Merry Christmas from TLR

We wish all of you a Merry Christmas!

We plan on keeping the blog moving in 2012 with tech tips for all TLR vehicles. If there is something you would like to see on the blog send an email to teamlosiracing22@gmail.com.

Adjusting kick on the TLR 22 & 22T

By Dan "Dyno" Hissam-TLR Engineer

One of the unique features of the 22 and 22T is that you can adjust front kick. The 22 comes with 20 and 25 degree kick shims while the 22T comes with a complete 30 degree kick pivot. We envision many drivers trying more kick on their 22 with the release of the 22T's 30 degree front pivot. If you own a 22 and want to try 30 degree kick you will need the following part. When using the 30 degree pivot do not use the pivot shims included with the 22.

http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR1101

Here is a technical article with a great and simple conclusion at the end to help all of us understand how kick changes vehicle dynamics. Increasing kick on a 2wd platform (kick effects 4wd slightly different due to the front drive) will predominately place more weight on the rear of the vehicle. The increase angle relative to the horizontal also absorbs sharp edge bumps as the kick angle serves as an auxiliary suspension and allows the front wheels to move rearward thus shortening the wheelbase. Think of more kick as almost like a break-away front end. This is why more kick is always better in the bumps. There is one caveat though. More kick will induce a more active weight transfer. The reduction in wheelbase as the front suspension compresses will result in a more aggressive weight transfer over the front; it just takes more force to get the suspension to that point compared to less kick. You can visualize the front wheels sweeping backward and the frontend of the car protruding over the front wheels more so as kick angle increases, but as I said, it just take more force to get the front suspension to that point. Front kick can be thought of as “front anti-squat”, but there are some hidden phenomenon that can be challenging. 2wd cars have historically always had more kick over 4wd cars as they need more weight transfer to develop grip, and there no front brakes or massive front weight transfer that would play into the negatives of having more kick.

In conclusion, more kick yields more rear grip, absorbs sharp edge bumps more readily, but will transfer weight more aggressively if forces are available to compress the front suspension. Less kick transfers weight at a slower rate, sacrifices in the choppy bumps, but drives flatter around the track.

What aftermarket parts do I need for my 22?

We receive a lot of requests of what aftermarket parts do racers truly need for their TLR 22. Even though the TLR 22 is a great 2wd buggy out of the box there are some parts that our race team likes to use on their cars to improve performance and durability. Here is a list of the parts that our team drivers prefer to run and short reasons and details of why they choose to do so.

TLR1043- Front King Pin, Threaded, TiNitride (2). Most of the team prefer these because they improve the durability of the spindles.

TLR1058-Caster Block, 5 Degree. Nearly the whole team runs 25 degree kick with 5 degree caster blocks.

TLR1072-Front Pivot, Aluminum: The main reason the team likes to run the aluminum front pivot is the added weight on the front end. The alumin pivot adds 7 grams of weight over the stock plastic pivot providing a smoother off-power feel and increased on-power steering. If you are interested in adding even more weight to the front of your 22 the (TLR1049)25 degree brass kick shim adds 8.8 grams of weight and the (TLR1048) 20 degree brass kick shim adds 16grams of weight.

TLR1555, 1556, 1557- Aluminum Servo Horn. TLR offers three of the aluminum servo horns to support all of the different servo splines. The aluminum servo horn increases durability over the stock servo arms. TLR1555 is a 23 spline and supports Airtronics, Spektrum, and JR. TLR1556 is a 24 spline and supports HiTec servos and TLR1557 is a 25 spline and supports Futaba servos.
TLR2056 Rear Outer Threaded Hinge Pins. If you don't want any e-clips on your 22.
TLR2060-Rear Camber Block, Aluminum-TLR offers this for added durability. The aluminum camber block offers superior durability and adds 6 grams off weight to the rear of the car aiding forward traction.


TLR2931-Rear Hex, +.75mm Width, Aluminum: The .75mm hexes widen the rear track of the car a total of 1.5mm allowing for increased stability. Some of the team will run +1.5mm hexes (TLR2932) for a total increase of 3mm track width for further enhanced stability.

TLR2946 Diff Nut, Gen II. These are the new diff nuts that have the metal insert molded into the diff nut. This is a must and will ensure an excellent diff build.
http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR2946

TLR2947 Tungsten Carbide Thrust Balls, 2mm (6). The 22 is equipped with steel balls. Granted these balls work fine, the tungsten balls are much harder and add longevity to the differential.

