First Victory for MCD in the UK

[dgav407]

Latest MCD news (http://www.kingcobra.co.uk/news/newsitem.php?id=622)

MCD cars "swept the board" at the first round of the Winter Off-Road series at The Nook circuit.
The first competetive race entry for the new Evo 2 Race Runner cars gave an unexpected result as the team drivers just about won everything!

The pole position for the "B final was taken by Richard Stiles, who led the final by a big margin, until a "racing incident" demoted him to second place, allowing his team mate Trevor Kersey to win this final followed by Richard just a few feet behind him.

Both drivers were promoted to the main "A" final to join Ian Oddie, who had put his MCD car on pole position by over 18 seconds.

The two promoted drivers had no real time to make any changes to their cars before the main "A" final started. This concerned Richard whose car was "limping" a little following his "incident" when leading the "B" final - but both cars went to the line on time ready for the start.

The main event was led by Ian Oddie who increased his dominant lead with the MCD Evo 2 Race Runner every lap. Richard and Treveor seemed to be moving well up the order but Richards car was obviously in trouble from the start, and was eventually retired part way through the race.

This left Ian romping away at the front with what looked like an easy victory, and Trevor running very well about mid way in the pack.

Everything looked good for Ian until disaster struck only 3-4 laps from the end of the race, when he made a very uncustomary mistake, and hit the "blind" part of the new bridge tunnel, which damaged the front corner of his car.

Trevor Kersey had continued to make progress through the field as he became more used to his Evo 2 Race Runner car in only his second ever off-road race, and inherited the first place left vacant by Ians retirement giving him a brilliant first victory for MCD and the new Evo 2 Race Runner.

The new Evo 2 Race Runner looks set to become a very good car for next season. Several drivers noted that the cost of the Competition Race Runner was only half the price of their 2WD cars, and that the spare part price were also comparatively cheap too.

With little tyre wear ( no rear wheel spinning), and the tyre choice being less important than the 2WD cars, the Race Runners look like a fast and competetive car to race, that should also be reasonably cheap to "feed and repair".

We expect several drivers to swap to the new Evo 2 Race Runner next season following this superb display, as they can see a race winning car that is both cheap to buy and run, as well as being relatively easy to set-up.

Additional info:

The MCD cars were fitted with the latest option/upgrade parts (limited-slip diffs and metal gears) and the new KCR ballon shock springs. (http://www.kingcobra.co.uk/news/newsitem.php?id=616)

It is not clear if Ian Oddie (the 2005/6 1:5th on-road world champion) will be racing the MCD cars in the British Championship in 2008. He is currently one of the HARM team drivers.

Even if he only races the car through the winter here, he will provide very useful set-up tips and hopefully some (http://www.oddified.com/) upgrade parts. It was noted that his car had a much lower ride height than the other Race Runner Evo 2's and that the rear hubs were mounted in the first hole (top) to give anti squat.

The only negative point is that in both this event and the last round of the British Championship the MCD cars were not as robust as the all alloy 2WD cars (Hormann HT2 etc).

Clive

 

[zouz10]

good find DGAV,

It's nice to know that the MCD's are doing so well.. But when you think about it, 4WD is amazing for these little cars! I couldn't wait to get my hands on one specifically for that purpose.

 

[monotheist]

That news is great for the brand. If the car manages a few wins under its belt then there is no doubt it will become much more popular than it already is.

I also changed the geometry on the rear suspension to the first hole when I was playing around with the suspension setup last week. Not only does it give anti squat but also extends out the wheelbase by about another 10mm improving high speed stability.






BTW, does anyone know where you can buy the limited slip diffs and ballon springs?

 

[dgav407]

Monotheist

Try PowerSlideRacing - they might have received the new limited-slip diffs with the recent shipment of the new spec cars. They also stock King Cobra products.

I have yet to test a limited-slip diff in my Race Runner but have done so in my Rally Car and it is awesome!! Traction out of turns/corners is significantly improved and the car will only drift/powerslide in extreme cicrcumstances. It is also claimed to be stronger than the standard diff. However, they are very expensive (£149.50) and unlike the HARM, FG, LAUTERBACHER adjustable diffs there is no external means to adjust the slip.

