JohnP2

Hey guys,

I have an Exceed Forza I'm about to overhaul. I'm posting in this section as it shares the same OEM as the Tornado, and would like some advice.

Essentially my goal is to get the Forza locked and loaded so I can enter it in a race with 1/8 nitro buggies (I know it's a 1/10, but what will they say "You can't enter your Exceed Forza")? Ha! Note: I'm not looking to competively race with this buggy by any means. Our end-goal is toturn it into arace car.

I'm essentially going to put aluminum parts on everything available. I'm doing so as I know the Forza will fall apart after the first jump. I think the "aluminum hop-up" kit makes the most sense to start. However, any piece that I can upgrade and make stronger....I will.

My biggest concerns:

1. Engine. I'm looking to put a .21 race engine in this. My concern is the flywheel on the chassis and getting it started with a bump box. I've not tried the stock .18 flywheel on a .21 shaft. That would be ideal, but would also like to convert it to a 3-shoe.
2. Spur gears. I've stripped two of these (gear mesh was perfect). I'd like to upgrade to steel, but don't want to build a custom transmission if I can help it. Would like to just find the same sized gears in stronger material. Worst case scenario is I just put new spur gears on it before the race (knowing they'll probably get chewed up).

So....any of you guys with a lot of experience "hopping up" your Tornada (or Exceed), I'd love to hear any and all advice. Thanks!

nitrosportsandrunner

I know many have opted for the single speed trans out of the shockwave. The 2 speed isnt as needed with the added power, and the single speed is less parts and thus more durable.

Tboneracing.com makes a front/rear bumper set you will want for sure.

Biggest upgrade will be quality tires. Stockers wont last long and wont perform like good race wheels/tires. Probly have to look for some Rear racing wheels/tires from a 2wd race buggy to get something that will work good. 4wd 1/10 buggies are not really races, so you wont likely find direct fit upgrade wheels. And 2wd's usually have ball bearing front wheels. But their tires may fit the stock tornado wheels.

Id still forgo the alloy suspension arms. Id do the hubs/bulkhead/links and shock towers. IMO, alloy suspension arms belong on shelf queens.

I cant help much on the .21 swap as it is not something Ive done. Read about it a few times on the forums and seen vids but never seen one up close to say what parts were used.

I also hate bump boxes. Id just go with a pull start.

Im sure there are higher quality shocks that are the same length and would allow for better tuning.

A FAST servo will be needed. I mainly bash, so my MG996R servos which are cheap and strong do the job...but on the track they are a touch slow. My SC10 has a faster servo and its noticable difference on the track between my sc10 and ecx (which has the MG) the faster steering just helps.

Tires
Servo
Bumpers
Alloy hubs/towers
.21
Even just those bits will completely change the forza into a monster.

Dads like rc too

I'm with Nitrosports on the aluminum arms. I've tortured my Tornado and the control arms have never been a problem. My friends Volcano, my sons Caldera 10e have also never just broke arms. I promise you, you've never seen anyone put a Volcano S30 through what my friend has. It's his beater. He has a few other vehicles and just doesn't worry about if he breaks something on it. Now does this mean you won't break an arm while racing? Anything is possible, but I wouldn't worry about it too much, I'd be more concerned about the added weight of the aluminum arms.

Again when we're talking about racing we're concerned about setup as much as anything. I know you dove head first into this hobby like a few of us on here and are truly addicted. When it comes to your suspension, remember the size of your vehicle. It's on the small size so you don't need huge, heavy big bore shocks to get it dialed in. If your lucky, you can find some fatory shocks on eBay from a Losi 810 buggy. These are a huge upgrade compared to what came stock on your Forza. They have good travel and will tune nicely for your buggy. They don't use the same ball mount, they will mount to the stock shock towers with some machine screws.

The Shockwave tranny will bolt in, but your limited with it due to the fact there are no spur gear options. If your really going to make some magic with your Forza, the ability to tune your center drive will be a big factor. Since your pulling out all the stops with this one, I'd start at the center. do some research, find yourself a center drive from something that was designed to work with a .21 engine like your intending to install. I would start my build there and work from the inside out. The Losi .21 and center diff from the 810 buggy would probably be a great start for this project. It comes with the standard 2 piece clutch with the wrap around spring, but they have an optiona flywheel with the three piece clutch.