TLR2951 Tugnsten Carbide Diff Balls, 3/32" (14). The 22 is equipped with steel balls. Granted these balls work fine, the tungsten balls are much harder and add longevity to the differential.

TLR2984 Toe Plate, 3 Degree, Low Roll Center, Aluminum. As you already know the 22 comes equipped with a 4 degree rear toe pivot. Most of the team runs the 3 degree pivot allowing the car to be freer without taking away too much rear grip.

TLR4150 Battery Tray, Aluminum. This is not a necessity but the aluminum battery tray does allow you to move the battery 10mm forward in the short pack battery screw location. The 10mm forward location is exactly where our team runs the shorty pack.

TLR5074 Low Friction Shock Shaft O-Rings (8). If you want ultra free shocks with very little o-ring stiction these o-rings work the best. The challenge though is that you will have some oil weepage from the bottom of the shock cartridge and shock rebuilds are more important.

TLR6074 Titanium Turnbuckles, 22. If you are looking to save additional weight check out the 22 Titanium turnbuckle kit as well as the titanium shock mount kit, TLR4166.
http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR6074
http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR4166

Now if you are a mid motor fan check out the Brass weight system for the 22. TLR 4151 is specially designed brass weight system for the mid motor 22, this aftermarket part offers a convenient weight system that is attached with screws to the top of the transmission. The added weight aids in forward traction on the mid motor 22. The main weight is 50 grams but can be increased to 58 grams and 62 grams with attachable sub weights. The sub weights are in increments of 4 and 6 grams and can be screwed to the side of the main block to add more weight. Laser etched for easy identification of weights and TLR branding.
http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR4151

New TLR 22 Setup from Frank Root.

We just added a new setup sheet for the TLR22 from our in-house driver, Frank Root. Frank has worked diligently on the setup and has found it to work on many of the tracks here in Southern California and in Arizona. Check it out on www.tlracing.com. It is the last setup listed on the TLR 22 setup page.

http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdId=TLR0022#prodSetups

70T spur gear for the TLR22 and other new parts....

Hello again, we recently announced and released a new spur gear for the 22. It is a 70 tooth spur gear for non-timing stock racing. The spur gear is made out of our popular kevlar gear material. Some racers may be concerned that the gears are now black. This was simply a color change only and the material has not been changed whatsoever. The part number for the new spur gear is TLR3978 and they are currently in stock.
http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR3978

Also we realized that many racers were frustrated to have to buy the complete 22 wing mount set in order to get the wing washers. Well we now offer a solution for this and sell the wing washers in a four pack. The part number is TLR8201.
http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR8201

One last item I would like to share with all the racers. Black body clips are now available as well.
The part number is TLR8202 and they are in stock.
http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR8202

High Roll Center Shims for the 22

Some racers may or may not know this but there are two different sets of anti-squat shims for the TLR 22 and 22T. The shims that come in the 22 and 22T are labeled as "22T". These are the shims for low roll center, and support all rear toe pivots that are labelled LRC. The part number for these shims is TLR2044. To support the high roll center rear toe blocks you will need the HRC shims. The part number for these shims is TLR 2045 and these shims support all HRC rear toe pivots. This includes part numbers TLR2979, 2980, 2981, & 2982.

Now you may ask yourself, "What's the difference in roll center height and how does it affect my vehicle?"

The difference between high and low roll center is 1mm. This means that the inner hinge pin is 1mm higher when using the HRC blocks and shims or vice versa.

We found on the 22 and the 22T that we prefer low roll center on the rear motor car while the team in the UK prefers high roll center (mid motor). One of the main changes going to a high roll center does to the car is it raises the roll center which ultimately makes the car roll less. A lower roll center allows the car to roll more. Another key factor that we must remind you is that with low roll center you are inducing more dogbone plunge into the out drive. More dogbone plunge creates more mechanical bind and gives the car more grip. With high roll center the car has less dogbone plunge resulting in less mechanical bind.

Hope this gives you some insight.

Good luck at the races,

Todd

TLR 22 SHOCK TIPS

Shocks are one of the most important components to a good handling car and they are also one of the most overlooked. The shocks hold the car up, help it through the bumps and jumps, and most of all help the car develop grip. We are going to walk you through some key points to pay close attention to so you will always have well tuned shocks. Then we will show you the steps of how the TLR team builds their racing shocks.

Shock O-rings:
TLR offers two sets of shock o-rings for the 22. There are three set-ups you can use with these two sets of shock o-rings.

