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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-Tto the Mini-Z?there?s a long list of hop-ups, option parts and aftermarket goodies readyto transform and improve your rig?s looks, handling, speed and acceleration. Here, wehave taken four popular rides to the RC Car Action garage. Check out what we?ve donewith DuraTrax?s Vendetta, Kyosho?s AWD Mini-Z, Team Losi?s Mini LST and XRAY?sM18.

DuraTrax VendettaChassisDuraTrax (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

SuspensionDuraTrax (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, $22DuraTrax>> 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

DrivetrainDuraTrax>> Aluminum wheel hex?DTXC9902, $15>> Graphite center driveshaft?DTXC7482, $15>> Graphite diff case?DTXC7443, $10

ElectronicsDuraTrax>> 19-tooth pinion gear?DTXC8348, $5>> Aluminum motor heat sink?DTXC8279, $5>> NiMH 7.2V 1200 flat pack?DTXC2194, $17>> VR3 motor?DTXC3309, $15Futaba>> AM receiver?R152JE, $35

Body, wheels & tiresDuraTrax>> Clear body with decals?DTXC6507, $15>> Square Block tires (4)?DTXC9663, $7/pair>> Yellow wheels (4)?DTXC9887, $5/pair>> Yellow wing?DTXC9776, $7

Build NotesIf the graphite driveshaft doesn?t perfectly fit the front diff?s pinion gear, carefully fileaway 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 asmooth 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 tightturns.

Drive TimeThe stock Vendetta is a lot of fun and is even a capable racer in out-of-the-box trim, so


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Kyosho?s trick-looking translucent blueskeleton chassis is a little lighter than thestock chassis. The PN Racing motorheat-sink cover improves motor cooling, andit looks good. A Kyosho X-Speed AWD Vmotor provides plenty of scoot, and the PNRacing aluminum 15-tooth pinion is smoothand durable.

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 aheifer, I also added in some lightweight graphite parts. My project Vendetta is a bitheavier overall, but it?s significantly stronger, and its performance is much better. Theswaybars 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 upfor the solid ounce gained because of the beefy aluminum parts. In fact, myrace-prepped Vendetta now has more power than I need for tight indoor racing. Mymodified Vendetta accelerates strong, rips down the straight and is still just as easy todrive?albeit much faster?as it was with stock gear. The stock shocks worked fine, andthe aluminum shocks, as expected, work even better.?Matt Higgins

Kyosho AWD Mini-Z

ChassisKyosho >> SP skeleton chassis set?item no. MDF001CB,$23>> Titanium screw set?MDW019, $23PN Racing (aluminum)>> Motor heat-sink cover?MA0111BL, $20>> Pro front upper cover?MA0104BL, $20>> Pro rear upper cover?MA0105BL, $20

SuspensionKyosho>> Aluminum rear-toe control rod?MDW015, $13>> Suspension spring set?MDW004, $13>> Setting tie-rod set?MDW003, $9PN Racing (aluminum)>> 2.0 camber knuckle?MA0106-20B, $19>> 0.5 camber knuckle?MA0106-05B, $19


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The PN Racing machined-aluminum uppercover is strong and rigid, and it?s only 1gram heavier than the stock plastic piece. AKyosho front one-way diff allows the frontwheels to freewheel off power and improvessteering as you enter and exit corners.

Kyosho?s aluminum R34 6-spoke wheelslook awesome, and 20-shore radial tiresprovide the hookup. Check out the aluminumbrake rotors?sweet!

The PN Racing machined-aluminum steeringknuckles have Teflon sleeves over thekingpins for smooth pivoting action andprovide 0.05 degree of negative camber.Kyosho?s stiff yellow springs and setting tierod set complete the suspension mods.

