i have four dNano and i take them all to battle at one time or another so anyone who does the same knows exactly how much maintenance is required to keep them race-ready. if you don’t, no worries, i’ll break it down for you. the process is actually very simple, we’ll start with step one:
STAGE 1: The Breakdown
1) remove all wheels and use a small brush to get the dust out. this is more cosmetic than anything but i can’t imagine dirt caked into your wheels can help increase performance. 2) remove rear of the chassis by disconnecting the body mount (attachment screws inside battery compartment). this way, you don’t have to remove your rear suspension plate for the process. note: if you have a damper installed, of course you’ll need to remove the containing plate from the spring/mount and separate the springs and damper discs. 3) remove the wheel hubs and ball differential and completely dismantle the diff. 4) remove the upper front suspension plate and loosen the tie rod to release the front knuckles. 5) dismantle the front knuckles, removing the ball bearings from their seats as well.
STAGE 2: Cleaning
maintenance primarily means cleaning the areas where dust likes to creep into moving parts which hampers performance. in a tiny car, these tiny intrusions can cause serious issues over time and slow lap times in the short run. 1) take all ball bearings including the four (4) in the front knuckles, one (1) in the motor case and two (2) in the ball differential (carefully remove the e-clip on the base ball bearing, i’ve lost a few of these when they bounced away while removing with a twezer), soak them in a chemical specifically meant for the purpose, i use Brak-leen (contains tetrachoroethylene) but this is a chemical brake cleaner and is normally only available for industrial use. its excellent for this purpose as it coats the surfaces of the bearings making them super smooth, extending life and improving performance. 2) check the wheel shafts and remove collected dust strings around the base of the shaft. this dust slows rotation and over time can damage ball bearings. once clean, drop them in the solution with the ball bearings. 3) clean front knuckle ball bearing seats with a tweezer and tissue to remove dust and dirt (especially if you use oil for your bearings!) 4) all parts of the damper & ball diff should now be wiped free of dirt, dust and oils. toss your pressure plates and ball races (diff balls) into the solution where your ball bearings and other rotating, metal parts are now getting treatment. shake the solution every 2-3 mins and let them soak for a total of about 10 minutes. 5) use a brush to clean dust from all parts of the chassis, tissue + tweezers to get at those tiny parts your brush won’t reach in and around the motor case
STAGE 3: Re-Construction
oils should only be used in 2 places on your dnano: the ball differential and the damper. oils attract dust/dirt and that never mixes with well with a high performance racing model. use oils sparingly, watch for external dirt collection and use a brush to remove what you can see as needed. 1) put the diff back together, using 1K wt oil (Kyosho) or 5k-10K+ wt oil (X-Power) on both sides of the spur gear covering the diff balls. 2) install the diff and wheel hubs, carefully tightening the right hub only close enough to touch the bearing, too tight and rotation may bind. 3) re-attach the rear of the chassis, re-oiling the contact sides of the damper plates with a viscosity thick enough to slow action, but not suspend it. 4) move on to re-building the front knuckles and complete your maintenance task with a complete rebuild of your chassis. if any of your screw seats are stripped due to over-tightening, pick up a set of X-Power screws, replacing them with the straight screws first and when/if these no longer hold, use the included tapered screws.
if you practice 3-5 days a week and race weekly, you’ll want to do this maintenance about once or twice a month – OR – you can move to Pattaya, join as a member at our club and we’ll handle the service for only 199THB ;-). just a quick note, Joom and I installed spoilers for Hugh and Calvin who has moved from an FXX into an all new, Scarlett Red Reventon. this weekend was a long weekend, so before the shop opened we welcomed visitors from Surin. one of them is a big r/c fan, saw NanoTrax online and was excited to get the chance to visit in person. i just came back from the gym and we had no staff, but they didn’t mind so we gave them a tour and Bun picked up a souvenir NanoTrax T-Shirt and photos to mark the occasion. maybe we’ll have more Thai visitors who love R/C visit us again soon? i truely hope so.
this week, we welcomed a new member – Ryan from the (USA). he’d found our shop online and needed a hobby to help him relax while here working in Thailand. this is his 2nd visit, and like many others, decided to support our efforts to maintain the best mini r/c racing facility in the world. unfortunately, he’s already on his way to another project in Southeast Asia but we’ll miss him and his excitement for the hobby dearly!
