New TC3

[frank]

Has any 1 heard any more on this

[Andrew_Carter]

there were rumors ages and ages ago about bringing out a version 2 or somthing like that! didnt go ahead mind you! y is there supose to be a new assocaited tourer coming out??

cherrs Andrew ;D

[nitro-head]

i heard that they had one due to be released next year , then they decided to rip it up and start again from scratch.

Just need to improve current one with better shock towers!

[Chaz Godwin]

what's the point of making a new car when it's still winning and still selling ???

[Kevin G]

what's the point of making a new car when it's still winning and still selling

Very true Chaz, I think maybe this is AE's problem. They did do a good job with the shaft driven TC3 it still wins and lets be honest its easy to build and easy to take apart when needed, and by all accounts (Mine aint finished yet) fun to drive.

Their marketing people must be going mad, where as the production line must be well happy not having to re tool.

What ever changes do happen I hope they are not too radical, it is difficult to improve on perfection after all ;D (They do say dont fix what aint broke!)

[Simon Smith]

im with you ther chaz. It may not be the freshest car about, but it still works, still brings in the wins, and still sells. Afew revisions would be nice though, such as shock towers with more holes for finer tuning.

[Andy M]

Relatively reliable rumours I have heard points towards an updated TC3 possibly being released around the Worlds next year. Won't be any huge changes but a few small conversions to improve on the weak points.....

As I say, only rumours....

[nitro-head]

i think they will come out with a new one.
i think it will be a double deck carbon bibre chassis, a bit like the yoko (but black) similar to the irs also. :P

[Craig]

No i think that if they do bring out a new car it will only be a conversion. What can you do differently to the car apart from change this and that.

I dont think AE will make a double deck carbon fiber chassis it will most likely be graphite as they know how to use it.

[Andy M]

Tub chassis are becoming more popular anyway, Yok are releasing a Tub for the SD. I think AE will stick to it.

[Simon Smith]

i agree with what is being said generally. It'll be modification rather than evolution. Look, the TC3 has been with us for afew years, and they modified it (added droop screws etc) and I think all Associated will do it to modify the car, makei t stronger. Look at Schumacher, the Mi2 isnt that different to the Mission really!

[whoopass]

I rekon that Associated will make a belt drive tourer, totally new design???

[SMTCA Focal Point]

The only obvious things they can update are the hubs and shock towers. The steering works Ok. A change in the chassis design is obvious, cells closer to the centre, how about an ultra thin centre shaft to move the cells even closer to the centre.

How about radical larger diameter diffs, allowing the cells to sit under the centre shaft...

[Chrislong]

They'd defo stick to shaft drive, belt drive is going back in evolution.

I think maybe a tub chassis with more flex with weight toward centre and lower as you said John, that all makes sense.

Id suggest stronger hubs and wishbones if I was on the Development team.

I like the idea of inboard shocks, Schumacher Topcat style.

[MattWinyard]

Can only think of few things to improve on TC3 ... All of witch have been done anyway as mods on the car.

Batteries closer to centre of chassis to make perfect weight distribution ... (One of my cars has this, and to be honest I hardly notice it. Only really notice on long sweeping bends where the throttle stick is at 122% ... yeah its a joke ... Possibly a revised front suspension mount, they've already released V2 wishbones, and before that they revised the wishbones, did anyone notice the diagonal cross piece on the wishbones about 6 months after the cars released? More noticeable on the rears... cant remember what they did on the front. Anyway...

All I can say what really needs improving is larger diameter hinge pins, the amount of times ive replaced a hinge pin set! it becomes annoying... But they only go wrong if you hit something, which can be said all across the board...

[Kevin G]

Some intersting thoughts going on here with regard to the design of the TC3.

AS I have only just got my TC3 I was interested in the "Stronger wishbones, and hubs comments. Towers also get a mention.

I assume this means you break a few during racing. What parts are the most likely to break?

When I chose the TC3 the only parts which looked vunerable to me were the shock towers. I was not expecting to find people talking hubs and wishbones.

[MattWinyard]

I rarely break anything, but usually when I hit something I bend a hinge pin...

Not saying I a good driver, but the TC3 is a strong car like...

It doesnt break, it tweaks. Which is worse... Because you dont know its tweaked, and you know if somethings broke.

