Serpent Impulse V9
11-21-2002, 08:19 PM
#46
nice car
11-21-2002, 11:24 PM
#47
Morpheus2be
Moving the front shocks to the outer mounting holes on the tower will give you less steering. It will make the car react quicker, but you will loose some steering in the middle of the turn. If you want the front to roll more, lay the shocks down or change to softer springs.
You said aside from pushing, your car feels ok, right?
I would change to softer front tires first. This way you will gain additional front traction without really changing the way your car feels. I run the same tire compound/insert all around, and then balance the car using the suspension adjustments.
To gain more on-power steering, run the car with more caster (more spacers in front of the upper arm).
You could also try this, but this will change the way your car feels.
Move your rear shocks to the outer holes on the tower. That way your rear shocks will be more upright and the rear end will feel stiffer. That will give you more initial turn in, but you may also find the rear end to become a little looser.
You said aside from pushing, your car feels ok, right?
I would change to softer front tires first. This way you will gain additional front traction without really changing the way your car feels. I run the same tire compound/insert all around, and then balance the car using the suspension adjustments.
To gain more on-power steering, run the car with more caster (more spacers in front of the upper arm).
You could also try this, but this will change the way your car feels.
Move your rear shocks to the outer holes on the tower. That way your rear shocks will be more upright and the rear end will feel stiffer. That will give you more initial turn in, but you may also find the rear end to become a little looser.
Last edited by toolmon; 11-22-2002 at 12:34 AM.
11-22-2002, 04:30 AM
#48
also if you take out some front froop you will let more onpower steering , as the car will not transfer weight acelerating... tires are number one though, and i would try and run same front and rear also, balance withthe suspension, you only have a given amoutn of traction and need to trade off for wht works best for you on a given track, ie, front is loose rear is fie, take some rear traction away front is fine rear steps out, it is all a matter of balance and comprimise........ adding castor will cause the chassie to react more and the car will turn in faster but drift more out the turn.. may be just what you are looking for, i have noticed when i run max castor i tend to break front steering knucles more often( the stress points change and i peal the bearign out f the knuckle on minor wall hits....fyi
11-22-2002, 11:14 AM
#49
Foams & Setup
Well, talking about tires and setup, today was the first day I had the chance of running FOAMS !!
Woooww, I must say that driving now is totally different from rubber. I find that I almost can push the car to the limit in and out of the corners and apexes.
UFRA (same as Gandini I believe) 45 shore front and 42 shore rear. Even with a not so new bodyshell with most of the lexan already breaking apart, the car was hooked from top to bottom. Lots of high speed steering into the apex, faster round the small corners without the rear end swinging out and I could really brake hard with one way front diff. Of course, the rear FPS diff was set very tight (almost solid) with little diff action. Car was really balanced and I could really throttle thoughtout the corners.
The NTC3s were always generally faster in our track but on foams, the Serpent is exceptional. I really gave them case and was faster and more consistant taking lines... I could overtake them everywhere and anywhere on the track... One of the better otuings yet...
The ONLY thing that I did not like about foams is when it chuncks out when you accidently scrape or hit sharp curbs
You can feel that traction will slightly go off...
And yes, the other thing I noticed is how to you take out tire coning from the outside i.e. outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter? I tried putting more rear camber but it still persist... I haven't really checked but I started out with -4 and I added a little more on the track to get a flat wear profile but was still unsuccessful... Front tires wear out fine.
What causes the rear tires to be this way? I think it is the light oil that I'm using in the rear... I've also taken out the 7mm spacer on the rear hubs because I am now testing out the rear GTP body. Couldn't get the 7 mm spacer working together with the GTP body mount as what I have a picture posted here
I've read that the 7mm causes the roll center to be nearer to the CG (hence more rear grip) and also causes for more camber change in the corners... Can this be my problem? Maybe somebody who had the chance to run the Streetspec or the PRO kit with foams but WITHOUT the 7mm spacer could povide some answers...
Woooww, I must say that driving now is totally different from rubber. I find that I almost can push the car to the limit in and out of the corners and apexes.
UFRA (same as Gandini I believe) 45 shore front and 42 shore rear. Even with a not so new bodyshell with most of the lexan already breaking apart, the car was hooked from top to bottom. Lots of high speed steering into the apex, faster round the small corners without the rear end swinging out and I could really brake hard with one way front diff. Of course, the rear FPS diff was set very tight (almost solid) with little diff action. Car was really balanced and I could really throttle thoughtout the corners.