DrivetrainKyosho>> 64-titanium center shaft & piniongear?MDW006, $8>> Ball-bearing set?MDW001, $39>> Front one-way unit?MDW017, $48PN Racing>> Aluminum hard-coated pinion gearset?MA0118, $14

ElectronicsKyosho >> Mini-Z X-Speed V motor?MDW002, $18>> Speed Power 900 Mini-Z cells (4)?71995,$20/4-pack

Body wheels & tiresKyosho>> Aluminum wheel set R34 6-spokesilver?MDH200S, $30>> Brake disc rotor?MDF002TA, $5>> Radial tire no. 20 set?MZW28-20, $9

Build notesInstalling Kyosho?s translucent skeleton chassis onthe AWD Mini-Z requires a complete vehicleteardown. The skeleton chassis comes withinstructions, but keep the original instructions thatcame with the car nearby; they?ll come in handyduring reassembly.

The skeleton chassis includes all the bits andpieces you need to completely replace the stockchassis, but I did not use the servo gear plates; Ijust pulled the entire servo and potentiometer outof the old chassis as a single unit (with the gearplates intact) and transplanted it onto the skeletonchassis. This simplifies the conversion greatlybecause you don?t have to take apart andreassemble the servo. I installed Kyosho ballbearings and a titanium center shaft while I hadthe car apart.

The PN Racing aluminum front and rear uppercovers, camber knuckles and motor-heat-sinkcover bolt right on without any fuss, thanks to the precise machining. Just be sure youdon?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 TimeThe Kyosho X-Speed motor and Speed Power batteries boost speed and run timetremendously. I?m sure the ball bearings and lightweight titanium center shaftcontribute as well. At first, the car felt almost too fast for the small RCP track systemthat I have set up in my garage, but the more I practiced, the more I becameaccustomed to the extra speed.The one-way front diff provides a major boost in on-power steering. The car holds atighter line in the corners, and the one-way provides rear-wheel braking only; thatmakes it possible to swing the car?s rear end around by tapping on the brakes beforeyou enter the turn to negotiate tight corners?and drifting. Getting used to the one-waytook 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 thatindicates that it?s doing a good job of pulling heat from the motor. The car seems toreact more quickly to steering inputs, and that is the product of many things, but I thinkthe smooth pivoting action of the camber knuckles is the main contributor. The 20-shoreradial tires grip very well?so well, in fact, that the car traction rolls if I enter a cornerwith too much speed. Like any race vehicle, the AWD Mini-Z can be tuned to suitdifferent tracks and driving styles. The equipment and tuning accessories that I usedhelped dial in my car, and it feels good enough to race. I added the Kyosho aluminumrims mainly for looks, but the extra weight on the tires makes the car feel a little morestable.?George M. Gonzalez

Team Losi Mini LST

ChassisHot 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

SuspensionDynamite >> Front/rear shock tower (2)?DYN8254B, $37 eachHot 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, $17Lunsford >> Titanium turnbuckle & ball-stud kit?2140, $44

DrivetrainHot Racing (aluminum)>> 55T spur gear?MLT4855, $9>> Heat-sink motor mount?MLT1806, $14MIP>> 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

ElectronicsDynamite >> 1900 mAh 7.4V Li-poly pack?DYN1421, $50Team Losi >> Insane 370 motor (2)?LOSB0837, $31 each

Body wheels & tiresTeam Losi>> Clear Mini LST body?LOSB1310, $12>> Mini-Kingpin tires w/foam (4)?LOSB0982, $11/pair>> White dish wheels (4)?LOSB0977, $5/pair

Build notesThe 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 arethicker than the stock pieces they replace, and the motor heat sink has large coolingfins that make removing the stock clear-plastic gear cover impossible without somedisassembly. When these two aftermarket components are installed, you will not beable to bolt the gear cover to the motor mount. Cut the mounting ears from the gearcover; 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 theHot Racing allow spur gear as I did, set the gear mesh a little on the loose side toprovide 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 byover-discharging it. Stop running the vehicle the moment you notice a decrease inpower. As a precaution, install a voltage-cutoff device that will cut the power to themotor when the pack reaches 3 volts per cell.

