Choosing The Right Drift Chassis
Written By: MCtrlSys (Author: Keijidosha Motorsports) Ok, I will admit that this is a tough one right out of the gate. Not only will you get a thousand different answers to this question but you know there is no right answer. The question of How do I choose the right drift chassis? is wrong in itself. The question needs to be rephrased as What is the right drift chassis for me and my driving style? This in itself is a trap as the fact remains that if you are asking this question then you are probably right at the beginning of the hobby. This being the case you have no idea what your drift style is or what you personally want from the car. Knowing this you have to trust in others to tell you what the right choice is or at least how to find the right choice for you. Believe me this will change as well down the road and you will probably be knee deep in RC drift chassis before your obsession peaks and your bank account implodes. Now, knowing all of this I have to admit that I am at the beginning of this hobby as well and really dont know as much as I should about it. What I do have however is a obsessive need to read technical documentation and a need to give back to the hobby that brings me this much joy. Besides that this document is not here, as I said before, to tell you what you need. More to the point it is to tell you what is available and what fits the specifications for the basic drift setup. When I started this article I was under the assumption that there were only a handful of chassis that fit the bill. I was clearly wrong. What I found was a few days of copying pasting and taking notes for just the basics of these vehicles. This was not as easy a task as I had thought. I had not counted on the manufacturers from Japan and Europe on this either. What I plan to do with this document is to reserve 1 page for each kit. Maybe 2 or 3 for any of the kits that had an exceptional amount of information that was not in Japanese. The specifications that I went with were as follows: The chassis must be 4WD The chassis must be a touring type or drift specific chassis It must have standard connections for expendable parts (You must be able to fit standard parts onto the chassis for parts that wear out readily like wheels and tires) Replacement parts must be available. The chassis must be fully tunable. These specifications rule out cheesy kids RCs like Nikko, Tyco and such. Well on to the list of drift capable chassis.
Team Associated TC3 Although this car is technically out of production I still see it around from time to time so I consider it still active. It is shaft drive and the value is no longer available via normal hobby shops. You will find an occasional straggler on the odd shop online or ebay. This is the list of features as pulled from Team Associateds website.
Aluminum Parts Blue anodized aluminum threaded shock bodies, VCS Macro shocks. Aluminum motor mount with a built-in heat sink. Factory Blue aluminum battery hold down strap. Factory Team Counterfeit transponder mount. Factory Team Radial clip-on heat sink. Factory Team Blue aluminum screws. Graphite Parts Factory Team Graphite chassis. Factory Team Graphite chassis parts: front and rear arms (with adjustable droop), front block carriers, front steering blocks, rear hub carriers, front and rear chassis braces, wheel hex adapters. Other Parts Blue anodized alloy MIP CVDs, front & rear. Factory Team Unobtainium shock shafts. Threaded Macro Shock bodies. Factory Blue titanium turnbuckles front & rear. Precision stainless steel PTFE-sealed ball bearings. Carbide ball Associated differentials. Foam bumper. TC3 decal sheet. Rear bumper. Lightweight Molded Outdrives. From what I remember this was AEs first attempt at a real touring car. Not a bad first try either. Cool thing about it is there is still a ton of replacement parts out there including from the companies website. You can find more info at http://www.teamassociated.com/ae/tc3/kittc3.htm

Team Associated TC4 The next chassis in the Team Associated TC series is the TC4. This is also a shaft driven car and can still be bought in a number of hobby shops including Tower Hobbies. The kit can be picked up for around 220 dollars. Again here are the features pulled from the Team Associated website (These were actually pulled from XRC magazine according to the site and are technically for the ready to run version of the TC4. Obviously there is more to the features than just this) : Double-decked impact-resistant plastic and lightweight foam bumper system. Shock towers with four upper shock mounting hole options. 6061 T6 blue anodized aluminum drive shaft fits in strong composite drive cups. Machined aluminum motor mount for greater motor stability and functions as an integral heat sink to draw heat away from todays hotter modified motors. Floating hinge pin system allowed us to develop an anti-dive, anti-squat suspension adjustment shim system front and rear. Optimized steering system features a dual-bellcrank/ rack configuration. Front and rear suspension links feature vertical ballstud adjustment for making precise changes in your chassis roll-center. LRP A.i. digital speed control, installed. Team Associated XP2 radio system, installed. Reedy Radon 17-turn electric motor, installed. The website address for the car is: http://www.teamassociated.com/ae/tc4/tc4_home.htm
