Trinity: Aluminum parts for Associated RC10 B4

Radio Control Car Action, Oct 2003

Trinity

Aluminum parts for Associated RC10 B4

NOW THAT EVERYONE AND HIS BROTHER HAS A B4, it's time to dress up yours so you can have something a little different, and maybe help it move a little faster, too. Trinity has a bunch of blue stuff to separate your B4 from the pack; we bolted on the goodies to see what they could do for Associated's best buggy.

* HINGE-PIN BRACE

If you have Trinity's bulkhead on your car, this piece is pure overkill (but it looks cool). Used with the stock bulkhead, the aluminum brace can help transfer single-arm impact loads to both hinge pins more efficiently than the stock plastic part, but this is still mostly a dress-up part.

* MOTOR PLATE

Cooler is faster, so Trinity's plate wears an ample supply of cooling fins to help your motor shed heat. It replaces the stock plate perfectly.

* BATTERY BRACE

Trinity is looking ahead; this brace has elongated holes for the mounting posts, so it will fit the T4 when it arrives. The brace is scalloped to hold the cells tightly, and its deep-cooling fins will help keep your packs chilly. And the style points? Through the roof.

* SHOCK BUSHINGS

These are pretty clever. Each aluminum mount uses a sleeve bushing to hold the shock, and the bushing extends past the aluminum mount by about a millimeter. The bushing's diameter increases when the shock-mounting nut is tightened against it. This makes it easy to dial out suspension play.

* SERVO MOUNTS

The stock plastic servo mounts can't possibly flex much, but stiffer is always better. And if you frequently swap your servos from vehicle to vehicle, the aluminum parts will keep their threads much longer than the stock plastic nubs.

* FRONT BULKHEAD

We bolted in Trinity's part just as easily as we'd install the factory part. The bulkhead includes setscrews to pinch the hinge pins in place, but they're difficult to access after installation. No matter; the hinge pins are captured and don't need E-clips or setscrews. The original plastic bulkhead is tough, but Trinity's aluminum part can only be stronger.

Will Trinity's parts help you go faster? Probably not in any measurable way, but they will help you tune the car a little better (since the shock mounts reduce suspension play), hang a little tougher (the front bulkhead is bombproof) and run a little cooler (thanks to the finned battery brace and motor plate). All are well made and perfectly finished, and the prices aren't bad either. Good stuff.