The NTC3s were always generally faster in our track but on foams, the Serpent is exceptional. I really gave them case and was faster and more consistant taking lines... I could overtake them everywhere and anywhere on the track... One of the better otuings yet...
The ONLY thing that I did not like about foams is when it chuncks out when you accidently scrape or hit sharp curbs
You can feel that traction will slightly go off...And yes, the other thing I noticed is how to you take out tire coning from the outside i.e. outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter? I tried putting more rear camber but it still persist... I haven't really checked but I started out with -4 and I added a little more on the track to get a flat wear profile but was still unsuccessful... Front tires wear out fine.
What causes the rear tires to be this way? I think it is the light oil that I'm using in the rear... I've also taken out the 7mm spacer on the rear hubs because I am now testing out the rear GTP body. Couldn't get the 7 mm spacer working together with the GTP body mount as what I have a picture posted here
I've read that the 7mm causes the roll center to be nearer to the CG (hence more rear grip) and also causes for more camber change in the corners... Can this be my problem? Maybe somebody who had the chance to run the Streetspec or the PRO kit with foams but WITHOUT the 7mm spacer could povide some answers...
11-22-2002, 12:29 PM
#50
Re: More speed!
Originally posted by xray vision
If you have access to a machine shop try putting i hate to say it..a kyosho 2 speed on your impulse. Spools up faster than a cat full of buckshot.. lol.
Yes it does fit a little bit fiddley but saves a bucket load of rotating mass.. tiny who is a bit of hero in brisbane QLD AUS did the mod 6 months ago be dammed if anyone could catch him. If one or two of you post on the bayside thread he might offer to tell how he did it?
Hope this helps..
If you have access to a machine shop try putting i hate to say it..a kyosho 2 speed on your impulse. Spools up faster than a cat full of buckshot.. lol.
Yes it does fit a little bit fiddley but saves a bucket load of rotating mass.. tiny who is a bit of hero in brisbane QLD AUS did the mod 6 months ago be dammed if anyone could catch him. If one or two of you post on the bayside thread he might offer to tell how he did it?
Hope this helps..
Are you referring to Kyosho V1RR's Centax clutch or the 2 speed gearbox from Kyosho? Will check it out.
11-22-2002, 08:02 PM
#51
pretty amazing that every factory kyosho racer had a serpent two speed in there car this year, only thing that would hold up....
on the tire coning, just a natural part of the game, the rim has some flex on the inside also so it tends to not wear as fast, flexes aaway from the surface..... do not go past 4 deg of camber, you will actually start to loose traction, but the camber should help reduce chunking, also you can try cutting your tires down, usually the chunk is from the foam pulling real hard and flexing enough to tear, so if you cut down to 62 or 60 mm the tire will be much less likly to chunk, also when you get the car right and you drive smoothly ( do not throw the car in the corneers) you will have almost no wear.. tires in cinncinatti at the worlds were almost identical to the tires on the car after 30 minutes.... you do have to be pretty smooth also.... but it will be faster..... i would also try and match your front and rear shore.... and adjust your suspension to suit.... took me quit a while to try foams, but i will never go back, i can get the elligi stuff out of hk for about 6.50 usd a pair....kicks rubber tires prices...
the spacer will cause more reactive camber and the tire will be less likly to roll up on the edge of the tire( chunking) and should wear flatter with them....
on the tire coning, just a natural part of the game, the rim has some flex on the inside also so it tends to not wear as fast, flexes aaway from the surface..... do not go past 4 deg of camber, you will actually start to loose traction, but the camber should help reduce chunking, also you can try cutting your tires down, usually the chunk is from the foam pulling real hard and flexing enough to tear, so if you cut down to 62 or 60 mm the tire will be much less likly to chunk, also when you get the car right and you drive smoothly ( do not throw the car in the corneers) you will have almost no wear.. tires in cinncinatti at the worlds were almost identical to the tires on the car after 30 minutes.... you do have to be pretty smooth also.... but it will be faster..... i would also try and match your front and rear shore.... and adjust your suspension to suit.... took me quit a while to try foams, but i will never go back, i can get the elligi stuff out of hk for about 6.50 usd a pair....kicks rubber tires prices...
the spacer will cause more reactive camber and the tire will be less likly to roll up on the edge of the tire( chunking) and should wear flatter with them....