OPTION 1

Gray o-rings come with the TLR 22. The gray o-rings are great for a racer that does not want to do much shock maintenance. The gray o-rings are bit larger in diameter allowing the o-ring to have more compression from the shock body and providing a tighter seal. You will notice more friction on the shock shaft with the gray o-rings.

OPTION 2

Option 2 is the black and gray o-ring setup and it's what most racers prefer. Here we are using one low friction black o-ring (TLR5074) and one standard gray o-ring (TLR5093). This increases the performance of your shock from the standard kit set-up by allowing the shock to have less o-ring stiction. You will notice the shock shaft stiction will be cut in half. This will help the car develop more grip and handle better through the bumps. You will have a small amount of oil leaking from the shock from time to time but this will stop once the shock o-rings swell from the silicone oil. When building your shocks with this option always put the gray o-ring in last to give you the best seal.

OPTION 3

Option three is the low friction black o-ring setup. This setup will provide the greatest performance with the least amount of shock o-ring stiction but will yield some oil leakage. When building your shocks with this option you will notice a small amount of friction on the shock shaft. With this set-up it is best to top off your shocks throughout the day of racing. This setup is what most of the TLR team uses on their 22’s.

SHOCK BUILDING TIPS

Now we are going to go over a couple of tips and things to look for when assembling your shocks together. This will assure that your shocks are at the highest performance level at all times.

TIP 1
Greasing the shock o-rings

When installing new shock o-rings it is always best to apply a small amount of Losi shock o-ring grease (LOSA99208) to the inside on the shock seals. This will improve a few things, help make the o-ring last longer and make your shock shafts much freer which improves performance on the track. Using the Losi shock o-ring grease will also prevent less leakage from the o-rings.

TIP 2
Removing the plastic flashing off the shock piston

Looking close you will see a small peice of flashing on the shock piston. This is where the piston was removed from the mold. This is completely normal for the piston to have this small piece of flashing on it but can be disastrous for your shock. Without removing the flashing, it will increase the friction the piston has within the shock body and decreases the performance of your shock. This is easily fixed by using 120 grit sandpaper and lightly sanding off the flashing.

TIP 3
Cutting out the bladders

We have found that the shocks perform better as an emulsion shock over the stock bladder compensated shock. We have found that the emulsion shock lands better, has a better balance, and increased grip. There are two easy ways to turn your stock bladder compensated shocks into emulsion shocks.

On the left is Option 1. This is the new shock cap o-ring included in LOSA5006.

On the right is Option 2, a standard shock bladder where the center has been cut out with a pair of scissors. By installing option 1 or 2 this will turn your bladder compensator shock into an emulsion shock. After doing this tip you will need to follow the directions to properly bleed an emulsion shock.

TIP 4
Bleeding an emulsion shock

Bleeding an emulsion shock is the last and most important step of building your shocks. You want to make sure that all four of the shocks are bled the same. Inconsistent shock pressures will hurt the track performance. Here is the best way we have found to assure all four shocks are bled the same.

First, have the shock shaft fully extended and fill the shock with oil to the top of the shock body. You don’t want the oil to spill over the top of the shock. You want a nice concave look to the oil once the shock is filled. Once you have the shock filled, push the shock shaft up and down a couple of times to remove any trapped air. At this point let the shock sit for a couple of minutes to ensure that all of the air bubbles float out of the oil.

After the shocks have sat for a couple of minutes pull the shock shaft completely down. Make sure the o-ring or cut bladder is installed into the shock cap and screw the shock cap onto the shock body. Only screw the shock cap on about ¾ of the way leaving about two threads showing.

At this point hold the shock at a 45 degree angle. It is very important to have the hole in the shock cap pointing up as this is where the excess oil will bleed from. Slowly push the shock shaft all the way in. There should be a fare amount of oil that bleeds out of the shock cap hole. If no oil comes out of the hole then you either did not have enough oil in the shock or the cap is too tight. Once the shock shaft is completely compressed into the shock body release the shaft. If it rebounds quickly, then the cap was too tight and you need loosen the cap and start over. After the oil bleeds out of the hole, tighten the cap down by hand and then move the shock shaft in and out quickly to pump the shock. Now lay the shock back over at a 45 degree angle with the hole in the cap facing up. With the shaft pushed in, open the cap up until you see some oil come out the bleed hole then tighten the cap back down with your shock tool. After these steps are completed the shock should move in and out smoothly and there should be little to no pressure in the shocks during full up travel while also having very little rebound pressure. There should be no more than 3 to 6mm of rebound in the shocks. If there is more rebound than 3 to 6mm then repeat the last step and bleed more oil out until all shocks are equally matched.