Clive

 

[monotheist]

Cool cheers dgav407. Yeah there pricey all right. Are you running them both front and rear or if you were to only get one would you stick it on the front or back? I don't think I can afford them both so am wondering if just the one would make an improvement.

So Mike has these already huh? Their not listed on the powerslide site yet. Hey Mike if your reading this maybe you should create a group email of all your MCD clients when new stuff arrives so we can get first dibs on them...lol

 

[dgav407]

Monotheist

I spoke to Richard Stiles at King Cobra and he suggested only using a front limited-slip diff in a rally car and this is what I have installed. It stops the front wheels spinning on the exit from tight turns/corners. This is ideal for my needs as my local on-road track (http://www.1-5racing.co.uk/smcc/) is on the small size with three 180 degree turns/corners!!! With the standard front diff I was probably dropping as much as a second at each of the three turns.

I don't know (but I will ask King Cobra) what limited-slip diffs (front, rear or both) were installed in the MCD cars raced at the weekend. I would imagine that the use of the new diffs depends on the where the car is being used - track design and surface (tarmac, clay, loose soil etc).

I will try out the new diff in my Race Runner after the next race meeting (this weekend) and report back.

Please note that I do not guarantee that PowerSlideRacing has the new diffs - all I know is that MCD have been busy during the last few weeks sending out new cars/parts to their distributor's worldwide.

Clive

 

[dgav407]

Monotheist

I have just spoken to King Cobra about the set-up used by the 'team' drivers at the race meeting last weekend.

Ian Oddie was driving a car that belongs to the owner of King Cobra. It is basically a new Evo 2 Comp spec car with metal gears and both front and rear limited-slip diffs installed. It is also only fitted with a standard 26cc engine and Samba tuned pipe - no expensive tuned/race engines were used by the team drivers!!

Back to the new diffs - two cars had both front and rear LSDs installed and the other just a front LSD. The best set-up is to use both front and rear LSDs but with a hard spring in the front diff and a soft spring in the rear diff. The car driven by Ian Oddie used this set-up. I assume MCD will release alternative diff springs as an option part in the near future.

MCD will be also releasing their own shock oil (different weights of course) in the future.

Clive

 

[monotheist]

Fantastic information. Thanks mate.

 

[PowerSlideRacing]

Sorry broken computer last week only just catching up. The LSD's had just been released when I ordered my last batch of cars but I decided to stock up on spares instead. I'll get some in next time. We are trying to get a 4x4 on-road class going down here which will be good for MCD in general in Oz, more cars getting around so more spares/hotup parts being brought in.

 

[looker2756]

Sounds like fun to me !! I have drove a Baja1000 with the limited slip diffs.. They are very nice feeling. I would say the front is the first to get one. In rally especially, but we ran the Baja with both in it. Seemed very stable & corner speeds seemed just a bit faster. It's awesome to have MCD info from around the globe !! Thanks

 

[dgav407]

More racing news from the UK (http://www.kingcobra.co.uk/news/newsitem.php?id=623)

Race Runners at Nottingham this Weekend

We will be taking the new Evo 2 MCD Race Runners to race at Nottingham this Sunday.

Having convincingly won Round 1 of the Winter Series at The Nook two weeks ago ( Won by Trevor Kersey, and ftd by Ian Oddie by 23 seconds!), we are keen to return to race in Round 2 at Nottingham this weekend to prove the car can go just as well at Nottingham, and compete at the top again.

We should have the same drivers as last time with Trevor Kersey, Ian Oddie, Richard Stiles, Kevin Blears and Mark Suttcliffe, but also joined by Sinan Sunali and his brother who are coming over from Turkey with their cars to race with us.

We may also gain a couple more drivers with Race Runners who were inspired to see them go so well at the Nook last time, and for the next round we should also see Chris Gresham return from holiday and join us with his new Evo 2 Race Runner.