11-22-2002, 09:21 PM
#52
Originally posted by ammdrew
pretty amazing that every factory kyosho racer had a serpent two speed in there car this year, only thing that would hold up....
on the tire coning, just a natural part of the game, the rim has some flex on the inside also so it tends to not wear as fast, flexes aaway from the surface..... do not go past 4 deg of camber, you will actually start to loose traction, but the camber should help reduce chunking, also you can try cutting your tires down, usually the chunk is from the foam pulling real hard and flexing enough to tear, so if you cut down to 62 or 60 mm the tire will be much less likly to chunk, also when you get the car right and you drive smoothly ( do not throw the car in the corneers) you will have almost no wear.. tires in cinncinatti at the worlds were almost identical to the tires on the car after 30 minutes.... you do have to be pretty smooth also.... but it will be faster..... i would also try and match your front and rear shore.... and adjust your suspension to suit.... took me quit a while to try foams, but i will never go back, i can get the elligi stuff out of hk for about 6.50 usd a pair....kicks rubber tires prices...
the spacer will cause more reactive camber and the tire will be less likly to roll up on the edge of the tire( chunking) and should wear flatter with them....
pretty amazing that every factory kyosho racer had a serpent two speed in there car this year, only thing that would hold up....
on the tire coning, just a natural part of the game, the rim has some flex on the inside also so it tends to not wear as fast, flexes aaway from the surface..... do not go past 4 deg of camber, you will actually start to loose traction, but the camber should help reduce chunking, also you can try cutting your tires down, usually the chunk is from the foam pulling real hard and flexing enough to tear, so if you cut down to 62 or 60 mm the tire will be much less likly to chunk, also when you get the car right and you drive smoothly ( do not throw the car in the corneers) you will have almost no wear.. tires in cinncinatti at the worlds were almost identical to the tires on the car after 30 minutes.... you do have to be pretty smooth also.... but it will be faster..... i would also try and match your front and rear shore.... and adjust your suspension to suit.... took me quit a while to try foams, but i will never go back, i can get the elligi stuff out of hk for about 6.50 usd a pair....kicks rubber tires prices...
the spacer will cause more reactive camber and the tire will be less likly to roll up on the edge of the tire( chunking) and should wear flatter with them....
I think my problem could be the thickness of the tires. Well, the tires came as is and being very humanly normal, anybody would want to keep the tires as is and run it as thick as possible. More is not always better in this case. I'll try to get somebody with a tire truer to get it down to 60 or 62 mm and see how it goes. I think stock foams are around 65 mm if I'm not mistaken.
Also, after a while when the tires started coning, the traction roll problem started to appear. I think the thick stock tires are the culprit and the tire coning aggravated the traction roll which was not present earlier.
I actually did not throw the rear of the car around the corners. The rear of the car was simply in control no matter what I did and how fast I went. Excellent steering round the corner. I was actually testing to how much I could push the car and how fast I could go around the corners. Round after round after round. Simply amazing.
Where in HK did you order your tires from? How much is shipping? The cheapest I enquired is about USD 8 for a pair of Fast tires. The UFRA tires have the same rims as the Ellegis. I think either Ellegi , Fast or UFRA makes the hardest front as 45 and the hardest rear as 42. So I think that's what I'll stick to. With hot and humid conditions here, I think it's best to stick with the hardest tires for lesser wear rate since I still could have enough grip.
And yes, you are right, I think I'm a foam junkie now and I don't think I want to go back to running rubbers...
11-23-2002, 07:36 AM
#53
hk
http://shopping.rcmodel.com.hk/eshopping/default.htm
if you do the xray front conversion you will be able to run the cheaper front rims( the serpent rim is like 11) tell terrance i sent you..
yea it is pretty amazing by cutting off 1/3 of the tire you gain twice the life..hmm, they should be about 65 out of the box, you will be amazed at how th etraction roll goes away when you cut the tire also.. plus from foam to rubber, sway bars and spring changes make a much larger influnce on the car, you can also probably lower our ride ht .. 4 to 4.5 mm, if it hit ocasioanlly you are probably about right, as long as you are not bottoming while cornering...... it becomes a bunch of fun when everyones car is stuck and you can drive in and out of corners on rails, so everyone is just driving, and not hopping not to spin or slide out......... three wide througha corner is a blst, same as bumper to bumper racing....
