Vector x-11 7.5T motor. What pinion/gearing combination do you recommend?

I would start out with a 19 tooth pinion gear. You can always go up from there if you need more speed.
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Your name: Stefan
Electric kit referenced: RC12R5
Comments: What is the AREA 51? I am writing an article for a magazin and will explain the AREA 51.

In our company, Area 51 is the top secret lab where all our products are developed.
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Your name: SHELBY
Electric kit referenced:FRACTORY TEAM B4
Comments: B4 WITH MAMBA MAX WITH 5700 MOTOR, 2 CELL LIPO. WHEN YOU PUNCH HARD OFF THE LINE. BUGGY GOES HARD TO THE RIGHT. WORKED WITH SLIPPER IF YOU LET IT SLIP ENOUGH TO NOT PULL HARD TO THE RIGHT IT WILL SLIP TO MUCH. SHOULD WE BE WORKING WITH THE DIFF? WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING?

Make sure your diff is properly adjusted. The adjustment should be set at 1/8 turn out from tight.
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Your name: Bryan DeGraw
Electric kit referenced: T4
Comments: The T4 is the best electric RC car I have ever had so to you Team Associated I say thank you

You are welcome, and thank you.
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Your name:Josh
Electric kit referenced: VMX Concept
Comments: what is the dimension of the battery?

Which battery are you referring to? Do you have a part number?
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Your name: daniel stanford
Electric kit referenced:tc4 irum a lrp A.I.bulley reverse no motor limit and a epic 11 turn motor i need a cooling system for the e.s.c?
Comments:

We have a motor cooling fan duct kit part #31037 which will keep you running real cool.
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Your name: harsh
Electric kit referenced: team associated tc4
Comments: would it be possible to run your reedy 5000 mAh LiPo battery with a 2 turn brushless motor?

Yes, you can.
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Your name: nasteawhun
Electric kit referenced: b44
Comments: i installed a mamba max 5700kv combo kit, powered by a 4600mah match 6cell battery. i use the team factory setting provided by the instructions. i also use the ant-roll kit, silver bars, front and back. and a 18t pinion/84t spur gear. the buggy drives really well through the course, but when i enter the straightway and pull to a full throttle (the pull is done slowly also) the buggy's rear end seems to always slip out then i spin out. what kind of settings do i need to do to fix this problem...i tried all different entry speeds but the problem always end up the same....please help...thanks

Your diffs are not adjusted right. Go back and make sure that both front and rear diffs are 1/8 out from fully tight.
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Your name: tony
Electric kit referenced: tc5
Comments: what is diff. spool

A spool locks the front axle up front - no diff action. Both front wheels will turn the same speed even in corners. Benefits: Makes the car very easy to drive. The car is very stable under braking.
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Your name: Chris
Electric kit referenced: RC10T4
Comments: What pinion gear size should I use for the new LRP Stock Spec 17.5 Turn Brushless motor?

You will start out with a 20-tooth pinion.
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Your name:colt
Electric kit referenced:8t
Comments:If i was to get the reedy 17t motor is there anything else I would need to get so that it runs smooth and doesnt break.

The motor will run smoothly; however, there is nothing that you can add to the truck that will make it indestructible. You just have to be careful. Try not to hit things and the chances of you breaking drops dramatically.
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Your name:colt anderson
Electric kit referenced:18t
Comments:Im am getting in to rc racing and was wondering which motor would be best for racing the 18t.

The stock motor gives you the most torque and would be the best all-around motor. If you need a little more speed, consider the Reedy Mini Mod 17T motor.
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Your name: Rick Zepeda
Electric kit referenced: 12L3
Comments: I am curious if a 12L4 rear axle will fit in a 12 L3 Chassis

It can - you just have to buy the appropriate rings and hubs.

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Your name: Doug
Electric kit referenced: RC18B
Comments: How in the world do you stop the from shocks from breaking when a 7 year old runs into something? he has broken one shock and the front shock tower and only ran the car three times!! i have run the car and broken the front shock as well. How can i stop this from happening? it is breaking the shock rod that attached to the bottom ball on the front a-arm. It seams like a pretty big weak spot on this car, i have owned a few other cars and have never broken a shock. Is this just a bad design because the shock is in front of the car? Help! my son does not want to use it anymore because it breaks as soon as he crashes it once!! HELP!

