Need Help/Have some questions re: my vintage RC10T resto

[Group B]

Hello all,

I'm new to this site, am currently restoring a vintage RC10T I recently purchased from an old friend, and would greatly appreciate some assistance with a few questions.

Thanks in advance as I haven't been involved with R/C since 1992, and sooo much has changed since then.

Note: The RC10T will be made into a (hopefully nice-looking) runner!

1) I have an aluminum steering bellcrank from my old RC10 Team Car, and since the Team Car is in pieces right now (and not going back together anytime soon), can I/should I use it as part of my RC10T resto? What modifications, if any, are required to retrofit it? Is it worth it? FYI the RC10T came with a stock servo saver bellcrank system.

Here's (somebody else's) picture of the bellcrank I have from my old Team Car:



What (if any) other steering components should be used instead of the stock 10T one or the aluminum aftermarket bellcrank from the Team Car?

2) The 10T came with the same turnbuckles as those in this picture (of someone else's car):



Are these turnbuckles Titanium?

3) Will a Lunsford titanium turnbuckle & hinge pin set for a RC10GT/T2 fit my RC10T?

4) The 10T came with dogbones, and I will replace them with universals or CVDs. What are the pros and cons of each?

5) Would a Lunsford titanium screw set for a RC10GT be of much use on my 10T? I'm trying to replace as many of the stock screws as possible.

6) Will a front or rear shock towers from a T2 fit my 10T?

Thanks again,

David

[scr8p]

1) you could use the buggy bellcrank on the truck with any real mods. if you notice on the nose plate, there 2 sets of holes to attach it to the chassis tub. use the rear holes to attach to the chassis as normal, and attach the bellcrank to the front holes.

or, get one of these...... http://cgi.ebay.com/COMPOSITE-RC-10T-STEERING-BELLCRANK-W-BEARINGS-19170_W0QQitemZ170253745315QQihZ007QQcategoryZ34061QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

2) yes

3) it should

4) cvd's are much more efficient. and if you ball end pops off, theres no dogbone to fly out.

5) i don't how much of a gt screw kit would complete 10t. you probably get pretty much of it done. never tried it myself.

6) the front tower will work, but not the rear.

[Group B]

4) cvd's are much more efficient. and if you ball end pops off, theres no dogbone to fly out.

I'm definitely removing the dogbones, just not sure whether to go with CVDs or Universals. I never had to rebuild/replace the universals on my RC10 Team Car, or the RC10 Graphite before that.

Is one more durable than the other?

Does one require more maintenance than the other?

Thanks again,

David

(PS I searched first!)

[scr8p]

you can go with either one..... cvd's or universals. cvd's just give you the ability to rebuild them if/when they wear out. universal wear out, ya just toss them in the trash.

from personal experience i have never bent a cvd dogbone. but i've bent quite few asc universal. if you want the cvd to last longer, maintenance should be done on them every one in awhile. it's nothing more than loosening a set screw, and removing a pin. once the axle is off the bone, there is a little collar that slides inside the end of the axle. that's what helps it pivot. slide the collar out of the axle, clean all of the parts, put a little bit of grease on the collar, and then just put it together the opposite of how you took it apart. making sure to use thread lock on the set screw so it doesn't loosen up and fall apart.

[justinspeed79]

#3 is a definite yes.

#5 Most of the screws would work, but there are a few GT specific screwws that would not be used, and you may end up a few screws short of a complete 10T kit. If you got two GT kits you would definitely have all the screws for the 10T, and a whole bunch of extras.

Scr8p, it's funny you say that about the universals. I have bent and broken many CVD bones, but never had an Associated universal fail. I have had AE universals get "warped" from torsion, but never had one actually fail. In fairness, I have used CVD's a lot more than AE universals. That being said, I would recommend CVD's now, just because they are readily available, and can be rebuilt once or twice.

[scr8p]

in fairness to the universals, the ones i bent were during hard wrecks. not just from normal racing of the car. it just seemed that once i switched to the cvd's, i never had the issue again. now remember, i raced dirt oval. so, the stress on drivetrain components isn't as harsh as it is running offroad.

[justinspeed79]

BTW, if you do decide to go with CVD's, I recommend getting T4 CVD's. The bones are slightly longer than the standard 10T/T2/GT bones, and recess into the outdrives alittle better. That will allow you to run more suspension travel without having to worry about the bones popping out of the outdrives. The T4 axles are also a little longer, so you will also need the T4 aluminum axle washers. The longer axles and aluminum washers allow much better shimming on the axle bearings, and will also make it less likely to spin an axle pin and strip the wheel.

