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TeamAssociated B4
The A-Teams Latest Warbird
Words: George M. Gonzalez
 A
prototype of Team Associated's B4 1/10-scale electric
buggy debuted at the
2002 International Model & Hobby Expo, and the
editors of Radio Control Car Action agreed that it was
the most monumental new car there. The B4 is an
all-new design from the ground up; it shares only a
few parts with its predecessor, the B3.
According to Team Associated, the B4 is its most
tunable buggy ever and is easier to adjust and
maintain than the previous RC10 series buggies. In
addition, the new car has the lowest possible center
of gravity (CG) and has fewer parts than the B3. We'll
have to wait until Associated releases the B4 in final
production trim to give you a full "Track
Test," but right now, we can give you the
bench-top B4 experience.
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 The
B4 uses the same hard-anodized front shocks as
its predecessor, but they're mounted behind
the shock towers to lower the car's overall CG
(much like those on the famous prototype
stealth car that Masami Hirosaka drove when he
won the IFMAR World Championship in 1989).
This is the first Associated buggy to feature
a molded front shock tower; previous models
used a fiberglass or graphite front shock
tower. Both the front and rear shock towers
have three shock-mounting positions, and the
suspension arms have two mounting options.
The
shock bottoms aren't secured to the front of
the suspension arms as they are on the B3;
instead, they're mounted on the inside of the
arms. This allows the shock bottoms to be
mounted more securely, and at the same time,
it greatly strengthens the arms. The B4 also
has more front nose clearance than the B3. The
front mini bumper is nearly 1/2 inch behind
the front tires. In a nose-dive situation, the
front tires—not the bumper—will contact
the track surface, so the buggy will recover
with fewer hang-ups.
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 The
B4's molded-plastic-composite chassis doesn't
have the same separate aluminum nose and rear
suspension plates as the B3 buggy. Instead,
this new chassis extends all the way to the
front of the vehicle and has a built-in 25
degrees of kick-up.
The
rear pivot block has molded-in
rear-suspension-arm mounts, and an
interchangeable suspension-arm mount on the
pivot block in front of the rear suspension
arms allows rear toe-in adjustment. Rear
anti-squat can be adjusted by installing
washers under the suspension-arm mounts. The
battery, motor and steering servo are mounted
low on the chassis to further lower the CG,
and that improves cornering speed and makes
the buggy more stable through jumps and bumps. |
 The front bulkhead and the
bellcrank steering system are attached to a small
upper deck that interlocks with the chassis. Just
remove a few screws, and you'll be able to remove the
front suspension and steering system as a complete
assembly for maintenance.
The B4 is
also the first Associated buggy since the original
RC10 to come equipped with trailing-axle steering
blocks. The optional in-line steering blocks allow you
to alter the buggy's steering characteristics while
maintaining the correct axle and Ackerman settings. To
adjust the length of the camber rod, there are two
camber-rod mounting options on the caster blocks and
front bulkhead. Additionally, to keep bump-steer to a
minimum through the entire range of suspension travel,
the steering drag link and steering blocks are on same
plane.
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Roll-center geometry can be adjusted by installing
washers under the vertically mounted ball studs on the
inside of the rear upper links. For camber-rod length
adjustment, a couple of mounting positions for the
inner ball studs have been molded into the chassis.
The transmission is keyed to the chassis, and it's
interlocked with the rear shock tower for greater
rigidity. The trick, molded rear wing mount doubles as
a transmission brace. Molded spacers installed on the
body posts allow three wing-angle settings: 0, 3 and 6
degrees. Additionally, the motor is mounted lower and
farther inward on the chassis to keep the center of
gravity low.
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SPECIFICATIONS
MANUFACTURER: Team
Associated
MODEL: B4 Team Kit
ESTIMATED PRICE: $179.99
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 10.72 in. (272mm)
Width: 9.875 in. (251mm)
WEIGHT
Total, with electronics (as shown):
54 oz. (1,531g)
CHASSIS
Type: molded semi-tub
Material: composite plastic
DRIVE TRAIN
Type: 3-gear sealed transmission
Transmission ratio: 2.6:1
Slipper clutch: dual disc
AXLES Type: MIP CVDs
DIFFERENTIALS
Ball type
BEARINGS
Rubber-sealed
SUSPENSION
Lower H-arms with turnbuckle
camber links
SHOCKS
Hard-anodized aluminum body
with foam volume compensator
WHEELS
Type: one-piece plastic
Dimensions (F/R): 2.2x.875 in./ 2.2x1.4 in.
