1/10-SCALE ELECTRIC 4WD TOURING CAR | KIT
This newcomer to competition touring hits the pavement running with a high-tech, two-belt design

Team C has only been around for a few years, but they’ve quickly earned a reputation by producing competitive cars in the off-road segment of RC. They’ve enjoyed plenty of great success on the dirt, with the latest generation of Team C vehicles capturing national titles across the globe and competing in the world arena. With hopes of doing the same on asphalt, Team C engineers have conjured up the TC10 touring sedan. At first glance, you can tell that Team C did their homework and held nothing back when they designed their first on-roader. The TC10’s feature list includes a double-deck carbon-fiber chassis, aluminum front and rear bulkheads, and an efficient dual-belt drive system. It’s always exciting to receive a manufacturer’s first attempt into a new segment of the hobby, and it looks like the TC10 has all the ingredients to make it a winner. Let’s hit the track.

CLASSIC TWO-BELT DRIVETRAIN

The TC10’s drivetrain is a traditional two-belt design, with a pair of aluminum pulleys sandwiching a nylon spur gear. A machined-aluminum mount holds the motor, and the nylon-reinforced belts can be adjusted via rotating cams that hold the rear diff and front spool. You can tighten the tension on the belts for greater reliability when racing modified, or looser for minimal resistance when running in the stock class with a 17.5-turn motor. The rear gear differential is virtually maintenance free, and can be adjusted using oils of different viscosities. Lightweight aluminum outdrives connect to the rear universals via plastic “blades” that cut down on wear and reduce backlash for smoother power delivery, and the outdrives for the front one-piece spool are made of plastic, which gives similar benefits with less rotating weight. A pair of 20-tooth pulleys are mounted to the center shaft alongside the spur gear. Spur gear changes are quick and easy, requiring only the removal of two screws, and together with a very usable 1.9:1 internal gear ratio, the TC10 can be geared to suit any track or motor.

Left: Removing two screws is all it takes to remove the spur gear, which allows for quick gearing changes.

Above: The TC10 uses a gear differential in the rear that is virtually maintenance free.

PRO-SPEC SUSPENSION

One of the most important tools when tuning your sedan to the track on race day is its suspension, and the TC10’s race-bred suspension has an incredible amount of adjustment that gives any driver the tools needed to be at the front of the pack. Stiff suspension arms limit twist and stay straight and true, yielding consistent handling. The arms mount to the chassis via an aluminum anchor that pivots and mates to a fixed toe-in block. Robust 3mm-thick shock towers offer five possible shock mounting positions on the front and rear, though the arms only offer one shock mounting position. Team C includes 1.2mm and 1.3mm swaybars to tune the TC10’s chassis roll, and the rear arms incorporate three mounting positions to further tune the effectiveness of the anti-roll bars. Camber settings are adjusted via upper links that include lightweight aluminum turnbuckles. The low-profile shocks feature attractive threaded aluminum bodies, measuring in at 12mm in bore, with matching aluminum collars for precise ride height adjustments, while the overall short length of the shocks helps keep the center of gravity as low as possible.

The short-profile shocks on all four corners help to lower the CG considerably. The TC10’s suspension is fully adjustable to suit any track condition.

CARBON-FIBER CHASSIS

The TC10’s double-deck carbon-fiber chassis not only offers a solid platform, but it also has some adjustability to offer. The chassis is completely symmetrical from left to right to give the TC10 perfect torsional and lateral flex. To further aid with equal flex, major components like aluminum bulkheads and suspension arm mounts are centrally bolted to the chassis with the motor mount and servo over hang mount affixed directly down the center of the chassis. A narrow 2mm thick carbon-fiber upper deck mounts to the front and rear bulkheads via four screws and two screws each attach to the motor plate and steering rack support. By removing screws from the top deck, the chassis’ torsional flex can be altered — fewer screws, more flex.

The bottom side of the chassis shows the TC10’s perfect symmetry, which gives it excellent balance.

Left: An aluminum overhead servo mount bolts to the centerline of the TC10 to avoid binding chassis flex.

PRECISION STEERING SYSTEM

The TC10’s steering system is adjustable for toe-in via turnbuckles as expected, but it also offers additional adjustability to finely tune the feel of steering. Each of the steering knuckles includes three mounting holes for the ball stud, allowing you to move the stud farther outboard or closer to the kingpin to alter the amount of steering Ackerman. For finer Ackerman adjustments, the dual-bellcrank steering system holds the tie rods via forward-facing ball studs threaded into the aluminum drag link. By installing spacers beneath the ball studs, minute adjustments can be made. One item you won’t find in the steering system is a servo-saver; if you choose to run one, you’ll have to go with a servo-mounted unit, as there is no provision for one in the bellcrank system. As the TC10’s design intends, I installed a sufficiently durable servo (a Savöx SC-1251MG metal-gear unit) so I could forego a servo-saver and the steering imprecision that can come with it.