Team Associated TC5, TC5F and TC5R I could not find an image of the standard TC5 but above you can see the F The F goes for 370 the R for 370 and the standard for 350 dollars. For 20 bucks I think go for one of the higher versions it will be worth it. The features for the R List as follows:
Belt drive with adjustable differential heights and belt tension Blue aluminum outdrives Hardened steel CVAs with cross-pin retaining clips Blue aluminum clamping wheel hexes 20 precision ball-bearings Blue aluminum bulkheads and motor mount Woven carbon fiber battery strap included ITF 2mm woven carbon fiber chassis and top plate Front and rear anti-roll bars included VCS2 shock package Titanium turnbuckles Genuine Kimbrough 48-pitch spur gear included 3mm inner hinge pins and 2.5mm outer hinge pins Adjustable roll centers hinge-pin angle Vertical ball studs 3mm woven carbon fiber shock towers Mono bellcrank steering with adjustable servo saver Indexed balancing holes in shock towers Spool option included The only difference I see with the F model is that it uses foam tires and is set up for that traction level and the following features:

Rigid 2.5mm woven carbon fiber chassis and top plate "Hard" suspension rears, 6 caster blocks and 1 rear hubs The TC5 standard is basically the same car as both of these just keep all of the similar features and throw out the dissimilar. The two cars can also been seen at the following website addresses:
TC5 Standard Page http://www.teamassociated.com/ae/tc5/tc5_features.htm TC5 Factory Spec (F) Page http://www.teamassociated.com/ae/tc5f/tc5f_home.htm TC5 R Page http://www.teamassociated.com/ae/tc5r/tc5r_home.htm
Team Losi Drift-R Sedan This is Team Losis only attempt that I have ever seen at making a drift specific chassis. For all of those out there old enough to remember the first Losi Jr. car kit, this is like the Jr. version of the JRX-S Type R kit. This car only comes in a ready to run version as far as I can tell and for the most part the chassis is made up of the famous Losi steffezel material. This car lists for about 300 dollars. The features list off below: Multi-functional headlights and solid glow taillights Detailed side-view mirrors, wheels, wing and exhaust Street-ready detailed LS300 drift body Exclusive sealed belt drivetrain JR XR2i programmable radio Losi electronic speed control with reverse by Novak High-performance 19-turn motor JR's Z-590 high-torque steering servo Foam bumper for added protection when drifting Easy access front and rear ball differentials
Not exactly the most detailed of reports so I will attempt to fill in some of it. Most of this kits emphasis is around aesthetics but the car does come with aluminum body shocks, belt drive, complete ball bearing kit, limited slip ball diff, CVD drive shafts, adjustable camber, caster and toe in. From what I can tell from the specs and everything else that it is a drift version of the JRX-S Sport RTR 2. It is more about looks than any real changes in the design. You can find the rest at: http://www.losi.com/Products/Features.aspx?ProdID=LOSB0289
Team Losi JRX-S Type R Ok, this chassis is hot. I really like the cooling fans at the back of the chassis. Usually I dont like belt drives but this one is great. It seems to me like it actually lives up to Hondas Type R standard. Anyway as I said this is a belt drive unit with full carbon chassis and shock towers. The list below is the list of features that is on Team Losis site but I feel like they hardly do the car justice. The kit runs for around 440 dollars and I have to say well worth the money that you pay for it.

EA3 suspension components provide strength and durability Revised suspension geometry for improved handling Revised drivetrain layout with centrally located, rear-mounted motor New belt materials and drive pulley geometry New "narrow diff" setup Machined aluminum bulkheads and chassis braces Balanced weight layout for improved handling and response Ultra-narrow chassis and top deck New ball bearing steering system New front upper arm design for strength and stability F/R diff setup ideal for carpet racing Race proven adjustable bladder shocks with single or double O-ring configuration Bottom-load battery configuration accepts NiMH or LiPo packs You can get the rest of the story at http://www.losi.com/Products/Features.aspx?ProdId=LOSK0256

Readyset packaged around the TF-5 Vivid color scheme stencil printed onto a finished body. Sealed drive system ideal for parking lot racing performance. Drive system features full ball bearing specifications. Equipped with resin joint type universal swing shafts. Aluminum parts are anodized in red for spectacular color style. Composition of each part designed for impact resistance, ideal for a Readyset. Tires are pre-glued and motor control amp is also pre-set. Use optional motor and tire combinations to extract even more performance from the chassis. Compatible with TF-5 options and replacement parts and can be converted into different TF-5 versions. Loaded with user-friendly 20-turn G20 motor with built-in cooling fan. Provides constant high power over long run times.
