Team Losi 8IGHT, Owner'S Manual

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Before you start making changes on your 8IGHT Off Road Racing Buggy, you need to make a few decisions. Tires, and how they are
setup, have a tremendous impact on overall performance. Before you start making changes on the chassis setup, take a movement to observe
a few of the fastest cars at the track and what type of tire and inner liner they are running. When making chassis changes, you should fi rst
decide where you feel the car needs to be different. This is commonly referred to as changing the “balance”. First decide if the front of the
car needs to be adjusted or the back. You will want to work with the rear if the car enters the turn with the front end sticking, and tracking
well, while the rear end either does not want to follow, or simply doesn’t know what it wants to do. The opposite is true if the rear end seems
to want to push the front end through the corners or if the front drives into the corner uncontrollably. You will notice that several different
adjustments have similar effects on the handling as well. You will fi nd the best adjustment will become a personal decision based on the “feel”
that each of these adjustments yield. This also refl ects on the “balance” we referred to earlier. Never make more than one change at a time;
if the change you made works adversely, or doesn’t address your need, return to the previous position and try something else. Team Losi’s
development team has put hundreds of hours on the
8IGHT to arrive at the setup we put in the instruction manual. If you fi nd that you have
lost the “handle” go back to the kit (stock) setup, as this setup has proven to be reliable, consistent, and easy to drive.
All of us at Team Losi are sure that you will fi nd the 8IGHT Off Road Racing Buggy to be the most versatile and easiest car to drive
fast, with great consistency. We hope the information in the following guide helps you to enjoy your 8IGHT Buggy, and racing it, as much as
we do. For the latest in setup and accessory parts information, visit the Team Losi web site at: www.teamlosi.com regularly. For any tech-
nical questions go to the “Meet the Team” section of the site. We will try to answer your questions in the order received, to the best of our
knowledge, by our own Team Losi R&D race team. Please check the Team Losi web site periodically to fi nd out new setup information as
we are always testing on all types of tracks and surfaces. Also note, that there are many ways to setup a car. The rules we follow can reverse
sometimes with different driving styles or different setup styles, so test for yourself and you will fi nd a setup that works right for you.
TIPS AND HINTS FROM THE TEAM
Tuning the Engine: Should be done following the manufactures instructions. Turning the needle valve clockwise, the fuel mixture will
become leaner – meaning that the will draw less fuel. When the needle valve is turned counter-clockwise, the fuel mixture becomes richer
– meaning that the engine will draw more fuel. The high speed needle affects the fuel mixture at fuel throttle while the low seed needle only
affects the fuel mixture at idle and the low end of the throttle band.
To shut off the engine: Simply use the included pipe plug or simply bump the fl ywheel with a wrench or plastic handle tool.
The Receiver Battery: The Receiver Battery is an important, frequently overlooked part of gas-powered vehicles. It is important that the
batteries always have a fair amount of change remaining in them. A low receiver battery can cause the buggy to have a mind of it’s own.
The result can be runaway buggy or a poor responding radio system. The length of time that a receiver battery pack’s charge lasts depends
on the type of servos that are used. Some of the high performance servos draw more current than standard servos, and will drain the receiver
pack faster. Just remember to check the receiver pack from time to time. When the servos start to operate a little slower, or radio response
feels sluggish, the batteries probably need to be recharged. If you will be using a Nicad receiver pack, it is recommended that a minimum
battery size of 1000mAh and minimum voltage of 5.4 volts be used. The Nicad battery should be charged before every day’s outing with
your 8IGHT, and after about every 45 minutes to 1 hour of operation. If you are planning on racing a long main event, be sure to charge the
battery pack before the start of the main.
Droop: Adjust the front and rear droop by adjusting the front / rear down stop screws. Tighten the screws to increase the droop height (less
travel). Loosen the screws to decrease the droop height. (more travel).
Less droop in the front has less on power steering and is better for small bumps. Less droop in the rear has less off-power steering.
More droop in the front has more on power steering and will be better on rough tracks. More travel in the rear increases rear traction and off
power steering.
Front Camber Links: The lower camber link locations on the tower have more camber gain (total camber change through the suspension
travel). Running the camber tie rod in the lower holes will increase off-power steering and make the buggy more aggressive, however you
may lose some consistency. More camber gain is good on small tight tracks. We have found that running less camber gain in the front suits
the car the best for consistency and steering balance. A longer front camber link will make the buggy feel stiffer. This will keep the buggy
fl atter with less roll and increase high speed steering. A short front camber link will roll more and make the buggy more aggressive. Too
short of a front link may make the buggy feel twitchy.
Rear Camber Links: The lower camber link locations on the tower have more camber gain (total camber change through the suspension
travel). Running the camber tie rod in the lower holes on the tower will increase corner speed and allow the buggy to sit on the rear more
when on throttle. The lower camber position will not traction roll as easy. The upper camber link locations on the tower work better on high
traction surfaces and improve stability. Using a longer rear camber link will have less roll and improve stability and traction. A shorter rear
camber link will have more roll and increase steering and better in the bumps. Running “A” in the rear hub will generate more corner rotation
entering the turn, but decrease steering on exit. Running “B” in the hub will be more stable entering the turn and increase steering on exit.
Pistons: Smaller hole pistons have stiffer damping, slower weight transfer, slower response, and will land large jumps better.
Larger hole pistons have softer damping, increased traction, quicker weight transfer / response, and bottom out easier off large jumps.
Shock Oil: Lighter shock oil has more overall traction and respond quicker. Thicker oil has less overall traction and react slower. On high
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