- TeamC Racing TM4 - Tony Phalen - Review -

The Build – Part 8 – Rear Suspension
In Part 8 of the Team C TM4 build we’ll be assembling and installing the rear suspension. Pretty straightforward.

Build Notes:
- There were a few manual mistakes that I found, mainly the droop setscrews and anti-roll bar setscrews being mixed up. The manual also calls out a 1.2mm rear anti-roll bar, however a 1.1mm one was included. I’ve addresses these differences in their corresponding build steps.

Step 76: Let’s start by pressing a 5×13 and 5×10 bearing into each rear hub. The hubs are not directional so there is no need to worry about which side they go on.

Step 77: Insert the 62mm CVDs into the rear hubs. Slide the axle pin in place followed by the wheel hex. Secure the wheel hex with the M2x5 screw.

Step 78: The rear suspension arms come in a left and right gullwing design, so pay attention here. Using a M3x10 setscrew (instead of the M3x8 the manual says), insert it into the rear arms. You can get the M3x8 screws from the anti-roll bar link parts.

Step 79: Also, find the rear, outer hinge pins. You’ll notice the recessed groove where the setscrew will seat.

Step 80: Slide the outer hinge pin through the suspension arm and rear hub. There are 2 spacers that allow you to adjust the overall wheelbase of the TM4. For now, let’s put one on each side of the rear hub. Like we did with the front, screw a M3x3 setscrew up through the bottom of the rear hub to capture the hinge pin. Don’t overtighten!

Step 81: Your assembled rear suspension arms should look like this.

Step 82: As with the front, the rear uses inserts in the arm mounts. These are used to adjust anti-squat, roll center and rear toe. We’ll be using the 0° RF inserts and 1° RR inserts.

Step 83: Press the 0° inserts into the RF arm mount.

Step 84: Slide the long, inner hinge pin into the through the rear arm assembly and into the RF arm mount. Pay attention to the direction of the rear arms; the shock mounting holes in the arm should face forward.

Step 85: Press the 1° inserts into the RR arm mount. Note that the ‘indicator’ on the insert should face out, like the picture.

Step 86: Slide the RR mount into place and over the hinge pins, securing it with the M3x12 screws.

Step 87: Screw one long ballstud into the center hole in the rear hub and one into the middle hole in the shock tower. Secure the shock tower ballstud with a M3 nut.

Step 88: Key the CVD into the outdrive and pop the rear turnbuckles on that we built in Step 73.

Step 89: Build 4 anti-roll bar links. You want to use a M3x8 setscrew instead of the M3x10 the manual says. These were the ones we were going to use as droop screws. We’re going to attach the front bar first, then the rear.

Step 90: Pop the anti-roll bar links onto the balls molded into the front arms. Make sure the anti-roll bar ballstud faces the front of the car. I popped the front camber link off so you could see the anti-roll bar mount a little better.

Step 91: Using the 1.2mm bar, slide the ends into the anti-roll bar mounts you just attached to the arms. Press the bar into place where the arrow shows.

Step 92: Set the anti-roll bar cap into place and secure. Screw the M3x3 setscrews into place until the JUST TOUCH the bar, then back them off a teeny, weeny bit. They are there to keep the bar from moving back and forth, not to hinder it’s rotation.

Step 93: Follow the same procedure to attach the rear anti-roll bar. You will be using a 1.1mm bar in the back even though the manual says it’s a 1.2mm (my rear one was labeled, however my front wasn’t).

Great job. A few extra build steps than we’ve encountered so far but it’s starting to look like a real car now!

Next: Shocks