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The Official DRC Chassis Guide - Back to top
Written by Michael Hjort Madsen
What chassis is the best for a beginner?
What chassis should I choose?
What chassis would you recommend?Those are among the most asked questions by most new members.
Not that we don’t encourage posting new threads, but having the same threads with the same questions and answers. Does get quite annoying.
So to get rid of some of those posts, I sat down. And did what you should do, every time you want to buy new stuff…. Research!
Before I start, I’d like to point out, that all the prices are from TowerHobbies is not specified otherwise. Since I’m in Denmark I don’t have to the great insight in US based shops. And since prices from shops here in Denmark and elsewhere in the EU are so varied and are so much different from those in the generally cheaper US, I cant use them.
And before I start telling you about the chassis’. Let me make one thing very clear. RWD RC cars, or just 2WD cars in general will not work!
You need a 4WD RC car like every chassis listed here in this thread.
First things, first… Choosing the brand:
There are quite a few manufacturers to choose from these days. And thats a good thing, even if it takes you that much longer to find just the perfect chassis to suit your needs. Because if creates market competition, because everybody wants to make the best possible chassis for the end user. At the lowest possible price. So, that gives us great chassis at a “low” cost (low being relative).
But on to the contenders.
Yokomo:
Yokomo almost singlehandedly made RC drifting mainstream. They made a drift specific chassis bare on their successful MR-4TC. But their other chassis’ still hold their own in drifting. The SD SSG is one of those other chassis’ that is used extensively throughout the scene (Eddie in the UK D1RC competition just to name one).
Tamiya:
The inventor of the RC as we know it today. Tamiya today offer great entry kits, but also a selection of VERY high quality full race spec kits. Like the TRF 415MSX.
HPI:
HPI…. The maker of the RS4 Pro series. And the latest incarnation, the Pro4. HPI has always had an preference for belt driven cars (although the Pro4 is shaft). Although people always argue which is best (belt or shaft driven), HPI’s kits do the job they are supposed to do. Many hop-up parts are available for almost every chassis they make. So an entry-level Sprint sporting almost a full carbon setup is not impossible.
Hot Bodies:
A fairly new contender in the top class RC racing scene. Their Cyclone is a Pro4 derived belt driven race car. With many alu. and carbon bits as standard.
Team Associated
The maker of the TC-X series of chassis’. Used throughout the 1:10 scale touring car championships. The TA kits have own numerous A mains. And there’s no doubt that they make very capable chassis’.
Team Losi:
Losi might not be such a popular brand. But their quality is very good. And their fully enclosed belt drive system on their XXX-S. Is in my opinion a brilliant idea.
X-Ray
X-Ray are based in Europe and have made high specification race chassis for some years, winning world championships on the way. They are a little expensive and parts can be difficult to find but the quality is high.
Trinity:
Trinity wanted to make a Spec class (essentially all cars in the grid are the same), that would show the drivers skill. And not just how good the car was. So they needed a chassis. The T-Spec is what they came up with.
HBX:
Altho not widely available in the US. The HBX cars can be found on eBay shops. They are essentially just cheap versions of Tamiya cars.
Now what?… The chassis’ of course!:
With most of the manufacturers listed you should know what to search for on Google… But that still leaves you with the chassis’ to choose.
I’m afraid that it’s all up to your wallet what you can/want to get.
But I would like to say this - even if you are a rich kid (no offense), that can afford the top of the line TRF-SSG-Pro4-JRXS-Cyclone-Factory Kit car. I suggest you start out with something a little more modest. As all those carbon bits will start to become quite expensive to replace, once you break something.
I wont go into details of what’s required to make them run. I’ll just start by saying this:
Most kits today come with the chassis, some wheels and tyres, a motor and a body.
Some rare exceptions include ESC’s, and some still have MSC’s included (MSC’s are not recommended hehe).
The highest specification kits often just include the chassis - no electrics, no body, not even wheels!
So you will need some radio gear to make it run. Which includes the following:
Transmitter (stick or pistole type, is up to you).
These usually include servo’s and receivers.
Electronic Speed Control
This allows you to change the speed of your motor… Quite useful if you ask me.
Batteries:
NiCD, NiMH, LiPO ect.. Bottom line is. You wont get your car moving, unless it’s got some juice.
Charger:
Even if you have batteries. You wont be able to use them, if you cant charge them.
If the kits are available in RTR (Ready To Run) form. I will list it.
In which case. You wont need any of the above.
Ok, on to the really important stuff.
Chassis Options!!
