Home > The Tamiya F201 - by David Jun
The Tamiya F201 - by David Jun
Formula One racing represents the pinnacle of motor sports. It takes the most brilliant designers to create them as much as it takes the best to drive them. This has made Formula One racing one of the most popular forms of auto racing in the world. Tamiya's interest in Formula One began during the later part of the 70's, beginning with the Six Wheel Tyrrell P34 (58003). This was soon followed by subjects such as the Ferrari 312T3 (58011), Ligier JS9 Matra (58012), March 782 BMW (58013) and the Martini Renault (58014). All these cars were based on a pan style chassis. It was simple yet effective. This basic design continued through the 80's with cars like the Road Wizard (58053), Lotus Honda 99T (58068) and the Williams Honda FW11B (58069). In the 90's, the pan style chassis continued to evolve with chassis types such as the F-101 chassis, F-102 chassis and the F-103 chassis.
Although the pan style chassis performs superbly, they do not exhibit the same "realistic" dynamics found on independent suspension cars. They also require prepared and/or clean smooth surfaces to operate; otherwise they can be virtually undriveable. Chassis types such as those found on 4WD Sedan cars have 4-wheel independent suspensions, realistic handling dynamics and the ability to tune the suspensions with full-scale chassis dynamics in mind. They can also be driven on almost any type of surface conditions without too much difficulty. Because of this, the popularity of 4WD Sedans has far exceeded the pan cars.
In February 2002, Tamiya announced the all-new F201Formula One chassis. The suspension is designed on the same principal as full-scale Formula One cars. The double wishbone 4-wheel independent suspension looks and operates just like the real thing right down to the suspension pushrods and rocker arm system. The midship mounted motor and shaft driven 4WD promote balanced handling and stability, even with high-powered motors. Coil over oil-filled shocks, ball differentials and full ball bearings are also standard. While some Formula One purists may object to a 4WD Formula One chassis, others may argue that a 4WD Formula one car is in the realm of possibility more than a live axle, T-plate suspended, coil sprung 2WD car is. Overall, the F201 chassis is the most realistic Formula One chassis Tamiya has ever produced.
Building the F201 is easy, but it can be time consuming due to the realistic suspension and various linkage rods. There are a few points of assembly that should not be over looked. First, are the front and rear knuckle arms. They look virtually identical at first glance. However, the rear knuckle arms are slightly longer and if they are mixed up, the rear wheels will not fit and your rear toe rods will appear too short. The suspension arms also look similar and if they are installed backwards or in the wrong location, the wheelbase and caster angles will be off. Finally, the steering ball end touches the lower front arm and the front gear case at full steering lock. To fix this, shave just enough material off the top and bottom of the ball end located on the steering arm (opposite side of the knuckle arm).
During assembly, the following Tamiya Hop-Up parts were used to fine-tune the F201 for maximum performance.
53513 F201 Turnbuckle Shaft Set
The Turnbuckle Shaft Set allows easy adjustments to rod lengths. This is key for precise pushrod adjustments. Otherwise, the ball end must be removed and one ball end rotation could be excessive.
53514 F201 Reinforced Prop Shaft
Not only is the Reinforced Prop Shaft stronger than the stock component, it is also less prone to power robbing driveline play. This can increase acceleration, top speed and run time.
53515 F201 Racing Spring Set
Balancing the handling of any chassis is critical for optimizing cornering speed. The Racing Spring Set offers three spring rates to help balance the F201 for a variety of conditions.
53518 F201 Aluminum Motor Mount
Heat can quickly weaken motor magnets during operation resulting in poor acceleration and reduced efficiency. The Aluminum Motor Mount helps cool the motor as well as improving motor support.
53519 F201 Aluminum Rocker Arm (2 sets used)
To complement the Racing Spring Set, the Aluminum Rocker Arms reduce play and allow leverage adjustments via spacers. Adding a spacer to the shock side of the rocker will stiffen the suspension by giving the shock and spring more leverage over the arm and visa versa.