You might try RPM Products for a full width bumper - that might help your situation.
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Your name: CESAR CRUZ
Electric kit referenced:338 MOTOR
Comments: CAN THIS MOTOR CAN BE USED WITH A 15 T ESC

No it cannot. It will burn up the speed control.
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Your name: Justin S
Electric kit referenced: RC18R
Comments: What other bodies fit the RC18R beside Associated's. I'm looking for something sleak and fast.

At this point our body is the only one I know of.
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Your name: Mark
Electric kit referenced: TC5/#LRP80750 LRP Sphere Competition TC
Comments: There is no mention about compatibility with the newer 2.4 radio systems. Is this a non-issue?

The speed control works fine with 2.4 radios.
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Your name: Cabo
Electric kit referenced: Mini MGT Electric
Comments: No question but something to throw out there. With Traxxas now making an E-Revo, I think it would be great if you guys did something along that lines with the Mini MGT .

Thanks for the comments!
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Your name: Rick
Electric kit referenced: associated 12L3
Comments: I actually have a couple of questions 1: I would like to buy a new axle diff and hubs for this car but cannot find anything under the part numbers in the manual and there are no part numbers for these Items in the parts list here are the part #s I am looking for hopefully there is a kit with all included#4551, 6579, 4460, 4553, 4555, 4459, 4185, 4554, 4552, 4185, I hope that you can help me with knowing where I can get these parts because I just recently purchased this car to run on carpet at my local track and am very excited about getting it up and running. also I could not find a 75 tooth spur gear here locally to fit the car All I could find was a 72 so am wondering where I should start with a pinion gear I will be running a reedy 19 turn motor in this car.

Thank you for your time and help

Rick Zepeda

Rick,

The only numbers that I still sell are #6579, 4555, 4459, 4185, and 4554. You can get them by calling us direct and placing an order with our order desk: 949-544-7500 ext. 2110.
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Your name:Jeremey Willis
Electric kit referenced:T4RS RTR Comments:
1. What are the differences between the RTR and the Factory Team T4?
2. I'm considering a brushless system, what is the advantage to buying the worlds kit?

1. The difference is that the arms and shock towers in the FT are made from our carbon material making them stiffer and lighter. You also get threaded shock bodies with the FT version of the truck. See the Compare link here:
http://www.rc10.com/ae/t4/t4_compare.htm

2. The Worlds kit will give you a setup like the Sphere TC wee you have a fan bolted to a heat sink. This will keep the speed control much cooler when using hot modified motors or hi temp conditions.
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Your name: Nat
Electric kit referenced: b44
Comments: I got a kit without the up[dated arms, around the beginning of April. From towerhobbies.com
What options do I have?

Visit here for instructions:
http://aedownloads.com/press/in_010308_rc8sr.pdf

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Your name: Richard Nixon
Electric kit referenced:B4 FT
Comments: where is the overall best track conditions for an offroad car.
I can think of an obvious answer, but what types of terrain does the B4 agree with best.

Nixon

The B4 is designed to work well on a variety of tracks, not just one specific type.
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Your name: Nick
Electric kit referenced: LRP sphere brushed+brushless
Comments: turn on the transmitter, then turn on the ESC, solid red light shown. I press down the set button and hold for more than 3 sec, but light does not flash. Don't know what to do next. Help.

Make sure that the battery is fully charged and that you have the speed control plugged properly into channel two on the receiver. Make sure that the sequence of wires also is correct. It should match your steering servo. For the most part the black wire is towards the outside of the case when plugged in.

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Your name: Chuck Erickson
Electric kit referenced: RC18T Team truck
Comments: on the motor plate if the 2 slotted motor holes were lengthened towards the outer edges of the motor plate it would make installing the aftermarket and modified motors much easier. I have also found that if the motor plate is milled on the bottom you can install 1 of the metal motor plates to protect the chassis and the gear mesh is easier to set. Are ther any plans to redesign the motor plate and if so when will it be out?