The areas that you can find the full pages for these vehicles are as listed here.: The TF5 (Shaft Drive) can be seen here. http://www.kyoshoamerica.com/cars/index.php?part_num=30021 The TF5 Stallion (Belt Drive) can be seen here. http://www.kyoshoamerica.com/cars/index.php?part_num=30022 The TF5 Mazda 6 Can be seen here. http://www.kyoshoamerica.com/cars/index.php?part_num=30823
HPI Sprint 2 and Sprint 2 Drift HPI is one of the leaders in RC drift kits. These two kits are in essence the same so really I will be interchanging information and images between the two. If there is a choice I would go for the drift version as I believe they are about the same price. They are both belt driven and run about 140 each. Since the kits are made for drift it is easier to get replacement and hop-up parts for it. HPI also supplies a massive number of bodies for 190mm and 200mm kits so there is really no reason to go far beyond HPI for most of your needs for the car. The features for the Sprint 2 Drift are below. BTW there is also a sport version of these kits available but the website does not indicate any differences between the 2 so I will not list it here. The included 190mm body is clear, pre-trimmed and ready for your custom paint scheme. Realistic vinyl decals are supplied and pre-cut for easy application. Convenient window masks and protective film are also included. Officially licensed Rays/Volk TE37 chrome plated wheels. 6mm offset rear wheels fill out the fenders and give the wheels the wide look seen on full-size drift cars. Hard compound Type A drift tires for controllable drifting with realistic looks and aggressive tread pattern. Foam bumper protects the car from potentially damaging impacts. Adjustable rear body posts allow you to mount a variety of different bodies without trimming or replacing the posts. Fine tune your suspension with adjustable turnbuckles. Complete set of ball bearings for a smooth and efficient drivetrain. Oil-filled coil-over shock absorbers with specially chosen springs for drifting. 2 degree and 3 degree rear hubs for additional tuning choices. Durable injected molded nylon main chassis. Front and rear shock towers with optimized shock absorber and camber link positions for ideal suspension geometry. Optional low profile front shock tower is included in the kit which allows the use of the full range of HPI 190mm bodies. Droop screws allow you to "race tune" your suspension settings. Precise bellcrank steering. http://www.hpiracing.com/kitinfo/758/

HPI E10 Touring and E10 Drift I have to admit that I said I wouldnt make my own judgement calls in this article but I am a bit skeptical of this kit. The whole kit looks like ABS plastic, I dont like the way the shocks are mounted and overall it looks like the construction is cheesy. I am not saying to shun the kit because of what I said but be aware that this is a low end kit and it may act like it. Study it thoroughly before shelling out the cash for this kit. If you still like it then by all means get it. The kit is shaft drive and runs for about 80 dollars. The features are below and if you havent noticed it is ready to run. Painted & Trimmed Body Adjustable Body Mounts Quick Change Battery Holder Shaft Drive 4WD System Shock Absorbing Foam Bumper High Torque Saturn 27T 540 Motor 7.2V Rechargeable Battery AC Charger TF-1 AM Radio System with RF-1 Receiver and SF-1 Steering Servo EN-1 Electronic Speed Control with Reverse T-Drift tires Chrome Gram Lights 57S-Pro Wheels Painted & Trimmed Body Adjustable Body Mounts Quick Change Battery Holder Shaft Drive 4WD System Shock Absorbing Foam Bumper High Torque Saturn 27T 540 Motor T-Grip tires Chrome Gram Lights 57S-Pro Wheels The website is here http://www.hpiracing.com/kitinfo/10702/
Hot Bodies Cyclone S, TC and Moore Speed From what I know about Hot Bodies they are the higher end of HPI. You can really see that with the Cyclone. All of the models are belt driven but the S model is mostly plastic/ composite and the TC and the Moore Speed are graphite weave chassis plates. The S model runs about 160 and has the following features.
