squarehead

iTrader: (75)

I know a lot of the information is out there in the various large individual car threads, but there is SO much that is very specific to 1/8th scale racing, and not to a particular car, that a simple thread to ask ad answer questions might help a lot of people (read: me).

I recently purchased an 1/8th on road car after not having driven one for about 18 years, or so. They are the most advanced cars in R/C and there is so much to learn. I have a ton of questions about little details, and the threads here have gotten increasingly difficult to search and glean information from.

Hopefully, some of the questions and answers here can help more than just myself.

• To start with, which direction should the holes in the INS box face? Why?

• What does overdrive/underdrive change in tire sizing from front to rear?

I have a lot more, but I'll save them for later.




doug

P2gee

If the last time you drove an 1/8 scale car was 18 years ago, all I've got to sayis no matter what car you have now, you are in for a very pleasent surprise when you put it on the track!! The thing is, setup for todays car is kinda hard to put under a generic heading, every chassis has little things it like better than the other chassis. This explains the various threads for the different cars. As hard as it might be, its probably best to search the forum for your particular car for answers to some of your questions. I will say that while I am a big opposer of INS boxes, the few times I have used one, I had the opening to the rear of the car. I have seen others with opening to the side......i think facing the front is a big no no.

Woodlands Racer

With regard to the INS box - Yes, face the holes to the rear. This is most favorable. Facing them forward could give you a false leaning on the motor when at high speeds on the straights.

Roger

ESWLFSE

iTrader: (7)

Its been about 15 years for me and I just learned what an INS box is.

What can be expected for tire costs nowadays? Will a set last for a day race?

Does anybody use ABS or TC or are the cars so good now that properly setup you are either full throttle or full brake? Or is there quite a bit of modulation involved at the trigger and noone uses these radio functions?

Are the very fastest possible servos still a benefit or is servo speed not that critical as long as they are fast?

I'll quit there but I have a lot more and my car is not even here yet. Very excited to be moving to an area where 1:8 on-road exists!

darkangel

INS box - most racers will either have it too the side with it being a little towards the back (this is where I run mine) or to the back. I personally don't like the holes facing forward or towards the engine. I do support the use of the INS box and 3 chamber pipes. As we move towards the future, you'll be hard pressed to find a track that won't require them. You won't lose that much performance (if any) by using this combo.

brakes - I run mine with ABS on the radio depending on the track setup. ABS usuage is really up to personal preference. You still have to set the brake up sot that it won't flip the car around when hit the brakes.

servos - Get the best servos you can get. Once you find a combo of servos you like, stick with them.

tires - Expect to pay $40 or more for one set of tires. Wear will depend on the track you run on. Just ask your local racers what is normal.

Serpentd

Dude, why do you appose the INS box. I realize that it takes away a small amount of power, but hardly noticable. And after a day of hearing 1/8 scales buzz around the track, your ears DON"T buzz. I notice a big difference in the decible level personally. Well by the end of the day I realize it anyway.

ESWLFSE

iTrader: (7)

About the servos in 1:8 on-road: Is there more of a demand for speed/torque on steering vs. throttle? Should one have more power and less speed and the other more speed and less torque?

I remember in off-road you wanted torque on steering more so than throttle/brake and assume this is still the case here, but what about speed? the faster the better at both ends?

Taylorm

.....tires cost about $35 a set give or take.........depends on how abrasive your track is as far as how long they last....and if you cut them down from the start or run them straight from the package.

...i use no abs and a LITTLE brake...

....for servo you want quick and reasonable torque....i use Airtronics 94357......125 oz........at .09 i think.

nothing beats 1/8 on road......i've raced 12 scale, tc, offroad gas truck....so far for me, 1/8 is the most fun............

JVStrat

..

P2gee

I will be glad to express my views on INS but not on this thread. This is a very good thread serving a purpose and I dont want to honk it up with my views on INS. If there is another thread on INS, I will be glad to move over there and honk that thread up...... matter of fact you can probably find some of my views already there.

In regards to radio based ABS, I have played with this on a few of the radios I've owned and on some tracks an advantage can be found by using it. Todays cars steer and handle so much better than their 20 year old counterparts, that I find I do alot of braking by scrubbing speed with steering. Not to say that you dont need brakes just that braking is not as important to getting a car around the track as 20 years ago. The radio I currently use(Nomadio React) has a brake mixing feature that I have been playing with. When set up, it dials out braking as you turn the steering from straight ahead. The effect is to keep the car from looping when you turn under braking. Still playing around with it but so far I like!!

Darint

Here's my .02 cents on the questions..

1. INS Box direction.. I prefer my holes to face the side.. I don't have a great reason why, just felt if they faced forward it could force or disturb the air entering, and if the INS box holes faced back then could it be more difficult to pull air into the holes as air rushed pass (low pressure area).. I choose the side, thinking it was the lesser of front or back and potentially the positive pressure area around the bodies downforce.. My holes are only about 5mm from the body.

2. Changing the gap in tire size front to back will alter the overdrive or underdrive of the car. There are charts for this online based on your individual vehicle, or there are a few charts that you can actually plug in your vehicles information and get the overdrive ratio's. I run my serpent around 102% or 2% overdrive.

3. Tires - About $35 for a set, and wear is entirely dependent on the track(surface) you run on.. Locally, we have a track that will wear up to 10mm in a 30 minute main, and another track that will wear 3mm in a 30 minute main.

4. Brakes ABS/TC - I prefer to use ABS. My finger's accuracy while the pucker factor is high isn't as good as I'd like :-)... So, I set the transmitter where at full brake throw the rear wheels almost lock up, but not quite.

5. Servo Speed - I actually like my servo speeds to be matched for throttle and steering, and I prefer as fast as possible.

Those are my preferences, but everyone has their own preference.. Just enjoy and try different things to find out what you like and what makes you faster!

ESWLFSE

iTrader: (7)

So a tire truer will eventually pay for itself because you will get more usable life from the tires if you cut the taper and radius them new?

Taylorm

[QUOTE=ESWLFSE;3873107]So a tire truer will eventually pay for itself because you will get more usable life from the tires if you cut the taper and radius them new?[/QUOTE.........yes... after they wear you can true them and then match fronts with rears to get the split you need to try and keep your overdrive consistent

squarehead

iTrader: (75)

Excellent input, guys.

With motors and pipes now being designed and engineered around INS boxes, it's amazing there is still so much resistance to them. Everything I have heard says the performance losses are minor, offset by the increase in mileage and decrease in sound. For me, there's no reason not to use one.


Various bodies and different manufacturers make the rear spoiler or wickerbill for most bodies. What does running one do, and what can be expected to change when moving it up and down?


Also, does everyone generally run 35s (tires) on the front and rear, and on a track with very low wear, would using a softer tire be advantageous?

flack

iTrader: (1)

It provides rear downforce. Moving it up and down provides more or less rear downforce.

Softer tires (ie. 35s) provide more grip...tire shore is used as a tuning aid just like in 200mm. In 1/8 there are just fewer tire shore options. I can't speak for most but 35s and 38s are common.

Doug