[Richard Lowe]

The only thing I've ever broken on mine is a rear hub, and I've had the car ever since it was released.
Mine has Ti hingepins so it does'nt suffer from bent pins ;)

[Colin Williams]

Richard, where did you get Ti hinge pins from - could you pm me please?

Colin

[Richard Lowe]

You have a PM 8)

Titanium hingge pins will bend easier than steel!!

Theyre just lighter!!


As for machining the center brace, i would not race a TC3 without it done,

the balance of the car is very noticable, consistant in left and right turns as opposed to pushing on one side!!

I run my car at 1500g tho, so i need more wight on the servo side, without this your car may still be unballanced"

Highly recomend it!!


Strengthen the wishbones and something else will go!!

Threads strip in the hubs! :(
and id like to see hinge pins secured with circlips! They cost me a good qualifier once! wont let it happen again tho!

[Chrislong]

Titanium is lighter and more rigid than steel you donkey.

[nitro-head]

HEHE.

yes, it is more dense mean it is stronger and don't bend as easy :D

but being stronger it will more likely snap than bend :o

[Chrislong]

I knew that ;D

Really I just knew when I change bendy steel stuff for Titanium it stays straight and shiney longer. Didn't know the technical terms to explain it....

My favourite metal is spring steel, like piano wire, I made a load of front metal "U" pins for the Cat2000 out of it and they were indestructable.

Chris

[Andy Oldman]

Titanium is lighter and more rigid than steel you donkey.

lol
i still manange to bend them ;D

I assure you its softer than steel, but agreeably lighter!

Titaniium is springyier!!

[Andy M]

I agree, Titanium bends easier than Steel. Many people I know reverted back to steel hinge pins to avoid such a problem.

Titantium is a stronger substance than steel when reinforced however the bending motion which affects hinge pins causes the unstrengthened Ti to bend easily.

i bent a titanium one on there first outing with a light tap. steel i havnt managed to bend lately, tibshelf pit wall is hefty!!

It was that soft that it bent through the caster block, not breaking it, and elongaed the hole on the wishbone.

But i dont crash, so i could use titanium for the weight now!! Not!!

[stulec52]

getting back to the original topic, I think Associated will bring out a new TC4 in 2004, if only to get more people to part with their cash.
Lots of racers like to have the newest stuff, and Associated have probably one of the oldest designs available.
BUT, I think the new model would be similar to the change between the old B2 and B3 buggies, where only minor changes take place and a conversion kit will be available.
I could see the chassis being changed to what most people run now anyway ( cells nearer the centreline)
Also the gearboxes and shock towers being a better arrangement. Other than that, maybe some drivetrain upgrades and that's about it !!!

[BarnStormer]

I think the only way that associate will bring out the tc4 is if the hpi pro 4 is that good that everbody buy's one.
At the moment its a high percentage of drivers using tc3's.
I hope they do though
Better wait distibution etc..

The pro 4 looks pretty awesome though its got tc3 style gears not like the yok sd ones.

[Andy M]

At the end of the day Associated want money. If their marketing team can improve the existing design slightly so that it makes the car just that little bit better (not just in performance but ease of use, strength of parts etc...) then they will as a large proportion of TC3 drivers will convert across and it means they can push it for non-associated people to change or to get new drivers in.

At the end of the day, if they released the TC4 for the same price as the FT but offered a £100 conversion kit for the existing TC3 I think a large majority of people would change.

[nitro-head]

i agree with the conversion kit.

when they brought out the b2-b3 conversion kit to compete with the xxx (when they both came out) a lot still stuck with the b2 and just got a b3 conversion kit.

[whoopass_racer]

I hope if they do bring a new one out, they consider the people who already own a TC3 and so they should make it so that a TC3 can be easily be made into a TC3.2 or TC4 by purchasing a conversion kit- something like the rally conversion they do now.
I feel that the only things that needs revising are


The bumper-Try to copy the RPM bumper
Threads strip to easy in hubs
More possible adjustments for shock+camber positions
Stronger minge pin holders-std ones oval to easily!



Mike

[B_Final_Bob]

is that spelling mistake on purpose Mike???

read the last bullet point

[al]

Yea you might wanna change that !


lolololololololololol

AL :)

[whoopass_racer]

purposeful, their a right f*n*y.

[al]

they do bend very easy

probebly the amount of stuff i used to hit thogh

ohh well........

AL :D