Author
Team Associated’s revolutionary TC3 set the benchmark for touring car performance and quickly became the choice of winning racers all over the world. The TC3’s race-proven shaft-drive design captured many national and international championships in the past few years, and has spawned numerous imitations. Now the Team is proud to introduce the next generation RC10TC4 Touring Car… the refinement of the proven TC3 racing platform, optimized with more precise tuning features, better balance, and greater durability.
The TC4’s chassis has been designed with the batteries moved closer to the centerline of the car… a favorite TC3 modification of many Factory Team drivers. This “mass centralization” allows quicker directional transitions, and the narrower chassis provides more side-to-side roll clearance.
The inline motor mounting system features an all-new machined aluminum motor mount which not only provides greater motor stability, but also functions as an integral heat sink to draw heat away from today’s hotter modified motors. An optional “Factory Team” TC4 chassis forced air duct system will be offered to provide even greater airflow to the motor.
Up front, the TC4 features the double-decked impact-resistant plastic and lightweight foam bumper system adopted from the Nitro TC3. The shock towers have also been redesigned for greater strength, and now have four upper shock mounting hole options. The rear body mounts have also been relocated outward on the shock tower to give wider support to the body.
The drive train of the TC4 has received many refinements, including a new design 6061 T6 blue anodized aluminum drive shaft that fits in stronger, beefed-up composite drive cups. The included genuine Kimbrough 72-tooth spur gear mounts on a more secure, 3-bolt hub with 6 mounting positions to fit most any spur gear. The blue aluminum MIP CVD’s have also been upgraded from the previous-generation TC3, and are now thicker and 3 times stronger for maximum resistance to bending. The molded composite wheel hex drives now feature a “star drive” shape which allows more exact manufacturing tolerances, and a more precise fit with most standard touring car wheels. The TC4 comes standard with blue anodized aluminum threaded shock bodies, a feature previously included only on the Factory Team level kits.
The TC4’s all-new suspension components spent many months of development in Area 51, resulting in major improvements in adjustability, precision, and strength. The inner arm hinge pins are now larger-diameter, 40% stronger, and are captured in the arm mounts by pivot balls to provide consistently free, non-binding movement. This floating hinge pin system allowed us to develop an all-new anti-dive, anti-squat suspension adjustment shim system front and rear. The wheelbase is now adjustable .090” at the inboard suspension hinge pins, providing, total of .180 adjustment. Both the front and rear suspension links feature vertical ballstud adjustment for making precise changes in your chassis’ roll-center.
The steering system has also been optimized, and now features a new dual-bellcrank/rack configuration similar to the Nitro TC3. This ball-bearing supported system is less susceptible to capturing track debris that could bind up the rack’s movement, and also features an integral spring-loaded servo saver and Ackerman adjustments using the optional ballstud spacers.
Of course, the TC4 will be supported by a full line of “Factory Team” performance parts, including blue titanium turnbuckles, optional radial heatsinks, a forced air-duct system, and the entire range of graphite chassis components.
Source: RC10
Logged