Once all the tips and tricks are completed you will find yourself with a set of high performance TLR 22 shocks ready to hit the track.

Shock Maintenance

Now that you have a set of performance shocks here is how the TLR team maintains their shocks.

Tip One:
The team likes to use the shock cap bottom that holds in the o-ring as an adjustment tool. When new o-rings are installed tighten the bottom shock cap all the way. As you run your car the o-rings will swell over time. After the 2nd day of running on new o-rings, loosen the shock cap bottom ¼ turn. This will relieve the pressure on the o-rings and decrease the stiction of your shock. The next time at the track loosen the bottom shock cap another 1/4 turn. This will put you at ½ turn out on the bottom cap. This is the maximum you want to loosen the shock cap bottom. Generally the top drivers run their shocks o-rings for three days before replacing them with new o-rings.

Tip Two:
When changing the oil in your shocks add a small amount of Losi shock o-ring grease to the shock shaft. When adding this grease make sure to work the grease into the o-rings by moving the shaft in and out quickly. Then wipe off the excess grease so dirt won't stick to your shocks. This will help keep the friction low and performance high.

Tip Three:
This is an important step that is over looked by most. Dirt is the worst thing for your shock o-rings and the shock shafts. Each time you come off the track clean your shocks with a soft brush. Make sure there is no dirt packed into the shock cup. Dirt that compacts into the shock cup allows the dirt to be forced into the shock cap bottom, under full compression, causing the o-rings to get dirty and abrasive. Cleaning your shocks each run with a soft brush will help your shocks stay better much longer and keep the performance high at all times.

Aigoin TQs and Wins Round 2 of French Nationals

The 3rd round of the French Nationals was held at Cogolin track in south of France. Team Losi Racing /nVision driver Yannick Aigoin and his TLR 8IGHT 2.0 Euro Spec Buggy would continue on the mission to keep his title after taking the TQ and overall win. With two rounds to go, the current champion Yannick is on the right track to reach his goal.

Memorial Day Shootout, Madera CA.

Over the weekend CVR in Madera CA. had their Annual Memorial Day Shootout! This track is known for it's sandy base and rough technical layouts. I ended up TQ in both buggy and truggy with my TLR 8ight 2.0's on Losi Green Blockheads on buggy and Losi Green Digits on truggy. It was a long day with three rounds of qualifying and mains that ran into the night. Just as the pro buggy A main started so did the rain! It started off with just a few sprinkles and then progressed into a lite steady rain, but the track with it's sandy base soaked it up. At the end I held on to the lead and cruised in for the victory with a little bit of a muddy car. Before the start of the truggy A main it started raining a little harder so I decided to pack up and save my truggy before I head to the Nats. All in all it was a very fun event and a good turn out and want to thank CVR and the track crew for putting on a great race!

Phillip Atondo

Nor-Cal Series Championship Rnd 2

Nor-Cal Series Rnd 2 was held at Delta R/C in Antioch CA. Track had an awesome layout of big air and fast wide lanes made for some great racing! I ended up qualifying 2nd in buggy and TQ in truggy. In buggy I used Red Eclipse and truggy I ran Green King Pins. My Novarossi powered TLR 8ights felt really good going into the mains. First up was truggy A Main and it started off great and led from start to finish with a lap on the field in the 25 min main. In buggy it started off ruff as I tried to go for the pass off the start and ended up in hay bails. I started to to find my lines and move through the pack, but Austin Blair the leader was way out front so I drove smooth and made my way into second as I closed into about 10 seconds of him until he had a flame out problem. I moved past and drove a smooth race and ended up with a 2 lap lead and about 2min to go I crashed over the big double and pulled out my front left turnbuckle from the ball cup and tried to stay out and limp it around the track to see if I could hold him off to the end, but the damage was done and he got by me on the last lap as I finished just 9 seconds behind with three wheels. It was a fun day of racing at Delta R/C with a good turn out and can't wait for the next round!

Phillip Atondo

One season ends, another begins...

Hey everyone! Just wanted to pass along an update from the Losi/TLR team here in Colorado. Since November of last year, we had a great program start in Northglenn, CO, running the Losi Mini-Sprints on an indoor carpet oval track. The Mini-Sprint was the perfect choice of cars because of the size and relative ease of operation. Many racers had not touched a radio in years, or never driven an R/C car, and by the end of the season everyone was challenging for A-Main spots.