Remember all the little things that win races. I think you've said you've done some racing...right? So going with the flow is always safe, but sometimes going against the grain can yield great results as well. Remember the simple things like diff fluids. Don't just be happy tuning you diffs like everybody else. Your driving style might be different. Your torque might be different than some of the other guys at the track. You could be overlooking quick gains out of the corners if your not critical enough of your diffs and especially suspension travel.

For me, if your just playing around, any servo that works is good for me. But if your really trying to make this Forza have an edge, think about spending some money on digital servos. As far as the wheels go, I abandoned the buggy wheels on my Tornado and wound up putting bigger tires on it for better ground clearance, so I don't have much info for you on that. Keep us posted, post some picks as you go along. This is going to be a fun project.

JohnP2

Thanks guys. This is great feedback! I just orderd the TboneRacing bumper (got one for my D8T as well). Interesting about the a-arms, woudl have thought they are a must have...but this is why I reached out.

I will probably reach out again (via this thread) during the project.

BTW, I do have a Losi 810 (and it is my favorite in my fleet) I'll try the shocks from my 810 on it to see....and if they fit, looks like my beloved 810 will be getting some new shocks! ;-) Better than that, when they discountued the 810, I bought a slew of parts...so this will help with testing.
I've heard Jato shocks will work as well, but yes the 810 shocks will be a huge upgrade (although I'll want to decrease the oil wt on it).

With that said, the end-goal here is not to get a get dialed in with the Forza on the track, but to instead get it to a point where it can simply enter a race. I have no dreams of it coming close to competing with my Mugen, D8T, Losi 8ight 2.0 etc.

Regarding the engine, my only spare .21 is intended for bump start (which I now love, BTW)...plus there is no way I can fit a .21 with a pull-start on that chassis without serious modifications.

Anyway, I did get some aluminum steerling links I'll throw on. Next step is to take it out and see what breaks-after put a new tranmission on it (hopefully today). Thanks again

nitrosportsandrunner

yeh, there are very few models in which alloy suspension arms are an actually "upgrade"
9/10 times they only add looks!

The alloy hubs and shock towers make a big difference. Upgrade towers are twice as thick as the stockers. alloy hubs will allow use of all mounting points without risk of breakage.

I wouldnt bother with the CVDs either. Just cushion the stock dogbones with nitro fuel tubing or rubber O rings in the drive cups (specifically the diff cup)

Tires will be the biggest thing. Ive tried to race my tornado epx pro, but the front doesnt grab well enough at the local track. Lots of understeer.

Anywhere you can find play, use shims to remove if you can.

JohnP2

Thanks...so the fun continues...In putting on the new transmission and aluminum steering link on the Forza today, I noticed that the power switch is jacked. I am 100% confident it is the switch (as I performed a series of test and it is definitely the switch).

With that, the only part I could find is 16602 ONOFF. Do you know if this will fit the electronics cover? If not, I'll make it work....but if there is another partI should look for (as these seem generic for "Nitro" vehicles) I'd like to know.

Finally.....are there any (non-engine) parts NOT compatible between the Exceed Forza and RedCat Tornado?

Thanks!

JohnP2

Additionally, replacing the steering link on this thing is a beating! I hope all that work (took me 45 minutes) pays off on something I thought would take only five minutes. ;-(

This setup can be so frustrating to wrench on...but it's how I learned, so that is my base. ;-)

Dads like rc too

John, I'm not sure on the switch part number, but I've found that many models use that same cheap on/off switch. Just like the battery holder for the servos with that tiny cheap plug is almost the same on most lower end nitro models from different manufacturers. As far as the steering link goes, for me it's easier to just remove the complete steering assembly from the chassis and then work on it.

JohnP2

To follow up, 16602 ONOFF did the trick no problem. I got one off ebay for $5.00 (shipping included).

After I powered it up, noriced that I jacked my steering system up as I can turn it by hand. but it's not smooth enough for the servo to move. It's not the servo, so I did something to the steering assembly. Will take it apart and rebuild it soon. I need an exploded diagram of this car as I've bastertized so many screws/bolts/washers,etc it's time I true'd it up. Does anyone know where I can one onlne? I really just need to know what sized hardware goes where. Thanks!