slappytheclown

well ive looked and i havent found any hop-ups for the TT-01 so far

so it seems as though the t-spec and the TT-01 are basically the same cars

Yomillio

Okay, here is the topic I made a little while ago... figured it would serve more of a use here

THE GREAT DRIFT FAQ THREAD!!!!

Okay, to make this thread I’m basically compiling info from many threads on this forum and my own knowledge. This is meant to answer most basic questions and serve as something to refer beginners to. I did my best to make this as complete and begginer friendly as possible.

INTRODUCTION TO DRIFT

So you’re interested in starting drifting, eh? Well, there are a few things you should know before you start. One common misconception is that only certain RC cars can drift. The fact of the matter is that all cars can drift; some are just easier than others. If you’re just getting into drifting, many people would suggest using a car with four wheel drive because it is easier to get sideways. Electric and nitro cars can be used for drifting, but for beginners to the hobby of radio-control electric is recommended. Electric is a fairly easy format to start with; it’s easier to work on and doesn’t require as much maintenance. With electrics, you will most likely want to run some sort of alternative tire like ABS plastic or PVC, but more on that later (see TIRES). But if you’ve worked with radio-control before, and you’re ready to take on the speed of nitro, go for it. Some people say nitro’s overheat (which obviously isn’t good for your engine), but some people also say that they don’t; the argument goes both ways. Chances are though, for regular drifting, your engine will be fine. With nitro, your car will be running fast enough to make decent drifts with rubber hard compound racing slick tires or specific rubber drifting tires, such as those from HPI. Always remember, though, that drifting is more dependant on driver skill than your equipment and hop-ups. Many people think that they can buy a car and put hop-up parts on it and start drifting with the best, but practice makes you better as you learn more about your car and how to get it where you want it.

MORE ON ELECTRIC VS. NITRO

There are a few more things that you should know before your decision on getting an electric or nitro car. When getting an electric car or motor, remember that faster (a lower-turn motor) isn’t better. Higher turn motors are always better than brushless and lower-turn motors. A good range is 17 turns and up.

Nitro is just as good as electric for drifting, just as mentioned before, nitro is more work. If you have used nitro before or are ready to take it on for the first time, it is much faster than many electrics and is a perfectly good choice for a drift car. The decision is yours!

TIRES

One of the biggest parts of a drift setup is having the right tires. To get good, consistent drifting when using electrics, many people use ABS or PVC tires made from 2-inch wide tubes of the material chosen (ABS or PVC) and cut them to the width of their wheel. Before you try to mount them, make sure you have four good wheel with no tires. To mount them, the most common way is to heat up your cut piece of material (using a hair dryer, hot water, putting them in the oven for a short time, etc. BE CAREFUL!) and slipping it over your wheel and letting the tire cool around the wheel. If your PVC or ABS isn’t fitting, you can even try freezing your wheel, further utilizing the power of expansion and compaction.

For nitro cars, most will be able to drift using rubber hard compound racing slick tires or specifically-made rubber drift tires. Not much to say about that!

MODIFICATIONS AND HOP-UPS

As said before, the driver is the most important part in drifting. You can’t expect to buy a car and a couple of hop-ups and be a drifting great. But when you’ve practiced and are getting somewhere in your drifting skill, hop-ups can be very beneficial. Some of the most common drifting upgrades are ball bearings, oil-filled shocks, aluminum drive shafts (for 4WD cars that use a drive shaft as opposed to a belt), and a heat sink for your electric motor. The possibilities are endless, however, and you should not limit yourself or feel that you “must� buy these upgrades. Also remember that in an electric car, you should have a 17-turn or up motor for the best drifting results.

SETUPS

The best way to find a good drifting setup is pure experimentation. However, there are a few setup tips that most people are using with their drifter. Most people find the best setup for their shocks is to have soft springs in the front and medium/stiff springs in the rear, although this may not be the best for everyone. Also, most drivers would agree that a lighter car is better and that if possible you should do your best to get the weight of your car 50/50 front to rear. As said, these setups may not be the best for your car and the best way to find out is by experimenting with different setups.

CARS

Once again, as stated above, any, and I repeat, ANY car can drift. One of the first cars ever to be setup specifically for drifting straight from the factory is the TT-01D. It comes with a few hop-up parts that are optimal for drift. The regular TT-01 works very well for drift, too. Just remember that ANY CAR CAN DRIFT.