Sorry Chuck, no plans for a redesign. ***************************************
Your name: Nat
Electric kit referenced: B44
Comments: The hinge pins in the front arms look as though it will back into the chassis. What can I do? Do I need to buy new arms? I need advice to avoid the harm to the chassis, that has happened to people I know.

Thanks

When did you get your kit?
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Your name: tony
Electric kit referenced: tc5
Comments: will you be coming out with a team kit that is a little softer on the wallet. I know that the current tc5 is a race machine and all that, but some of us don't race championships that will earn ton of cash. I would like a nice kit with a $200 dollar range. I don't race pro, but its a nice hobby to forget the real world for a few hours of fun. but dont need that 300 to 500 dollar kit that still needs another 400 dollars of electronics support.

Tony, at this point I do not expect a lower priced version of the TC5 to make its way to market. There simply is not the demand in the touring car market to justify anything other than a full blown racer kit for the racers. I will pass your suggestion on to the appropriate people.

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Your name:Daniel
Electric kit referenced: Brushless motors
Comments:Hi i'm new to the brushless motors and esc. What would you gear a 6.5 (bonded) motor in a T4 on a medium size track?

Start out with a 17 tooth pinion with the stock spur. *************************************
Your name: Joshua Terry
Electric kit referenced: TC4 RTR
Comments: I just bought the kit, and I love it! I am getting back into the hobby and racing, and of course the local track does not allow reverse. The LRP Ai Super Reverse doesn't seem to have a reverse lockout but it does seem like adjusting the trigger position on the controller and the reverse ATV will almost eliminate the reverse. My question is, will doing this negatively affect any component or is there a much easier way.

The changes that you made will not damage the speed control. The easiest thing to do is get a forward-only speed control. These speed controls have lower resistance and will deliver more power to the motor and longer runtime as well.
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Your name: kristopher
Electric kit referenced:rc18b
Comments:I tried reseting my rc18b but nothing happened. It still runs only in reverse.

It sounds like the forward drive FET’s are burned out. You will need to send the speed control to the address on the home page for warranty evaluation.
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Your name:Dan
Electric kit referenced: ---
Comments: Hey team associated, i was wondering how do u become sponsored by you guys? Do you have to go through a certain process?

cheers,
Dan

We sponsor people in the same way the real car sponsors do. Car sponsors get drivers who are likely to win races and get the company name in the spotlight favorably. The sponsored drivers are mature and level-headed and enhance their sponsors' reputations. When you find yourself winning a lot of races, having an excellent attitude when winning and losing, and can hold your own against established racers, you may mail your resume of racing accomplishments to us.

The best way to attract sponsorships is to keep practicing, learn all about setting up your car (changing the springs, oil, tires, etc.), and keep entering races.
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Your name: Rick Zepeda
Electric kit referenced:Associated 18R
Comments: I am curious I now own 2 18R's and an 18B and am setting up one of the 18R's for my son to drive and am curious about something I purchased a hitec am radio for it that is Am because I want to see if he likes the racing thing first. Here is my question the range on the car seems to be pretty short I have run the antenna all the way out. Is there anything else I need to do or is that just the way am radios are all my other cars have fm radios and work perfect. Thank you for your time

Rick Zepeda

AM radios usually have shorter ranges because the AM signal is easily interrupted by interference. The FM signal is less prone to interference so it is able to reach further than AM. That is not to say that AM has a really short range. How far are you getting?
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Your name: SHELBY BOGGESS
Electric kit referenced: FRACTORY TEAM B4
Comments: NEED SETUP FOR OVAL

You may want to talk to Don at (949) 544-7500 ext. 2124 as he is our oval guy and would be able to help you. The B4 is not designed for oval therefore set ups are not that easy to come by. Don has run it in oval though, and can offer some assistance to you.
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Your name: joe gates
Electric kit referenced: rc18r
Comments: i was wondering if there was going to be a factory team?

