has any one raced the losi mini late model yet? if so how did it work and what hop ups can be done to make it a top runner on the dirt tracks

works great leave them alone and race them as stock, maybe just put the associated 280 motor in it more reliable with brushes that way

On our local indoor dirt oval (190' racing line, smooth enough to run slicks), my best with a Slider (stock esc/motor) was 43 laps -- first night with the Mini-LateModel, I ran 49 (also with stock esc/motor)... The longer wheelbase and the body aero package seems to really work well...

Now I've popped a Mamba 6800kv combo in, and I ran 51 laps with much more "out there", I just have to get the handling to catch up to the extra power.

FWIW, my best in 10th scale 19t truck is only 51 laps (track record is single 52 lap run), so... WOW!

cant wait to get mine also wondering will there be a mini stocker from losi

Got mine today...Man it's too cool! There looks to be all kinds of potential for hop ups. How about a McAllister Racing Milwaukee ASA stock car body for this jewel. This would also make a very good spec racer.
There are a few minor quirks I noticed like the excessive play in the steering and suspension but overall I am very happy with it and I havent even driven it yet.
I plan on "binding" it to my DX3R. They say it can be done. We'll see.
Friday night is race night so I'll try it out in practice for a few laps. YEE HAW!

Don't need Losi to come out with a mini stocker, just make your own. Call up McAllister and get yourself a 1/12 cup car body. I can't believe Losi still wants to call this car 1/18 when it's bigger than my 1/12 scale!

Matt

Hey Tom, what tires have you been using? We have tried different tires on the back.

Hey Tom, what tires have you been using? We have tried different tires on the back.

The Mini LM rear tires were too hard for the local dirt oval and didn't work at all for me. Our 10th scales run slicks, so I first tried Slider 'street meats' on the rear, and they worked quite well with stock motor/ESC setup.

When I upgraded to Mamba 25/6800kv, I converted some LOSI step pins into "slicks", which worked very well, although they needed stiffer foam.

Front tires vary -- the Mini LM tires worked OK, but using 'Street Meats' gives more steering. From what I've seen the front and rear Mini LM tires are both the same rubber (??) but with stiffer foam in the fronts. I wish the rears were made in the same rubber as the 'Street Meats', because I think their tread pattern would really work well in the softer rubber...

I agree these cars are great but they are not 1/18th scale. the late model is 1/12th about and the slider is actually about 1/10th. the so called 1/10th scale sprints that custom works has been coming out with for years is about the size of my 1/10th scale truck how can that be. these companies dont know what they're talking about when it comes to the scale of an r/c.

is ne 1 running a side air dam ?if so what size air dam are you running

Take a look here -- very good pictures of one racers Mini LM with side air dam...:

http://www.dirtoval.com/forums/showpost.php?p=234597&postcount=65

I'm still not running one, but it may be worth a try...

at my track it is realy sandy and the mini late model is nothing but trouble and i need help. i have tried alot of things but i am not that good with this, i am used to a car that is already set up. I got a 18t with a 9200 brushless and it is the fastest thing out there and it is killing me that the mini late model does not handle at all. please help Dale

it is killing me that the mini late model does not handle at all. please help Dale

What is the Mini LM doing...? Spinning out? Pushing/plowing the front end? Traction rolling?

To help, we need to know what the "problem" is....

it is spinning out, you can not thottle it at all

Classic "fixes" for loose handling...

Start with tires -- if the track is high bite, change the rears for "Street Meats" -- if the track is sandy/loose dirt, the LOSI Step Pins are good (they roll under if the bite comes up - go to LOSI Taper Pins then)... On the front, one "trick" is to use a tire with less bite on the RF -- in the extreme example, the Associated 18b pin tires are made of a harder rubber (sort of "plasticy" feel), and they can make the RF not grab as much...

Corner speed needs left side weight -- I run the battery to the left, and I've added almost an ounce of lead behind the battery on the chassis.

Make SURE the shocks have been properly filled. On a high bite track, I run 100 wt all the way around with the stock shocks -- if the track is slick/loose, I'd drop the rears to 40 or 50 wt, but keep the front stiff... (softer springs on the rear can help too) reduce the spring preload on the RR, and add preload to the RF to "jack" chassis weight onto the LR to hook it up...

Make sure you do NOT have toe out at the front -- if anything, you want zero toe or a small amount of toe in...

Check the rear camber -- you want to get as good a "footprint" as you can...

That's a real quickie list, but maybe it gives you something to start with....?

Does anyone know if the screws are metric or US?

Does anyone know if the screws are metric or US?

All the screws are Metric...

All the screws are Metric...

Thanks

thank you i will let you know how it does if we do not get rained out

just want to thank you. the tires did the trick. i am thinking of upgradeing the motor now because it did so good. thank you alot, Dale

just want to thank you. the tires did the trick. i am thinking of upgradeing the motor now because it did so good. thank you alot, Dale

Just curious... What tire combination did you end up with?

i used stock fronts and a losi rear tire not sure just said losi on them. they drove great

This isn't a magic tip to gain a lap or anything, but I've found it does eliminate a "hidden" source of stress in the rear end of the LOSI Mini Late Model...

I first found this on my first Mini LM, but had almost forgotten it until I started setting up my second one...