TIRES
Type (F/R): Pro-Line M3-compound
Wide Body/M3-compound Bow Tie
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Cliff's notes
SKUNK WORKS ENGINEERING
Designing and manufacturing as complex a project as
the B4 requires a team of talented designers and
engineers. Cliff Lett is well known as the Team
Associated designer, and although he heads the
A-team's engineering department, he doesn't go it
alone. Torrance DeGuzman has been part of the team for
the past three years, and he played a major role in
the development of the Nitro TC3. Kurt Wenger is the
most recent addition to the design department, and he
brings his background in aerospace engineering to the
Associated brain trust. We asked Cliff to answer a few
questions on behalf of his crew about the B4's
development.
RC
CAR ACTION:
What were your goals when you fired up the CAD
software and began the design phases?
Cliff Lett: A lot has changed since the B3
buggy was introduced. At that time, most racers wanted
a car that handled well on bumpy tracks and needed
fewer adjustments. These days, most tracks have
hard-packed, blue-groove-type surfaces, and racers
like to have many tuning options. Our first goal was
to design the most adjustable buggy to date. Lowering
the car's overall CG was extremely important. Most
weight comes from the battery, motor, steering servo
and shocks, so these components had to be lower on the
chassis. We also wanted the buggy to have fewer parts,
to be easier to maintain and to have rear wheels that
would be compatible with other manufacturers' wheels.
RCCA:
Which of the B4 features are you particularly proud
of?
CL: We're proud of the entire car, but the B4
is just so much easier to work on. There are fewer
parts, and all of the screws and vertical ball studs
are easy to reach; that makes maintenance and tuning a
breeze. All of the major components interlock with one
another to form a solid structure. By taking out a few
screws, you can remove the front suspension as a
complete assembly.
The same goes for the transmission and rear
suspension. A lot of attention to detail went into the
B4. Even the body was designed with our Solid Works
software.
RCCA:
I understand that a few Team drivers have raced the B4
at club races; how does it hold up in battle?
CL: Very well. Travis Amezcua TQ'ed and won at
SoCal Raceway the first time he raced the car. If you
know anything about SoCal Raceway, you'll know that
racing there on a Saturday night is like competing at
the Nationals; many of Southern California's top
drivers race there. Other drivers have similar success
stories.
RCCA:
Will other versions of the B4 buggy be available?
CL: For the time being, we will offer a B4 Team
Kit that includes MIP CVD axles, hard-anodized Team
shocks, rubber-sealed bearings and Pro-Line
M3-compound Bow Tie rear tires and Wide Body front
tires. A Factory Team Kit may follow, and we're
discussing other variations as well.
RCCA:
Any word on the possibility of a T4 racing truck and a
nitro truck after that?
CL: I'd be lying if I told you that we weren't
considering a racing truck. Of course, we designed the
B4 chassis with a racing-truck application in mind.
We'd be fools if we didn't. I don't have any details
because that project is so far down the line. A new
gas truck? I think that you're getting ahead of
yourself, George. Don't make me slap you!
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| Right: the
B4's new 2.6:1 reduction Stealth tranny uses the same
bulletproof ball diff as the RC10GT. The transmission
assembly has been optimized into an ultra-compact
package that is now an integral part of the chassis
and suspension structure. The dual-disc slipper clutch
features octagonal slipper pads and identical front
and rear slipper plates to lower the parts count. The
lighter slipper plates reduce the rotating mass.
Spur-gear
changes require slipper clutch disassembly because the
spur gear is sandwiched between two pressure plates.
The spur gear has octagonal recesses on both sides,
and the slipper pads are slightly oversize; they snap
into the center of the spur gear, eliminating the need
for finicky hand alignment. The rear motor guard is
now made of plastic, so it rebounds from impacts and
is lighter than the aluminum parts of previous RC10
buggies.