53521 F201 Lightweight Diff Joint (2 sets used)
The Lightweight Diff Joints are not just lighter than the stock components, but last longer as well. The range of adjustment is also greater due to the thrust bearing location much like the 414M differentials.
53522 F201 Universal Shaft (2 sets used)
Universal Shafts can improve efficiency and reduce axle hop caused by worn dog bones. Universals are most important at the front of the car due to constant steering angles.
Each of these Hop-Up Options provide a specific effect on performance and/or durability of the F201 (Carbon motor brace was hand made and is not TCS legal). However, what is the F201's potential and how does it compare to the F103 it's replacing? To find the answer, a fully hopped-up F103 was borrowed from former F-1 TCS National Champion David Beale and it was put up against my F201 from the TCS North American Finals Exhibition Race. The track: Tamiya America, Inc. Test facility in Aliso Viejo California. Driver: David Jun. A direct drive 2WD pan car vs. a shaft drive 4WD car may seem unfair but the results may surprise you. Three tests were made with three different motors. The F103 was equipped with Tamiya Type B slicks and because the Tamiya F201 Hop-Up tires were not yet available, the F201 was equipped with Pit Shimizu Hard rubber.
Test one:
Both cars were equipped with silver can Johnson 540 motors. The F103 was geared at 3.45:1 and because the stock gearing on the F201 is very short, the TB Evolution 55T 0.4 pitch gear with a 41T pinion was used (final drive 3.51:1). On the track, as expected, the F103 had much better acceleration and top speed. The F201's advantage surprisingly came in the corners with better turn-in and corner speed. Best lap for the F103 was a 15.2 and for the F201, a 15.7.
Test two:
The cars were now equipped with 24-degree stock motors. The F103 gearing was changed to 3.72:1 and the F201 was returned to the stock 7.15:1. With the F201 Speed Tuned not yet released, the F103 had a gear ratio advantage. On the track, the F103 benefited on the straightaway but could only use some of the extra power in the corners. The F201 also gained top speed and was also able to take advantage of the power in the corners. Best lap for the F103 was a 15.0 and for the F201, a 15.2. From the lap times, the F103 gained 2 tenths from the motor change but the F201 gained half a second despite the low gear ratio. The F103 held the fastest lap in this test, however, the average lap time was virtually identical. We can only imagine what the F201 could have done with the Speed Tuned Gear Set.
Test three:
What would happen if a motor that matched the F201's gear ratio was used? On the TRF 414M, a 13T motor would equate to a good choice for a 7.15:1 ratio. The Tamiya Dyna Run Touring Motor is a 13T double so it was installed in both cars and the F103's gearing was adjusted to 3.88:1. On the track, the F103 was incredibly fast and applying too much throttle would easily spin the tires. Cornering speed was also improved by powering the car through the turns. As expected, the F201 was also incredibly fast on the straightaway (close to the speed of the F103). Top speed still went to the F103 but the acceleration advantage went to the F201. In the corners, the F201 really showed it's strength by putting down all the power entering and exiting the corners, carrying more speed. The lap times confirmed this with the F201 taking fastest lap of 14.3 and the F103 with a 14.6. The average lap times were nearly half a second faster in favor of the F201.
Analyzing all the lap times showed the advantages and disadvantages of both cars. The F103 chassis shows strengths in its direct drive train and overall lightweight. This allowed for quick acceleration and high top speeds. The F201 had an advantage in the corners with faster turn-in and the ability to carry more speed in the turns. The F103 speed advantage was primarily apparent only with low powered motors. Overall, the F201 showed an advantage beginning with 24-degree motors and the more powerful the motor, the faster the F201 was over the F103. In conclusion, the F201 is a worthy predecessor to the F103 with its realistic suspension, vast tuning ability and flat out performance.
Front Suspension
Camber: -1 deg.
*Fiberglass stabilizer plate is not used.
Rear Suspension
Camber: -1 deg.
*Pillow ball gap is the distance between the knuckle arm and the suspension arm.