Ask Aaron Waldron
04-11-2004, 12:24 PM
#1
Ask Aaron Waldron
Hey everybody!
I was asked by the guys who run this place to spend some time here in the Offroad forum, so I'll do my best to answer any questions you throw at me.
To give you a little background: I am a high school senior from San Diego, CA, and have been racing for about nine years. 2003 was my best year yet, capped off by winning the Reedy Truck Race (in the Gas Truck class) and the Southern California Saturday Series overall title for the Expert/Pro Gas Truck class, all within a week of each other!
I now run for Team Losi, Trinity, and Novak Electronics, and specialize in off-road racing. I also was recently asked to be a contributing editor for Hi-Torque's R/C Car magazine, and my first article will be in print in a few short months.
Leave any questions or comments here and I'll get back to you.
I was asked by the guys who run this place to spend some time here in the Offroad forum, so I'll do my best to answer any questions you throw at me.
To give you a little background: I am a high school senior from San Diego, CA, and have been racing for about nine years. 2003 was my best year yet, capped off by winning the Reedy Truck Race (in the Gas Truck class) and the Southern California Saturday Series overall title for the Expert/Pro Gas Truck class, all within a week of each other!
I now run for Team Losi, Trinity, and Novak Electronics, and specialize in off-road racing. I also was recently asked to be a contributing editor for Hi-Torque's R/C Car magazine, and my first article will be in print in a few short months.
Leave any questions or comments here and I'll get back to you.
Last edited by Aaron Waldron; 04-27-2004 at 07:08 PM.
04-11-2004, 12:28 PM
#2
Re: Ask Aaron Waldron
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Last edited by Gabe Boudreau; 10-19-2005 at 05:07 PM.
04-11-2004, 12:36 PM
#3
ok first question, I run a Mugen MST-1 with a MT12. I am now thinking about either swapping to something else, or having some work done to the engine itself. It seems to be lacking the low end that I need to clear sets of doubles. Its not my engine tuning because that is pretty much dialed in. Could it be my clutch? I am running Losi clutch shoes that were installed with no modifications. could I trim these to make a quicker accelaration? What other engines do you recommend?
04-11-2004, 01:37 PM
#4
Hey Aaron,
How would you gear a P2K2 for a fairly small, high bite, tight track in a XXX-T? I geared my Monster 90-17 and is was an animal...plenty of punch, power, and the heat stayed down. I just bought a P2K2 (polished everything and broken in)and geared it 88-18 (11.88), but it was getting a bit soft in the last 30-40 seconds of the race...Should I stay at the same ratio as the monster (12.864) or something else?
Thanks!
How would you gear a P2K2 for a fairly small, high bite, tight track in a XXX-T? I geared my Monster 90-17 and is was an animal...plenty of punch, power, and the heat stayed down. I just bought a P2K2 (polished everything and broken in)and geared it 88-18 (11.88), but it was getting a bit soft in the last 30-40 seconds of the race...Should I stay at the same ratio as the monster (12.864) or something else?
Thanks!
04-11-2004, 01:50 PM
#5
What up Aaron, this is Randy Caster.
I guess I've been out of off-road for too long man, I didn't even know you and your dad were still racing
If you have a sedan we should cruise up to SoCal sometime and race. I'm building a bk2 as well to get back into offroad.
I guess I've been out of off-road for too long man, I didn't even know you and your dad were still racing
If you have a sedan we should cruise up to SoCal sometime and race. I'm building a bk2 as well to get back into offroad.
04-11-2004, 03:04 PM
#6
Gabe - What's up dude? Man I remember going to races with you guys back in the day when I'd struggle to make the main in stock..hahaha.
wild gopher - Trimming the shoes will make the clutch engage later, after the engine has built up some RPM. Try trimming a little bit off the end of the shoe to make it shorter, but make very small changes as you try to find what works best. Making the shoes too short (and too light) will make the truck hard to control, and you'll spin the tires.
MT12's are pretty stout when it comes to gas truck engines..are you sure it's not wheelspin that is stopping you from clearing the jumps? Lightening the clutch will only make that worse. All Mugen team drivers suggest running the rear ride height above arms level; I know that sounds high, but it puts the dogbones at a great angle, which increases mechanical bind and gives you more forward traction.
If that doesn't help, let me know.
Mafiaracers - You're in luck! I spent all last year running stock for Trinity and came up with a bunch of cool stuff for stock racing.