|
i’ve been busy with other little projects in addition to our custom body project(s), here’s just a quick list of what’s going on: 1 – Nissan Fairlady Z - i’d changed my Nissan over to 20′ size wheels because its shell has very low ground clearance and would snag on uneven tiles and drag during high speed cornering. resolving this problem meant sanding away the ‘skirt’ spoiler from the shell (i hate to do this cuz the body is absolutely beautiful! (DNX407MA) but its necessary for peak racing performance). X-Power sent some samples of their Foam Tire-Wheels over for testing but unlike other brands, theirs come installed on a black racing wheel already. for those who have raced dNano, you know occasionally the tires can get pulled off the wheels and strong adhesives aren’t ideal for use with dNano, so pre-glued foam tires is a major plus. the wheels can be re-used by removing the foam after extended wear and used with normal tires and that’s another bonus. performance-wise, the grip is outstanding! on the F2L Power Slide layout, there were no longer any ‘sliding’ issues as Soft (S) front and Very Soft (SS) rear combo had my Z on rails! these should be in stock sometime in late August. check the online shop for info on the most recently added items available for dNano including the new Optional Spoiler Kit for the Reventon Type Shell (see photo).
2 – Racing Stickers – X-Power recently sent some racing stickers over as well, they allow you to turn a plain, lifeless dNano shell into a decked out, racing livery. i needed a hobby knife to cut the stickers but the adhesive is strong enough to hold on slick, clear coat bodies. unfortunately, over handling can cause the print to rub off so its probably best to apply a clear coat if possible. while water decals will be thinner, these make creating a custom livery much easier. they provided a pack of 10 sheets, each with a different assortment and more than enough stickers to create a nice livery for 1 or 2 shells. these should be in stock by early august. 3 – eAsy Adjust Differentials - i’ve converted all my installed dNano diffs from their original shaft to the XP Easy Adjust Diff (if you already have a ball diff, use the conversion kit here). when racing on a low grip, endless curve layout, the diff has to be loose for efficient cornering. high grip, high speed layouts allow for tuning the diff to a tighter setup for better straight-line speed and acceleration. having 2 circuits with varying surfaces in the shop means a lot of work with diffs and the change has reduced the time it takes for tuning & maintenance. consider making that change if you’re like to ‘tinker’ a lot like i do. speaking of maintenance, i’ve got to do some for Hugh before he gets back from his vacation to Kon Kaen (North Thailand) so i’ll review my step-by-step process in my next post. see ya then!
the past few days, Joom and I have been working on our custom livery project. after extended discussion with several members, we all agreed that it would be really cool to have racing liveries for existing dNano since we haven’t seen anything new since XP’s release of the Reventon and Kyosho’s most recent release in February of the C6-R. with this in mind, i located Patto’s Place for decals, ordered a few sets and Joom skillfully installed the Brummel #8 livery on my Ferrari F40 (see gallery). it turned out pretty good but the auto scale models already have a clear coat which makes it difficult to install permanent decals. if we wanted to install decal sets on completed models, that would mean starting with a fresh, blank body or finding a way to strip the paints without damaging the plastic. since we’ve already got blank bodies for the 911 GT3, Gallardo and R8, we found a nice livery that matched a set of decals we picked up and went to work on our ‘from scratch’ project.
my task was to paint the base colors using an airbrush. this lays paint smooth, even and secure with no mess as long as masking is done properly. after the base colors, Joom‘s task was to install the decals. she’s a professional nail stylist so applying tiny stickers to small objects is already an easy job for her. while she installed decals, i built a spoiler and mount that would suit our needs for this project. Joom entered the final stage by attaching all the detailed light fixtures, our home-made spoiler and other model parts with acrylic. we both feel it turned out well for our first project but i almost wrecked it when i added a final clear coat and tried to wipe off the excess paint with a tissue. take my advice, paints and tissues don’t mix. we were able to save it but of course it wasn’t as pristine as we’d like it to be. i think we’ll keep this one but will probably add a ‘custom livery’ service to our online shop if we can perfect the process. have you done custom livery for your dNano? send a photo to qon@nanotrax.net and i’ll post it on a future blog update with your name and location included. i’ve got to do maintenance to prepare for upcoming races so i’ll share my technique in my next update.
