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Type ❯❯ 4WD competition buggyPrice ❯❯ $660 (varies with dealer)Requires ❯❯ Radio ❯❯ Fuel ❯❯ Receiver pack ❯❯ Servos ❯❯Starter box ❯❯ Tuned pipe ❯❯ .21 engine ❯❯ Tiresodonnellracing.comQ

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O’DONNELL Z01BDesigned by a legend, tested by a champion

Steve O’Donnell is an RC legend and is well known for his enginemodifications and engine accessories. In 2005, Steve O’Donnelldecided to build a completely no-compromise 1⁄8-scale buggy hecould dream up, and the end result is the Z01B. Steve didn’t want todesign a buggy that was just different; he set out to refine the cur-rent 1⁄8-scale buggy platform. The prototype Z01B buggies weretested by national champ Jared Tebo, so if it’s good enough for him,you can bet it’s good enough for you. The Z01B has already takenhome a few wins in prototype form, and it’s sure to take the top spotat even more races. Some have said it’s the most dependable,durable and consistent buggy ever. Let’s see how it stacks up.

AWESOME ACCELERATIONI took the Z01B to Wolcott Hobby in Wolcott,CT, for the first round of testing. This track isone of the largest in the state, and a lot offast buggy guys run there, so it’s a perfecttrack to test the Z01B. A lot of work wentinto the drivetrain to make it as smooth andas light as possible for the best potentialacceleration. Without even putting the Z01Bon the track, I could tell that Steve O’Donnellhad done his homework. The tires quicklygrew with every stab of the throttle whilewarming up the engine on the starter box,

and the tires spun for what felt like foreverbetween blips. Over the years I have run sev-eral 1⁄8-scale buggies, and the Z01B acceler-ates harder than anything I’ve ever run. I fig-ured that it might just be the engine, but Ihave the same setup in another buggy andthat buggy doesn’t come close. The trackwas very dry when testing, and the low rotat-ing mass drivetrain caused the tires, whenpunched, to spin a little more than I liked. Itoned down the throttle response on myradio, and the buggy was much more con-trollable. I’d rather have too much of some-

thing than not enough; that way, you can dialin more when you need it, for instance whenrunning on a high-traction track or after thetrack has been watered.

BADASS BINDERSThe brakes are just as important as how thebuggy accelerates, and the Z01B’s brake sys-tem worked flawlessly during testing. I dialedin a little more rear brake to help the buggyrotate better through the track’s tight turns.The brakes are very smooth and showed nosigns of pulsating or fading all day.

TURNS ON A DIMEAs I got used to the feel of the buggy andharder on the throttle, I found that it also cor-

WOLCOTT HOBBY ❯❯ WOLCOTT, CT ❯❯ WOLCOTTHOBBY.COMAND PIN SHOP HOBBIES ❯❯ OAKVILLE, CT ❯❯ PINSHOPHOBBIES.COM

TEST SPOTS

BEHIND THEWHEEL

DRIVE TIME

WORDS KEVIN HETMANSKI ❯❯ kevinh@airage.com | PHOTOS HOPE McCALL

1/8 SCALE | NITRO | KIT

EXCLUSIVE!

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ners very well. You can carry a lot of speedwhen entering and get on the gas early with-out having the front end push. This is a majoradvantage on tight courses; you can makeup all kinds of time in the turns. The Z01Breally shines down the straight. It gets up tospeed quickly without the need for steeringcorrections to keep it straight.

FLY TIMEThe jumps are a part of what makes the testtrack challenging. The increased accelerationthe rapid-reaction drivetrain gives the Z01Bmade jumping easy; you don’t need muchrun-up or throttle input to clear big jumps.The Z01B handled the air like most high-endbuggies. It’s very well balanced and very easy

to control when you have a nose-up or nose-down condition. The shocks shine on thelandings and quickly settle the chassis withno signs of bottoming out. The shocks aresome of the smoothest I’ve ever built. Thesuspension performs equally well over small-er bumps, and it flies over whoops likethey’re not even there. The chassis stays fair-ly flat, and the tires are always in contact withthe dirt.