http://shopping.rcmodel.com.hk/eshopping/default.htm
if you do the xray front conversion you will be able to run the cheaper front rims( the serpent rim is like 11) tell terrance i sent you..
yea it is pretty amazing by cutting off 1/3 of the tire you gain twice the life..hmm, they should be about 65 out of the box, you will be amazed at how th etraction roll goes away when you cut the tire also.. plus from foam to rubber, sway bars and spring changes make a much larger influnce on the car, you can also probably lower our ride ht .. 4 to 4.5 mm, if it hit ocasioanlly you are probably about right, as long as you are not bottoming while cornering...... it becomes a bunch of fun when everyones car is stuck and you can drive in and out of corners on rails, so everyone is just driving, and not hopping not to spin or slide out......... three wide througha corner is a blst, same as bumper to bumper racing....
11-24-2002, 08:56 AM
#54
Originally posted by ammdrew
hk
http://shopping.rcmodel.com.hk/eshopping/default.htm
if you do the xray front conversion you will be able to run the cheaper front rims( the serpent rim is like 11) tell terrance i sent you..
yea it is pretty amazing by cutting off 1/3 of the tire you gain twice the life..hmm, they should be about 65 out of the box, you will be amazed at how th etraction roll goes away when you cut the tire also.. plus from foam to rubber, sway bars and spring changes make a much larger influnce on the car, you can also probably lower our ride ht .. 4 to 4.5 mm, if it hit ocasioanlly you are probably about right, as long as you are not bottoming while cornering...... it becomes a bunch of fun when everyones car is stuck and you can drive in and out of corners on rails, so everyone is just driving, and not hopping not to spin or slide out......... three wide througha corner is a blst, same as bumper to bumper racing....
hk
http://shopping.rcmodel.com.hk/eshopping/default.htm
if you do the xray front conversion you will be able to run the cheaper front rims( the serpent rim is like 11) tell terrance i sent you..
yea it is pretty amazing by cutting off 1/3 of the tire you gain twice the life..hmm, they should be about 65 out of the box, you will be amazed at how th etraction roll goes away when you cut the tire also.. plus from foam to rubber, sway bars and spring changes make a much larger influnce on the car, you can also probably lower our ride ht .. 4 to 4.5 mm, if it hit ocasioanlly you are probably about right, as long as you are not bottoming while cornering...... it becomes a bunch of fun when everyones car is stuck and you can drive in and out of corners on rails, so everyone is just driving, and not hopping not to spin or slide out......... three wide througha corner is a blst, same as bumper to bumper racing....
Anyway, which product code for the tires did you choose for the front? I couldn't find any tire that was USD 6.50 a pair... I think the Fast ones are the cheapest i.e. USD 8.70 for the front and USD 8.10 for the rear. However, on the checkout page, the price for shipment is USD 3.20 for a pair of fronts and rears. That's USD 20 which is about the same as what we get here. So I think shipping here is a killer here unless that's not the case... How much did they charge you for shipping to the states? How many did you order?
I have added the Impact rear sway bar to the Impulse. I believe it now handles better. I read somewhere that on mytsn that they claimed the Impact one is way stiffer than the one that comes with the PRO kit (mounts at the back). I don't think so. The Impact one is much softer... Also much easier to dismantle for droop setup.
Yeah, racing on foams is a blast...
11-24-2002, 09:06 AM
#55
Tire Truing
This might be a silly question... I was thinking since a decent tire truer can be very costly, can you true a foam tire to the required size without a tire truer?
I see that some tire truers come with a sanding drum. I thought of using a standard drill and put spare wheel driveshaft adapter onto the chuck with a spare hex nut that I have and screw it onto the foam tire.
Using higher grit sandpaper, I may be able to sand the foam tire to size with the help of a caliper... No?
I see that some tire truers come with a sanding drum. I thought of using a standard drill and put spare wheel driveshaft adapter onto the chuck with a spare hex nut that I have and screw it onto the foam tire.
Using higher grit sandpaper, I may be able to sand the foam tire to size with the help of a caliper... No?