Carbon Plastic Caster Blocks Front Knuckle Arm Rear Hubs Aluminium Motor Mount Plate Middle Block Plate Reinforced Chassis Upper Deck Middle Deck Shock Towers Bulkheads Pivot Blocks Full Ball Bearings Adjustable camber links Ball Differential (Front/Rear) Plastic Shocks Glued Tires You can find the webpage for this model at. http://www.hotbodiesonline.com/kit.php?partNo=66405&lang=en
The other two (TC and Moore Speed) are the racing models. They are mostly graphite and anodized purple aluminum. The Moore Speed is the top end model as it is the one that was created to the specs of the teams top racer. The TC runs about 430 and the Moore Speed has been discontinued but most likely can still be picked up but I am unsure of what the price would be. Below are the specs for the TC first and then the Moore Speed edition.
Pro Spec Ball Diff in rear HB Two-Way front one-way/spool Larger 18T centre pulleys FRP middle block deck for increased rear traction Revised main chassis for improved weight distribution Altered upper deck with provisions for HB ATC (Adjustable Torsion Control) posts Stronger upper bulkheads for improved crash protection Thicker low-mount shock towers to fit extra-low bodyshells New reversible suspension arms with more suspension mount options Easy-adjust sway bar holders for fast fine-tuning Moulded battery tray for easy fitting of batteries Extra-efficient universal dogbones Fantastic lower price

Chassis: Plastic tub style Drive: Four wheel shaft drive Motor: Not included Ball Bearings: Full set included Shocks: Oil-Filled, nylon fully threaded with coil over spring Gearbox: Sealed front & rear Differentials: Front and rear ball differentials Transmission: Single speed Tires: 1.9" (48mm) diameter x 1" (26mm) wide rubber slick tires Wheels: 1.9" (48mm) x 1" (26mm) white mesh Y-spoke w/12mm hex adapter Speed Control: Not included Bumpers: Front large plastic with foam Suspension: Adjustable pillow ball front & rear Camber Tie Rods: Fully Adjustable, camber is how the tires sit vertically Steering Tie Rods: Fully Adjustable, caster/toe-in is the angle at which the ties point inward as viewed from above Steering: Bell-Crank Type Servo Saver: Built in on Bell-Crank The page is here http://www.teamtrinity.com/rc_kits.asp
Tamiya TT-01 Standard, D, R and E The Tamiya TT-01 has been around for a while. Long enough it seems to have spawned three other versions of itself. The R version is as the R version for Honda. The top racing version. The D is the drift model. The E is the newest iteration and of course the standard is the original. I will focus on the D. Here are the features for that version.
Lightweight and user-friendly TT-01D based chassis for effortless assembly. TT-01D drift-spec modifications include drift tires, adjustable suspension tuning, full ball bearings, sport- tuned motor, aluminum heat sink, CVA mini shock dampers and short springs. 4WD shaft driven bathtub chassis with coil spring damped, 4-wheel independent double wishbone suspension and sealed front and rear differential gearbox. Includes electronic speed controller (TEU-101 BK) Includes LEDs for head and tail lights that turn on automatically when the car is switched on. Add the TLU-02 Light Control Unit (ITEM 53937) for greater control of light operations. Wide variety of tune-up parts are separately available to customize your machine. The page you can find the rest of the information on is. http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/category.php?sub-id=36110 Actually this is the page for all of the TT-01 kits.
Tamiya TA05 I swear that finding solid information on the Tamiya USA site i difficult if not impossible. They have so many versions of the same chassis that it is hard to know what you are getting when you talk about a chassis. The picture you see to the right is the TA05 this goes for about 280. Here is the Tamiya feature list for the TA05
2-belt driven 4WD high performance R/C (TA05). Chassis structure designed for ultra-low center of gravity and optimum balance. Comes with large logo stickers. Single-deck frame and other features make performing maintenance easier than ever. Full ball bearing configuration for maximum efficiency. Durable and lightweight polycarbonate body.