Thank you for reading this post, and I hope that I was able to answer a few questions.

ROYjovero

I think I'm going to have to one-up your FAQ. LOL. Look for it within the next few hours...

ROYjovero

Scratch that idea. I don't have the patience. Haha. Maybe someday it'll be posted.

Yomillio

lol... I just tried to answer all the qustions noobs ask so we could just tell them "Look at the sticky!" and not waste our time giving advice when we dont have to.

ROYjovero

Roy Jovero’s RC Drifting FAQ

Introduction
Drifting is the driving art derived from Japanese touge (mountain) and European rally drivers. These drivers figured out that sometimes, pitching a car sideways enables one to get through a turn faster, and have a higher exit speed as opposed to the normal grip racing line.

That being said, today’s image of drift involves flashy RWD cars, insane amounts of tire smoke, and race circuits. Such can be seen thanks to events such as the D1 Grand Prix and Formula D. This form of drifting, where showmanship counts more than actually losing one’s pursuer, is the basis where RC drifting is originated.

The Cars
As said many times in RC Universe, ANY RC car can be used to drift, but hobby-grade 4WD cars are preferred, which applies to the rest of this FAQ from this point on.

Now you may be asking, “If real cars drift using a RWD drivetrain, what is the purpose of a 4WD RC drivetrain?� Simply put, RC cars have different dynamics as opposed to a full-scale car. As most all RC cars have most of their weight centralized toward the rear of the car, think of an MR-2, drifting a RWD chassis would be incredibly hard and require countless hours of suspension tuning, much like a 1:1 MR-2. 4WD RC cars take advantage of the power transferred to the front wheels to pull the car out of the corner.

Now that that’s taken care of, let’s discuss electric and nitro cars, their advantages and disadvantages, and the most popular cars.

Electric RC cars
Electric RC cars are the most common RC drift cars. Everyone will have their personal opinions as to why, but the most common reasons are less maintenance, and the ability to run almost anywhere.

As great as electrics are, there are some downsides, which will now be discussed. One of the greatest disadvantages of an electric chassis is the fact that, compared to nitro cars which will be discussed later, you will have to spend more money at one time. This is because, unless your kit already comes with them, you will need to buy an electronic speed control (ESC), batteries, and an appropriate battery charger. Also, electrics don’t have the capability to produce the sounds and smoke only a nitro can.

Before we move on to nitro cars, here is a list of some of the more popular electric cars.[*]Yokomo MR-4TC SD CM Drift Package[*]Yokomo MR-4TC SD CGM[*]Yokomo MR-4TC SSG/Black Special[*]Tamiya TT-01 (Along with the TT-01R and TT-01 Drift Spec)[*]Tamiya TL-01[*]Tamiya TA-04[*]Tamiya TA-05[*]Tamiya TA-03 (Japanese drifters regard the TA-03F as the ultimate RC drifting chassis. Tamiya has also released the TA-03F Pro Drift Spec)[*]HPI RS4 Pro 4[*]HPI Sprint[*]HPI Sprint 2[*]Team Associated TC3[*]Team Associated TC4[*]Team Losi XXX-S

Nitro RC cars
Nitro cars are known to be more powerful, louder, and messier than electric cars. This is because they run off nitromethane fuel. The cool thing about these cars is the fact that you’re using a real engine, which means smoke and an exhaust note. Another cool feature is the fact that nitro cars have nice aluminum lower decks. Also, unlike electrics, all you really have to buy on top of your kit is a glow plug igniter with charger and fuel.

The downsides of nitro cars are as follows. First and foremost, nitros are dirty. You’ll have to clean you car and chassis a lot more than electrics. Also, the sound may be unpleasant to neighbors, so you can’t run them anywhere you want. Lastly, fuel runs out. Meaning you have to buy more. And nitro fuel isn’t cheap at all.

Now that I’ve given a brief synopsis of nitro RC cars, let me provide a couple common nitro RC drift cars.
[*]HPI Nitro RS4 (Any version)[*]Team Associated Nitro TC3[*]Yokomo GT-4[*]Yokomo Nitro Drift

Shaft-drive VS. Belt-drive
This is primarily left to one’s opinion and preference. I personally like both drivetrains, but they act differently at times. Without going too far in depth, here are some of the key points regarding each drivetrain.