This is all assuming you have 3/16" axles. If you have 1/4" axles you will need to get new wheels and new bearings for this to work. Actually you can still use the wheels you have if you drill the centers out to 3/16"

[justinspeed79]

lol, I put a LOT of stress on my drivetrain. I abuse my trucks lol.....

"When in doubt, throttle out!"

[Asso_man!]

Here's (somebody else's) picture of the bellcrank I have from my old Team Car:

Hey my name is not "someone else"



welcome aboard mate

[Bugle]

BTW, if you do decide to go with CVD's, I recommend getting T4 CVD's. The bones are slightly longer than the standard 10T/T2/GT bones, and recess into the outdrives alittle better. That will allow you to run more suspension travel without having to worry about the bones popping out of the outdrives. The T4 axles are also a little longer, so you will also need the T4 aluminum axle washers. The longer axles and aluminum washers allow much better shimming on the axle bearings, and will also make it less likely to spin an axle pin and strip the wheel.

This is all assuming you have 3/16" axles. If you have 1/4" axles you will need to get new wheels and new bearings for this to work. Actually you can still use the wheels you have if you drill the centers out to 3/16"

Can also use T4 hub carriers to give it some more width, the RC10T is way under legal width.

2) The 10T came with the same turnbuckles as those in this picture (of someone else's car):

Hey my name isn't "someone else" either
They're titanium, I think RCPS?

[Group B]

Ha now I'll be remembered as "someone else"

Lol sorry guys I just didn't want to make it seem like they were my pics!

Thanks to all for the help with this, I have been out of the game for so long.

I've decided that I'm just going to run 2000mah matched nicads and nimh cells for now, as lipos are just too expensive and complicated for me, but I am considering upgrading to a brushless setup like the Novak GTB w/either a 7.5 Velociti, an 8.5 SS, or a 13.5 SS.

I don't have a comm lathe/grinder, let alone comm sticks, and I'm tired of cleaning and maintaining brushed motors. I'd rather just use some compressed air and spray cleaner and keep the bearings lubed on a brushless setup.

With brushed motors I'm used to the power of a "Reedy Mr. A's", which I believe wais a 14 turn triple, and anything between a 13 turn double and that is about what I'm comfortable with.

The 10T will be used mainly for some bashing and practice at local tracks, and maybe occasional racing (If I were to go with either a stock brushed motor or a 13.5 turn brushless, as I don't want to compete in mod classes).

I wound up purchasing a set of universals and cvds for it, but with 1/4" axles, as I have two complete sets of the stock 3-piece wheels that I plan to run, and I don't want to modify them.

I like the idea of using T4 cvds and rear hub carriers in the future, but I'm not sure what I can do to replace the front axles in order to use the new-style wheels. I imagine it must involve replacing either the front axles and bearings themselves, or possibly using the newer-style steering spindles that have the setscrews, which are already set up for the new axles.

I'm glad my roommate is a machinist/fabricator, as I'm going to have some some front and rear shocktowers made out of aluminum! He recently pulled-out his old XXT-CR out from storage, and we built a couple sets of doubles by the front yard, so it's gonna be fun!

[FasterLouder]

Regarding your question of whether T4 rear hub carriers will work-RPM sell some sweet ones that accept larger bearings,they're a good thing-Got a pair on my T2.

[justinspeed79]

Regarding your question of whether T4 rear hub carriers will work-RPM sell some sweet ones that accept larger bearings,they're a good thing-Got a pair on my T2.

I run those on my basher GT, they are a very good thing indeed. I don't use them for racing though. Combined with the RPM arms it is just too much flex.

[justinspeed79]

I like the idea of using T4 cvds and rear hub carriers in the future, but I'm not sure what I can do to replace the front axles in order to use the new-style wheels. I imagine it must involve replacing either the front axles and bearings themselves, or possibly using the newer-style steering spindles that have the setscrews, which are already set up for the new axles.

Just my opinion, but if you use T4 hubs in the back, you will lose the beneffit of having the bones recessed further into the outdrives. I think the increased suspension travel is more of an advantage than having a slightly wider stance in the back. However, I do think that running T4 hubs spindles and axles in the front is good advantage. I have been running my racing trucks like that for a while, combined with some steering mods, it greatly increases the steering ability of the truck. I have had several people I race with who run GT's come up to me and ask how I can drive the lines I do. It's because of the mods, definitely not because of my stellar driving abilities. lol....

On the front wheels.... You don't need to change anything to run the newer wheels, they are a direct fit.