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Team Magic E4JS – Smashing the price vs.
performance barrier!
The new E4JS electric touring car chassis from Team Magic has removed the
complex barrier between price and performance. No longer can you consider a
chassis manufactured from plastic instead of carbon fiber, a low spec product
when it features stunning characteristics as found on the new E4JS.
From its intricate, but highly efficient transmission, to its state of the
art suspension geometry; the E4JS has everything a full time racer could ever
need. The design of the car follows on from the already successful E4 series so
there’s no need to be concerned about its ability to take the chequered flag.
Let’s take a closer look at what the E4JS has to offer:
Value
The E4JS is now the benchmark when it comes to performance at a low price.
The high cost items like carbon fiber, titanium and aluminum which supposedly
make a top of the line electric touring car are now no longer necessary.
In their place is high quality, super strong, plastics molded to match the
suspension geometry and weight distribution found in every E4.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that plastic is an inferior product when
compared to carbon fiber. Apart from one or two redundant characteristics found
in carbon fiber, many of the latest manufacturing techniques now incorporate
carbon injection to improve rigidity and durability.
Like it or loath it, plastic, even in the highest quality form, is simply,
cheaper to make. With the E4 surrounded in high quality but low cost plastic,
savings are then passed onto the end-user.
Durable
As mentioned above, technology has advanced plastic
manufacturing ten fold. Plastics used today are far superior to what has been
available in the past.
The improved strength means the cars are now stronger and more rigid then ever
before. This additional strength means Team Magic can pay close attention to non
stressed areas of the car and reduce the amount of material used in that area.
This in turn reduces the overall weight of the car and improves its performance.
The E4JS also shares the same structural design as the E4RS and E4FS so strength
and durability are second to none. For example, the E4RS and E4FS already
feature upgraded suspension arms and these items are already included as
standard on the E4JS.
Quality
Quality isn’t just about the type of materials used to make a touring
car chassis. It’s also about how the parts fit together, how well these same
parts work together and how the car feels in the hand. Fortunately Team Magic is
now masters of their domain when it comes to quality and is now seen as one of
the top R/C car manufactures in the world.
Many of the parts found on the E4JS have gone through rigorous
testing procedures to make sure they operate at their most efficient for an
extended period of time. It’s Team Magic’s policy to provide their customers
with the best quality package they can.
What also gives you a good feel for the quality of the E4 is how easy the car
is to work on. Everything is where it should be and the ability to maintain or
access areas of the car is as simple as it can get.
Upgradable
Although we high recommend the E4JS package as it is out of the box, it does
share the same structure and design as the other E4’s in Team Magic’s range.
This means that if carbon fiber or aluminum is a requirement for your style of
racing, many of the same parts can be shared between chassis’.
This upgradability not only covers exchanging of parts but also included
option parts like sway-bars, springs, differentials, etc.
With these options available for the E4JS, the car is capable of running on
any surface and any track.
Main features of the E4JS
Transmission
The 3 belt, fully ball raced transmission system of the E4 chassis’ is what
sets the car apart from the rest. The uniquely designed system operates at
maximum efficiency thanks to high quality universal joints and low friction
belts all made by Team Magic. The 3 belt transmission offers huge layout
benefits over the traditional 2 belt design which means the battery can now be
placed closer to the center line of the car, helping to improve the cars side to
side balance. In addition to this, the motor can also be moved toward the center
line too.
All these small changes add up to one big improvement in corner speed and
cornering consistency. The E4JS has got to be one of the best cars on the market
to drive fast.
Centralized Componentry For
Perfect Side to Side Balance:
With the belts out of the way, the designers got to work tweaking weight
distribution so both sides of the car were equal. They focused on making sure
the heaviest components, like the battery and motor were either centralized on
the chassis or very close to it. After a few modifications, they achieved their
goal and the E4JS now has a perfect side to side balance. This gives the E4JS
another advantage through the corners by letting the car change direction much
quicker. With all the weight placed in, toward the middle of the chassis the E4
also has a very neutral feel and there's less chance of the chassis rolling
over. Now you can push the boundaries when it comes to corner speed like never
before.
As all the components moved inward, the main chassis plate began to shrink.
This reduced the overall weight of the car, again, improving its performance.
Suspension
Another unique feature on all of Team Magic’s touring car
chassis is the flying wing suspension arms. Designed to improve strength while
offering reducing unsprung weight, the suspension arms are some of the lightest
and strongest on the market. A small alloy rod helps improve strength and reduce
suspension flex for a more direct feel.
This new manufacturing process allowed Team Magic to reduce the size of the
suspension arms without sacrificing strength. A lightweight, hollow aluminum rod
gives the suspension arm its potent strength and provided the E4JS designers
with an opportunity to remove or shape excess plastic from around each arm. Both
options offer interesting benefits to improving the E4JS's performance.
The removal of excess plastic helped to not only lower the
chassis total weight but also meant the shocks didn't have to cope with
additional loads. This improved the E4JS's acceleration and ability to cope with
a bumpy track or surface.
