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XRAY T2 and T2'007 Tips and Tricks from Nexus Racing
Every racing kit can be a little better with a few personal modifications. XRAY provides a lot of great information for the T2 at their XRAY T2 Knowlege Base. We'll try to provide some more unique tips and tricks here. Check back often for updates!
REMOVING THE C-CLIP FROM THE DIFF
Skill Level=Easy (added 5/11/07)
XRAY ball diffs feature a small c-clip that holds the thrust bearing inside the diff outdrive. This design doesn't have any apparant flaws, but you must have a pretty specialized tool to remove the c-clip and access the thrust assembly.
You could go to Sears and purchase the Craftsman $23+ mini snap-ring tool, but we have found that Integy's Small Round Head Pliers fit this c-clip perfectly. The Integy pliers are smalller and much cheaper than the Craftsman tool, and they are useful for more than just c-clip removal!
USING PROPER MOTOR MOUNT SCREWS
Skill Level=Easy (added 3/2/07)
With the release of the T2'007, XRAY began including new, higher quality button-head screws with their kits. They feature a conical area under the head that causes the screws to self-center (like countersunk screws) on graphite and composite parts. XRAY warns, however, that you should not overtighten these screws against any aluminum parts. Here is a picture showing the conical area:
Since motor screws should always be securely tightened, using these screws for mounting motors in your T2 can create "craters" in the mount that make it difficult to change the gear mesh (the screw will continually want to move to the place where it was tightened previously).
As a result, we recommend using generic 3x6mm button-head screws that do not have a conical area under the head for motor mounting. We do not recommend cap-head screws, as these screws also have the tendency to damage motor mounts.
SHOCK TIP: REPLACING THE SHOCK O-RINGS
Skill Level=Easy (added 11/21/2006)
Sometime during the production of one of the later batches of the T2, XRAY began including black o-rings (instead of the purple silicone o-rings) for use on the 3mm shock shaft. The problem with these new o-rings is that they ?grow? a relatively large amount as they become saturated with oil, making them too big to fit properly in the lower shock cap:
After the o-rings increase in size, the XRAY shocks will build and perform inconsistently, as the black o-rings will occasionally pinch the 3mm shock shaft too tightly.
The easiest way to solve this problem is to replace the black o-rings with the older purple versions (if you can find them), which are more slick and less susceptible to growth as they become saturated with oil.
Another (but much more difficult) solution to this problem is carefully increasing the size of the opening for the o-ring in the lower shock cap. This can be accomplished by using a flat-head screwdriver tip to ream the hole open. The opening would need to be increased to around 6.15mm.
Aftermarket o-rings offered by companies such as MuchMore and Hybrid can also be used, but again the openings in the lower shock cap would have to be reamed larger.
Thanks to Ryan Lee of MuchMore Korea for providing information about the preceding tip.
OTHER SHOCK TIPS
Skill Level=Easy (added 11/21/2006)
XRAY provides some great shock building guidance both in their manuals and on their online forums. Here are some additional shock building tips from Nexus Racing:
1) Soak the 3mm shock shaft o-rings in shock oil for around 30minutes before assembling the shocks. As noted in another tip on this page, some shock o-rings will ?grow? as they become satuated with oil; it is ideal to build the shocks with the o-rings already saturated so that your shocks perform consistent with how you build them.
2) Once built or rebuilt, XRAY shocks tend to ?settle? (rebound less) after being run a couple of times. It is a good idea to build the shocks with a little more rebound than desired in anticipation that they will rebound less after only a couple of runs.
3) On the T2, it is very common to run different pistons in the front and rear shocks. If you prefer the non-adjustable pistons over the adjustable pistons, it is a good idea to label one pair of shocks so that you can distinguish between the front and rear sets. The silver metallic Sharpie works perfect for this.
EASIER SHOCK PRE-LOAD SETTINGS
Skill Level=Easy (added 6/29/2006)
Tamiya's blue aluminum shock collars (part no. 49310) fit perfectly on the XRAY T2 and make adjusting your pre-load (ride-height and tweak) much easier. Unlike the stock XRAY collars, the Tamiya collars can be threaded all the way to the top of the shock body to the point where if you continue to tighten them (with the shock fully installed), they will twist the shock body independent of the cap (the XRAY collars do not have enough threads to accomplish this). This makes you able to align the notches in the Tamiya collars with the center of the shock. Then, you are able to easily and accurately adjust the collars in equal increments by lining up the notches left and right. Overall, this change makes life in the pits much easier; you will no longer have to dig out your calipers to check pre-load settings! You can purchase the Tamiya shock collars directly from Tamiya America online at www.tamiyausa.com.
HOW TO GET MORE LIFE OUT OF YOUR DRIVESHAFT CAPS (BLADES)
Skill Level=Easy (added 6/19/2006)
UPDATE 11/21/2006: With the arrival of the T2'007, XRAY has released new and improved 3mm driveshaft caps (same part number; #305240) that make this modification no longer neccessary. The new caps, aside from being beefier and more durable, squeeze the ball of the dogbone nicely, making them last much longer!
