Tamiya Durga DB01 EP Buggy (A cheaper 501X?)

[Metla]

Yeah, I expect the motor to suffer, Going to gear down just to get some more run time.

I'll probably drop the 28 back in for race day.

[4 been evil]

Just finished the New Zealand Offroad Nationals in Hawkes Bay with my Durga. Got 4th (out of 19)in 4wd stock (silver can motor) everything stock but for oneway and uj's. Was running 27 pinion. Top 3 where lazer's and another durga was 8th. So not a bad outing for first drive of car and offroad racing in 15 years.

[bender]

Good job

[jimmy]

Raced for the first time at Southport with the Durga today. it's one of the harshest tracks around for the buggies - I did about 2 corners in practice before one of my rear arms popped out and spat spacers and dogbones around the track.

On closer inspection both the rear balls on the inner rear hingepins were OK but both front balls were in bits - I guess these take the most punishment?

Anyway, I've never had this problem occur before - and with the harsh track I was convinced it would happen again. I replaced the balls in the suspension with more plastic ones - I didn't take my steel replacements with me, oops!

I also added thin metal shims until there was absolutely zero play in the arm (stopped it moving front to back at all). With the arm properly shimmed and the balls pushed firmly into the holders, I didn't have the same problem again.

The car suffered a little understeer so I knocked the front shocks in one hole on the shock tower to give me more mid-corner steering - and the car was pretty nice.
I didn't have a clean run all day but I qualified 8th in the A final but had to leave so didn't get a chance to run the final.

I was a bit cheesed about the arm popping out and it meant I missed practice, but I think if it's properly shimmed it's OK. At least I didn't lose the dogbone though - that' would have been game over!

[DCM]

I have had that once, only once, and it gouged the holder but not since, but I am putting the 3Racing ones on asap.

A couple of people had a go of mine today, and can't get their head around the cost for performance.

[jimmy]

I can't believe how knackered those balls got! Steel ones at the alloy holders would be a nice combo

[DCM]

not even looked at mine, do you slop some of that magical Anti-Wear grease in, it is miracle stuff.... Should be advertised on TV lol, by some dodgy sales guy

[Spoolio]

I had to shim the front arms a fair bit but the rears were OK. I can't recommend the 3racing alloy hingpin mounts enough (but them I run into a lot of track "furniture", literally, like er, marshalls chairs!). I let anybody have a go with my car and you are right, everyone has said how nice it is to drive, neutral, flat and forgiving etc. I even sold my spare kit to one of the converted and you can't get better than that.

[Toonz]

do anyone of you attach a heatsink to the motor on the durga?

what kind of heatsink can i fit in?

[Spoolio]

Originally Posted by Toonz

do anyone of you attach a heatsink to the motor on the durga?

what kind of heatsink can i fit in?

I don't run a heatsink but I did test-fit a 3racing one I had lying around. It had a fan on it and just fitted with the fan at 90 degrees to the chassis, between the motor and slipper spindle. Sorry I haven't got a photo as I gave the heatsink away the other night to a T/C racer.

[Toonz]

does the body shell touch the fins of the heatsink when it's fitted on the chassis?

i'm thinking of getting a yeahracing one...

http://www.rcmart.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=293_32&products_id=22427&pn ame=Yeah%20Racing%20(#YA-0130GM)%20540%20Motor%20Heat%20Sink%20(GM)

[Toonz]

my durga is rolling left and right as it enters and exit corners...

how do i reduce it?

will stabilizers help?

or change of shock positions?

i'm using DF03 shocks and my current front and rear shock tower and arm positions are as per manual.

front shock 2-hole 40wt oil, limit 3mm.
rear shock 3-hole 40wt, limit 10mm. (these dampers are damn long!)
(touring car pistons are used for my shocks, not the df03 ones)

any advice? thanks......

[jimmy]

Those df03 shocks sure are long. might be worth limiting the rear some more - hard to say without seeing it though.

Are you running CVD's or the dogbones? I'm told CVDs will help square the car up when coming out of the corner since they'll want to straighten out and level the car out.

hard to tell with your shock setup as I've not used it on the Durga, but you could perhaps try sticking the shocks out on the shock tower to stiffen things up a touch?

[bender]

I'm currently running mine with both the front and rear shocks mounted in the outside hole on the arms. This stops the car from rolling too much.

I am also using a roll bar on the back (I can't drive a 4wd without one )

[Toonz]

yes im using CVD and the rear shocks are limited to such that the drive shafts would not pop out of the outdrives when the car is lifted up.

ok will try to mount the rear top out...

what kind of impact does it have on the car when the rear shocks are mounted on the outer holes of the towers vs the inner holes?


i might get the roll bar too.....

[bender]

Moving the shocks to the inner holes on the tower makes the car feel smoother - you generally increase side bite (cornering grip) and decrease forward traction.

Outer holes in the tower is the opposite - forward traction increases but side bite decreases, and the car feels more "twitchy" or direct.

Moving the shocks on the tower is a relatively minor adjustemt compared to moving the shocks on the arm.

Moving the shocks out on the arm makes the suspension stiffer, which will reduce body-roll but can also reduce grip in low grip situations.

Moving the shocks in on the arm makes the suspension softer, which will increase body-roll - sometimes making the car roll too much, which can also reduce grip.

Normally when moving the shocks in or out on the arm you should do the same for the tower so that the shock angle stays the same, this way you can judge the difference more accurately.

[stefka]

Originally Posted by DCM

do you slop some of that magical Anti-Wear grease in, it is miracle stuff....

That´s a good question: Should I grease the hinge pin balls ? I´m a bit reluctant because this graese would turn into some kind of grinding compound when I´m running in Southern Germany Dust, wouldn´t it ?
Manual recommends some grease- I´m still not sure.
Will this be different when I put in the alloy braces (3racing) and fluorine coated balls ?

[jimmy]

I don't use grease - only on the end of the hinge pins themselves to stop the balls falling off.

[stefka]

That´s it ! I just re-read the manual- the grease should go on the hinge pins themselves, not on the balls.
That´s Tamiya- just read the manual, stupid !

Or get help from a source like this thread ! Excellent !

thanks a lot !

[DCM]

I grease me balls (oooeerrr) as it stops them wearing when they got the, erm, anti-wear grease on.

If you are running DF03 shocks, then you need to ditch the pistons that come with it for the TRF touring car pistons, 2 hole up front, 3 hole rear. The stock pistons don't give enough pack to the shock so it will end up pitching and rolling on the springs with no real control over it.

Hope that helps