More than 120 different racers came out over the 6 months of racing, many recognizable names in Colorado Motorsports. Track organizer Terry Plummer had the following to say after the last race of the season:

"The list of names participating included racers and race car enthusiasts from all different forms of full size racing. Racers and Champions from Midgets, Sprint Cars, Legends, Modifieds, Supermodifieds, Street stocks, Late Models, Fig 8's, Trucks, Mini-sprints, Go-carts, Quarter Midgets and so on. It was an excellent opportunity to get to know and to rub elbows with the best of the local talent. What a tremendous group of individuals! What terrific competition!"

So now we move outdoors, starting tomorrow at the 1st race of the Colorado State R/C Pro Series, back at Colorado Fast Track in Colorado Springs, CO - home of the 2010 ROAR Nationals. Both myself and TLR teammate Matt Chambers should be in attendance at most of the series races:

Race #1 CFT, Colorado Springs, CO - May 7

Race #2 Rat Raceway, Denver, CO - June 4th

Race #3 HobbyTown Longmont, CO - June 26th (Sunday)

Race #4 Thunder Valley, Morrison, CO - July 16

Race #5 Dirt Works, Burlington, CO - Aug 7

Race #6 Dusty Trails, Pueblo, CO - Sept 10

The first "big" race of our season goes down May 20th-22nd, at the annual Manufacturers Cup at Dirt Works in Burlington, CO, near the Kansas border. Dirt Works has become one of the premier tracks in Colorado, and the Manufacturers Cup is always on everyone’s calendar.

Feel free to stop by if you're in the area at any of these races - it's a great time of year to be racing in Colorado!

Rattlesnake Raceway

Hi everyone! We have had some great weather the last couple of weekends here in Nor Cal so we all headed out to Rattlesnake Raceway in Redding CA. This track is about 1hr and 45min north of my house. This track is always fun and challenging due to it's big jumps hard surface and lots of rocks showing witch is great for the chassis. I ended up TQ in both buggy and truggy. I set track track record for fast lap and overall qualifying time in both classes using Losi Green Blockheads in buggy along with the EU body and Losi green Digits in truggy. My TLR Novarossi powered 8ights were very easy to drive and lots of traction on this inconsistent surface. In the 20min mains I went on to a couple easy wins lapping the field. All in all the race was a lot of fun with great weather and a field with TLR 8ights as the majority! I look forward to the rest of the year and getting my track in shape for the season, E-STREET RC.

Phillip Atondo

COME JOIN THE FUN WITH TLR!!!

Come Join The Fun With TLR!!
TLR is proud to sponsor the 2011 winter series at OCRC Raceway. Robert Black always puts on great events for everyone so this was a perfect fit for TLR. TLR will be giving away two TLR 22’s, three XXX-SCT short course trucks and lots of door prizes. TLR would like to welcome everyone out to the series for some fun!!

Thanks,
Kevin Gahan
Team Manager

More domination on the rocks!

Across the country, TLR drivers are laying down some impressive scores on the rocks. Jake Wright and Mark Reel showed why they are the drivers to beat this year in the Socalrcrc series opener. Jake put his Xcelorin Powered Comp Crawler in 1st place with a score of -49. Mark Reel demolished the field in the 1.9 class, winning by nearly 50 points!

In Colorado, Jay Robinette showed why he is the reigning World Champion. He pulled off an incredible comeback win Event #4 of the Colorado Winter Series. Here's what Jay had to say after the win. "My Comp Crawler has been running very consistent that past four comps we've had here in Colorado. The Team has been working together on some crazy new set-ups for 2011 and it's starting out with great results! Last week in the 2.2 class I made the finals and was sitting in 4th place before the start. The finals course had 15 gates to be completed in 6 minutes with some of the nastiest climbs, side-hills and break-overs you could imagine. There was a 41 point difference between me and the leader and it came down to some precise driving in some very technical maneuver's to jump to the lead. After many knee shaking gates and major drop off's I managed to be the only driver to make all 15 gates. This put me into the lead and made up 41 points in just one run. My Comp Crawler with Boss Claws was very consistent and fun to drive on the super sticky rock all day."

TLR wins at Copperstate Crawloff

(photo credit Ryan Gerrish)


TLR driver Jake Wright claimed his first big win of the 2011 season with a dominating performance at the Coppersate Crawloff held over the weekend just outside of Phoenix, Arizona. Jake drove his Xcelorin powered Mini Rock Crawler Pro to victory in the 1.9 class over an extremely talented field of drivers including SDS Customs driver John Riplinger and Arizona's own Doug Toney.