THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS: Raceform Lazer Differential Pit Tray

0 Sept. 21, 2017, 8:22 a.m.

Main Photo: THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS: Raceform Lazer Differential Pit Tray

By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com

Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and review of each every Thursday morning!

Only a few short weeks ago, I had the opportunity to test out the newest car/shock stand from Raceform. As I was quite impressed with its function, and more so it’s appearance, I was eager to try something else from Raceform. With that being said, I was more than willing to perform a much-needed differential rebuild to test out this week’s Thursday Testimonial’s review item; the Raceform Lazer Differential Pit Tray.

Raceform Lazer Differential Pit Tray
$38.90
www.raceformrc.com

As discussed in previous product reviews, Raceform is developed under the support of YK Technologies Singapore which carries years of experience in plastic sheet manufacturing and processing. While not as large as some other brands, Raceform is arguably among the more popular brands in terms of creative appearance, color choices, and styling of their products. The Lazer Diff Pit Tray is designed to work with both 1/10-scale and 1/8-scale differentials, features numerous compartments with milled slots for holding shims, anti-slip foam underbelly, available in eight different colors, and is made of precision machined plexiglass. The entire tray measures 140mm x 138mm x 10mm (approximately 5.5” x 5.4” x .4”), and weighs roughly 150 grams.

Diff trays, parts trays, lunch trays, they are all trays. A tray is a tray, or is it?

Specs:

Weight – 150 grams
Material – Plexiglass
Colors Available – Gun metal, orange, blue, red, green, purple, gold, pearl white
Fits – 1/8-scale and 1/10-scale differentials (using the inserts included)

Raceform is far from being the first to create a designated differential tray, however, aside from the standard tray design with compartments to hold your parts and pieces, they have also incorporated several new features to a rather basic pit accessory.

The first feature incorporated into the design is designated holders to fit your 1/8-scale outdrives. This allows you to set the diff in place, holding it firmly in the holder to keep it stable and steady while working. Raceform is not the first to do this, but they are among the first (that I am aware of) to create a tray of this size and structure which using inserts (included) can fit both 1/10-scale and 1/8-scale outdrives. The 1/8-scale holders are 15mm diameter, and the 1/10-scale inserts shrink them to 10mm. I would imagine seeing that not every diff outdrive is the exact same size, some will fit looser and tighter than others, but the differential 1/8-scale outdrives I personally used fit nicely. Each holder is approximately 7mm deep, which provides a fairly stable “cup holder” for the outdrives, but it could be deeper for a more stable sitting of the diffs.

The next feature is the shim slots. For someone with dainty hands or precision finger tips, picking up ultra-thin diff shims isn’t a problem. For someone like myself, finger fighting with shims to pick them up often takes longer than rebuilding the diff itself. Raceform has made simple slots which allow you to place and hold your shims upright, eliminating the hassle of trying to pick them up from a flat surface and risk bending or damaging them in the process.

There are six outdrive holders, and six small compartments. This allows you to rebuild and maintenance all three diffs at once, providing a holder for the “top and bottom” of each diff, and a compartment for the screws, gears, o-rings, etc. for each.

In addition to the small compartments, there is a larger tray compartment to the front which is good for screws and miscellaneous small parts that are removed from the car to reach the differentials (sway bar set screws, gear case screws, etc.).

While designed with differential service and maintenance in mind, the various compartments, holders, and slots double as a very helpful general parts tray as well when working on other parts of your car.

Pros:

Stylish and refreshingly colorful design and appearance to what is normally a bland pit accessory.
Inserts included to support both 1/8-scale and 1/10-scale diffs using one tray.
Shim slots are a life saver by making the struggle of fumbly fingers and stingy shims disappear. Best way to hold shims in a diff tray that I’ve personally seen to date.
Lightweight, and available in eight assorted colors – one of which will surely match your style.
Foam padded underside works well to keep the diff tray from sliding or moving on the work bench.

Cons:

With each diff outdrive from brand to brand potentially being varied in sizes, a precision fit to your brand of outdrive is not guaranteed.
Diff holders could be deeper to provide a more stable holding on the diff outdrive.

Final word:

Similar diff servicing trays/stations on the market are considerably less expensive ($25 for aluminum, $18 for 3D-printed), but is it worth the extra money spent? The major advantages to this tray over some others is the added number of compartments, the multitude of colors available, the anti-slip foam padded bottom, and my personal favorite – the shim slots. If you are building one diff at a time, or strictly 1/10-scale diffs, you probably don’t need the added space and features of this stand. If you are looking for something more compact, perhaps more durable, and designed more for your specific vehicle, an aluminum machined diff tray designated to your brand is the route I would take. If you are building multiple diffs at a time, need more space for small parts, hate shims, and/or like your pit area to be the most vibrant and stylish one in the building – Raceform’s Lazer Diff Tray is the answer.