I own a RWD Skaura D4 clone. Boo... Hisss. Hold on, it aint that bad. Let's cover the basics first as far as the quality of the D4 clones.
Aluminum parts.
The aluminum parts are decent. The aluminum itself is softer than what you'd find from 3Racing, or major aftermarket companies. It will gouge if you scrape it with hard tools, but it's not terrible. I have not seen any pitting or defects in the aluminum parts. The major problem with the clone aluminum parts is that they are not the same design as the 3racing aluminum parts.
For example, the bulkheads. The 3Racing aluminum bulkhead looks completely different than the clone. The clone is simply an aluminum version of the stock plastic part. So if you're hoping to buy a different front castor mount and attach it to the front bulkhead cover, think again (it lacks the mounting holes). You'll have to buy the 3Racing bulkhead cover as well as the castor mount. You'll find several parts on the clone where this is the case.
The 12mm wheel hexes suck. They were too big they way they came. I had to sand down all the sides to actually make them fit my sets of wheels. I replaced them with some clamping 12mm hexes in different offsets.
Carbon Fiber parts.
These are actually pretty good. The weave isn't the tightest, but the finish is smooth, and the parts are rigid and strong. I was pleased with the countersunk holes in the main chassis, nice and uniform.
The Hardware
I have not had any problems with the M3 screws. I use Losi hex bit tools, so that may help. I did have a problem with the small screws that secure the bearing holders on the rear axle. The bearing holders that come on the clone are soft aluminum, and when I tightened the screws 1 of the threaded holes stripped out pretty easy. I replaced the bearing holders with the stock plastic units.
The Bearings
They suck, period. Replace them. I bought a set of Yeah Racing bearings and haven't had any problems. The clones don't have nylon shielding, and some bearings had no shielding at all. Garbage.
These bearing for the spur shaft were bad. Grease filled and very resistant on the motor.
Everything was so much smoother after replacing the bearings.
Wheels & Tires
Junk. Replace them. But that was going to be a given whether you buy a clone or not (at least the tires). I bought some multi offset 3Racing wheels and few sets of MST tires.
Plastic Parts
The plastic is actually ok. It's got a similar density as the 3Racing parts. The ball cups I didn't trust, and I replaced them with a set of 3Racing ones. The clones seemed to be too tight or too sloppy.
Shocks & Springs
The springs are junk, throw them away. I purchased a set of every spring 3Racing makes for the D4 (5 or 6 pairs I think). This should be a given for all D4's. You will need spring options.
The shocks seem so-so. The pistons were slightly too small for the bore, so I replaced them with 3Racing pistons. That made a big difference. There are no o-rings to secure the spring perch, so who knows how often I'll have to adjust the ride height (I adjust that kind thing often anyways). The shocks come dry, so you'll need shock oil. I may replace my shocks with better units down the road. I just don't know how much I trust the clones.
Misc Hardware
This is where you'll find the most issues. Stupid little things like the shock standoffs are soft aluminum and multi piece rather than a solid part. The smaller turnbuckles for the steering and servo have funky non M3 threads. You'll have to mess with a lot of parts, sanding, filing, trimming.
The clones don't come with roll center shims, so I bought a set. This actually allowed me to stack shims in the rear and give my D4 1mm of anti-squat.
Was the clone a good deal ? Honestly, not really. With the amount of parts you'll want to replace, I don't think buying a clone makes for a good deal. You'd be better off buying a stock D4 and then buying the knock off carbon fiber parts on eBay. You'll never be able to get this many aluminum and CF parts for $180 (what I paid for my clone), so there is that.
Do I regret buying a clone ? Hell no. I love modifying RC cars. I do wonder how much money I would have spent on a stock D4 trying to make it aluminum and CF. Probably too much. The price of the clones teters right on the edge of being worth it or not. I guess that's why they sell at that price, rather than more or less.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Next step: looking at steering angle and caster.
(This post was last modified: 05-07-2018, 06:36 AM by Kittens McTavish.)
Aluminum parts.
The aluminum parts are decent. The aluminum itself is softer than what you'd find from 3Racing, or major aftermarket companies. It will gouge if you scrape it with hard tools, but it's not terrible. I have not seen any pitting or defects in the aluminum parts. The major problem with the clone aluminum parts is that they are not the same design as the 3racing aluminum parts.
For example, the bulkheads. The 3Racing aluminum bulkhead looks completely different than the clone. The clone is simply an aluminum version of the stock plastic part. So if you're hoping to buy a different front castor mount and attach it to the front bulkhead cover, think again (it lacks the mounting holes). You'll have to buy the 3Racing bulkhead cover as well as the castor mount. You'll find several parts on the clone where this is the case.
The 12mm wheel hexes suck. They were too big they way they came. I had to sand down all the sides to actually make them fit my sets of wheels. I replaced them with some clamping 12mm hexes in different offsets.
Carbon Fiber parts.
These are actually pretty good. The weave isn't the tightest, but the finish is smooth, and the parts are rigid and strong. I was pleased with the countersunk holes in the main chassis, nice and uniform.
The Hardware
I have not had any problems with the M3 screws. I use Losi hex bit tools, so that may help. I did have a problem with the small screws that secure the bearing holders on the rear axle. The bearing holders that come on the clone are soft aluminum, and when I tightened the screws 1 of the threaded holes stripped out pretty easy. I replaced the bearing holders with the stock plastic units.
The Bearings
They suck, period. Replace them. I bought a set of Yeah Racing bearings and haven't had any problems. The clones don't have nylon shielding, and some bearings had no shielding at all. Garbage.
These bearing for the spur shaft were bad. Grease filled and very resistant on the motor.
Everything was so much smoother after replacing the bearings.
Wheels & Tires
Junk. Replace them. But that was going to be a given whether you buy a clone or not (at least the tires). I bought some multi offset 3Racing wheels and few sets of MST tires.
Plastic Parts
The plastic is actually ok. It's got a similar density as the 3Racing parts. The ball cups I didn't trust, and I replaced them with a set of 3Racing ones. The clones seemed to be too tight or too sloppy.
Shocks & Springs
The springs are junk, throw them away. I purchased a set of every spring 3Racing makes for the D4 (5 or 6 pairs I think). This should be a given for all D4's. You will need spring options.
The shocks seem so-so. The pistons were slightly too small for the bore, so I replaced them with 3Racing pistons. That made a big difference. There are no o-rings to secure the spring perch, so who knows how often I'll have to adjust the ride height (I adjust that kind thing often anyways). The shocks come dry, so you'll need shock oil. I may replace my shocks with better units down the road. I just don't know how much I trust the clones.
Misc Hardware
This is where you'll find the most issues. Stupid little things like the shock standoffs are soft aluminum and multi piece rather than a solid part. The smaller turnbuckles for the steering and servo have funky non M3 threads. You'll have to mess with a lot of parts, sanding, filing, trimming.
The clones don't come with roll center shims, so I bought a set. This actually allowed me to stack shims in the rear and give my D4 1mm of anti-squat.
Was the clone a good deal ? Honestly, not really. With the amount of parts you'll want to replace, I don't think buying a clone makes for a good deal. You'd be better off buying a stock D4 and then buying the knock off carbon fiber parts on eBay. You'll never be able to get this many aluminum and CF parts for $180 (what I paid for my clone), so there is that.
Do I regret buying a clone ? Hell no. I love modifying RC cars. I do wonder how much money I would have spent on a stock D4 trying to make it aluminum and CF. Probably too much. The price of the clones teters right on the edge of being worth it or not. I guess that's why they sell at that price, rather than more or less.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Next step: looking at steering angle and caster.