In recent years, world-class on-road R/C touring car race events have encouraged the use of brushless motors in conjunction with event-controlled tires. To achieve success under such conditions, a fine balance must be achieved between handling and tire wear. It is with this in mind that Tamiya designers developed the concept of the brand new TRF416 chassis.
1/10 scale assembly kit R/C model of the TRF416 chassis. New 2.25mm lower deck design emphasizes simplicity, while the 2mm upper deck has been lengthened. Front and rear bulkheads feature the same width while everything about the chassis down to the screw locations has been designed for optimum symmetry for better roll characteristics. In order to obtain maximum traction, both the motor and the center shaft positions have been moved back to shift more weight to the rear of the car. Drivetrain features front one-way, center direct-drive, and rear ball diff. Front and rear uprights equipped with 1050 size ball bearings. 37T pulleys for front and rear, while an 18T pulley is installed in the center. R/C system, body, tires, motor, ESC, battery & charger separately required. The page where I found the information is here. http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=42106
TB Evolution 5 MS This chassis is of the TB series and is new enough to not have much in the way of information like the 416. There is not even an estimated price as of yet. The chassis is shaft driven and sports graphite planes and aluminum bulkheads and shock bodies. The rest of what I could find is here.
The ultimate shaft-driven 4WD chassis in the TB Evolution Series, the TB Evolution 5, has been further tuned and refined to become this limited edition TB Evolution 5 MS. Race-spec 1/10 R/C TB Evolution 5 MS chassis kit. Features TRF416-style steering and suspension systems. New motor layout sees motor mounted further forward to improve handling characteristics and make spur gear changes much easier. Durable aluminum diff. joint is capable of harnessing the power from even high-output motors. Protective covers over the swing shaft connection ensures smooth and unobstructed operation. Front part of lower deck is made from durable nylon material and is mounted with a small-size bumper that reduces interference with road in case of a roll. Reversible-type suspension features short-span suspension arms, enabling minute settings adjustments. 2-channel R/C system with ESC, motor, body, tires, battery pack and charger all separately required. More information is here. http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=42107
Tamiya TB03 Yet another Tamiya touring kit. You might see a trend forming here. No matter how many of these I am showing you there are at least 3 times more listed that are either discontinued or not viable for the purpose at hand. Keep in mind that alot of those discontinued kits are still being sold through hobby shops all over the place and it is not that they are bad kits its just that they are surplus. Sometimes you can grab great deals because of this. The only problem with surplus kits is that parts are usually not readily available so be ready to have to use non-specific parts, hunt down parts or manufacture them yourself. In this article I am only listing current or readily available kits. Sometimes hard to locate ones but still available. The features from the site for the TB02 are as follows The new TB-03 chassis is totally improved upon its predecessor the TB-02. Bathtub frame comes with a motor cooling duct to improve heat dissipation for better performance. In-board Front Suspension system features horizontally-mounted front dampers to enable a lownose profile to mount the new-mold aerodynamic polycarbonate body shell. The body shell is also compatible with TA05-IFS chassis Newly-designed one-piece aluminum motor mount makes changing and adjusting gears a breeze. Equipped with front and rear ball differentials for greater power transmission efficiency. Race-proven reversible short suspension and TRF416 front and rear knuckles. Includes body, wheels, tires, and Type 540 motor. ESC, 2-channel R/C system, 7.2V battery and charger separately required. More information at: http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=58409

Tamiya TB-02 Drift Spec This is an attempt by Tamiya to build a drift specific chassis. From what I can tell it is very much like the TT01 but with aluminum shocks, drift tires and chrome rims. It is shaft drive and runs for about 320. I am assuming since the TT01 is a good chassis that this one should be as well but dont quote me on that. Anyway the features for this car as posted by Tamiya are listed below.
