AHR43

@ j.d. roost Great start. Tight will work by keeping it basic and simple. My AE ST's are vintage age, not restored, so a simple grass track oval works for me and prevents attrition to the trucks. Parts are mostly available, but pricey off Ebay. So looking like you have the right idea for your vintager's.

Lane width at 54-in. minimum should work for what you want to do. My track lanes are 42-in, very narrow, but have tailored my rules package to fit the track. So 4.5 ft - 6 ft should be doable for you. Suggestion here, don't try to do it complete on the first try. Get the basic concept in place and then change up, add or take away as time goes along. A back yard track is a living thing, so to speak, and will change with you as you develop what you really want to do with it.

Lots of good guys posting up good ideas on this thread. Ask any questions you have. You'll get plenty of help. Post up your progress pictures as you go and have us in on the gala grand opening and dedication, o.k.? Cheers. 'AC'

j.d.roost

iTrader: (32)

Got a lot more done today. Ran out of dirt...so will need to make more wood ramps.

Backyard RC

I like a track that lets me keep a medium average speed. It'll have some spots that you can hit the throttle hard and some spots where you slow way down but the average speed needs to be around 40% to 50%. I recently tried putting in a set of three burmed 180 degree turns but it was too tight and brought my average down so I scrapped it. Too bad because it was a lot of work.

I like the idea of putting in a background setting. It sure would make things look better. I change my track quite a bit so I'd have to consider that. I thought about putting something like empty vitamin bottles on the inside of a hairpin turn. That way if you come in too close you'll knock the bottles around.

Milkdudd

iTrader: (13)

Greetings with a question for a AHR43 and anyone else that runs jconcepts Carvers front tires on a stadium truck. It turns out they are not symmetrical and give you two different choices for mounting them. They give one setting for loam as they call it and one setting for blue groove. I will be running on a home grass track and a dirt track that probably is closer to loam than it is to bluegrove. I would like to know what is the best compromise for running both surfaces even if I have have to give a little on one or the other. This picture is how I have them mounted up but have not glued them yet. You can see the wide steeply angled grooves are to the outside. Thanks and a happy day to all

AHR43

Hey Milkdudd. I hate choices. I get it wrong every time. For what its worth, I mounted and glued them like you have pictured yours. Next set I mount up, I'll mount the other way. Just to see if there is any difference. Personally, with what my grass track is and what the level of my driving is, probably won't be able to tell any difference. Regret I can be of no better help. But thanks for asking.

Right now, with the exception of one set of the Carvers, my ST's are shod with OEM AE and PL 'conventional' ST fronts. Can't wear 'em out and they both hold a corner well.

Perhaps some of the fast guys that are familiar with the 'Carver' will weigh in with more help. Cheers. 'AC'

CodyCrawler

iTrader: (10)

j.d. roost. I like the way you tapered the two pipes where they meet. nice work.

A track IS a living thing. I am evolving with the track, I want a small tractor so I can change it often lol. I need a shoveling buddy.

Here is a video with the head cam. I think it gives a much better view of the track and different flows.

Pterosaur

Awsome thread to read through and see everyones track creations with the spaces you have to work with.

Im curious to know what some of you are using to smooth out the dirt more, for those of you with dirt tracks with no turf. I got my space nice and level and turfless, but there’s little dirt clumps everywhere that make it way too bumpy.

Thanks

TimF

iTrader: (105)

To smooth it out there are ‘rollers’ (basically a round and heavy end that ‘rolls’ on a handle, some gas powered compactors (think you can rent at a home improvement store, i used a 10x10 ‘tamper’ on my back yard track ‘back when i had a yard big enough). Or even just sweeping it daily for a few days will help.

CodyCrawler

iTrader: (10)

I used a good old flat head shovel to scrape away the grass root and get down to hard pan. I just stomp on my jumps to pack them. I feel I get the best shape of the transition this way but I have not tried a tamper yet. Also when using your feet you can feel where you need to add dirt in soft spots. Lots of water to get it to compact. Wait till it's just right to pack it so it does not stick to your shoes or tool your using. I like to saok it and let it sit overnight when I want to pack jumps or fix holes and divits.

I borrowed a vibra plate from a friend, just need to get out there and shovel now. Need more dirt to pack into fearures. It will be much easier to PACK in now with the machine. I take a broom and blower to my track daily to get the loose dirt off the race line. I water it regularly to keep it from getting too loose. With just one 1/8 buggy out there it still pulls up the fine loose dirt pretty quickly. Bumps in the track are just " character " as the race guys say.

Milkdudd

iTrader: (13)

A few pages back I posted a picture of a billy goat power rake/dethatcher. I have a deal pending on a used one. They're pretty expensive if you buy them new. This one has a tine and wheel combination to actually dig the grass right out and then to churn up the top surface of the dirt after that. I haven't used it yet but it must work pretty good as my local track owner used it to maintain the surface of his track until he upgraded to a tractor that pulls a grader. Of course this only applies if you want a loamy track surface. If you want a hard pack blue groove type surface this would not work

Backyard RC

I like to use a square shovel like a razor blade shaving your face. It scrapes the top layer off as well as any new weed or grass growth. The big pooper scooper shovel works really good and I recently bought a contractor's rake which I love.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Razor-Ba...6500/204476252

jg6743

iTrader: (3)

48'' landscape rake is my choice. has teeth on one side and smooth on other. I do most leveling with tooth side then lightly back drag with smooth top. then I tamp with the rake then saturate with water... wait 15-20 minutes. Cover with a tarp and start tamping. I tamp it 3-4 times. then remove tarp and wet it again and lightly back drag with stiff bristle shop broom. covering the dirt with the a tarp stops the dirt from sticking to tamp.
rake tamp

AHR43

Greetings, Milkdudd. I posted a question on this to the JConcepts thread. Don't want to leave you hanging without an answer. I'd like to know I'm doing it right as well. Cheers. 'AC'

Milkdudd

iTrader: (13)

I talked to my local track owner friend he said go with them the way I had them mounted which is what jconcepts calls the loam configuration. Can't change now because I already glued them. Thanks for the help

Milkdudd

iTrader: (13)

I'm kind of wondering if a 1/10 scale four-wheel drive truggy might be about the ultimate on a backyard grass track. This is the one Xray has a released. I do admit 10th scale truggys look a little bit funny but there will probably be some different bodies coming out