No, there will not be at this time.
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Your name: Joe
Electric kit referenced:rc18r
Comments: i have a losi mini-t with lost of hop up and was wanting to go to an on road or oval car. i was wondering if there was going to be hop-ups for the 18r. By hop-up i mean alum. parts or graphite

We have released pretty much all the hop ups we are going to make for the car. There are aftermarket companies out there that do make a wide variety of hop ups that can satisfy anyone. Have you looked in our online Factory Team line of hopups?************************************
Your name: joneskh
Electric kit referenced:rc18b/mt
Comments: i would like to start out by saying that the 18th cars got me back in after almost 15 yrs and i could not be more pleased with your product. my question pertains to battery packs and their life. I used the stock charger for a while and noticed a diminished run time, so i purchased an intellipeak by Duratrax that seemed to fix the problem with both battery packs ( 1 stock and 1 reedy vmx r14). recently I have noticed a decrease in speed and am wondering if this could be due to a battery not reaching its potential, or having been "killed" by improper charging.

Don’t be so quick to blame the battery. How old is the motor? The motor can simply be worn out or wearing out. When it does the speed drops quite a bit.
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Your name: curtis
Electric kit referenced: tc-4 diffs
Comments: I was wondering do u guys offer a steel ring & pinion for the tc-4 diffs?

I am sorry but no, we do not. I have not seen them as an aftermarket product yet either. **********************************
Your name: parker
Electric kit referenced: rc10 truck 1st generation
Comments: installed an LRP IPC digital pro sport esc into car into an old futaba fp-r102je receiver are those two compatible? i have nothing now no power at all no steering nada

Yes, the speed control will operate with older radios. There should be no problem.
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Your name:Brandon
Electric kit referenced: T4 ft kit
Comments: I was considering buying the kit, but recently have read posts that there have been some problems w/ later kits having mis-threaded parts that needed to be sent back (shocks i believe). Any truth to this

I can honestly tell you that I have not heard of this problem.
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Your name: joshua kivi
Electric kit referenced: rc18mt
Comments:what will it take to make it have lots of torque and run less than ten mph

You can slow it down slightly by turning down the throttle high end point adjustment, but it probably will not be slower than 10 mph. I assume you want it for rock crawling. In that case look to a motor and speed control made specifically for rock crawling.
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Your name: Mike M.
Electric kit referenced: B44
Comments: Can you list the running changes that have been made to the B44 to date (April, 2008)?
I read that there were some issues with the camber link mounting holes on the front/rear top decks and with the inner hinge pins for the front A-arms. Have these issues been corrected?

The only running changes are that the front arms have closed off rear holes so that the hinge pin cannot back itself out into the chassis. The rear upper deck has some added material around the camber link mount ball studs. That’s about it. Those items have been updated. The kits that are in the stores now are not updated but the ones we begin sending out later this month will be.
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Your name: John Wqallace
Electric kit referenced: TC5
Comments: There appears to be an error on the setup sheets posted on your webpage. Rear toe setting are expressed as positive degrees. According to the setup sheet that should be TOE out. However, the same set up set puts a thinner shim in the front and a thicker shim in the rear, which points the front of the rear tires inward toward the center line of the car or TOE In. Which is correct?

OK, I see how you are confused. It depends on the driver and how they write it down. Toe in is where the front of the tire points into the center of the car. The driver writes it down in what appears to be a positive number. Since toe –out is never used any number that is written down is known to be negative measurement.
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Your name: my63vw
Electric kit referenced:tc4
Comments:will a body drilled with holes for a tc4 fit a tc3

Not without changing the mounting holes, the TC4 body holes don’t line up with the TC3, sorry!

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Your name: Kötzinger Georg
Electric kit referenced: B 44
Comments: Hello,
I have bought an One-Way for my B 44, Part Number 1728, it is working great. But now, I need some more shims to find the right setting of the front gears. The Number is 1733 in the B 44 Part Listing. But I cant buy the Part, because Associated does not sell this Part, because it is not in the Online Part list, an no German Dealer can order this part. Where can I get it, or did they replaced the number?
Thanks for your Help,
George

The part is available…as you posted, #1733 is the HD one way shims…they are $1.50.
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Your name: mike w
Electric kit referenced: rc10ds
Comments: are the foams still out for this?? can they still be gotten? if so, how can i et a set?