Next, Team Magic set about shaping the arm to serve two purposes; firstly the
removal of any holes in the arm makes it much easier for cleaning and secondly,
the shape of the arm was molded to help improve airflow. The airflow runs
smoothly over the arm and this helps the E4JS cut through the air, reducing its
drag co-efficient dramatically.
Fully Tunable
The E4JS is a racer at heart. Everything has been included on
the car to offer you the most amount of flexibility when it comes to tuning it
to your style or track. Anything that can be changed on any E4 or other top of
the line touring car can be changed on the E4JS.
Inboard toe adjustment can be altered thanks to off-center pivots. Roll-center
adjustments can be made via turnbuckle linkages and rear uprights. The list is
huge, but to say that anything and everything to alter the cars handling is
included on the E4JS would be very accurate.
The chassis also includes front and rear ball differentials so tuning the car to
multiple track surfaces shouldn’t be an issue. The ball differentials are fully
adjustable and are excellent tools for altering the handling of the chassis too.
Smart Designs
A notable difference between the other E4 chassis’ and the
E4JS is the way the battery is inserted and removed from the car. This operation
is now handled from the top of the car rather than underneath. This means the
time and tools required to insert and remove batteries is greatly reduced.
Thanks to the new chassis design, the E4JS is right at home with hard cased LIPO
battery packs. Two thumb screws hold the battery in place without any need for
Velcro or tape.
| Let's take a closer look at some of the incredible features
of the new E4JS. |
Ultra Low Center of Gravity:
A fundamental consideration in manufacturing a high performance on-road touring
car chassis is making sure the major components of the vehicle are placed as
close to the ground as possible. This gives the car a low center of gravity for
increased cornering speed and improved road holding capabilities. The E4JS is a
perfect illustration how this can be accomplished with creative precision.
The motor and battery pack can account for almost 40% of the cars entire moving
mass so it's critical they are given priority in positioning. The motor area of
the E4JS is machined away to lower the motor a total of two millimeters past the
top of the main chassis plate. This may seem like a small gain, but with this
design the motor is potentially just 1mm away from the ground. It would be
impossible to get it any lower without placing it in undue risk from potential
damage.
Super Easy Maintenance
The fun doesn't stop there though because the E4JS is also an absolute charm to
work on too! The design of the car incorporates quick and easy access to all of
the high maintenance areas of any on-road touring car. Take for example, the
front and rear differentials. Only four screws hold each differential securely
in place. Undo these 4 screws and you now have the ability to lift the entire
differential out of car with ease. Make some changes or give it a clean, then
drop the diff back in, tighten up the 4 screws and you're ready to race again.
Nothing could be easier.
The same applies for the main layshaft which is also held in place by only 4
screws. Slide the belts off the pulleys and lift the entire layshaft out of the
car. These quick maintenance features flow right throughout the entire E4JS
chassis. From the wheels up, the E4JS is the ultimate user-friendly touring car
on the market.
The ultra low center of gravity combined with the center-mounted battery
location minimizes roll and allows the car change direction like no other before
it. Each component has been analyzed and redesigned to reduce static and
rotational mass without compromising strength and reliability.
New Shocks
Also included is a high quality set of alloy/plastic shocks.
New single O-ring shocks minimize drag for smoother more precise dampening. The
LX style shocks include derlin pistons and silicon seals for excellent
performance and durability while the threaded shock bodies allow for the
smallest of ride height adjustment without the need for additional parts or
tools.
Speedo & Motor Vent Mount
Ducted air intake for motor and ESC cooling. A cooler motor means more power,
longer run time and longer magnet / motor life.
Single Bell Crank Steering System
Single bell crank steering system with increased Ackerman angle for instant
response and crisper turn in.
Alum. 7075 Front & Rear
Universal Joint
Redesigned CVDs are both light and strong . With the remove of blade cover on
the shaft, CVD drive pins are fitted over in order to reduce friction and
protect the outdrives from wear and backlash.
The new Team Magic E4 is the surprise package of 2008. By removing the expensive
‘bling’ of a touring car chassis and including cheaper, yet just as effective,
replacement materials, you end up with the perfect club racers car.
It’s strong, fast and tunable… what else do you need?
E4JS Main Features:
- Great Value
- Three Belt Transmission
- Narrow Chassis & Low CG Design
- Centralized Motor and Battery Design
- Most Lipo Battery & Brushless Motor Can Be Used
- New Shocks
- New Widened Belts
- New Thickened Flying Wing Suspension Arm
- Front & Rear Alum. 7075 Universal Drive Shaft
- Front & Rear Ball Differential (Quick Release Design)
- New Lightweight Nylon Pulley
- Fully Upgradable
E4JS Main Spec:
- 1/10 EP Sedan (Factory Assembled)
- Width--186mm adjustable
- Length--374mm
- Weight--1460g (Racing Status w/7.2v Battery)
- Wheelbase--257~259mm
- Drive ratio--2.059
- Lightweight 110T 64P Spur Gear
- Caster block--3 degree
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