For a P2K2, I ALWAYS gear my XXX-T at 18-86. Try Trinity RC4505NT brushes; they are Trinity's newest stock racing brush, with cross-cut serrations and a high silver content. I had my best luck with the stock Pro version springs, red on the + side and green on the - side, but you can try a purple on the + side if you need a little bit more low end grunt (you will sacrifice motor life and run time, however). Do not break the brushes in, just put them in and run them. If you have access to a brush serrator, re-serrate them after each run. At big races I cut the motor after every run, but you can get away with going 5 runs or so at club races.
The "falling off" at the end of the race you speak of will only get worse as the comm gets smaller. Make sure you take good care of your batteries, today's stock motors actually pull quite a bit of amp draw. I charge at 4 amps and peak at 6 for club races in stock, charge and peak at 7 for big races.
Randy - What's up dude? Man I haven't seen you in a while! We've been racing a lot more gas truck than anything..no on-road. TC is for..well..you know :-P.
We'll probably start racing electric off-road at Titus Hobbies pretty soon.
wild gopher - Trimming the shoes will make the clutch engage later, after the engine has built up some RPM. Try trimming a little bit off the end of the shoe to make it shorter, but make very small changes as you try to find what works best. Making the shoes too short (and too light) will make the truck hard to control, and you'll spin the tires.
MT12's are pretty stout when it comes to gas truck engines..are you sure it's not wheelspin that is stopping you from clearing the jumps? Lightening the clutch will only make that worse. All Mugen team drivers suggest running the rear ride height above arms level; I know that sounds high, but it puts the dogbones at a great angle, which increases mechanical bind and gives you more forward traction.
If that doesn't help, let me know.
Mafiaracers - You're in luck! I spent all last year running stock for Trinity and came up with a bunch of cool stuff for stock racing.
For a P2K2, I ALWAYS gear my XXX-T at 18-86. Try Trinity RC4505NT brushes; they are Trinity's newest stock racing brush, with cross-cut serrations and a high silver content. I had my best luck with the stock Pro version springs, red on the + side and green on the - side, but you can try a purple on the + side if you need a little bit more low end grunt (you will sacrifice motor life and run time, however). Do not break the brushes in, just put them in and run them. If you have access to a brush serrator, re-serrate them after each run. At big races I cut the motor after every run, but you can get away with going 5 runs or so at club races.
The "falling off" at the end of the race you speak of will only get worse as the comm gets smaller. Make sure you take good care of your batteries, today's stock motors actually pull quite a bit of amp draw. I charge at 4 amps and peak at 6 for club races in stock, charge and peak at 7 for big races.
Randy - What's up dude? Man I haven't seen you in a while! We've been racing a lot more gas truck than anything..no on-road. TC is for..well..you know :-P.
We'll probably start racing electric off-road at Titus Hobbies pretty soon.
04-11-2004, 03:43 PM
#8
Aaron, are you sure they can trust you with all those mod buttons?
OK, I have a real question. Does Losi make the Stud tire for trucks any more? Not Ifmar Stud, just Stud. If so, where can I find them? I looked at Horizon and Stormer, but couldn't find them.
OK, I have a real question. Does Losi make the Stud tire for trucks any more? Not Ifmar Stud, just Stud. If so, where can I find them? I looked at Horizon and Stormer, but couldn't find them.
04-11-2004, 04:01 PM
#10
Randy - Yeah..we frequent The Dirt as much as possible. We also race at LPRP in Perris, Revelation's new off-road track everyone once in a while, and Extreme every once in a great while.
I might start racing a little TC next year.
Dave - I haven't really been looking for any mod buttons..haha.
The Stud tire has always been called the IFMAR Stud..and it's part number A-7639R (Red compound).
I might start racing a little TC next year.
Dave - I haven't really been looking for any mod buttons..haha.
The Stud tire has always been called the IFMAR Stud..and it's part number A-7639R (Red compound).
04-11-2004, 06:10 PM
#12
Hahaha no..
We did have a PERFECT chance for a good scene when Trevor Clement launched a brand new XXX KE over the drainage canal behind the Santa Clarita Inn a couple years ago, but the guy with the video disappeared.
My film directing career ended before it started.
We did have a PERFECT chance for a good scene when Trevor Clement launched a brand new XXX KE over the drainage canal behind the Santa Clarita Inn a couple years ago, but the guy with the video disappeared.
My film directing career ended before it started.
04-11-2004, 07:29 PM
#14
I'm content with my writing career at the moment..it's enough of an artistic release for me, and I can do it in between qualifiers!
IM me sometime so we don't clutter this thread.
IM me sometime so we don't clutter this thread.