Bulletproof your Baja!
With the 12-hour Baja Endurance Challenge Final race coming up at the end of the summer, Baja racers across Europe have been driving their Baja 5b and Baja SS cars in endurance races to qualify for the Finals in Spain.
As more and more miles are put on the cars, Baja racers are finding out all the little tricks that help the cars make the distance in endurance races.
The modifications below are the only legal modifications allowed for any cars entered in the Baja Endurance Challenge Final. If you have other modifications on your team car, please send a picture of it to frankm@hpi-europe.com. Check this page for updates before making the trip to Spain.
Air Filter Cover An air filter cover will help keep water drops, large bits of dirt, grass and other debris from clogging up the regular air filter. |
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Shock Covers Shock 'socks' or covers keep mud and grime from eroding away the shock seals and help the shocks maintain their function after several hours of action on the track. |
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Pullstarter Cover Putting a cover over the pullstarter keeps grass and dirt from fouling up the pullstarter spring and cord, making restarts easier and keeping the engine in good condition during long runs. |
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Brake Spring Install springs between the brake plates to keep the plates off the brake disk. This helps keep the brake from heating up when it isn't being used, preventing brake fade and premature wear. Get the springs from a 1/12 scale car front suspension (or any click-style ball-point pen). |
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Front & Side Windows Use a front window to keep water splashes, mud, chunks of grass and more off the air filter. Side windows also work great. Clear windows are preferred but coloured windows are okay, if the windows are easy to remove for inspection. |
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Throttle Slide To keep the throttle linkage from sticking in dirty and wet conditions, drill out the slide to enlarge the hole. |
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Rollcage Removal You can get faster access to the engine and pipe if you cut the rear roll cage supports and slide a metal pipe or tubing made from rubber or silicone over the roll bar. |
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Front Wheel
C-Clip The final modification takes a bit of work, but increases the durability of the front wheel mounting and makes repairing things much easier. Tap the inside of the axle with an M5 tapping thread, add a thick washer that is larger than the inside diameter of the wheel bearing and install HPI #94730, a flat head M5x16mm screw. This makes the axle assembly much stronger than the standard C-clip (last picture). To keep the screw from rubbing, countersink the hole in the hex hub with a drill bit slightly larger than the hole. This will let a cone washer rest between the hub and the washer and prevent the screw from touching anything it shouldn't. |
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Taping Rear Inserts
For increased durability of the rear tyre inserts, you can use
fibre or duct tape wrapped around the inserts to strengthen
them.
Rear Wheel Mud Scrapers/Deflectors
It shouldn't be muddy for the Baja Endurance Challenge Finals, but
this popular modification for 1/8 scale buggies keeps mud from
collecting on the rear shocks and especially inside the rear
wheels. Using a sheet of polycarbonate plastic left over from an
old bodyshell, attach a flat piece of plastic to the front of the
rear suspension arm so that it rests just 2-3mm from the inside
surface of the wheel. This simple modification will keep mud
build-up from affecting acceleration and handling!