ZackM

iTrader: (1)

I am happy to see them messing with some unique design choices. I like the droop screws.

servo laid down still seems like a better option, but none of this looks set in stone to me...

Zack

Bcollins82

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I’m certain laying the servo down would be better. But I assume with the laydown shock location, then the rack behind that, the servo was getting in the way of pushing the ESC and battery forward enough. Pushing the steering back so far also puts a ton of Ackerman in the car, very curious to see the changes they make as the development progresses.

RC10Nick

iTrader: (9)

the challenge really is packaging - when you look at older cars the servo and steering rack used to be further back in the chassis because the old front bulkheads were solid plastic. the result was front arms that swept backwards to get the c-hubs/steering blocks relatively in line with the steering rack.

laying the shocks down the way they have in the front poses a design challenge similar to the solid front bulkheads of the past, and unsurprisingly this prototype has the front arms swept backwards.

and like the old cars, the drawback is how far back it pushes the servo into the chassis. in the old cars that wasn't an issue because everything was rear motor and there was still gobs of space for everything to fit. but with modern cars pushing the motor and battery further forward you need all the space you can get. standing the servo up to save space is probably not something they wanted to do, but did as a compromise in order to achieve their other higher priority design goals. and I suspect with modern low profile servos it might not be any worse than a tradition servo orientation.

ZackM

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I hadn't really looked at that before. They could fix a part of this buy adding even longer steering link attachments to the knuckles like a lot of modern touring cars have.

Hopefully they can get someone behind the wheel soon so we can see how it looks.

Zack

AntH3000

.....problem there is the amount of travel you then need from the rack...

Sir 51D3WAYS

They do look to be running a low profile servo though, so it probably has roughly the same CG as a laid down servo.

AntH3000

Yeah managing the ackerman / geometry is difficult with the rack so far back in car. If I was a betting man I would say they might have to head down the pushrod / bellcrank suspension route at the front ultimately and move the whole steering assembly forward , also with a more conventional bellcrank system. There was a linear rack on the TLR 22 1.0 , which later got switched out for bekllcranks. I never thought about it enough to understand the pros / cons. Somebody smart on here will know I'm sure... Pushrod front suspension didn't work on the Topcat, but the geometry they had just wasn't up to much IMO. Front suspension wasn't too bad on the Pred, once the bellcrank plate mod was added. It was the rear that gave all the bother, and the setup on the Agama at the rear I think has a way better chance of success, coming off the lower wishbones. But yeah, a low c of g car could do some damage, especially on carpet..

Brandon11m

This was one of my first thoughts seeing this. Slider steering racks tried before on the likes of the 22 1.0 and 2.0 never worked all that well being plagued with high friction and wear when dirt got in there, but this does at least look to be actual linear rail so hopefully it holds up better. That link angle off of the servo horn doesn't look so nice though.

It could be beneficial getting the servo shifted back to lower the moment of inertia like NitrousBIG was trying with their first prototype in the "rethinking 2wd buggy design" thread though, and I always like to see something different being tried.

Sir 51D3WAYS

I'm probably going to hell/be sent to the shadow realms for this, but why has no one ever snuck the servo under/into the front bulkhead? You'd have mad chassis space plus a decent bit of weight up front to pin the front end down, that you'd probably end up buying brass weights/components for anyways.....

chrisimp

iTrader: (1)

​​​​ Nearest car in recent times I can think of that had a half attempt at that would be the Hb d216, a servo spun around so I did get a little closer to the steering bridge. I suppose also the Schumacher LD range with it's angled servo position to push it forward too. But can't think of any/probably none with the servo the other side of the steering assembly 🤔

aspiringracer

iTrader: (2)

I think it comes down to servo width vs hingepin height in the front bulkhead combined with kick-up angle. I've pondered this before just always been more intrigued by the 4wd cars. I'd love to see someone do it somehow.

Brandon11m

I did that on a project I'm planning to post soon, just need to get past this initial post limit that means I can't post pictures yet before I show it off. It's something that's been done in dirt oval and was where I got the idea for it myself but for most 2wd buggies the servo is too big to fit between the front pivots like they do on the oval cars

the incubus

iTrader: (17)

Being as I still own my Andy's RC10 Carbon kit, I feel the complete opposite of you.
The Steering rack is meh at best and looks like a servo killer to me. The Andy's system is a slide rack one and this one is similar but it floats rather than sit inside a track.
I would have sooner expected a north & south orientation for the shocks like F1 cars before this sideways orientation but the key is that the center of gravity is mighty LOW.
That should make it less prone to rolling over. Shocks hold oil which weighs them down and by laying them down you keep the weight at the very bottom which is ideal for
all things racing.

Atomic-Carbon

Not sure if this will work, but link below of the Agama 2wd testing indoors (not sure how to imbed a video)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3553...ibextid=oMANbw

RedlineGW

I want it! Need to set one up for dirt though since we have No local carpet trackes!