01-05-2003, 04:25 AM
#56
Tech Regular
More low-end power from a Nova 5S
I've had my car pretty dialed in for with the stock 50/47 spurs (for tight technical tracks), and 49/46 spurs (for the technical track with long sweeping corners)...but I haven't had much success with the 48/45 spurs (for the high speed tracks). The Nova 5S in my Impulse doesn't seem to be able to provide enough power for a quicker shift into 2nd. The best I could tune it to is about 30ft. Any earlier, and the engine bogs down. Short of changing my engine to one that produces more power at the lower end of the powerband, can anyone suggest any tips to coax a little more power out of my 5S for that extra punch? I'm using Blue Thunder 25% with Rossi C6tF plugs. It runs a little hot. I'm thinking of swithcing to #7 plugs.
I know its for fast tracks, but its wickedly fast and if I can get more low-end power, I might be able to use it in smaller, tighter tracks.
I know its for fast tracks, but its wickedly fast and if I can get more low-end power, I might be able to use it in smaller, tighter tracks.
01-05-2003, 05:44 AM
#57
Re: More low-end power from a Nova 5S
Originally posted by Morpheus2be
I've had my car pretty dialed in for with the stock 50/47 spurs (for tight technical tracks), and 49/46 spurs (for the technical track with long sweeping corners)...but I haven't had much success with the 48/45 spurs (for the high speed tracks). The Nova 5S in my Impulse doesn't seem to be able to provide enough power for a quicker shift into 2nd. The best I could tune it to is about 30ft. Any earlier, and the engine bogs down. Short of changing my engine to one that produces more power at the lower end of the powerband, can anyone suggest any tips to coax a little more power out of my 5S for that extra punch? I'm using Blue Thunder 25% with Rossi C6tF plugs. It runs a little hot. I'm thinking of swithcing to #7 plugs.
I know its for fast tracks, but its wickedly fast and if I can get more low-end power, I might be able to use it in smaller, tighter tracks.
I've had my car pretty dialed in for with the stock 50/47 spurs (for tight technical tracks), and 49/46 spurs (for the technical track with long sweeping corners)...but I haven't had much success with the 48/45 spurs (for the high speed tracks). The Nova 5S in my Impulse doesn't seem to be able to provide enough power for a quicker shift into 2nd. The best I could tune it to is about 30ft. Any earlier, and the engine bogs down. Short of changing my engine to one that produces more power at the lower end of the powerband, can anyone suggest any tips to coax a little more power out of my 5S for that extra punch? I'm using Blue Thunder 25% with Rossi C6tF plugs. It runs a little hot. I'm thinking of swithcing to #7 plugs.
I know its for fast tracks, but its wickedly fast and if I can get more low-end power, I might be able to use it in smaller, tighter tracks.
Running a Centax clutch will probably solve your problem. Try 15T / 18T pinion with 49T / 45T. If you need more lauch speed, tighten the Centax thrust spring. Makes the engine rev higher before it kicks in to engage 1st speed.
For fine tuning to higher speed, you can use 49T 1st gear spur with 46T or 44T for the 2nd speed spur. The equal number of teeth spread does not apply to Centax gearbox and clutch.
Also running a Centax clutch is definitely more efficient than the normal 2 shoe clutch. You get almost no slip and most power from the engine is transfered more efficiently.
01-05-2003, 06:29 PM
#58
Tech Regular
That was my 1st thoughts. Would using a lighter clutch spring or clutch material do the trick? I read somewhere about shaving off materials from the end of the clutch blocks. I'm not inclined to get the Centax clutch for my Impulse (would rather save-up and get the 705! Its coming soon to M'sia!).
We have them here in Texas now!
01-06-2003, 02:01 AM
#60
Originally posted by Morpheus2be
That was my 1st thoughts. Would using a lighter clutch spring or clutch material do the trick? I read somewhere about shaving off materials from the end of the clutch blocks. I'm not inclined to get the Centax clutch for my Impulse (would rather save-up and get the 705! Its coming soon to M'sia!).
That was my 1st thoughts. Would using a lighter clutch spring or clutch material do the trick? I read somewhere about shaving off materials from the end of the clutch blocks. I'm not inclined to get the Centax clutch for my Impulse (would rather save-up and get the 705! Its coming soon to M'sia!).
How much did you say your LHS quoted the 705 to you? RM 1400? That is pretty cheap.