Sorry, we no longer have them available. Ebay would be the only place I know of…we haven’t made them for nearly 4 years.
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Your name:Rick
Electric kit referenced: associated 18B
Comments: I just recently purchased an associated 18b and a mamba 6800kv setup for it to be more competitive and am wondering if you can give me some starting points for it 1. what pinion gear to start with on the 60t spur gear 2. If you are familiar with the mamba any settings I need to change on the speed control for the best performance I will be running the car on carpet with foam tires. 3. I have read of people shimming the diffs in the car to make them run better and longer with the brushless setups is this a good Idea and is there a part # for the shims. Thank you for the help. I also have an 18R and have been so happy with it I bought the FT buggy

Sorry, you would be best asking Castle Creations what they suggest for the gearing and speed control settings. We don’t have that information on their product.

As for the shimming, yes, I would think that is good because of the power that the brushless puts out; you don’t want to keep stripping diff gears, so add 1 - maybe 2 - shims to bring the teeth in closer.
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Your name: Mike
Electric kit referenced: RC10 T
Comments: What would be the SPUR and PINION combo running the Stealth with Hydra Drive and 19T motor

You can start out with an 87 spur and a 16 pinion. **********************************
Your name: Sean
Electric kit referenced: 18R
Comments: Please put out a Factory Team 18R kit. There are still people in the hobby that like to build their vehicles and use their own equipment.

Thanks for the comments, Sean.
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Your name: T4 Fan
Electric kit referenced: RC10 T4
Comments: I am begging you, BEGGING YOU!! Please Associated build a stadium truck version of your T4!!!! All I want this year is a 4x4 T5 or T44!!!! I know you don't comment on stuff that is in the works but I have seen a LOT of requests here for this!

If you build it, we will buy it!!!

Thanks for the input, T4 Fan.
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Your name:george johnson
Electric kit referenced: TC4
Comments:My tc4 rolls freely. It never did this before until my kid started to roll it across the table. Is this normal? If not what should I do, what parts to replace? I have 2 TC4's and I love them the 2nd one does not do this. These are very fun and durable cars. Thanks for AE

Is the motor in the car that rolls freely?
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Your name: Scott Witt
Electric kit referenced: ReedyMini Mod 19t
Comments: Will this motor fit a Losi Slider?

Yes it looks like it will.
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Your name:brandon
Electric kit referenced:t4rs rtr
Comments:asked a question about pinion gear selection and left out some info. the motor is a reedy mvp stock motor that is new. my batteries are reedy vmx 4200 matched. my esc is a quantum 2.having trouble with getting speed up for the bigger jumps at our club track. running a 20 tooth pinion with 87 spur .

That’s hard to say. Make sure all your bearings are clean and free rolling. Discharge your battery down to .90 volts before you charge them up. Charge them at 5 amps. Cut the commutator on the motor and install new brushes. Then again you could clear the jump by simply changing your line through the corner before the jump. Do you do any of the above?
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Your name: Rodney Sherburne
Electric kit referenced: TC4
Comments: I've been working on my sons TC4 to get it ready for some drifting this summer and this is what I've come up with running a 5 cell pack.
LF-14.5 oz
RF-14.5 oz
LR-14.8 oz
RR-14.3 oz

Whats your thoughts or any suggestions? This has a front spool , rear ball diff, very soft springs , the heaviest front sway bar , cooling fan kit , a real good hand-wound 17x2 motor, ect.

Thanks for your time and reply ,

Rodney Sherburne

Rodney, sorry, I do not drift nor does anyone else here. I am sure if you go to www.rctech.net you can find a forum on drifting where you can get all your questions answered by other drifters.

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Your name: Sean Basford
Electric kit referenced: RC18B
Comments: What and how are the dirt shields used? These are part of the wing assembly.

They fit on the side of the body next to the cut out for the air intakes.
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Your name: Warren
Electric kit referenced: B44
Comments: i was wondering can the axle drive hex fit on the rear axles. Kyosho has a set of wheels that only use hex back and front. so i would like to know if they can fit on the rear axles as well thank you.

I don’t see why they couldn’t. I personally have not done this but by looking at the part numbers I believe you can.
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Your name:Michael Brody
Electric kit referenced: RC10 T4 rs

Comments: I broke my chassis and ordered on but i think i ordered the chassis for the rc10 B4 will i be able to use it on my t4?
Thanks. This week alone I've purchased the T4 B44 and rc10gt rtr love your stuff.

You can, but the wheelbase will be extremely short. The truck will not handle very well.

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