Team Losi Triple-X4

Radio Control Car Action, Mar 2003 by Sams, Jason

track test

1/10-SCALE ELECTRIC

SOME MAY SUBSCRIBE TO THE PHILOSOPHY, "IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT," but fortunately for us, Team Losi isn't among them, its guys are constantly looking for ways to improve Losi's cars. The new Triple-X4 4WD buggy is proof: its predecessor, the Double-X4, has won two IFMAR World Championships and is the dominant force in the 4WD class at all levels of competition.

So why tool up for another four-wheeler? Probably because the thought of transplanting the easy-to-workon chassis and slick single-belt-drive system of Losi's Triple-XS touring car to an off-road buggy was too good to pass up. In the Triple-X4, these components have been reconfigured for dirt, with proven success at the track; Matt Francis TQd the 4WD class at the 2002 IFMAR Off-Road World Championship with a prototype Triple-X4. Now it's time to see how the production car performs in the hands of Joe Racer.

KIT FEATURES

CHASSIS. The Triple-X4 chassis is made of the same rugged Stiffezell plastic-composite material as is used in all other Losi kits. You'll notice that as in the Triple-XS, a long channel runs through the middle of the Triple-X4's chassis, thereby sealing the serpentine-style single belt. The channel protects the belt and drive-train gears from damaging debris, stiffens the chassis and virtually eliminates twisting flex. Seven battery slots have been cut into the chassis to hold the cells flush with the chassis' underside; the extra slot allows you to move the battery forward for more steering or rearward to keep the back end planted. Losi's Triple-X standard interlocking construction of chassis, shock towers and bumpers was also incorporated into the new four-wheeler's design. The buggy's chassis resembles that of the Triple-XS, but it's about an inch longer to better suit the Triple-X4's off-road mission.

DRIVE TRAIN. The Triple-X4's mono-belt drive train turns front and rear ball differentials that are identical except for their outdrives; the front outdrives are plastic, and the rear's are steel. Simply remove six screws to easily access either diff. The drive train's belt is reinforced for strength, so it can withstand constant bumps and jump landings. Incorporated into the 92-- tooth spur gear is a unique adjustable slipper clutch. To save space in the slim channel, slipper "pucks" are contained in circular cutouts in the spur gear. The pucks are made from the same fiber material as is used for other Losi slipper pads. Two slipper plates on both sides of the gear apply the slipping action to the drive train. A slim hex nut adjusts the action by using the tension from a wave spring. The nut is easily adjusted with a kit-provided wrench. Since this kit is totally race-ready, precision ball bearings are used throughout the drive train to greatly reduce friction and provide the Triple-- X4's silky-smooth feel. All four outdrives spin MIP CVD drive axles.

SUSPENSION AND STEERING. The Triple-X4 has a standard lower A-arm suspension with adjustable upper links in the front and rear. The kit-provided tie rods are adjustable on the fly for quick changes. The arms move freely without any hand-fitting-a tribute to the moving pieces' high-quality molding. The bottom-filled shocks are capped with dual O-ring cartridges, so oil loss is minimal and damping is consistent. The preload is adjusted with clamping collars that slide on the hard-anodized shock bodies. For additional tuning, there are two shock-mounting holes on each arm and three mounting locations for the tops of each shock. The steering bellcranks are the same as those used in the Triple-- XS. The bellcrank system rotates on aluminum steering posts with plastic bushings.

BODY, WHEELS AND TIRES. The kit includes a wide and extremely trick-- looking "Invader" body, the front portion of which has six 3/8-inch cooling holes that can be opened to help keep the electronics a few degrees cooler. The wheels are Losi standard yellow dish-type mounted with "Red" compound Taper Pins, and the tires include medium foam inserts.

BUILDING & SETUP TIPS

Building the Triple-X4 was easy, thanks to molded components that fit perfectly, well-organized parts bags that contain the parts and fasteners that are needed to complete each step and the excellent Instructions with 3D drawings and full-size parts-identification legends. The instructions do an excellent job, but here are some tips to help you along the way.

STEP B-7. Make sure that the tensioner arm slides all the way down on the tensioner bushing before you rotate the entire unit. If the arm does not slide easily into place, you may need to loosen the bushing screw. If the arm Is not properly seated, it will come loose, and you will notice that the belt cannot be tightened properly.

STEP D-1. Prethread the pivot blocks with the kit-provided stainless-steel cap-head screw. This will reduce the chances of stripping the 4-40x3,inch flat-head screws.

STEPS D-5 & E-6. When you build the front and rear CVDs, avoid getting any red lube in the axle's threads. The lube will work against the bonding agents of the thread-locking compound, and this could cause the entire CVD to come apart.