Below: Three steering linkage positions on the steering knuckle allow various Ackerman and linkage length settings.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

I tested the TC10 at Heritage RC Park in Chula Vista, CA, where they’ve just laid down new asphalt and begun ramping up their on-road program. With a couple hours of practice time before racing started, I got down to work. With the car built to the settings suggested in the manual, I ran the first couple of battery packs through the TC10 while I learned the track layout. The first thing I noticed was how easy it was to drive fast around the track. As the tires broke in and traction came up, the TC10 really started to come alive and my lap times began to shed tenths. With racing about to start, I checked the car’s settings. I set camber to negative 1 degree on all four corners and dialed in 0 degrees of front toe-in. The TC10 clung to the track like Velcro, though initial turn-in when entering the first 180 was a little on the safe side as the TC10 had a slight, but controllable push. The switchback chicane section was no challenge as the TC10 snicked through with its rear tires neatly tucked in line. After the first qualifier, I decided to stiffen up the front and rear suspension. The box stock setup, though well sorted, allowed a bit too much chassis roll for the track conditions and created more mechanical grip than I needed. The chassis roll makes the car easy to drive in loose conditions, but on high-grip asphalt, too much traction will slow down your corner speed. I wanted to keep the same balance, so I moved the shocks out one hole on the towers. For the second qualifier, the TC10 was considerably better and quite competitive in the infield of the track. By keeping the overall balance of the first run but initiating turns more quickly (thanks to the stiffer suspension setting), the TC10 gave me the confidence to push harder. Throughout the rest of the race day, the small changes I made to the TC10 gave me faster lap times, and I have no doubt that more trigger and tuning time will shave more precious tenths off my laps.

TEST GEAR Airtronics M12

The Team C TC10 is a high-caliber sedan, which in turn demands the use of a radio of the same caliber. The M12 is Airtronics’ flagship radio and the superstar that is considered the standard in the highest levels of racing. In hand, the M12 felt like a comfortable steering wheel in an exotic sports car. Its optional larger grip and steering wheel drop-down allowed me to further tailor it to my liking. Its extensive tuning menu helped me to precisely adjust the TC10’s steering and throttle feel for ultimate control on the track. The M12 unlocked the full potential of the Airtronics Super Vortex Zero ESC and RX-472 receiver used in this performance test by allowing speed control adjustments to be made directly from the radio — a very useful feature when making adjustments on the fly right before a heat or main.

FINAL WORD

The TC10 works hard on the track, rewarding the driver with easy drivability, solid durability, and plenty of tuning options for any track. It’s a solid performer at the local level looking to add to Team C’s growing resume of race results. This comes to no surprise considering that the TC10 is a very well-designed and built sedan. After a full day of racing with the TC10, I was overall impressed with its high level of competence on the asphalt and ability to quickly adapt to track conditions. The TC10’s price point puts it in the same class as most sedans on the market, but in my opinion, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. There is one thing that money can’t buy, and that’s confidence, which you’re sure to have when driving the TC10.

SOURCES

Airtronics airtronics.net

Fatty Grafx fattygrafx.com

Heritage RC Park cvrcraceclub.com

Protoform racepf.com

Savox savoxusa.com

Team C teamcracingus.com

Team Powers team-powers.com

+
Excellent handling right out of the box
Superb fit and finish
Top-shelf materials
Easy to work on and tune
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Wheels not included

TEST GEAR (NOT INCLUDED)

Transmitter: Airtronics M12

Receiver: Airtronics RX-472 2.4 GHz FH4T 4-channel

Speed control: Airtronics Super Vortex ZERO

Motor: Savöx 17.5-turn

Battery: Prime 6500mAh 2S 100C LiPo

Servo: Savöx SC-1251MG

Tires: Team Powers 36R premounts

Body: PROTOform Lexus LF-A, painted by Fatty Graphix

VEHICLE SPECS

Item no.: TC10
Scale: 1/10
Price: $420
Weight, as tested: 3.04 lb. (1382g)

CHASSIS

Material: Carbon fiber

Type: Double-deck plate

SUSPENSION

Type: Front and rear H-Arm with turnbuckle camber link

Inboard camber link positions (F/R): 3/3

Outboard camber link positions (F/R): 1/2

Shock positions, towers (F/R): 5/5

Shock positions, arms (F/R): 1/1

SHOCKS

Bodies: Threaded aluminum, 12mm

Shafts: 3mm shafts, plated

Volume compensation: Bladder

DRIVETRAIN

Type/Ratio: Twin-belt 4WD/1.9:1

Differential (F/R): Spool/oil-filled bevel gear differential

Driveshafts: Aluminum universals

Bearings: Metal shielded ball bearings