Stock to Mod - What should I know?
 

I'm a newbie. I don't know much about car setup, but thankfully one of the Team XRAY setups for my 007 works great in Stock. That setup feels perfect to me, so I haven't fiddled with it. And I'm pretty fast with it, so I'm not terribly concerned.

However, I'm running my other 007 in Mod with the same setup. Here I'm far from fast, and usually only 1-2 laps faster in Mod than Stock (or less!). I'm looking for tips to help me get better at Mod.

So far all I've really learned is that the throttle must be finessed. I'm dancing with the throttle all the time trying to properly manage my traction between accel/brake and turn. I have noticed that braking immediately before turning can be the difference between flying past an apex and carving around it.

I'm looking for advice on driving and car setup for Mod. The things one just doesn't learn in Stock because it's full throttle 97% of the time, and basically a task of steering the tightest line for 5 minutes.

More droop in Mod? Stiffer springs? More damping, or less? More ride height?

Thanks for any advice, I expect it will be helpful.

In case specifics are important, here they are:
-Foams on carpet (Jaco doublepink/orange, doublepink)
-Xray 007 with Travis' setup, except 4deg C-hubs and white front springs
-Mod motor is a Mamba Max 5700 (not quite as fast as the 3.5, it seemed, but could be my cheap batteries)
-Most recent track was a huge, high speed, no hairpin track (fastest lap of weekend was 8.7s in Mod)


Adam Glatt

To get fast in mod you must first learn how to drive fast. My vote goes to concentrating JUST on stock racing. At least, thats what rctech, the locals at my track, and personal experiance has taught me to believe, but what do they know?!? :lol:

I would suggest to start racing 19T and get used to it first. Co'z running a stock then jumping to mod is a pretty big leap. But it's just a suggestion you are free to run whatever you want.

you could try 4 cell mod and see how you like it, oh wait I might have just started a thread that will never end :rolleyes: :lol: :ha: .

Seems that in mod more body roll (like softer springs, for instance) is prefered. At least on asphalt. Dont think that you need the lowest wind or hottest motor--the speed at which you can run good line is more important so maybe a 11T, for instance, would be better than a 7T. At big races stock lap times are very close because, simply put there is only so much power that can be layed down.

not again

KISS Keep it Simple Stupid Sorry about the stupid part :lol:

What I mean is a local pro told me to keep throttle movements as simple as you can. In a short or technical section-dont go on off on off the throttle. HOld steady state-even if its 1/4 or 1/2 throttle through those sections.

And also-the truest statement in mod racing is slow is fast for beginners. Its going to be really hard to really understand just how easy you have to be on throttle and steering inputs, but how much quicker you will go.

Not much help-but hope its a start.
Ray

Keep practicing stock. Try some 19T. Work your way up to it. Mod is hard on parts. It will feel natural when your ready.

i never used brakes in mod. foam. I let the car slow itself down. :o

ALL Very Good advice above...

Here's something to consider, and it's not too far different than some of the other advice.

TREAT MOD like STOCK ie: Don't try to run a RADICAL Mod motor, start (as suggested) with something more mellow like a 19t (which IS a mod motor), run it, learn it, learn how deep you can drive it...where your let off points are ,etc. Once you are GOOD w/ that...try maybe a 14 or 15 turn...

Same thing, LEARN to Gear it...and how to drive those characteristics...slowly work your way to a FAST motor...but LEARN all you can with the other motors first. Don't bounce from one turn to another hoping to find SPEED. ALL Mod Motors can be fast, and if you can NOT run FAST with one...it may be just because you are overdriving it, or it's TOO much motor for you in the surroundings you are in.

here is something I have learned when i have dabbled into mod. I run stock at the large events I go to, but I practice with mod when im club racing or just...well practicing. I have found that in the infield a mod car is no faster than a stock car. the only advantage is on straights and sweepers. If you blow a line with a mod it will only make you slower than taking the correct line in stock. One other thing I would do when getting into mod is use say a 13 or 12 turn V2. I do this because it is pretty close in speed to a 19 turn, but with the v2s you can run them much longer than a 19 turn which needs new brushes every 2 runs(except for those siver trinity brushes)I think I ran my v2 for 8-9 packs in 12th scale before i noticed reduced performance.

Hi there
I agree with switch blade, start with a higher turn motor. I tried a 12 and i am now running 7x1 V2 orion's. Make sure you keep the motor cool, Give it a go mate, you have nothing to loose. i made the change and i have not looked back. I use to run 27 turn then into mod. Play around with you car and only do one change at a time if you get say understeer, don,t come into ther pit's and change the springs adjust the droop and change your camber in one go.
Good luck and remember with racing mod your car parts wear much faster and when you hit something it's much harder on your car.
Good racing
addam smith

The biggest difference is that you can't use full throttle in as many places on the track as you can in stock. You will try at first and you will blow wide in every corner.

They key to running mod is partial throttle control. Stock and 19T will never teach you this. Most Stock and 19T drivers only know full throttle or nothing and this will not work in Mod. Try saying the word "one" as you pull the trigger. It should take this long for you to hit full throttle. If you can't complete saying the word from one corner in the next then you should never use full throttle there.

You also need to learn to use brakes. Fast drivers use brakes on rubber and even foam tires. Brakes let you drive harder into corners. If you don't use them you will have to let off sonner than your competitors and they will beat you into the corners. Like everything else there is a certain balance to this. The car takes time and distance to slow down so you have practice an get a feel for when to lift and brake.

Mod is not easy but if you stick with it you will get better and fast. Once you get good at driving mod and controlling all that power the next time you race stock or 19T you will find that you have gotten WAY FASTER. This is because the same throttle control you learn in Mod will make you faster in these classes too.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the responses. There's quite a bit there that I can apply. Hopefully some that doesn't directly apply to me will help another reader.

-Adam