Shaft-driven 4WD TB-02 chassis features durable bathtub frame and longitudinally-mounted motor. The following parts have been added to distinguish the TB-02D from the normal spec chassis. New 24mm wide Drift Tires Motor Heat Sink (blue) TRF Special Damper (Hard Black Coating) Aluminum Propeller Shaft (blue) On-Road Tuned Hard Spring Set 5-Spoke Metal Plated Wheels Aluminum Motor Heat Sink (blue) TB-02 Urethane Bumper S Sport-tuned Motor Newly designed body stickers Special Carrying Case Body, R/C system, ESC, 7.2V battery & charger separately required. Compatible with any 1/10 scale R/C car bodies except wide tread and short wheelbase bodies. The site for available info on this kit is: http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=49458
Yokomo DP-DP1 Drift Plus Chassis Ok so enough from the Tamiya camp. Now we get to one of the most recognized names in RC drift. Yokomo. This is the company who often has the original drifters from D1GP come to their races. You will often see characters like Nomura Ken, Yasuyuki Kazama, Youichi Imamura and Drift Samurai at their RC drift races. From what I have been told they are excellent chassis. The DP-DP1 is a shaft drive chassis that runs for about 160 Euros. You do the math on that. This is available in the US but I couldnt find a solid price except in Europe. Anyway I will list the features below. Aluminum Oil-Filled Shocks With Bladders Spur Gear Cover Blue-Anodized Center Shaft Front And Rear Solid Diffs Full Ball Bearings High Efficiently Shaft Drive Full Time 4WD System (Sealed Gear Cases) High Strength Molded Composite Chassis Fully Adjustable Double-Wishbone Suspension Turnbuckle Tie-Rods For Adjustable Alignment Solid Axles For LSD Effect (Front And Rear) Front Universal Driveshafts, Rear Dog Bones Die-Cast Aluminum Clamping Type Motor Mount Spur Gear (70T) Pinion Gear (30T) Ball Bearings (21 pcs) I received this info from a hobby shop. http://www.rcmart.com/catalog/rc-yokomo-drift-package-plus-d

Yokomo Drift Master Limited Edition This is the big boy of the Yokomo drift cars from what I remember. This is a graphite and aluminum chassis powered by shaft drive. The car itself lists for about 247 Euros. If you want to drift the car that Masami drifts then this is it. All the features I could find are here.
Front ball diff. center one way Aluminum rear solid axle Aluminum suspension mount front and back Stabilizer front and back Bumper weight set Aluminum joint sleeve Aluminum make special battery post Special carbon battery plate Multiple body post Titanium turn buckle set Titanium bis set I found these specs here: http://www.rceasy.com/2007/12/22/yokomo-drift-master-limited-edition/
ABC Hobby M Chassis I have to say from this point on I dont know much about the cars I post. They are all manufacturers that I didnt know still existed, never knew existed or existed in another country. The first is the ABC Hobby MChassis. Its claim to fame seems to be how short it is. These were made to take the bodies of of small hatchbacks and smaller cars like the Datsun 510 and such. It is a neat idea I think and one I think should have shown up a long time ago. I couldnt find much on this chassis but I will put up what I can. The chassis is shaft driven and sells for about 220. The features are here:
Shaft Drive Twin Deck 4WD chassis - Pre Assembled Ball Diffs Aluminium Motor Mount Oil Dampers Universal shafts Tyres and wheels Not much but it was all I could find. The info came from http://www.genkidoridori.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=551

XRay T2 008

This is what I call a really high end kit. The car is belt driven and runs for about 530. XRay is one of the manufacturers that I remember from the original days of RC racing. Now I apologize about the list of features that I am about to give for this kit but it wasnt my fault. This came off of the site, So here it is about 3 pages worth of specs and features. The specs before I got rid of the useless stuff was 5 pages worth. Less sensitive to changing track conditions, super-consistent performance during all runs New centrally-positioned layshaft split bulkheads give improved balance due to better weight distribution of the centered motor position for faster left-right transitions New ultra-lightweight bulkheads CNC-machined from premium Swiss 7075 T6 aluminum New motor mount bulkhead positions the motor even lower creating ultra low center of gravity New super-lightweight composite front Solid Axle with XRAY's smart Quick-change outdrive system for easier and faster out drive exchange (EU Edition only) New Solid Axle (EU Edition only) with the direct placement of drive shafts in outdrives eliminates play between drive shaft and outdrives, improving steering precision and increases overall steering New ultra-smooth composite adjustable ball-differential with XRAY Labyrinth Dust Covers (US Edition front + rear, EU Edition rear only); eliminates need for drive shaft blades = reduced servicing costs Individual optimized drive train ratio's for specific foam- and rubber-tire racing conditions: US Edition: 34T front & rear diff pulleys / 20T center layshaft pulleys EU Edition: 38T front & rear diff pulleys / 16T center layshaft pulleys Specially-optimized drive shaft lengths for specific foam- and rubber-tire racing conditions: US Edition: standard 50mm CVD drive shafts for use with foam tires (which are generally higher traction than rubber tires); optimum transfer of traction to the wheels EU Edition: new longer 52mm front/rear CVD drive shafts positioned more towards centerline in diff/ solid axle outdrives to generate more overall traction and make the car easier to drive on lowtraction tracks New position of rear diff for improved forward traction

Alex Racing Design Barricuda, CER D08 and Stinger 08
Man I have never seen so many Japanese companies since the 1980s import car boom. The moment I started researching chassis for drift I ran into so much Kanji that I may know the language in about a year. I may have to just post images on some of these as english feature lists are few and far between. Here was what I was able to nd however. To the left are all chassis from Alex Racing. They are as follows from top to bottom. Stinger (Shaft Drive, $370), Barracuda (Shaft Drive, $300) and CER (Belt Drive, $439). The feature lists are below and list in the same order as the images to the left.
