Team Associated Factory Team RC10L4 Oval

Radio Control Car Action, Oct 2003 by Roper, Jim

1/10-SCALE ELECTRIC

Team Associated Factory Team RC10L4 Oval

ALL-OUT OVAL

THE NEW B4 STEALTH BUGGY isn't Associated's only fourth-generation car release for 2003. In addition to dirt dominance, the A-Team is eyeing a new oval assault with its RC10L4 Oval-L40, for short. The Associated crew went right to "Factory Team" status with the new left turner, so there's no need to wait around for the fully loaded kit to come out; this car has the goods. You'll see an abundance of Team Associated's Factory Team parts, and you won't have to look too hard to spot the bounty that Irrgang Racing Service (IRS) tosses into the mix. Up front, the bright blue adjustable upper arm mounts should catch your eye; in the back, the long, machined, blue aluminum hub glimmers, and there's more. While there's a lot to please the eye, this kit is about more than eye candy. Let's get past the pretty stuff and see what the L40 has to offer.

SPECIFICATIONS

MANUFACTURER Team Associated

MODEL Factory Team RC10L4 Oval

SCALE 1/10

PRICE $249.99

Varies with dealer

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase 10.5 in. (262mm)

Width 8 in. (205mm)

WEIGHT

Total, as tested 42 oz. (1,200g)

CHASSIS

Type Flat pan type with separate, movable battery tray

Material 0.110-in.-thick plain-weave graphite

DRIVE TRAIN

Type Direct drive

Differential Adjustable ball type with D-drive diff rings

Bearing type Metal-shielded ball bearings

SUSPENSION

Type (F/R) Independent Dynamic Strut/3-shock, T-bar

Shocks Threaded, aluminum-body VCS design

KIT FEATURES

CHASSIS. The strong, light main graphite chassis plate has countersunk screw holes and is drilled for the easy installation of a servo of "standard" size. Micro-servo fans will have to drill a hole to accommodate a micro-servo's smaller case. To ensure that the L40 can be adapted to tracks of all types and sizes, the chassis has been drilled for short- and long-wheelbase configurations. Some racers swear by the short-wheelbase setup, but most will stick with the recommended long ride because it's more stable. A graphite bumper that supports a very light foam bumper replaces the molded bumper that saw duty on quite a few Associated pan cars over the years.

The chassis' most important feature is its adjustable battery tray. Instead of slots in the main chassis, the L40 has a separate graphite tray that holds 6 cells. Seven mounting holes allow the tray to be moved 0.9 inch fore and aft in 0.15-inch increments to adjust the car's weight distribution. The pack can also be moved closer to or farther from the main chassis thanks to the battery slots' width of 2.29 inches.

All of the L4's nuts and many of its screws are made of blue-anodized aluminum for that Factory Team look, but for crash-resistance, all the high-stress fasteners are made of good ol' steel.

DRIVE TRAIN. Like all oval cars, the L40 is "direct drive": the motor's pinion gear meshes with a spur gear mounted on the axle. There is neither a transmission nor a gearbox. The L40's diff is built around the included 81-tooth, 48-pitch, Kimbrough spur gear whose diff balls are sandwiched between new, "D" drive diff rings. While each ring's outer circumference is round, the inner circumference is D-shaped; a matching D-shape has been machined in each hub to lock the rings in place. This eliminates the need to pin or glue them. IRS produces the good-looking, blue-anodized hubs, and the left hub is of the preferred double-clamping type. The IRS guys also supplied their Graphite Pro axle. The diff is very easy to adjust with the included wrench that fits over a large plastic nut threaded onto the end of the axle. Just slip the wrench over the nut in the right-hand wheel, and turn it to tighten or loosen the diff. This car is all about going fast, so it rolls on ball bearings; even the spur gear has bearings.

SUSPENSION AND STEERING. Associated's Dynamic Strut front end has been well proven on the L Series cars and on oval machines made by other manufacturers, but the L40 has a few extra features. Aluminum upper arm mounts from IS are the most significant of these. Each is machined of flex-resistant 6061T-6 aluminum and has six holes for the upper arm hinge pin. This gives you a wide variety of roll-center options, especially because you can use holes in different positions on the left and right arms; as an oval car, the L40 will only need to turn left, and the IRS mounts help tailor its handling to do just that. Blue-anodized inline axles and titanium turn-buckles are the other Factory Team additions to the Dynamic Strut setup. The inline axles provide a more aggressive steering setup than the now optional trailing steering blocks and axles. A Kimbrough servo-saver is the steering system's finishing touch.

The rear suspension is a T-bar/3-shock design. The shocks have threaded, blue-anodized aluminum bodies and use Associated's Volume Compensating System (VCS): a piece of foam absorbs the oil displaced by the shock shaft as it enters the shock body. A bottle of 30WT shock fluid is supplied, and all three shocks have silver springs: the center spring is rated at 3.85 pounds, and the side springs are 8-pounders. Associated offers springs with other rates to fine-tune the rear end.