We have more drivers interested in changing to drive the Evo 2 Race Runners every day, and others very tempted by the prospepct of racing such a good value for money car against the much more expensive 2 wheel drive types that have previously dominated the series.

With no real importance on the type of tyre needed ( we all used just the one type so far), and with very little wear seen on any car to date, they are looking like a nice easy car to own and race.

Accident damage so far suggests they are at least as strong as any other car on the circuit, and when you do need parts, they are all available from stock.

It gets even better than that, becouse the designer/owner of the car Sinan Sunali will be racing over here in the UK regularilly again this season, and looking to see if anything can be improved as the cars are raced more often by more drivers on different circuits.

Sinan makes every part of the car himself inside his own factory ( no bought-in parts), so if improvements or changes are required the response is fast and positive.

Ian Oddie is well known for making his own tune-up parts for the cars he drives, and so no doubt we can expect to see some new Oddified parts appear to fit the Race Runners at some point in the future too!

Ian will be driving my old Race Runner car again this weekend, but he already has a new Evo 2 car to prepare for the next round back at The Nook circuit, so it will be interesting to see if his new car drives any better than my old one!

Posted by Bob on 21 November 2007 at 17:48:20

My comments:
It's good to see that King Cobra are confident that Ian Oddie will produce parts for the car - he has in the past produced alloy radio trays, adjustable diffs, clutches, brake upgrades for most of the high-end alloy european on and off-road cars.

To be honest his set-up input will be the most valuable thing he can offer to the majority of MCD bashers and racers.

It will be interesting to see whether he uses one of his own Oddified engines (4 bolt Heli spec?) in the new car he is preparing for the following race meeting. Apparently the engine in Ian Oddie's car was "red-hot" during the final at the previous race meeting!!

I will post the results (hopefully another race victory) etc next week.

Clive

 

[monotheist]

Thanks again Clive. Things are certainly shaping up fro MCD and with the prospect of more aftermarket parts things will start to get really interesting as so far we have all been at the mercy of the original design with the exception of the odd alloy part or two.

Its also interesting that anything aftermarket seems to be made from alloy (such as radio trays) I would have thought carbon fibre would have been perfect for this application. My MCD is approx 2-3kg's heavier than my old lightened and modded Baja5b so would like to start focusing on shedding some excess weight from the vehicle if thats possible.

I am silll unable to find any more info on the limited slip diffs and no one seems to have any for sale (well at least online anyways)

 

[dgav407]

Monotheist

I agree that the the MCD cars need to go on a diet. Both of my MCD cars are much heavier than the all alloy HARM BX1 and SX3 cars I own.

It should be possible to save weight by replacing the steel bolts with alloy (or titanium) ones and the turnbuckles with titanium ones (HARM and FG offer a good selection).

The steel drive blocks are another overweight item that could be replaced with an alloy product from HARM or FG.

The chassis could be machined to remove some excess weight but how much and from where? MCD already make a competition chassis for the Rally Cars and from the close-up pictures I have seen alot of metal has been removed. The chassis is similar to a 1:10 or 1:8 on-road nitro car.

Limited-slip diffs - the only info is to be found on the King Cobra website. There should be more info on the MCD cars when King Cobra's retail shop relaunch their website next month. From what I understand the new option parts (diffs and steel gears) have only been available in limited numbers. I have however, seen some of the new suspension parts listed on the website of the french MCD importer/retailer (http://ips2007.com/boutique/catalog/index.php?cPath=178)

With the change (for the worst) in the weather here in the UK I am now unlikely to test the limited-slip diff in my Race Runner. Unfortunately my test track (the local motocross track) is probably not going to open again until early next year. Anyway I am having too much fun with it installed in my Rally Car!

Clive

 

[monotheist]

Good call on the bolts. There is a lot of weight right there as most are M4 and M5 size so careful replacement with alloy on low stress areas or titanium could yeild a significant weight reduction. I remember when I weighed all the hardware for my 5b before replacing with stainless and was shocked just how much weight all the bolts, nuts and screws added.