Stinger Features 2.5mm woven carbon fiber chassis with 3.25mm shock towers, upper chassis rails, and center spine Center driveshaft is braced by the bulkheads for perfect alignment Super thick ring gears for near indestructible durability and zero flex are encased in a lightweight aluminum housing at either end Twist resistant graphite center shaft with aluminum dog bone ends Double bearing one way up front Precision ball diff with durable steel outdrives in the rear
Integrated chassis brace/motor mount/center shaft guide eliminates torque steer New mounting design for the super smooth rack type steering set up with Delrin rollers Aluminum threaded shock bodies, double silicon O-ring cartridge, and Titanium Nitride shock shafts Captured adjustable pivot ball suspension pins and impact resistant suspension arms front and rear Rebuildable universal driveshafts and full high speed bearings throughout Adjustable front and rear camber and toe, anti squat, kick up, droop, roll center, Ackermann positioning, and multiple shock positioning
Barracuda Features 2.5mm black graphite chassis and top plate with 3mm shock towers Unique driveshaft hanger system is keyed to the bulkheads for perfect alignment Super thick rear ring gears for near indestructible durability and zero flex Twist resistant graphite center shaft with aluminum dog bone ends Double bearing one way up front Precision ball diff with light weight Delrin outdrives in the rear Single point attachment motor mount eliminates torque steer Silky smooth rack type steering set up with Delrin rollers Aluminum threaded shock bodies, double silicon O-ring cartridge, and Titanium Nitride shock shafts Pivot ball mounted long span super impact resistant suspension arms front and rear Rebuildable universal driveshafts and full high speed bearings throughout Adjustable front and rear camber and toe, anti squat, kick up, droop, roll center, Ackermann positioning, and multiple shock positioning

Team Magic E4 ,E4JR, E4JS & E4RS
Here are all of the chassis available from Team Magic, they list as the E4, E4JR, E4JS and E4RS. It seems that the E4 is the top end model and it goes down to the E4RS, E4JR, and E4JS. Hell, I just found out that they have a E4FS Drift as well. From what I can tell the FS is for custom features. I am guessing of course. The progression is logical. The JS seems to be the entry model and then each is a step up progressively to the E4 itself which is the all graphite and aluminum top model. All of these are belt drive and the cost is about (see below): E4JS = $209 E4JR = $299 E4RS = $439 E4 = $429 E4FS Drift = $409
The features of each are listed below: E4 Features: Narrowest carbon fiber chassis Alum. battery tray Alum. belt pulley Alum. bulkhead and cover Alum. hinge pin mount Centralized motor and battery deign Quick release front and rear diff Quick release main shaft Fully adjustable setup design Flying Wing arm design Front solid axle/one-way Rear ball diff High corner speed
E4RS Features: Most lipo battery & brushless motor can be used New 2.5mm carbon fiber, 96mm wide narrow chassis New 2mm carbon top deck Front/rear 3mm carbon shock tower Front ST steel universal drive shaft Rear hard coated alum. 7075 universal drive shaft Alum. 7075 turnbuckles New Shocks New thickened arms New widened belts Front solid axle Rear ball differential (quick release design)New lightweight nylon pulley Alum. 7075 FF & RR hinge pin mount Alum. 7075 bulkhead New front lower Flying Wing arm Centralized motor and battery design Quick release main shaft Motor cooling mount Front/rear anti-roll bar
E4JR Features: Great Value Three Belt Transmission Narrow Chassis & Low CG Design Centralized Motor and Battery Design
