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". |
Now, take the first King Pin and an e-clip.
Use the pliers to clip it in place.
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.
Slide the spring over the King Pin.
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.
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.
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. |
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).
Next, we have a couple of options. For option 1 install the 0.5mm shim underneath the upper arm.
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).
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).
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.