The rear motor guard/bumper mount has a "problem" that tweaks the rear of the chassis and the transmission. If you look at the bottom of the motor guard/bumper mount, where it slips between the transmission and the chassis plate, you will see that it sticks out under the aluminum motor plate. In fact, it actuall is too thick and TWISTS the transmission and aluminum motor plate a bit! I removed the guard/mount, and then used my dremel to "shave" about 1/16" off the right side of the bottom of this plastic guard/mount. If you do this, and then reinstall it, etc. you will see that the bottom of the aluminum motor mounting plate now actually extends down about 1/32" past the top edge of the mount's lower plastic plate... Not a BIG deal, but enough to create a hidden "tweak" if you don't do this...

Just picked up my Late Model tonight, I've been reading this thread and would like to know if anybody can give me the part numbers for the tires you guys are using on your cars for dirt racing ? Also, does anybody make a good aluminum shock for these cars yet ?

Hey guys I just broke down and ordered my first of 3 if I like them late models.
A earlier post mentioned they are more like 1/12 than 1/18th. Has anyyone found other bodies that work good on the late model? Also how do you think they'll do on a carpet road course? I only ask because the local hobby shop has one setup already. They are getting close to finishing a dirt oval and that's what I am really looking forward to:thumbsup:.

Bone:wave:

Bodies...
LOSI Mini Late Model (clear)
LOSI Slider Late Model (converson)
McAllister #214 Tri City Late Model

Shocks...
I'm using the LOSI Aluminum shocks (change the rear shafts to the shorter "front" shafts -- you new 4 "fronts" for the Mini LM).

Tires...
LOSB1181 - LOSI Street Meats... (pavement/carpet or high bite dirt)
LOSB1078 - LOSI Taper Pins... (some loose dirt)
LOSB1179 - LOSI Step Pins (very loose dirt -- also make good slicks).

Losi aluminum shocks, What was the main vehicle those shocks were made for ? The truck maybe. Thanks for the help.

The LOSI Aluminum shocks are their own brand of "after market" shocks. The only vehicle they were ever standard on was the Mini-T Pro, which is no longer available. They were originally made as an upgrade for the original Mini-t, which did not have "oil shocks", just friction dampers. They are not "threaded" -- they use clips to set preload, just like the plastic Mini LM shocks...

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=LOSB1110

The LOSI Aluminum shocks are their own brand of "after market" shocks. The only vehicle they were ever standard on was the Mini-T Pro, which is no longer available. They were originally made as an upgrade for the original Mini-t, which did not have "oil shocks", just friction dampers. They are not "threaded" -- they use clips to set preload, just like the plastic Mini LM shocks...

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=LOSB1110

http://www.thetoyz.com/cart/thetoyz_search.lasso?keywords=shocks

These shocks are also available. Some are adjustable.

Thanks for all the help guys:thumbsup:

Last race I ran Proline bowties all the way around. They worked very well through the looser dirt at the start of the day to the packed damp conditions in the evening. I had some tapers to try for the rear but never got around to it, I think they would probably be a bit better at the start of the day with the slightly looser conditions.

The stock tires can work fairly good on looser dirt with a few mods. On the rear cut every other row out. This will give the tires more forward bite. There is an odd number of rows so you will have two rows that meet up. If you need some more steering after doing that to the rear cut out two columns of tread to form two ribs. This will give the tire more bite while cornering. They don't work as well as other options for those conditions but if you are in a bind and need a quick fix this is an option. Just use some curved body scissors and be careful not to cut through the carcass.

That's my car that tfrahm linked with the air damn, I couldn't imagine running the car without it. I may try a short one on the right side next time out along with and additional fender flare on the front left.

Hey guys my late model showed up today and I really like it. I also purchased 2 clear bodies. Well I painted one and I need the headlights and grill to complete it. Anyone know where I can purchase these? Also it is not 1/18 scale it is almost as big as my 10th scale. Thanks in advance.

Bone

LOSI did something pretty strange with the Mini LM... The prepainted bodies have a full sticker set already installed (sides, headlights, grill, etc.). The RTR combos have the same body/sticker setup, but they add an extra bunch of stickers with some dirt oval sponsor stickers and TONS of numbers... If you buy the clear body, you get ZERO stickers... If you order the only Mini LM sticker set the offer, it is only the 'extra' sticker package (sponsors/numbers)... THE DO NOT OFFER THE BODY DETAIL STICKERS -- Weird!:confused:

However -- I know that McAllister sells separate packs of body details that are 10th scale, but I'd bet they would work on the Mini LM body... Plus you can they make it a Ford, Chevy, Dodge, "whatever" by just buying the right set of stickers...

They Don't Include The Rear Wing Either...thats An Extra $5.00...i Just Cut It Out Of An Old Piece Of Lexan.

Can you post those pics on this site?Ireally would like to check it out.

Can you post those pics on this site?Ireally would like to check it out.

Doesn't the link on page 1 of this thread work for you?

Our LHS runs a class using the late model. Rules are stock motor, stock tires, stock battery or two cell lipo, and Mcallister COT impalla body. it has been great fun. We race an asphalt oval about 200' long. here are some pics of my car.

Has anyone tried the protoform HD bodies? Given measurements seem way off, but so does the McAlister, but it seems to fit pretty well. Thanks.