First Pic Tamiya 417!

The manufacturers are making October We're-going-to-make-you-spend-500-bucks-on-an-rc-car month. Now Tamiya smacks us around with the 417. Current world champion? Yes. Future world champion? Most likely.

RC TRF417 Chassis Kit Item #42184

This is the 2010 IFMAR ISTC World Championship-winning machine, the TRF417 Chassis Kit. TRF417 was created using valuable race data gained through races with the TRF416 and aims to win the world championship in 2012.

Newly Designed Parts:

• Front/Rear Carbon Damper Stays
• Front/Rear Aluminum Bulkheads
• Aluminum Motor Mount
• Aluminum Center Shaft
• Aluminum Diff Joint
• Aluminum Steering Arms and Linkage
• Diff Plates
• Wheel Axle
• Cross Joints
• 19T Pulley
• Carbon Lower & Upper Decks (thicknesses TBA)

Specs & Features

• The chassis design is focused on weight distribution and high-traction characteristics, with *the new minimum chassis weight rule in mind. *The 2012 world championship regulations state that the minimum chassis weight will be restricted to 1,350g. (1,450g in 2010).
• The TRF417 has an optimized chassis layout for high-power lithium batteries and brushless motors.
• One-piece aluminum motor mount offers extra strength and durability to handle high-power motors, enabling transmission of the motor power to the drive train with minimal friction loss.
• Compared to the TRF416, the motor position has been moved about 2.0mm towards the center to keep high traction during racing.
• By using a 19T pulley, the internal drive ratio becomes 1.94, which is very close to the ideal rate for brushless motors (2.0). With this, the car has less flexing resistance on drive belts and speed loss is minimized when the throttle is off.
• Newly designed steering linkage is not connected to the upper deck, providing improved flexibility to hold traction during cornering.
• Newly designed ball diff housing and plates provide extra durability.-Identical front and rear bulkheads.
• Comes equipped with short reversible suspension arms and TRF416 uprights.

July 2010 saw the Tamiya Racing Factory (TRF) team and ace team driver Marc Rheinard win the IFMAR World Championship with the TRF416X. Already with an eye on winning the 2012 IFMAR World Championship, Tamiya is proud to introduce the newly developed TRF417. Although it has the same superb high traction characteristics as the TRF416, the overall balance of the layout has been reexamined and specially designed for use with lithium batteries and brushless motors.

Some new developments of the TRF417 include a new motor position, increased motor mount rigidity, an improved secondary gear ratio reduction, optimized chassis layout, re-designed steering linkage, and extra durable ball diffs. All these new changes allow the machine handle superbly while cornering. Also loaded on the TRF417 is an assortment of proven parts seen on the TRF416X such as short reversible suspension arms and uprights with 1050 ball bearings which help reduce friction loss experienced when cornering. In addition, the TRF417 comes with identical front and rear bulkheads and is compatible with a wide variety of TRF parts. Come and try the high performance and superb cornering handling performance of the TRF417.

【Rear Section】

Using a 19T center pulley, the secondary gear ratio reduction becomes 1.94, which is very close to the ideal rate for brushless motors. With this, flexing resistance on drive belts is reduced and speed loss is minimized when the throttle is off. It also comes equipped with a 113T spur gear and the motor position is shifted forward. In addition, newly designed ball diff housing and diff plates provide extra durability.

One Piece Motor Mount
The one piece motor mount offers extra strength and durability to handle high power motors, enabling transmission of the motor power to the drivetrain with minimal friction loss. The center shaft is supported by aluminum posts on both sides. Compared to the TRF416X, the motor mount has been moved forward and toward the center for optimized balance and cornering grip.

【Steering Section】

The newly designed steering linkage is not connected to the upper deck, providing improved flexibility to hold traction during cornering. It also features an optimized steering layout design which improves the center of gravity and cornering characteristics of the Ackermann system. In addition, the TRF417 is equipped with identical front and rear bulkheads and is compatible with a wide variety of parts.