Yokomo:
Drift Package
I might as well start with the most obvious choice. The Drift Package.
This is what brought RC Drifting to the masses. It’s now a widely used chassis, with many hop-up parts available. Good adjustability out of the box.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Air shocks. Differentials: Ball diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, in gearboxes. Bushings at the wheels. RTR: Partially… There is a Ready to Drift kit. But it doesn’t include a shell and wheels/tyres. |
Price on TowerHobbies: $229.99
MR-4TC SD
This comes in a variety of options, the Black Special, SSG Special and CGM Special.
Essentially the same car. The chassis and upper deck are made from different materials, which are:
Black Special: Black graphite chassis and upper deck.
SSG Special: SSG graphite chassis and upper deck.
CGM Special: Molded graphite tub chassis and chassis braces.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: Ball diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: No motor included! |
Prices: Black Special: $528; SSG Special: $528; CGM Special: $478.
Note, these are Yokomo’s own M.S.R.P prices
Tamiya:
TT-01
This is the one most commonly suggested for people wanting to start out.
Great tough chassis, but lacking adjustability in stock form.
Also, forum member Sprinter says that part fitments can be tricky, as part quality wasn’t the main concern when they designed this chassis. But don’t let that turn you off. Many people dont even have that problem, and it’s an excellent performer for it’s price!
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Friction shocks. Differentials: Open gear diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: None. Ball Bearings: No, bushings all around. RTR: Yes, known as the XB-Expert Build Series. Special Notice: Good beginner chassis, includes TEU-101BK ESC in most kits, not all. |
Price on TowerHobbies: Ranging from $89.99 to $112.99 for the kits.
TT-01D
The drift spec kit of the TT-01. It features some upgraded parts compared to the vanilla TT-01. Most noticeably, the oil shocks and ball bearings.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: Gear diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notes: The TEU-101BK ESC is included, along with Tamiya’s own Sports Tuned Motor. |
Price on TowerHobbies: $134.99
TT-01R:
The Racing version of the TT-01 chassis.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: Gear diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: Includes 25T GT-Tuned motor. |
Price on TowerHobbies: $134.99
TB-02:
A higher performance chassis in the Beginner - Advanced section. Fully adjustable out of the box. Good chassis for those wanting a solid platform to upgrade.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: Ball diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: Includes foam inserts and motor heatsink. |
Price on TowerHobbies: Ranging from $159.99 to $164.99
TA-05:
A new belt driven, mid-motor chassis. Comes fully adjustable and fully ball raced. This is a very effective drifter and many other manufacturers make cheap but quality upgrade parts, notably 3 Racing’s carbon fibre chassis.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Belt driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: Ball diffs all around, spool and one-way front/mid options. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber, Ride height, droop. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: Build for LCG and easy maintanace. |
Price on TowerHobbies: Ranging from $154.99 to $159.99
TRF 415 MSX Refine 2:
Yes, it seems that the longer the name, the better the chassis.
But this one really isn’t for the fainthearted. You wont find more Alu and Carbon parts stock on any other Tamiya car.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Belt driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: I’m not 100% sure, but I guess spool diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: If you only want to drift.. Don’t buy this. If you want to race on the other hand…. |
Price on SpeedTechRC: $429.99
Price on TowerHobbies: $549.99
HPI:
Sprint 2 RTR:
Nice entry level chassis, with some relations to the Pro4. And if you are good at modding, many Pro4 parts can be modded to fit it.
And it’s RTR!
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Belt driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: Ball diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: Yes. Special Notice: Comes with a great electronics package, superior to most RTR cars out there. |
Price on eHobbies / eBay: Ranging from $269.99 to $279.99
Pro4:
Everything you could ever want in a chassis. This is a serious race chassis. But also a very successful drifter.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: One-way front, ball diff rear, spool option. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber, Ride height/centre. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: Chassis only, not even wheels. |
Price on TowerHobbies: $294.99 for a normal Pro4, and $371.99 for the Hara Edition.
Hot Bodies
Cyclone:
A serious car derived from the Pro4. With many Pro4 parts interchangeable. This is Hara’s new track weapon.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Belt driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: One-way front, ball rear. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber, Ride height, Wheelbase. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: Roller only. |
Price on TowerHobbies: $434.00 for the normal version. $459.99 for the Hara Edition and $459.99 for the Surikarn Edition.