Shaft-drive[*]Instant power transmission[*]Smaller throttle dead zone[*]Exhibits torque-steer

Belt-drive[*]No torque-steer[*]Moderately quicker acceleration due to less rotational mass[*]Belts snap and rot, leading to the need to be replaced

Equipment Required To Run
I’ll make this as painless as possible and just make lists.

Electric cars[*]ESC[*]Motor[*]Batteries[*]Battery charger (Peak charger recommended)

Nitro cars[*]Engine[*]Glow plug[*]Glow plug igniter[*]Nitromethane fuel[*] Throttle servo

Both cars[*]Lexan body (190 or 200mm for electrics, 200mm for nitros)[*]Paint for body (MUST be formulated for lexan or polycarbonate or flaking will occur)[*]Radio gear (Transmitter, receiver, and crystals if applicable)[*]Steering servo[*]Tires (Which will be discussed next)

Tires, or Tyres
Nowadays, ABS pipe tires are the most common drift tires, and are easily attained from eBay. But when it comes down to it, there are basically three types of drift tires; plastic, rubber, and what I like to call ‘hybrids.’ Plastic tires are cheap, easily available, and last pretty damn long. Rubber tires are in the middle of the price range, allow for higher speeds, and have moderate life. Hybrid tires, depending on what kind, have low to medium life. But either way, they’re pricey. Here are some examples of each type of tire.

Plastic[*]2 inch inner diameter ABS pipe[*]2 inch innder diameter PE pipe (As far as I know, this isn’t available in the US)[*]2 inch inner diameter PVC pipe[*]35mm film canisters (For the micro crowd)

Rubber[*]Yokomo R-03 drift radials[*]Pit Shimizu/Dunlop drift radials[*]Kawada drift radials[*]Tamiya Drift Spec[*]HPI Stage D[*]HPI/Advan drift radials (I just bought a set, and I will post a detailed review in a couple weeks)

Hybrids[*]Yokomo Zero-One (Double-Ring)[*]Yokomo Zero-One R (Single-Ring)

Another option is to wrap your rubber tires with electric tape to reduce grip. While cost effective, this option is messy and has very low life.

Electric Motors
Electric cars are propelled by motors, not engines. With motors, remember this. TORQUE IS KEY!!! That being said, the recommended motors are 19 turn and up. Most people who run brushed motors use 27 degree stock motors. This is because torque is abundant. Here are a couple common brushed motors.
[*]Trinity P2K[*]Trinity P2K2[*]Trinity Revenge of the Monster[*]Epic Binary Stock[*]Tamiya Sport Tuned

Recently, there has been a newcomer in the electric motor world. This newcomer is the brushless motor. Brushless motors are constructed differently than brushed motors, and while I can get into the details between the two, it would take a lot of time. Perhaps I will save that for another FAQ. Brushless motors are known for having little to no maintenance requirements, loads of torque, and power to spare. Now for a couple common brushless motors.
[*]Novak SS4300 Super Stock[*]Novak SS5800 Super Sport[*]Novak Velociti 5.5R[*]Reedy Neo

Nitro engines
Nitro cars run off engines, duh. Since drifting means you’ll be running in the higher RPM ranges, careful tuning is needed. A rule of thumb is to get your engine tuned, then enrich the fuel mixute by ¼ to ½ a turn in order to keep engine temps down, which lengthens life in the long term. Any nitro engine will suffice for drifting applications.

ESC’s
Electric motors need an ESC in order to control power. You have to be careful though, as you can destroy your ESC by running a motor that is too ‘hot’ for your ESC. If you plan on only handling stock motors, pretty much any ESC will do. If you plan on running a 19 turn or lower motor, you will want to upgrade your ESC to something such as:
[*]Novak XRS[*]Novak Fusion[*]Novak GTS (I use this in my Yokomo BD)[*]LRP Quantum Sport (I used this in my Rayspeed SD)[*]Futaba MC230R

Brushless motors require special ESC’s as they are sensor-based motors. And some brushless ESC’s are able to run brushed motors. Here are some brushless ESC’s.
[*]Novak Super Sport[*]Novak GTB (Can run brushed motors)[*]LRP Sphere (Can run brushed motors)

Hop Up parts
Although these aren’t needed, some kits have parts that will reduce performance in due time. So it is highly recommended that a ball bearing set is installed, as well as a metal center shaft for the shaft-driven crowd. This will just give you more time on the track and less time repairing broken parts. There are also different differential options, such as one-ways and spools. Then with the Yokomo shaft cars, and some pro-level belt-driven cars, there is a center one-way option that mixes the control provided by a dual ball differential setup with the technical ease of a front one-way.