SHORT TRACKINGThe Z01B shined on Wolcott’s large opentrack, but I was curious on how it would doon a smaller track. I cleaned the buggy andgave it a quick look-over before heading toPin Shop Hobbies in Oakville, CT. This track

is designed and built for 1⁄10-scale, but lots ofguys run 1⁄8-scale truggy and buggy there; ifthey can get around, the Z01B can too. Ittook a few laps to get used to the track lay-out and jumps; I was overshooting every-thing. Once I gathered myself and got on thewheel, I found that the Z01B was just as athome on the small track as it was on thelarger one. The steering and brakes reallyshined here. I had talked to Steve O’Donnella few days before heading to Pin Shop, andhe gave me a new setup to try, so betweenheats I changed over to the new setup. Thenext time I hit the track, the buggy felt moreforgiving and fit my driving style better. I’llpost the setup on my blog so you can try it out.

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The body for the Z01B comes clear.I sent it to Zegers RC Graffix so Billcould lay down a sweet paint jobwith Parma Faskolor paint.

The suspension on theZ01B is as smooth as silkand very adjustable. Theyeven throw tuning springsand swaybars in the boxfor more tuning options.

Check out the packaging for this buggy.This alone screams quality.

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DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTOverall length with body 20 in. (510mm)Wheelbase 13 in. (330mm)Width 12 in. (305mm)Weight as tested 6 lb. (2,720g)

CHASSISType 3mm machined-aluminum sub-chassis withmolded-plastic braces

DRIVETRAIN Type Shaft-driven 4WDTransmission 13T Clutch Bell/48T Spur GearClutch 3-shoe aluminumTransmission ratio 3.69:1Final drive ratio 12.2:1Differentials Sealed bevel gearDrive axles Steel universal driveshaftsBearings rubber sealedBrakes large front with small rear composite discsteel pads

SUSPENSION Type (F/R) Lower H-arm with turnbuckle upper linkInboard camber-link positions (F/R) 3/6Outboard camber-link positions (F/R) 2/2Upper shock positions (F/R) 3/4Lower shock positions (F/R) 2/2

SHOCKSType Hard-anodized aluminum body, oil-filled

STEERINGType Dual bellcrankServo-saver Adjustable, bellcrank mountedTie rods Nickel-plated steel turnbuckles

BODY, WHEELS & TIRESBody Molded Lexan, clearWing Injection-molded plasticWheels Multi-spoke white with 12mm hexesTires Not included Inserts Not included

OTHER ACCESSORIESManifold Not includedPipe Not includedFuel tank capacity 125cc

SPECIFICATIONSO’DONNELL RACING Z01Bodonnellracing.comScale 1/8Price $660 (varies with dealer)

Lightweight drivetrainThe drivetrain has the name RapidReaction—and for good reason. Justabout every component in the entire dri-vetrain has been lightened in some way.This lowers the Z01B’s rotating mass andenhances acceleration and fuel economy.Deceleration is also increased by a lowrotating mass, and dual discs slow thingsdown. The front disc is larger than therear to withstand the pressure that the frontbrakes are accustomed to seeing. Thediscs ride in small plastic blocks belowthem that help keep the discs away from the pads when on the throttle, and just like allbuggies, you can adjust front and rear brake bias. The front and rear diffs have spiral-cutring gears attached to them that are much stronger than the standard-issue bevel gear, andthey operate more efficiently, which increases the buggy’s acceleration.

Beefy suspensionThe Z01B uses a typical lower H-arm with upperadjustable camber links. The shock towers are4mm thick and machined to reduce weight.Hard-anodizing enhances their looks andincreases durability. The shocks are threadedunits and are also hard anodized. The springsare designed so their diameter increases in themiddle to prevent them from rubbing on theshock bodies when the suspension is extendedor compressed. Monster-size 4mm shock shaftsride inside the shock body; there’s no way you’llbend these.

Take a look at those shocksprings. They are larger inthe center to prevent themfrom rubbing on the shockbodies when the suspensionis in motion.

Spiral-cut ring-and-pinion gears increase thedurability and efficiency of the drivetrain.Drive cups and other drivetrain componentsare lightened to lower rotating mass.

Low-CG radio gearThe radio tray is designed to keep all of the components attached to it aslow as possible. The servo tray is made out of carbon-fiber plate, whichalso helps lower the CG, and it looks trick. The steering servo is mountedin the lay-down position, and the servo arm is located to the inside of thechassis to protect it from impact. The receiver box is compact and hasenough room to fit a hump-style battery pack. Grooves in the hinged lidand box are there to help keep dust out of the box and your receiver.