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Left: the
B4 has raised chassis sides for increased cornering
clearance. Raising the sides also reduces the chassis'
"footprint," so there's less contact with
the track if the chassis scrapes a jump face or
bottoms out on a landing. |
The rear suspension arms are
angled upward at their outer ends where they meet the
rear wheel hubs, and the rear shock tower is mounted
low. This not only lowers the car's CG, but it also
allows you to use slightly shorter 1.18-inch rear
shocks without sacrificing suspension travel (the
shorter shocks weigh less, too). The four suspension
arms are the same length, and the suspension hinge
pins are captured so that no E-clips are required. The
hinge pins are made of a stronger steel so they can be
machined to a smaller diameter to reduce their weight
without sacrificing strength.
The rear
hub carriers have two camber-link mounting options.
Aluminum wheel supports are mounted on the drive axles
behind the wheel pin. For subtle wheelbase
adjustments, slide the hub carriers forward or
backward on the hinge pins and rearrange the hub
spacers. The B4 has a slightly longer wheelbase than
the B3, and that increases its stability and brings it
to the maximum legal length. To increase traction and
push the B4 out to the maximum ROAR-legal width, the
rear suspension has longer MIP CVD axles.
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Waiting to take the wheel
It looks as if the B4 has all the features that racers could
ask for—more. This buggy is more adjustable and easier to
work on; it features a lower CG, and if looks are factored in,
it's meaner than any other Team Associated buggy. We haven't
wheeled the B4 yet, but Associated's team drivers tell us that
it was worth the wait. We're looking forward to finding out
for ourselves.
Radio
Control Car Action Car of the Year '05
Team Associated RC10B4
Stealth
Words: George M. Gonzalez
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With
so many significant new cars released this year,
choosing the Radio Control Car Action Car of the Year
wasn't easy. We considered many new 1/8-scale buggies,
1/10-scale electric and nitro-powered touring cars and
a slew of RTR vehicles as possible finalists, but the
candidates quickly funneled down to one car we could
all agree on: the Team Associated RC10B4 Stealth.
The
B4 has been available only for a short time, but it
has already caused quite a stir in electric 2WD
off-road circles. It won the Expert Mod Buggy class at
the Cactus Classic on its very first outing, and it
finished in second place at the 2nd Annual Team Losi
Off-Road Championships a few weeks later. The B4 buggy
is definitely off to a good start, but that's only a
small part of why we chose it as the 2003 RC Car
Action Car of the Year. Read on to get the full story
and some big news directly from our sources at Team
Associated.
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PERFORMANCE
The B4 won the tough Expert Mod Buggy class at the Cactus
Classic on its first outing, and it has a consistent A-main
presence in all levels of races from the Saturday afternoon
club scene to annual off-road championships. Many dedicated
Team Associated loyalists have reported faster lap times after
retiring their B3 buggies and taking control of a B4, and
you'll find strings of posts that praise the new Stealth buggy
in the various RC chat rooms and on bulletin boards.
MORE
TUNING, LESS MAINTENANCE
The B4 is much easier to build, tune and maintain than any of
the previous RC10 buggies. Team Associated has always included
excellent assembly instructions, and the B4's are the best to
date. Wrenching on the B4 is a breeze because the front and
rear suspension assemblies can be removed in minutes by
loosening a few screws, and all of the car's major components
are easy to access. The vertical ball studs are easy to reach,
and you don't have to disassemble one component to be able to
access hard-to-reach screws. The bombproof RC10GT ball diff
and the large-surface-area, dual-pad slipper clutch ensure
that the tranny will last a long time, and the differential
will get plenty of track time between rebuilds.
FACTORY
SUPPORT
The B4 has been available for only a few short months, yet a
bunch of factory and aftermarket hop-ups and tuning parts are
already available for it. Team Associated has a huge
distribution, which means that stock replacement parts are
readily available at your local hobby shop and mail-order
outlet. Setup information, building tips, accessory listings
and customer support are only a click away at
teamassociated.com.