Team Associated:
TC4 Team/Factory Team:
The successor of the popular TC3. Good all round car. Can be used on the track one day, and be taken to the parking lot for drifting the next. Good durable design, and perfect as a first car that you can grow with.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: Ball diffs front / rear. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: Yes. Special Notice: MIP CVD’s instead of Dogbones insure no power loss at the wheels, even with full lock on the wheels. |
Price on TowerHobbies: $219.99 for the Team Kit and $349.99 for the Factory Team kit.
And the RTR is listed at $399 on the TA website.
X-Ray
T2 / T2R / T2007:
X-Ray’s latest weapon. This chassis is the most adjustable there is with multiple flex options in the carbon fibre top/bottom decks and variable shock pistons in situ. The R version (very rare) has even more chassis flex. The T2 is one of the lowest around - the 2007 model is slightly lower at the rear. All come in EU or US spec, EU better for drifting.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Belt driven. Shocks: Oil shocks, externally adjustable pistons. Differentials: EU Multi diff front (1-way/spool/1-way spool), ball diff rear, interchangeable. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, toe, camber, roll centre, track, ride height, droop etc. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: Chassis only, no wheels. |
Price on Apex Models: circa $560.00
Price on Ashford Hobby: $$730.00-409.00
Losi:
XXX-S Sport RTR2:
With it’s enclosed single belt drivetrain, the XXX-S maybe the best designed belt driven car for parking lot usage.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Enclosed Belt drive. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: ? Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: ? RTR: Yes. Special Notice: Comes with a Trinity 19T motor, Losi ESC (Pictures on the Losi site show a relabled Novak XRS), and a JR XR2i pistolgrip radio. |
Price on eHobbies eBay shop: $269.99
JRX-S:
Losi’s new race chassis. So adjustable, that you can even change the diffs position (R/F and U/D) to fine tune the CG.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Belt driven. Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: ? Center can be Spool or One-Way. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber and much more. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: You might end up fooling around with the endless settings this chassis offers, than actually driving it hehe. |
Price on UltimateHobbies: $359.99
Trinity:
T-Spec:
The T-Spec was designed for Trinity’s own Spec class, which is a one chassis allowed class. Many parts that are only available as hop-ups on similar priced kits are standard on the T-Spec.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven (alu). Shocks: Oil shocks. Differentials: Ball diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: Castor, Toe, Camber. Ball Bearings: Yes, fully ball raced. RTR: No. Special Notice: Comes with a Trinity 20T motor in the Motor/Body/Battery package. |
Price on TowerHobbies: $97.99 for the normal version. And $119.99 for the body/battery/motor pack.
HBX:
HBX TG-01 (Tamiya TL-01 Clone):
The HBX TG-01 Evo is a Tamiya TL-01 clone. The TL-01 is famous for it’s bulletproof monocoque design. Although the car is quite primitive in suspension, it makes up for it in sheer toughness.
| Specs: |
| Drive line: Shaft driven. Shocks: Friction shocks. Differentials: Gear diffs all around. Suspension Adjustability: None. Ball Bearings: Yes, at the gearboxes. RTR: Yes. Special Notice: So old that Tamiya discontinued it. |
Price on eBay: $54.99
Choosing what you want:
Best thing you could do if you are completely new, is getting one of the RTR kits above. That way you get all the electronics you need along with the kit.
In the end it will be cheaper for you in the end. But on the other hand, you are not able to customize your gear.
All the car above are recommended (and are just about all the choices you have). But we have to pick a few of them out and recommend.
So here we go, the recommended cars are:
Complete Beginner:
If you are a complete beginner, and you don’t have any electronics or radio gear. And have never had a real RC. Then these are the recommended kits for you.
Tamiya TT-01 XB-Expert Build RTR Series:
A good chassis that many members will recommend you if you asked one of the questions I started this thread with. Mind you, that you will need to purchase a battery and charger to be fully RTR.
HPI Sprint 2 RTR:
With an electronics package consisting of Nosram goodies that include: Hawk ESC (waterproof ESC with 15T limit), Tornado SS3 motor (17T double), 1800mAh battery and a wall charger.
That and the fact that the Sprint 2 is a very good chassis, makes this a choice to be considered.
Team Losi XXX-S RTR II:
A good solid base, with good adjustability and a set of good radio gear. What more could you wish for?
HBX TG-01 (TL-01 Clone):
If you just want to get into the hobby, you wont find a cheaper way than this.
Yokomo Drift Package:
The one, the only, the original… With this car you cant go wrong.
Novice:
If you have tried to build a car before (maybe you have been out of the hobby for quite some time), or you just want a kit that grows with your ability, then these are the choices for you.