END UPDATE
The XRAY 3mm driveshaft caps (blades) are often a little "stretched" when installed on the driveshaft. When they are stretched, slop exists between the ball of the dogbone and the driveshaft cap, and this causes the caps to wear very quickly.
Replacing the caps often can be a big hassle. Also, If you do not keep your eye on the condition of the caps, you can quickly ruin your nicely-machined XRAY diff outdrives! Here is a quick tip that can allow you to get much more life out of your blades:
First, lightly squeeze the blade with a pair of pliers so that it grabs the ball of the dogbone. While squeezing, heat up the top of the cap (the "apex") with a heat gun or small butane torch. Continue to heat this area until you see it just start to melt. Then, allow the cap to cool as you continue to squeeze it. Performing this procedure will remove the play from the cap and give the cap a bigger contact area with the outdrive, making it last longer.
MODIFICATION TO REDUCE UNIVERSAL "CHATTER" WHEN RUNNING A SPOOL
Skill Level=Difficult (added 5/11/2006)
UPDATE 11/1/2006: It appears that XRAY has made an update to the wheel axles (just in time for the release of the T2'007 kits) that makes this modification less necessary. As shown in the picture below, the new-style wheel axles have edges inside the axle cup that are tapered (as suggested in this article). We have found that this greatly reduces the binding in the universals! It can still be slightly beneficial to shorten and taper the new-style wheel axles a little more, however, as the driveshafts can still catch ever-so-slightly on the new axles.
END UPDATE
While it is very common to refer to universals such as those on the T2 as "CVD's," there is nothing "constant velocity" about them. The universals actually fluctuate in speed when any angle is applied. These fluctuations are especially burdensome when running a spool up front, because the constant positive drive essentially gives no "relief" for the noise created, and the universals can chatter at larger angles.
The universals that come stock on the Xray T2 tend to bind up and chatter in standard operation when certain setups are applied (with certain ackerman, track width, and/or toe settings). A little bit of grinding can make the universals operate more smoothly at larger steering angles. After the following modification, the universals will be able to operate an additional 5 degrees from its previous limits. They will also operate more smoothly at these higher angles. All of the grinding is performed on the wheel axles.
First grind the outside of the axle cup to reduce the overall length of the axle. The best and easiest way to do this is to mount the axle into a drill press and push it down on a flat grinding stone or piece of sandpaper. Be careful not to overheat the axle, because excessive heat can alter the wear characteristics of the steel. Continue to grind until the overall length of the axle is reduced from the stock 30.55mm to 30.1mm.
After removing some of the excess material from the outside of the cup, there will still be plenty of material outside of the pin holes, so reducing the durability of the axle should not be a concern.
Next, bevel the inside of the cup where the driveshaft makes contact at full throw. This is best and most easily accomplished by using an angled grinding stone bit available anywhere that sells air compressor accessories. Stick with a bit that has close to a 90 degree angle at the tip like this one:
Continue to bevel the inside until you get close to, but not on the edge of, the axle's pin hole. A completed axle will look like this:
OTHER TIPS TO REDUCE UNIVERSAL "CHATTER"
Skill Level=Easy (added 5/11/2006)
-The most obvious way to reduce chatter is by utilizing a setup with more inherent steering. This way, you will not need to steer the car at the higher angles that can produce chatter.
-Try to incorporate a setup with inboard toe-out on the front suspension. This would entail putting a thicker track-width shim on front-front lower suspension holder than on the front-rear lower suspension holder. When inboard toe out is used, the steering knuckle actually has to toe-in in relation to the arm to get the proper front toe. As a result, when the steering is at full-throw, there is less of an angle placed upon the universal and steering will be able to operate more smoothly.
-Install the outdrives into the Xray Multi-Diff at different angles. Though the net overall chatter effect will not be reduced, the two front universals have the potential to "bind" at different points in time, reducing the negative "feel" that can result on the track.
-Keep your universals clean! A little dirt present in the front universals can cause a lot of universal noise.
-Never run bent driveshafts up front. If you get into a bind, install a straight universal from the back of your car on the front. The bent driveshaft will cause fewer problems when installed on the back of the car.
KEEPING OUTDRIVE CUPS FROM COMING OUT OF THE MULTI-DIFF
Skill Level=Easy (added 5/11/2006)
Two problems can arise when the outdrive cups move away from the center of the Multi-Diff. First, negative handling effects can result from the changing harmonics caused by the driveshafts' fluctuating angles. Second, the Multi-Diff actually has the potential to strip the hexes out of the outdrives because of the reduced contact between the outdrive and the locking axle.
Xray suggests placing an o-ring inside of the outdrive before inserting the driveshaft. We do not recommend this for two reasons: 1) the outdrive still has the potential to move outward and 2) an o-ring can bind the suspension by hindering the inward movement of the driveshaft in certain circumstances (such as certain roll center and track width settings).