every week is a small event for our small r/c racing club here in Pattaya but this weeks event was special as we honored our racing points champion, Olaf and loyalty award winners, Ian & Doug. Joom whipped up some spring rolls for the occasion and everyone appreciated the excuse to enjoy free draft beer but only after our first race of Season 3. since Robby is still visiting us, it wasn’t hard to guess who would prevail in this contest. he was clinical in practice and preparation and it showed as he sailed to victory, the closest competitor being me and i trailed by 15 laps! the wide lanes and multiple corners present opportunities to reduce lap times and provide passing lanes that kept the 30-minute final interesting despite the major gaps in the final lap totals. Olaf performed well with his R8 placing 3rd and Daam participated to grab 4th place. Ian wrecked his DBR9 but was able to best Hugh who placed 6th and Doug drove his Reventon, wrapping up the field in 7th place. the points race is now underway with six competition-packed months lying ahead of us to decide who will hold the awards at the end of Season 3. thanks to all members who participate throughout the season, local and abroad.. nanotrax is only special because of you!
Season 3, Round 1 @ F1R – July 4, 2010
Main A Final (30 Minutes, F1R-ZigZag, CCW)
1 -Robby / ENZO Ferrari (183 Laps | 9.87 Avg. Lap | 47/8.91 Fast Lap) +20pts
2 -Qon / Mazda 787b (166 Laps | 10.92 Avg. Lap | 93/8.90 Fast Lap)
3 -Olaf / Audi R8 (159 Laps | 11.4 Avg. Lap | 26/9.58 Fast Lap) +11pts
4 -Daam / Porsche Carrera GT (135 Laps | 13.34 Avg. Lap | 26/11.58 Fast Lap)
5 -Ian / Aston Martin Racing DBR9 (129 Laps | 14.01 Avg. Lap | 30/9.93 Fast Lap) +6pts
6 -Hugh / Mazda 787b (124 Laps | 14.61 Avg. Lap | 13/11.31 Fast Lap) +5pts
7 -Doug / Lamborghini Reventon (101 Laps | 18.5 Avg. Lap | 18/11.61 Fast Lap) +5pts
TQ = Robby / ENZO Ferrari – 8.86secs
we’re now coming to the end of the 6th month of this year, the end of the NanoTrax Drivers’ Championship Points (Season 2) and the beginning of Season 3 so that means, we’re due for a new layout on our main racing circuit, F1R. yesterday we spent several hours installing ‘Zig Zag’ (named by Joom! ;-)). Doug, Olaf and Dylan stopped by for their first test run in the evening, each trying to decide which is the best car to handle its new challenges. this past sunday, we held our final race of Season 2 in the lounge on F2L and it was an intense, 2 main race that ended with a win by ‘yours truly’ in the Ferrari F40. i finally was able to best Robby DV but it came on a circuit that is difficult to tune for. F2L’s tiles are hard and vary in texture causing inconsistent car handling which turned out to be an advantage for me and the local members. Olaf dropped into Main B along with Hugh, Doug & Dylan but was able to grab a spot in Main A by winning the Main B. Main A was feverish, high speed competition including myself, Robby, Ian, Vincent and Olaf. i’m sure everyone’s eyes were burning as there’s no time to blink when racing on a quick circuit with no straights. everyone was in a rush to bounce after the race, so no pics but here’s the report. be sure to check out pics of Olaf’s custom painted Aston Martin Racing DBR9 on the nanotrax forum.
Club Race Results for June 27, 2010 (Season 2, Week 26)
Main A Final (30 Mins):
1 – Q’on / Ferrari F40 (278 Laps)
2 – Robby / Ferrari F40 (276 Laps) +15pts
3 – Ian / Aston Martin Racing DBR9 (256 Laps) +11pts
4 – Olaf / Audi R8 (246 Laps) +8pts
5 – Vincent / Chevrolet Corvette C6-R (224 Laps) +6pts
Main B Final (20 Mins):
1 – Olaf / Audi R8 (175 Laps)
3 – Dylan / ENZO Ferrari (166 Laps) +5pts
2 – Hugh / Lamborghini Reventon (142 Laps) +5pts
4 – Doug / Lamborghini Gallardo (119 Laps) +5pts
— Top Qualifier = Q’on / Ferrari F40 (5.44secs)
NanoTrax DCP Standings
Olaf = 247 pts - Season 2 Champion!