Team Associated TC4:
Even if you go for the RTR, the car has great potential. As you progress, it will continue to suit your needs. It has great after market support with many hop-up parts available.
Tamiya TB-02:
Being a step over the TT-01, you get some features that the TT-01 doesn’t have. The fully adjustable suspension will be a welcome addition once you want to try you luck at setting your car up. And you will be happy that you didn’t spend money on upgrading your stock TT-01.
Trinity T-Spec:
Considering it’s price, and what you get for your money. The T-Spec should always be in your considerations when you start out.
Advanced:
If you really have the money to burn, and think you are ready for the following options. Then do look out for one of these.
HPI RS4 Pro4:
One of the greatest chassis’ around. Masses of options even in stock form. And you can buy yourself poor in all the purple anodized aluminium you could ever want.
Yokomo SD Special’s:
If it’s the Black, SSG or CGM Special you happen to find. They will all be more than ample to suit your needs. And the looks of that silver SSG chassis almost makes up for the high price.
Yokomo LCG/DriftMaster:
The Yokomo LCG is Yokomo’s flagship on road shaft driven chassis. LCG stands for low center of gravity, the driveshaft on this chassis sits lower on the chassis as well as the steering mechanism. The LCG is extremely flexible making it ideal for asphalt drifting.
Hot Body Cyclone
If you like the Cyclone S but want the full spec carbon fibre option, this is the one for you.
X-Ray T2 family
Top of the pile kits from the EU based X-Ray factory. All carbon fibre and polished alloy. And it works!
Final Thoughts:
No matter what you end up with, if you’ve chosen any of the above cars. You will be set to get into this great hobby.
I know that there are some cars missing from the list (like the TC3), but I’v compiled the list with cars that are widely available.
How To Get Started - Back to top
Written by John Turner - 2007
So here we are, with a new season about to begin, with more new members, some possibly new to r/c drifting. Rather than make you read through dozens of fragmented posts about all things in the universe (you will anyway!), you may find this recent article I wrote in some way useful………First things first. In answer to the question “what do I need to go drifting?” the often quoted answer of a touring car with a set of drift tyres is not too far off the mark but, of course, there’s a bit more to it than that and the setup is definitely different than for touring car racing. In drifting we want a chassis that has a responsive front end and a passive rear so that you can turn into a corner or flick from one drift to another, without understeer, whist the backend follows in a smooth and stable manner but tail out at around 45 degrees – a sort of controlled oversteer.Not surprisingly, the first problem to cure is the natural tendency for turn in understeer, after all, we are driving on a tyre that is made of a low friction plastic/rubber. The solution is to look for as much setup grip as you can so the norm is to use very soft front springs – special drift springs that have about half the rate of a normal very soft race spring – mounted on very smooth operating shock bodies filled with a thin shock oil, about 15 – 25wt and lots of piston holes! The shocks can be laid over for a little extra traction and it is not unusual to see extra weight added to the very front of the chassis, up to 60gms or so often being seen mounted in the front foam bumper. This weight creates more traction for turn in but also carries momentum that has to be retarded and turned so there is a trade off.
With the turn in problem minimised, we turn our attention to the rear end. What we want is a smooth tail out cornering attitude of about 30-45 degrees that will impress the judges but allow the driver to remain in full control and allow the power to be put down for a fast corner exit. The judges will look for the front inside wheel to clip the apex but, unlike the racing line, in the case of drifting the nose of the car should be facing towards the apex rather than striking it at a tangent. The drifter’s worst fear is that of snap oversteer, often leading to a zero score spin, so we need to setup the rear of the car so that the back releases easily, not requiring a big steering or throttle input, and then stablelises at the angle we want yet allowing enough power to be put down to maintain corner speed and deliver exit pace. This can usually be achieved with a damper setting similar to that of the front but with a very slightly stiffer spring – still far softer though than the softest touring car spring. A good amount of rear toe also helps to calm the situation, around 2.5 – 3.0 degrees.
Given the very soft setup and the need to transition sharply from one direction to another, a low roll centre is needed or the pitching of the chassis would load the suspension leading to bump stop understeer. This can be helped by the use of anti-roll bars but the soft suspension can put a cornering load on the bars that they were not really designed for leading to the bars becoming as effective on the outside corner as the springs themselves. It’s all a compromise, as situation well known to touring car racers too. A low ride height is essential to a low roll centre so on carpet we tend to run the minimum 5mm whereas outdoors this may rise to 7mm or so, if only to protect the chassis!