To keep the outdrives from moving outward, we suggest "gluing" the Multi-Diff parts together with blue thread lock (or similar). The best thing about this solution is that it is not permanent; you could always still physically pull or tap the outdrives out of the Multi-Diff if you wanted to remove them.
All you have to do is pool a little bit of thread lock into the outdrive before inserting it into the Multi-Diff (with the locking axle already installed).
PREVENTING THE T2 BULKHEADS FROM SHIFTING
Skill Level=Easy (added 5/11/2006)
The aluminum bulkheads can shift either when you tighten them into the car or when you have collisions on the track. When they do shift, the drivetrain can bind and the car can tweek.
To reduce this effect, scuff the bottom parts of the bulkhead that make contact with the chassis. The easiest way to do this is to use a simple file. It is most effective to Scuff the pieces in two directions.
Immediately when you re-install the bulkheads in the car, you will notice that they begin to "grab" the carbon fiber instead of slide on top of it.
PREVENTING THE T2 CHASSIS POSTS FROM SHIFTING
Skill Level=Easy (added 5/11/2006)
The T2 chassis posts can shift in a similar way to the bulkheads (explained above). Also, these posts can become difficult to tighten because they sometimes twist in circles while you attempt to tighten them. Scuffing the bottoms of the chassis posts can prevent both of these problems.
The easiest way to scuff them is to use a simple file. Move the file back and forth over the surface while you twist the post in a circle.
Immediately when you re-install the posts in the car, you will notice that they begin to "grab" the carbon fiber instead of slide on top of it.
REINFORCING THE STEERING BELLCRANK POST FOR MORE DURABILITY
Skill Level=Difficult (added 5/11/2006)
The stock steering bellcrank post on the Xray T2 is dangerously thin towards the bottom (for belt clearance). Because it is made of aluminum, it is possible that the post can bend during some impacts. It is not very easy to notice when the bellcrank post bends because of its position on the chassis. When it bends, the tweek that it creates is not always noticeable through conventional methods of checking tweek. Also, the bent post creates awkward and constantly changing ackerman settings.
To prevent the post from bending, we recommend this modification. For best results, you should definitely use a drill press. Use the upper-deck with the bearing holder and bearing installed as a jig for the bellcrank post. Set the post upside-down in the upper deck and hold it with your hand. Mark and indent an area in the center of the bellcrank post with a centerpunch. Drill a 1/16" hole a little past the thin part of the bellcrank post. Try to drill as close to the center of the post as possible. Do not allow the post to wobble as you drill, because you want the hole to be "tight."
After you drill the hole, clean both the hole and the drill bit with rubbing alcohol or motor spray. Lightly coat the smooth part of the drill bit with JB Weld (or similar) and push it into the hole. Allow a full 16 hours for the JB Weld to dry and harden. Afterwards, cut off the portion of the drill bit that sticks out from the bellcrank post. Be sure that the bellcrank post remains flat at the bottom. It is best to use a drill bit as a steel insert because drill bits are hardened and will usually break before they ever bend. A modified bellcrank will look like this:
After performing this modification, you will be able to work on and drive your car with confidence that the aluminum bellcrank post is straight.
TAPPING SOME OF THE T2'S COMPOSITE PARTS
Skill Level=Easy (added 5/11/2006)
Some of the T2's composite parts can benefit from being pre-tapped before inserting a screw. Tapping some of the parts has three benefits: 1) the screws will be much easier to install (even at awkward angles), 2) you will be less likely to cross-thread screw holes, and 3) you will be less likely to strip the holes from overtightening. The most obvious parts that can benefit from being tapped are the steering blocks.
The steering blocks are probably the most stripped part on any touring car. After pre-tapping the screw holes, you are more easily able to determine when the screw is tightened (it is sometimes difficult to ascertain whether a hole is tight or whether a screw has been tightened, causing one to overtighten a screw and strip the threads).
Muchmore offers a 3.0mm Tapping Tool that is perfect for tapping holes on the T2.
MARKING PARTS FOR EASIER IDENTIFICATION AND ORIENTATION
Skill Level=Easy (added 5/11/2006)
The Xray T2 has eccentric bearing holders for the diff bearings that allow for belt tension adjustment. It is difficult to see where the eccentric bearing holder is keyed into the bulkhead due to its color and placement in the car. To be able to identify the orientation of the eccentric holder more easily, mark the keyed portion of the holder with a Silver Sharpie (available at Wal-mart and many drug stores).
The Xray T2 lower suspension holders have molded-in dots to indicate their setting. The dots, however, are very difficult to see when the car is assembled. Checking to see if your settings are uneven, therefore, is not very easy. Coloring the dots on the lower suspension holders with a Silver Sharpie (available at Wal-mart and many drug stores) is one way to make identification easier and avoid this problem.
The mark made with the Silver Sharpie is more resistant to being cleaned off than most permanent markers, but it can still be removed with alcohol or motor spray.
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