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THE
ORIGINAL RC10: A LEGEND IS BORN
The original RC10 set the
standard for 2WD off-road
electric racing in the mid-'80s
with its fully independent and
tunable suspension, 6-gear
transmission with an external
ball differential and trademark
gold-anodized-aluminum tub
chassis. Many variations of the
original RC10 buggy were
introduced throughout the late
'80s and early '90s, including
the first "Team" and
"Worlds" cars, but
other than giving birth to the
3-gear transmission, the RC10
underwent no sweeping changes
until 1995.
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B2:
THE FIRST STEALTH CAR
The B2 made its dramatic debut
at the '95 IFMAR Worlds in
Japan. Five of the 26 prototypes
that had been sent to Japan made
it to the A-main, and Matt
Francis, who drove for Team
Associated at that time, went on
to TQ and win the event. The B2
represented several
"firsts" for Team
Associated: it was the first
RC10 buggy that was designed
using computer-assisted-design
(CAD) software, the first
official production buggy to
carry the Stealth badge and the
first Team Associated buggy to
have a composite-plastic
chassis.
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B3:
THE WARBIRD GETS
NEW ARTILLERY
The B3 was released in '98, and
although it was based on the
previous B2 design, it sported
many new features that made it
more competitive. It offered
more tuning options than the B2,
and it was the first RC10 buggy
with Associated's "Quadra
Symmetrical" suspension,
which means that the front and
rear suspension arms are equally
long, and the front and rear
inboard hinge pins are inline
with each other. The B3 remains
a popular buggy to this day; you
picked it as the winner of the
"Readers' Choice
Awards" for favorite
electric buggy.
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B4:
THE NEW STEALTH CAR
The new B4 is a leaner and
meaner Stealth buggy. It's
designed to be as nimble on a
smooth blue-groove track as it
is on a bumpy track, thanks to
the highly tunable suspension.
Although performance was the
number-one goal, the designers
made the B4 much easier to build
and maintain—an added bonus.
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After collecting
the hardware for Car of the Year at the
RCX show, we pulled chief designer Cliff
Lett aside to answer a few Q's about his
experiences while designing the B4.
Radio
Control Car Action:
The B4 is an awesome buggy. Did you face
any major challenges during the design
process?
Cliff Lett: We encountered
numerous design challenges in the B4's
development, but our number-one goal was
for it to have an extreme range of
tunability. The B3 required a very
aggressive driving style that did not
cater to many of our customers or to the
new generation of high-grip, blue-groove
tracks. We wanted a car that could be
tuned to handle like the B3 when
necessary, but also be tunable enough
for extreme high grip. This was not an
easy task, but I think we got it right.
RCCA:
Were there any unusual or funny stories
that you can share about the prototype
stages?
CL: Every project is filled with
surprises, hurdles to overcome and funny
situations. In the early days of the
B4's development, several prototypes
were being tested at SoCal Raceway. I
think we had a total of 12 cars,
including a standard B3 and a Triple-X.
When we finished assembling all of them,
we needed to paint the bodies. All we
had around the shop was a can of red
paint, so we painted all the cars red
with black windows. After a few weeks,
there were Web forum threads created
that mentioned the mysterious red car
being driven by Associated's team
drivers at SoCal. No one could figure
out which car we were driving, all
because we only had one can of paint!
RCCA:
The B4 has been a long time coming; is
it everything you hoped it would be?
CL: As with any project that
leaves this office and heads to
production, I am never quite ready to
give it the big OK without worrying
about something. I have tried to train
our engineers to be extremely
detail-focused in everything they do.
The payoff for this shows in products
like the B4, where the entire project
flows together. So far we are ecstatic
about the car's performance and can't
wait to apply everything we have learned
to the T4.
RCCA:
Do you think that the B4 will have an
influence on the Team Associated racing
teams' performance at the next IFMAR
Worlds?
CL: I truly hope that the B4
helps our team perform well at the IFMAR
Worlds in October. But regardless of
which team is fortunate enough to win, I
hope our customers will continue to
enjoy the B4, and we are committed to
providing them with the
highest-performance, top-quality
products in the future.
NEWS
FLASH
TEAM ASSOCIATED
B4 RTR IN THE WORKS
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You
heard right—Team Associated
will offer a ready-to-run (RTR)
version of the B4! The B4 RTR
will include Team Associated's
newest Jaguar radio system, an
LRP speedo and a Reedy mod
motor.
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