The TT-01 crowd swears by a bearing set, oil shocks, alloy center shaft, alloy motor mount, and adjustible arm set. While these ARE good items to get, they can, in no way, be responsible for personal driving time.

HPI also has the STAGE D line of parts and upgrades, which are unnecessary but nice. As with the TT-01 parts, Stage D parts cannot substitute actual practice.

Bodies, and basic detailing
While most people are going with bodies of RWD or 4WD cars, it really doesn't matter what car you choose. A lot of people seem to forgot that it's the combination of driver and car that does the drifting, not the body. So whether it's a 350Z or Civic, it really doesn't matter what body you use to drift. Just be happy with what you choose. The most common body manufacturers are:
[*]HPI[*]Tamiya[*]Yokomo[*]Pro-Line/Protoform[*]Frewer[*]Parma

A note on the Tamiya bodies. There are two different kinds of bodies, if you can really say that. There are the 'bagged' and 'boxed' bodies. Now you may be asking how they're different, and let me tell you. The boxed bodies have holes previously drilled for easy installation on MOST, and I repeat MOST, Tamiya cars. The holes, unfortunately, don't line up with the TA-04, TA-05, TB-series, and TRF-series cars. Now the bagged bodies are completely blank. No holes, no nothing, meaning they allow for clean installation on ANY 190mm chassis. Not saying that you can't do so with the boxed bodies, but you'll have a lot of unused holes if you used the boxed versions. So aside from the pre-drilled holes, both types of bodies are alike.

Painting and detailing
As much as I am able to write a tutorial on how to paint and detail a body, you just can't beat the presentation of a tutorial with pictures. So here is a link to HPI's tutorial, after which I will include my own personal tips.

http://hpiracing.com/bodies/body-tip.htm

Now I tend to trim the body BEFORE painting. I do this to prevent the headache of scratched paint. I then sand the edges, and rinse the body again. This method has always yielded the best results for me, and I am only posting it as a suggestion.

Wheels
When it comes down to it, ANY 1:10 scale wheel, regardless of width, will work for RC drifting. Wheels can come in all sorts of different offsets, so one will have to choose wisely when it comes to wheels. As a general rule of thumb, you should choose a wheel with 0-3mm of offset, so that the wheels don't stick out too far from the edge of the body. Another thing to note is that when running a 200mm body on an electric chassis, you'll need more offset to get the wheels to sit flush. But before I get too deep into offset wheels, let me list a couple wheel makers.
[*]HPI[*]Tamiya[*]Pro-Line[*]Yokomo[*]Hot Works[*]Speed Mind[*]Pit Shimizu[*]Kawada[*]Speed Way Pal

Yokomo, SWP, and Kawada have some HUGE offset wheels, meaning SUPER DEEP DISH! Think 8-12mm offset. Running these wheels usually meant using a 200mm body, but this is where Yokomo cars shine! They have recently released a short suspension arm kit, which allows the use for these huge offset wheels, and flush fitment. I have yet to get my hands on them, but be addured that I want them. Bad.

Setup Advice
Finally, the last section for now. Setup is the next most important thing to driver practice. As I don’t have much nitro drifting experience, I can only give a basic electric setup that works fine for most people.
[*]Soft suspension (Light shock oil, soft springs, etc.)[*]Zero camber on all four corners for plastic tires, and about 2 degrees of negative camber for rubber,hybrid and tape-wrapped tires[*]2 degrees rear toe-in[*]Zero or 1 degree front toe-out[*]Tight, or locked, rear differential[*]Tight, but slightly looser than rear, front differential for the ball differential crowd

From this basic setup, you can tweak your own car to suit your style. I personally started from this exact setup, and I have tested out a couple suspension geometry theories, and suspension stiffnesses. Now all of my cars run the so-called '90-degree theory' and a 'soft stand-up shock' setup. It works awesome for me, and my friends who have driven my cars seem to love it, but it might not be best for others, so I didn't post it.

