The Mini-T and the Changing Landscape of Radio Control

Team Losi Mini-T RTR 1/18-Scale Off-Road Truck

Team Losi's new Mini-T™ has really changed the face of RC cars as we know them. For years, there were the inexpensive "toys" that a lot of people could afford, but offered little in quality, performance, or parts support. Until recently, the next step was a real RC race car that came in kit form that offered exceptional performance, engineering and parts support, but had to be built, which limited their appeal to the masses. The advent of the Ready-To-Run bridged the gap between these extremes, but still have a few limitations. Specifically, the cost is still out of the reach of a lot of younger enthusiasts or families, and there are often limitations on when and where you can enjoy it. The Mini-T offers these two critical pieces of the puzzle. It offers a downsized version of an industry-leading race-winning design that offers a high-quality economical RTR with great performance. Best of all, it can be run in a limited area on just about any surface indoors or outdoors. The performance makes it appealing to the best of racers, and the unmatched opportunity of operation, parts support and price makes it most desirable for those new to RC.

Making the Mini-T Special

Team Losi 7.2V 1100mAh NiMH Battery: Mini-T	Team Losi Front Wheels Chrome: Mini-T

One of the many attractions of the Mini-T is the ability to easily modify or "personalize" it. These modifications can be broken down into two categories: performance and appearance. While a few aftermarket or "hop-up" parts fall into both categories, most are fairly well defined. A 5- or 6-cell rechargeable battery pack is almost unseen, but offers improved acceleration and speed. Purple-anodized aluminum suspension arms may actually hinder performance, but they really look cool and add a personalized touch that separates the model they are on from the rest. The best of both worlds might be chrome wheels that work just like the stock ones, but look cool as well.

The Need For Speed
Perhaps the Mini-T's greatest attribute is the ability to tailor its speed to any skill level without spending a lot of money. The Mini-T uses 4 "AA" dry cells as it comes out of the box. This provides good performance for the beginner, especially when running in confined areas. Young or old, we all have to learn how to use the throttle and steering, so that we are controlling it instead of it controlling us! That's also one of the reasons the Mini-T has reverse.

Once you're comfortable driving with "AA"s for a while, you may want to start living in the fast lane. Stepping up to a 5- or 6-cell Ni-Cd or Ni-MH rechargeable battery pack is a cinch. The 5-cell pack will provide noticeably quicker acceleration and top speed. The 6-cell pack ups the performance to the "hang on" level. Ni-Cds have been around forever and are a little cheaper, but the newer Ni-MH cells offer slightly better voltage and greater capacity, which means better speed and longer run time between charges. Of course, the greatest benefit of either pack is the ability to recharge them hundreds of times. In the long run, you get more speed and it costs you less!

Team Losi Speed Motor w/ Wires and Plugs: Mini-T

Another way to push the speed envelope is with a new motor. Although the stock motor is a great performer, especially with a 5- or 6-cell battery pack, there are plenty of hotter units available from a number of manufacturers. As with the battery packs, there are basically two types of motors you can choose from: the more economical bushing models like the Mini-T "Speed Motor" that appear similar to the stock unit and the ball bearing aftermarket models that, although more costly, can be rebuilt. It should be noted that some aftermarket motors require some modification for installation.

Get A Grip

Team Losi Street Meats Front Tire w/ Yellow Rims: Mini-T	Team Losi Front and Rear Mini-Smashers w/Foam: Mini-T

Once you have more power, you will probably need to look at handling or, more to the point, using that power. The two basic areas you'll want to look at first would be: tires and suspension. Team Losi® offers a comprehensive selection of tires to suit about every surface you will want to run your Mini-T on. There are foam tires for running or racing on indoor carpet and rubber tires for both indoor and outdoor use. Specifically, there are special tread designs for various applications that can offer improved performance and wear. The stock rubber tires work well on most hard surfaces, but, as power is increased, so is the need for traction. The "Mini Step-Pins" have lots of long tapered spikes for digging into loose dirt. The "Mini-Smasher" is an all-terrain tire with big bold jugs that work well on both dirt and asphalt. The "Street Meets" are a slightly lower profile tire that resembles a Formula 1 rain tire that really hooks-up on paved or carpet surfaces.