The choice and setup of the differentials is also key for good handling but here we find driver preferences often prevail, another similarity with TC racing. One thing most drivers agree on is the need for a very tight rear ball diff when drifting on higher traction surfaces like carpet. Unfortunately this seems to lead to frequent diff bolt failure so when a stronger bolt is available as an upgrade, these are often purchased. On outdoor circuits the tarmac surfaces provide less grip and this causes even the tightest of ball diffs to spin up which, in turn, causes the drift to be lost. This can be overcome by fitting a rear spool (locked) diff which ensures both rear wheels keep spinning and at the same speed.
At the front end the driver preferences again prevail. If a ball diff is fitted, not quite as tight as the rear, you get a reasonable braking effect, though nothing like that of a normal touring car due to the low traction tyres. If a one-way diff is fitted, you get slightly better turn in at the expense of virtually no braking effect. In fact, what braking you do get is all coming from the rear of the car so, with minimal grip, it’s a bit like yanking the hand brake on – a bit all or nothing which can lead to spins, even on the straights - yet, with lots of practice and some careful transmitter setup adjustment, this can be used to good effect.
Having mentioned transmitter settings, there are a couple of useful tricks here too. Most of us use a reverse ESC because it does away with the need for track marshals. Some ESCs though seem keen to invoke reverse in favour of brakes, utilising the smallest of ‘arc’ in the throttle curve for brakes. By expanding this brake portion into the reverse area it’s a lot easier to find the brakes. Another commonly used trick is to reduce the throttle end point so as to reduce the power available, often to just 75%. Racers have been known to do this in slippery race conditions so it’s nothing new but makes life easier round tight drift courses yet giving the full 100% of stick/trigger throw.
Finally, a couple of tips on camber/castor. Unlike foam filled rubber tires which distort under cornering forces, drift tyres maintain their shape and so we’re looking to keep as much flat tyre surface in contact with as much flat road surface. There are several popular types of tyre in use today: D.I.Y. ABS rings, Yokomo’s plastic rings supported by hard rubber tyre walls and very hard rubber tyres available from several manufacturers. The ABS ring, usually made from 2” internal diameter ABS black drain tubing requires the camber to be set to around 0 degrees. Camber can be added providing the tyres are then scrubbed down until the tyre surface is again flat against the road, a little pointless but there are some who just like that negative camber look!
The Yokomo tyre, as used by D1RC as a ‘control tyre’, is a little more complicated, not least to fit – just add a little vegetable oil to all surfaces then follow the instructions…. they work! If you look carefully at the tyre section you’ll see that the inside tyre wall is a little shorter than the outside one. Since we need the top of both side walls to contact the road, the plastic ring, which when first fitted sits proud of both walls, needs to be scrubbed down until both walls touch the road surface. The differing heights of the walls amounts to about a 2 degree slope which directly translates to a 2 degree negative camber – bingo!
There is then the new HPI T-Drift tyre which appears to be a polyethylene based tyre with handling characteristics and performance very similar to the Yokomo ring. There are other very good poly tyres available from other manufacturers and all need about 0.5-1.5 degrees of negative camber to get very smooth and controlled drifts.
The hard rubber ‘drift radial’ tyres are less suitable for drifting unless the driver is running a very low wind motor or a nitro chassis and so are not generally used for UK competition. Setup for this type of tyre is more similar to Touring Car racing as quite a bit of grip is available.
So that’s the general requirements for a good handling chassis but what models are the 2007 drivers using? There has been a move from shaft drive in 2006 to belt drive for 2007. The tradition was set by Yokomo and their shaft drive Drift Package which appeared in bulk in 2005. Competition during 2006, however, revealed that a more frontal weight bias provided better turn in and, on the mid to tight circuits, the newer belt drive chassis like the Cyclone, T2 and TA05, with their motors mounted further forward, showed their advantage over the rear mounted shaft drives. The difference was small but, in competition, any advantage must be grabbed with both hands! The smoother drifting shaft drives still seem to perform well, if not better, on the big open circuits though.
I think you can see that, from the specifications outlined above, the cost of converting a touring car chassis to a drifter is small, maybe no more than the cost of a set of new tyres if you carry a fair range of option parts already.
Anything else? Yes, you need to enter the competitions! Car park bashing is fun but after a while you’ll lose interest so find out what’s already happening locally and, if it’s not, get something started with your mates. There’s nothing like competition to move things along. Keep it fun though – that’s why you started in the first place!