The steering servois mounted in thelay-down position,and its output shaftfaces the inside ofthe chassis to pro-tect it from debrisand crash damage.

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Rating the O’Donnell Z01BWhen I see the name O’Donnell Racing on the box, I expect a great product, and the Z01B cer-tainly didn’t disappoint. You can see why it took more than two years to be developed: the atten-tion to detail is amazing. The fit and finish is great, and it performs very well on the track. That’s aperfect combination. I’m looking forward to more racing and learning how to get the Z01B moredialed at my local track. I hope we see a truggy soon!

A LITTLE GREASEHELPSThe front and rear assem-blies use a gasket betweenthem and the chassis tokeep dust out of the ring-and-pinion gear duringoperation. The gasket is dryand moves around on thechassis, and it can be diffi-cult to keep it aligned wheninstalling the front and rearassemblies. Dab somegrease on the gasket beforeputting it on the chassis tokeep it in place.

RADIO-TRAY ASSEMBLYThe instructions tell you toscrew the receiver box tothe chassis before the servotray. Attach the servo tray tothe receiver box before youattach the assembly to thechassis. It makes it easier tohold the parts while you runthe servo wires into thereceiver box.CARB ALIGNMENTWhen you install the enginein the chassis, make surethat the carb is properlyaligned with the throttleservo. You want the linkageto be perpendicular to theservo arm. This will elimi-

nate any binding of the link-age and carb and give you asmooth and consistentthrottle response.

AIR-LEAK-FREE FUELFILTERSThe Z01B comes with twolarge fuel filters to increasethe capacity of the fuel sys-tem and ensures that no con-taminants find their way tothe engine. They are O-ringsealed but can still leak air ifyou assemble them without adab of oil on the O-rings. Alittle oil on the ring lets thealuminum slide over it whileyou tighten the fuel-filter capand makes for a better seal.If you omit the oil, the O-rings may bunch up andaffect the seal and possiblylet air into the fuel system.

STEP 24 STEERINGASSEMBLYFor those who purchasedearly production kits, you’llsee that the screw thatattaches the steering link-ages to the steering plate isinstalled backwards. Thehead of the screw is sup-posed to be installed fromabove. When the nut is

installed from above, it bindsthe steering when the sus-pension is extended becausethe nut rubs on the bottomof the upper suspensionarm. This has beenaddressed in newer manuals.

DIFF-HOUSING GASKETA square gasket is providedto enhance the sealbetween the diff housingand the chassis. The manualdoesn’t tell you the bestway to install that gasket.You can place it on thechassis first and then lowerthe housing over it, but thegasket may slip and be mis-aligned when you’re readyto install the screws. If thisis the way you choose toinstall the gasket, try using asmall dab or two of ?? onthe gasket to help stick it tothe chassis plate. You canalso place the gasket on thebottom of the diff housingfirst. There are two plasticbosses that align the hosingto the chassis, and they doa good job of holding on tothe gasket while youinstalling the hosing.

O’DONNELL RACING Z01B

When you build the Z01B, you’ll clearly see that the time taken to developthis buggy was well worth it. This buggy almost falls together. The instruc-tions are great, and all of the parts are clearly labeled. While building my kit, Itook some notes, and I have a few tips to make your build go even smoother.

❯❯ Great acceleration❯❯ Freely spinning drivetrain

out of the box❯❯ Optional springs and

swaybars come in kit

❯❯ I’m still not faster thanJared Tebo

+-

Serious off-road racersBESTFOR

❯❯ Aluminum rod end—part no. ODOC2599❯❯ Aluminum shock end—ODOC2719❯❯ Aluminum steering bellcrank post—

ODOC2771❯❯ Machined-aluminum steering knuckle—

ODOC2777

FACTORY OPTIONS

YOU’LL NEED | WE USEDRadio Futaba 4PK

futaba.comThrottle servo Futaba BLS352

futaba.comSteering servo Futaba BLS351

futaba.comFuel O’Donnell 30%

odonnellracing.comReceiver pack DuraTrax 1400mAh

Duratrax.comEngine O.S. VZ-B V-Spec

osengines.comStarter box DuraTrax universal

starter box Duratrax.com

Tires Pro-Line Crime FighterM3 compound pro-lineracing.com

ON THE BENCH

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