Dynamite Aluminum Front Suspension Arms: Mini-T	Dynamite Aluminum Front Shock Tower, Blue: Mini-T	Team Losi Racing Shock Absorber Set (4): Mini-T

Once you've picked some new tires, it's time to consider the suspension. Although the stock shocks allow you to run the Mini-T on rough surfaces, oil-filled shocks will dramatically improve handling on these surfaces. This will really be evident as you get more adventurous with the size of the jumps and roughness of the terrain you run on. The oil-filled shocks Team Losi's designed are similar to those used on the larger racing trucks to eliminate the bouncing and provide a softer ride over rough surfaces. Jumping and, more importantly, landing is much easier, allowing you to go faster with better control. This type of shock is called a "coil-over" because it has a coil spring around the outside, which actually holds the Mini-T up. Coil suspension springs ranging from soft to firm are available for the oil-filled shocks, so you can easily fine-tune the suspension to address the needs of the surface you are running on. Like the stock shocks, simple snap-in spring shims are used to adjust the ride height and preload.

Drivetrain Options
The drivetrain offers several options that definitely fall into the "performance" category. Specifically- the differential and the driveshafts. A differential allows one rear tire to rotate easier than the other while maintaining traction, like when you're making a turn. The Mini-T is equipped with a gear differential very similar to the one found in your full-size automobile. This differential is very forgiving on slick or rough surfaces and is very durable. For racing applications, a ball-type differential is often preferred, as it has a limited slip and can provide more forward traction. The ball-type differential is similar to that used on the larger racing trucks, but is less forgiving for the average driver.

The driveshafts used on the Mini-T are called "dog bones," because they resemble a dog's chew bone! They have drive pins at either end that run in matching grooves in the rear axles and transmission outdrives. These allow the suspension to work freely and are very forgiving in the rough. Team Losi® offers CVDs made by MIP that have a dual pivot-type joint at the axle, much like a universal joint in your full-size car. The other end functions just like the dog bone. This type of driveshaft is often used in racing, especially with ball differentials, as they tend to lock in the suspension under power and square up or neutralize quicker exiting a turn.

Best of Both Worlds
While everything we've talked about thus far primarily improves performance, there are a few items that can improve both performance and appearance. At the top of this list are titanium turnbuckles. These linkage pieces take a real beating and connect the steering, as well as the front and rear hubs, to the chassis. These beautifully machined pieces resist bending, and are easier to adjust, since they work like a turnbuckle with left-hand threads on one end and right-hand on the other. We also have chrome wheels, which really don't improve performance, but they do look cool!

Due to the size of the Mini-T, the use of exotic metals like titanium to replace chassis parts really doesn't present much of a performance advantage, but probably doesn't hurt it either. Suspension parts are a whole other story, as you will see in the following appearance section.

It's Got the Look

Team Losi Mini-H20 Body w/ Masks and Sticker: Mini-T

So now you want to make your Mini-T look cool or at least special. There are a growing number of accessory items that do just that. The most obvious and easily changed is the body. Many pre-painted Mini-T body options are available. The clear body shells allow you to create a personalized and truly custom look. Team Losi currently offers the stock body, as well as the Mini-CK (Chevy), Mini-150 (Ford), and soon the Mini-H2O (Hummer), with more on the way. Then there are the "cool-looking" parts that shine or are color anodized for a dazzling appearance. Titanium and machined aluminum chassis parts and suspension pieces can be used to make a model car look like a robotic marvel or, in the case of the Mini-T, the inside of an oversized watch. This can provide a cool factor that is off the scale. These parts also allow you to personalize your truck by picking various colors and materials to create the look you desire. Unfortunately, some of these parts can actually hamper performance. In most cases, titanium and aluminum are considerably heavier than the plastic parts they replace. When used in the suspension, they tax the shocks greatly and hinder rough track handling. In general, it stands to reason that more weight means slower acceleration and run time. But, man, do they look cool!

What To Do
So there you have it-performance, appearance or maybe a little of both. With the Mini-T, you can literally have it your way. Relative to a larger scale truck, you can give it another look or level of performance without spending a ton of money. Heck, a Mini-T only costs a little more than a good set of monster truck shocks anyway. So why not have the best of both worlds? Pick up two Mini-Ts-a performance-packed racer and a cool driving machine with your own personalized look.