That’s all I have for now. If I have left anything out, please let me know and I will continue to add to this FAQ. I did this all in hope of reducing RC Universe’s repeat threads, because, quite frankly, it’s gotten more than annoying. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I how you all find something to help you.

darklight

can a rwd drift?

dorifto

hey u all talk about the tt-o1s and all but have ne of use ever used a team losi xxx-s rtr?/ i use 1 for drifting and its grate! its rtr out of the box and all u ahve to do is put sum drift tyres on it and its perfect...im not saying that the tt-o1 and other drift cars arnt good but everybody always talks about them and everybody uses the same drift cars so its good to be differant everyonce and a while lol

dorifto

hey to have softer suspension do u move the suspension towards the middle of the car of towar=ds the wheeels?

tyler_drift

i just wanna know, what is the stock motor of tamiya tt01? is that posible to use in drifting too? cuz i notice, the torque of stock motor is not enough for that, "thats why im asking, i dont have any idea"

tyler_drift

tnx a lot guys, you answered some of my questions about drifting,... one more thing, should i need to change my esc when i use the 19turn motor?

Alex A

what about a TL-01 its what am getting but its from readyracers but its still a TL-01

Kiwidrift

I just got my first drift machine today, a TT 01 with the following -
-aluminum propeller shaft
-full ballbearing set
-upgraded engine to SUPER STOCK
-s4 RX7 shell painted red
-3x sets of wheels
-Tamiya ESC/reciever
I'm also considering the following-
-motor heat sink
-alloy motor mount
-adjustable upper arms
-adjustable turnbukles
-oil filled dampers
-toe in rear uprights
Can anyone recomend good brands an let me know what if any of these hop ups are necessary/desirable?
I am an engineer with my own shop so will be mahing my own PVC tyres, are the any other mods which will improve performance
that can be "home made" by a technically minded enthusiast?
If anyone has suggestions on how I go about learning the art of the drift, are there certain things I need to master first or should I just drop the hammer and thrash it untill things start making sense?
Any other drifters out there from New Zealand?

Tulok

what about batterys, dont ignore this, this is crucial right!

josserman

how about servos?

Fr33ze

Thank you sooo much HPIRS4-3SS, Yomillio, ROYjovero and all the rest for your valuable input!

The only thing that we need now is a bright, flashing banner to highlight this FAQ so the noobs can see it, lol!

Oh, and locking the FAQ is a must, you dont need ppl posting in a FAQ, if their question wanst answered in the FAQ, then they can start there own thread...

GREAT JOB GUYS!!!!!

I cant wait till the other forums follow suit.

Ghack

thanks for the info,im just getting started.i may be in the country where drifting originated but if you are a foreigner in this land,man,you would really be just lost in everything.ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!!!!!

corkit08

i bought a traxxas 4tec nitro like 4days ago its 4wd and has 3 drive belts is there a way to put a drive shaft in to replace the drive belts... and i still dont understand how to get the pvc on to the tires i bought

skidMarkNZ

yeah i have a dvd where some guys from here went in some drift cars up japan mountains , blimin awesome, please don't kill me for posting in a faq LOL

i'm getting into drifiting soon but my rc monster truck seems to be costing so much i can't put anything towards saving for one lol i was looking at kyosho fw-05t seems like it could be a good drift car with the .28 motor

hypeboy

which is easyest to drift with electric or nitro

RC-Drift UK

Electric - charge, plug in, drive = no brainer

Kev

HUSKERS828

what about what kind of car like brand?????

haydenspelman

If anyone wants help with TT-01 cars message on my TT-01 discussion post
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6810654/tm.htm

bigairlife

TT-01's are great drifters. One of my friend used to have one and had alot offun with it, although he wasn't very good at drifting lol jk

zbot

the Tt-01R is more money than the regular Tt-01 and if ur somewhat of a noob like i am you shouldnt get the Tt-01R. When you first get your car youl crash it alot and thinngs will break. If u wana drift get some A.B.S plastic piping and put it on your stock rims. P.V.C works fine also... the stock motor in the Tt-01 is 27 turns so it will work fine for drifting. Once you get better at drifting a good upgrade would be an aluminum drive shaft and a Tamiya Sport tuned motor. It has advanced timing and its better than the stock motor. you can find these upgrades on ebay. they got thousands of them on ther. i sugest you read up on these threads to ... (slappy the clown)