Ian = 196 pts
Marlowe = 174 pts
Vincent = 166 pts
Dylan = 116 pts
Erwin = 50 pts
Marc = 36 pts
Robby = 35 pts
Hugh = 31 pts
Doug = 25 pts
Brian = 15 pts
Calvin = 11 pts
Boris = 5 pts
Tony = 5 pts
Johnny = 5 pts
yes, its been quiet around here and that reflects the general conditions of things in Pattaya at the moment. the economic slowdown, the strength of the Thai baht and the weakening of normally very strong currencies around the world has severely reduced traffic and sales @ nanotrax and many other local businesses. we’re lucky to see many of our regular customers returning and doing their best to support the shop. while things are a bit rough, we’ve done our best to cut costs while maintaining high quality service on and offline. a big thanks to our customers around the world who have reached out and continued to support our shop from thousands of miles away. because of that, we continue to bring you the latest in items that will hopefully enhance your experience with this hobby we all care so much about. we haven’t seen a new body for dNano since the Chevrolet Corvette C6-R was released in February and dNano fans have been longing for something new. X-Power has answered the call with a new, handmade shell designed to fit the (DNC502) Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Chassis. the Limited Edition Reventon Type Shell is now available @ our online shop. additionally, the new XP Screwdriver for dNano has been added to our long list of available parts and accessories. for those on a budget, this is definitely an interesting, economical option for working on your moving chassis.
racing still continues weekly @ 5pm (Sundays) and with Robby, Erwin and Vincent back in town, expect to see some high speed, heated competition on both circuits in the coming weeks. for race reports and other topics, visit our dNano forum. have questions or concerns? e-mail the webmaster!
on May 30, 2009 NanoTrax officially opened its doors and 1-year and many experiences later, our anniversary fell on the perfect sunday. Club racing on F2L, F1 Grand Prix coverage and a celebration was on the schedule. we decided to keep the party small inviting just members who happened to be in town. Joom made snacks and the draft beer was open but since most drivers’ skills go straight to hell after the 3rd glass of cold Heineken, everyone waited to take down the keg. Dahm joined us for the race with his newly acquired Porsche Carrera GT and newly painted wheels but unfortunately, practiced on F1R for the past few days and ended up in last place. Hugh keeps getting faster and found himself in a battle with Olaf for 4th place. Olaf had troubles with the DBR9, falling short of Marlowe in 3rd place. Ian found a good rhythm but couldn’t stay on top of my F40. as far as our anniversary, i feel blessed that we were able to survive in a turbulent economy and this is only one hurdle of many we’ll have to overcome. thanks to all those that have supported us and helped us make it this far. until next time, check the results + pics below and if you’re racing in your area, pick up everything you’ll need at our online shop.
Club Race Results for May 30, 2010 (Week 22)
Main A Final (30 Mins):
1– Q’on / Ferrari F40 (252 Laps)
2– Ian / Aston Martin Racing DBR9 (245 Laps) +15
3– Marlowe / McLaren F1 GTR (242 Laps) +11
4– Olaf / Aston Martin Racing DBR9 (228 Laps) +8
5– Hugh / Mazda 787b (225 Laps) +6
6– Dahm / Porsche Carrera GT (172 Laps)
— Top Qualifier = Q’on / Ferrari F40 (5.53secs)
NanoTrax DCP Standings
Olaf = 213 pts
Marlowe = 174 pts
Ian = 158 pts
Vincent = 134 pts
Dylan = 100 pts
Erwin = 44 pts
Marc = 30 pts
Hugh = 21 pts
Brian = 15 pts
Calvin = 11 pts
Doug = 10 pts
Boris = 5 pts
Tony = 5 pts
Johnny = 5 pts
there’s been very little interest in racing in the lounge for a long while… it took a while to figure it out, but as i pulled apart the layout and prepared to install the next, i finally saw it: with the same flooring as F1R, F2L was too similar in look and feel. it was like F1R’s little brother who just couldn’t live up to the feats of the elder. what it needed was its’ own ‘personality’. with this in mind, i decided to go ‘retro’ and installed the black tiles, giving it a unique surface. the black tiles have been in warm storage, and therefore have become very hard and smooth. this of course forces one to tune differently for optimal handling. at first, i couldn’t figure out what was happening when driving on the new layout but after installing a soft suspension setup on my F40, i could see that the sweeping curves forced it to ‘power slide’ its way around the circuit. i could hear the diff working hard and feel the ‘slide’ as it hit the tighter corners. this is exactly what F2L needed! Hugh, Tony, Boris & Dahm stopped by for a few practice races and were instantly excited about the new look and feel. 3 days of creating my latest masterpiece for the moment it could bring joy to those who appreciate it – that makes every drop of sweat & every second spent worth it = life is good.