Most Lipo Battery & Brushless Motor Can Be Used New Shocks New Widened Belts New Thickened Flying Wing Suspension Arm Front & Rear Alum. 7075 Universal Drive Shaft Front & Rear Ball Differential (Quick Release Design)New Lightweight Nylon Pulley Fully Upgradable Fine Mounted Rubber Tires H.A.R.D. Radio System (made by Futaba) H.A.R.D. JR Dual Mode ESC (w/reverse) H.A.R.D. X3 Motor Pre-Painted Maz 190mm Touring Car Body (E4JR RTR style, base color needed)
E4JS Features: Great Value Three Belt Transmission Narrow Chassis & Low CG Design Centralized Motor and Battery Design Most Lipo Battery & Brushless Motor Can Be Used New Shocks New Widened Belts New Thickened Flying Wing Suspension Arm Front & Rear Alum. 7075 Universal Drive Shaft Front & Rear Ball Differential (Quick Release Design) New Lightweight Nylon Pulley Fully Upgradable

E4FS DRIFT Features: Most lipo battery & brushless motor can be used New 3mm carbon fiber, 96mm wide narrow chassis New 2.5mm carbon top deck (with two new alum. posts linked to chassis for strength) Front/rear 3mm carbon shock tower Front/rear hard coated alum. 7075 universal drive shaft Alum. 7075 turnbuckles New ShocksNew thickened arms New widened belts Single bell crank steering system Locked Rear differential (quick release design) One-way Front differential New lightweight nylon pulley Alum. 7075 FF & RR hinge pin mount Alum. 7075 bulkhead New rear lower Flying Wing arm for foam tires (1 degree toe-in angle) New front lower Flying Wing arm Centralized motor and battery design
Quick release main shaft Motor cooling mount Front/rear anti-roll bar I got the info on these kits on these pages: E4JR http://www.teammagic.com.tw/en/profra.jsp?tag=proInf&id=503005&pageNum=1 E4JS http://www.teammagic.com.tw/en/profra.jsp?tag=proInf&id=503004&pageNum=1 E4RS http://www.teammagic.com.tw/en/profra.jsp?tag=proInf&id=503003&pageNum=1 E4 http://www.teammagic.com.tw/en/profra.jsp?tag=proInf&id=503001&pageNum=2 E4FS Drift http://www.wolfhobbies.com/ Electric_On_Road_Cars-1_10_E4FS_Foam_Tire_Spec_Electric_Car_Kit.html
Tech Racing TS-10 D Spirit I stumbled across this chassis by accident. The problem looking this one up is that it is made in Japan and given the lack of english I wonder if that is the only place it is sold as well. Although the information below was all retrieved from what seemed like a british or aussie site. (They always get the good japanese cars) I could not find a feature list in english so I included what was on the site I originally found the car on. I hope it is enough to satiate your lusts. The car is obviously belt drive although I have no idea of what the unit costs and even if I did it would be in Yen. Below is the info I found on the car. Technology of high speed drift machine DT-1 Speed is utilized, new style. Drift traveling of force actualizes from the entrance to the exit! Actualizing the angle and preeminent stability of threat with the center motor & the front and back isometric belt. It stabilizes with deep angle, the running which can be charmed becomes possible. Approximately with spool diff. equipment the machine stabilizes even with the hard brake. Because of this, preponderant you can bring profitably with chase. Achievement and the name are the TS-10 D-SPIRIT drift spirits as for running of power. Specifications (the first rod limited specification) Fiberglass make 2.5t main chassis & fiberglass make 2.5t upper deck Approximately fiberglass make 2.5t damper stay & Super-low friction belt & front and back friction damper (with option oil damper installing possibility) Front and back spool diff. I found what little information on this car that I have here: http://www.rceasy.com/2008/02/16/tech-racing-new-drift-machine-ts-10-d-spirit/