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Home > Articles > How To: Install Your MR-03 Low Profile Front Suspension
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The MR-03 has allowed us to finally put our
stamp on the market. Just about anywhere where
you see Mini-Z Racing, you will see our MR-03
Extra Long Front Kingpins Installed on people's
cars. So why would be release an optional front
suspension kit that is entirely different, especially
since we have the most popular solution out there
for the MR-03?
Well, I honestly don't know. Is there one that
is better than the other? Not really. They both
have their plusses and minuses. At the recent
PNWC Finals in Myrtle Beach we did well with both.
Jacob Feinstein finished in second in Pan Car
with the Extra Long King Pins, Mike Gee finished
2nd in stock. I personally finished 3rd in Mod
GT and 3rd in 2WD stock with the Low Profile Kit.
What I can say to you, is once you set your car
up properly, this set-up is much more user friendly.
You are going to need to run smaller diameter
front tires with the low profile front end, but
the roll centers are much easier to set right
with this kit. Slop is also greatly reduced, and
precision is improved, especially if you follow
the directions in this tutorial. |
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The first step is to gather all
the parts and tools. We recommend a flat set
of pliers like above to clip the e-clips on
to the King Pins. We are also using Reflex Part
No. RX1172 aka "M2 King Pin Shims". |
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Now, take the first King Pin and an
e-clip.
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Use the pliers to clip it in place.
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Next, grab some of the silver medium
springs. These springs are really just about perfect
everywhere. The blacks are a bit soft and the golds
are to be used in SUPER smooth, high grip conditions.
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Slide the spring over the King Pin.
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The following step is to install the
lower delrin balls. Please note that there are 2 types
of balls in the pack. You will use the ones with the
large recession in them. Face the ball towards the bottom
of the chassis. |
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Slide the king pin with the spring into
the lower ball. If this ball is a bit tight, we recommend
using a 4.7mm ball link reamer to loosen up the joint.
Due to different tolerances from different manufacturers,
we opted for a slightly tighter fit. This way you never
end up with a loose ball end.
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Grab the pack of King Pin Shims. We
will need to use the thickest (1.0mm) shim. |
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Slide the Shim over the King
Pin. |
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Now, slide the stock knuckle over the
king pin. If you are using lowering knuckles, such as
the PN Racing ones, you will need to play around with
spacing a bit. (Start with a 0.3mm shim at the bottom).
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Next, we have a couple of options. For
option 1 install the 0.5mm shim underneath the upper
arm.
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Above is the aggressive steering setting.
You should get more camber gain for a little more mid
corner and exit steering. This is good for low to medium
grip tracks. (With the PN Knuckles, install the 1.0mm
shim underneath and another 0.3mm shim at the top of
the delrin ball).
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The other option is the mild steering
setting. This is achieved by installing the 0.5mm shim
at the top of the upper delrin ball. This setting gives
you less camber gain and is typically better for medium-
to high grip tracks. (With the PN Knuckles install a
0.5mm shim underneath the upper ball and a 0.3mm shim
at the top).
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Lastly, repeat on the other side and
you should be ready to hit the track!
NOTES:
1.To aid in stability, use
grease in your front end. The best way we have found
to do it is to apply some inside the recession to the
lower delrin ball. This is where all the sliding takes
place and it also stays very consistent since it is
semi- enclosed. Clean your grease after every 3-4 runs
in order to maintain maximum performance. Our starting
set-up for medium grip tracks is 15000 wt Kyosho grease.
For High Grip, we use 30000 wt Kyosho grease.
2.Don't let your tires get
to small or your front end will drag. Keep a close eye
on this.
3.You can use the low profile
suspension as the traditional extra long king pin set,
up. Just reverse the lower and upper balls.
4.Use a ball end reamer when
you have to. Since we started using them, our suspensions
are so much smoother and better performing!!!
5.Our Low Profile Front Suspension
Kit is Compatible with the PN Lower Front MR-03 Arms.
The Spacing might vary a bit since the geometry is slightly
different.
6. If you need a little more
pre-load, place thin shims at the top of the upper delrin
balls. This will give you a little more ride-height
and reduced droop settings for additional stability.
Don't go over board though. 0.1-0.3mm is as much as
you want to put on there. If you want a stiffer front
end, use the gold springs.
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Written by Cristian
Tabush |