Drive TimeThe Losi Insane Acceleration 370 mod motors and the Dynamite 1900mAh Li-poly packgreatly improve acceleration and top speed. I get longer run times, too. The Dynamitepack has nearly twice the capacity of a typical NiMH pack; its power remains consistentthroughout the run, and its punch doesn?t fade as the battery dumps. The chassishandles the extra power very well. The Losi Kingpin tires provide great traction on avariety of dirt surfaces, and the MIP center ball diff distributes the power to the frontand rear wheels evenly; the stock center-gear diff used to unload most of the power tothe front wheels during acceleration. The truck feels more planted in the corners, and Isuspect that is the result of replacing the front and rear gear diffs with MIP ball diffs aswell. The Hot Racing aluminum components are bulletproof, and that gives me the confidenceto drive the truck completely strapped. I like that the upper arms have turnbuckles thatallow camber adjustment, and the revised rear uprights eliminate need for the rear toelinks that can pop off the ball studs. Speaking of ball studs, the Lunsford titaniumturnbuckles, ball studs and ball cups that I used to replace the stock steering links allowfront 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 springsare perfect for off-road action.?George M. Gonzalez


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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.

Height-adjustable Atomic shocks and springsmake setup changes a breeze, and theblue-alloy XRAY universals get all the power

XRAY M18

ChassisMotek >> Panther 140 Pro chassis kit/orange?$55

SuspensionAtomic >> Short spring set?XR045, $10 >> Threaded shock set?XR61, $8Team 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

DrivetrainAcer Racing >> Ceramic nitride pro series bearings?M18, $85Team XRAY>> 42T spur gear?385742, $6>> Aluminum universal shafts (2)?385201, $30each>> Composite adjustable ball diff (2)?85002, $20each>> Composite pinion set (13-16)?385701, $11


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to sticky HPI foams. XRAY?s alloy knuckleslook cool and add serious durability.

The powerful (15A constant and 20A bursts) MaxAmps 1100mAh Li-po sits securely in its Lexan tray; note the included balancing plug.

Because of all the insanely small electronics,I was able to lay everything flat on the140mm chassis to get a very low center ofgravity, and that makes the car handle likeit?s on rails.

ElectronicsGWS >> Pico 4RPII 75MHz FM receiver & micro crystal?GW/R4PII75/F, $30JR Racing >> 241MG sub-microservo?JRPS241MG, $40MaxAmps >> 1100mAh 2S 7.4V Li-poly?$25Tekin >> Mini Rage Performance Brushless System 5.4kV?TT1101, $150

Body, wheels & tiresPro-Line >> Stratus 3.0?1484-00, $15HPI >> Pro Foam tires w/black dish rimsFirm 14mm?4163, $9Medium 17mm?4167, $9

Build notesMake sure that the gearboxes are fully seated inthe chassis; if they aren?t, open the positioningholes slightly until they sit nice and flat. This willensure that the gearboxes are perfectly alignedand won?t shift on impact.

To help break in the seals and ensure that the lube has worked into the Acer ceramic bearings, I 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 whenused 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 surethey would remain pristine, so I lightly sanded all of the edges and sealed them withtwo coats of CA. I also did the ends of the included carbon driveshaft. To show thechassis 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 TimeWith the first pull of the trigger, I knew I built something serious! The Tekin 5.4kVmotor 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. Thebrushless motor and free drivetrain (thanks Acer!) produce very low drag; the car rollsso easily that I had to add drag-brake to the speed control to keep up with it! The stiffMotek 140mm chassis with the Atomic shocks and springs made for a very responsiveM18?but not too responsive, thanks to the medium-speed JR servo. The GWS receiverimpressed me; I was told that they are widely used in battle robots (I bought mine atBaneBots.com). I can see why; I never had a single glitch! Even with high traction andtons of power, the MaxAmp Li-po always cranked out the juice?and it continued to do sofor 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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