One thing I have already done is replaced the standard battery withe a 2c 1300mah lipo as the packs 1/3 the weight of my old 4200mah pack. A simple mod which yeilds a significant weight reduction.

I was also thinking of drilling out my chassis like I did with my 5b (which removed 200-300 grams) but just cannot bring my self to doing it...




I have already got hold of the new steel gears but looks like I might have to wait a bit for the diffs. BTW the steel gears are no light weight!

 

[dgav407]

Monotheist

I use 2400mah and 2700mah AA cells for my receiver pack - although cost and not weight was the deciding factor in purchasing them.

What are the new steel gears like? Do they need to be run-in initially?

As for the LSDs diffs - Jannik at www.mcd4wd.com has suggested using 100,000 wt silicon oil in the standard diffs with the front one full of oil and the rear one half full of oil. I am going to try this with the standard front diff I removed from my Rally Car and I will report my findings.

Clive

 

[dgav407]

Thick (50,000 wt or 100,000 wt) silicon oil might just prove to be a good (and of course significantly cheaper) alternative to using limited-slip diffs.

I have filled my spare standard diff with 20,000 wt oil and installed it my Race Runner. Even this lighter oil improves the resistance to turning over using diff grease.

 

[monotheist]

My steel gears were really notchy for the first 10-20 mins of driving so do require a bit of break in. Actually they got so hot the first time I took it out I was concerned about the other 2 gears melting but they are now very smooth. The 2 tooth difference from standard allows greater flexibility in gear ratios and have since settled on a 27/36/27/23ratio which gives me a final drive ratio of around 8:1 which seems to suit my local track conditions quite well. I also just increased the RPM of my elcon clutch to 1.24 turns so I should now have a really snappy bottom end which is required for the stop start technical track sections.

I too was also thinking about using thicker oil for a poor mans LSD but the downside is I might need to buy an extra diff or two so I have different tunes ready to go where as I understand the proper LSD will self adjust to the surface conditions (i.e. run looser on thigh traction grass surfaces and tighter on slippery gravel). I might do it anyway to get a feel of the difference it makes before investing in the real thing so thanks for the oil weight to try.

 

[dgav407]

Monotheist

I have finally got round to testing my Race Runner (both on and off-road) with a number of upgrades and can confirm that using a heavier weight (20,000) silicon oil in the front diff does help reduce wheel-spin and improves traction out of tight turns. I would suggest using a heavier weight oil on a lower traction surface though. To be honest unless the car was being raced at the highest level I see no point in upgrading to LSDs.

I have tried the new steel gears and apart from a slight concern about the wear rate can thoroughly recommend them.

I can also recommend the King Cobra silver balloon springs on all four shocks.

On the racing front Ian Oddie won first time out with his new Race Runner Evo 2 car - he won the final by 4 laps! He has produced his first Oddified product for the MCD - a version of his 4-bolt Heli engine for the car - the same spec as he used to win the race at the weekend. I am convinced he will be racing the car in the 2008 British National off-road series.

Clive

 

[ChickenLips]

I think you guys have convinced me, steel gears on the way

 

[monotheist]

Cheers Clive. I added 100,000wt oil to the front diff a few weeks back and have been doing some testing on the track which is very loose at the moment due to lots of racing and no rain for weeks.

I also recommend this as although my off power steering seems to have suffered slightly the tighter front diff provides more over steer so I am now able to flick the rear end out while on power for the tight sections of the track. You would think 100,000wt would be to thick (the guy in the hobby shop calls it diff locker oil!) but there is only a slight extra resistance when manually turning the wheel by hand but it really does make a noticeable difference.

Haven't touched the rear yet and am wondering what something like 30-40k oil would do but for now I am quite happy with the way the car handles I might leave it alone for a while.

Regarding the steel gears I noticed wear on the teeth profile but once they bed in they are great. They really need a tank put through them before they free up properly as they are very notchy at first and will put a fair amount of additional load on your engine. I suggest a lower gear ratio at first and they will also get really hot (well at least mine did) because of the break in friction so be careful of that as well.