TC3 Assembly Tips, Factory Team Kit
01-18-2003, 05:32 PM
#76
ya i usually clean the races in the rack after every race day to make sure i have smooth unbinding steering, i just use a cotton swab to clean it. i had to trim the lower half on my ko digital servo as well.
01-19-2003, 07:41 PM
#77
Chassis Tweak
spas 456-Thanks for the tip.
A well known problem with the TC3 chassis is that the motor screws and motor heat pull the right rear corner of the chassis up. When my car was new, left and right side spring collars front and back were within a few thousandths of an inch of each other in spacing from the top of their travel; they were real even left and right after I set the tweak on a tweak station. Now I have too add quite a bit of extra preload to the right rear to remove tweak from the chassis on a tweak station. The chassis is no longer flat on a surface plate. The right rear is high. I notice that some of the plate chassis conversions have an aluminum lower motor support to avoid this little problem. I thought that a block like this or a shear plate could be added to the chassis. I'll tell you what I come up with. In the meantime if you know of a supplier for the lower aluminum motor mount block alone let me know. $180 to solve this problem is a bit high.
In the meantime tighten that screw with the spring only two turns after it contacts the spring. Not three turns.
A well known problem with the TC3 chassis is that the motor screws and motor heat pull the right rear corner of the chassis up. When my car was new, left and right side spring collars front and back were within a few thousandths of an inch of each other in spacing from the top of their travel; they were real even left and right after I set the tweak on a tweak station. Now I have too add quite a bit of extra preload to the right rear to remove tweak from the chassis on a tweak station. The chassis is no longer flat on a surface plate. The right rear is high. I notice that some of the plate chassis conversions have an aluminum lower motor support to avoid this little problem. I thought that a block like this or a shear plate could be added to the chassis. I'll tell you what I come up with. In the meantime if you know of a supplier for the lower aluminum motor mount block alone let me know. $180 to solve this problem is a bit high.
In the meantime tighten that screw with the spring only two turns after it contacts the spring. Not three turns.
Last edited by John Stranahan; 01-20-2003 at 03:53 PM.
01-20-2003, 03:52 AM
#78
Tech Rookie
If you want to splve your tweak problem without adding as much weight, try going to a slightly larger spur and pinion. That will move the motor farther out on the chassis. Just a thought.
01-20-2003, 07:01 AM
#79
Crazy Canuck-The weight in my car is very even left and right. The problem I'm having is that the chassis has warped up in the right rear now.
If I remove the right rear chassis brace the right rear gains an instant .7 ounces. The chassis warpage is actually moving the entire shock tower assembly to the left through this brace.
I see that IRS offers the aluminum motor mount separately part # IRS 153. About $54. Hmmm.
If I remove the right rear chassis brace the right rear gains an instant .7 ounces. The chassis warpage is actually moving the entire shock tower assembly to the left through this brace.
I see that IRS offers the aluminum motor mount separately part # IRS 153. About $54. Hmmm.
Last edited by John Stranahan; 01-20-2003 at 10:05 AM.
01-20-2003, 09:05 AM
#80
has anyone else been using tire warmers? i run rubber and finally broke down and bought a set of warmers and all i can say is they are the best thing i have bought for my car!
i no longer use traction compound, just the warmers. my grip on the track is instant, and its so important going into that first turn with everybody in the main!
and yes, the rubber sure does get piled up in the rack in no time! i also use an exacto knife to scrape it out inbetween races and then totally remove the rack during the week to clean it. i have an IRS so its much easier to get at stuff to do that.
i no longer use traction compound, just the warmers. my grip on the track is instant, and its so important going into that first turn with everybody in the main!
and yes, the rubber sure does get piled up in the rack in no time! i also use an exacto knife to scrape it out inbetween races and then totally remove the rack during the week to clean it. i have an IRS so its much easier to get at stuff to do that.
01-20-2003, 02:16 PM
#81
Motor Mount Strap
I think the solution to the chassis tweak from the motor mount screws is a metal strap on the bottom of the chassis to take the load and the heat. This is a technical project, but I think it could be done with a dremmel. Anyway here is a pic of the bottom side. Construction details on request. Maybe Associated can offer this on the team kit sometime in the future.
Northener-A couple guys at our track have used them. They still run faster with a little traction compound and the warmers, but the first few laps are better.
Northener-A couple guys at our track have used them. They still run faster with a little traction compound and the warmers, but the first few laps are better.
Last edited by John Stranahan; 01-20-2003 at 02:25 PM.
01-20-2003, 02:19 PM
#82
Here is a pic of the strap out of the car. It required a 1/4 inch wide by 1/4 inch deep milled slot in the chassis. Interestingly after the slot was milled and the heat distorted plastic removed the chassis was flat again. The part is made of 1/4 inch steel keyway stock. T6 aluminum would work as well. The car is light here anyway so weight is not a problem. The part was made by hand with a mushroomed shaped green stone on the Dremmel. The ends were radiused on a bench grinder.
I I were to make this strap again on another chassis, I would use smaller 3/16 x 3/16 inch stock. This would require only a small semicircular cutout to be ground in it for motor clearance.
I I were to make this strap again on another chassis, I would use smaller 3/16 x 3/16 inch stock. This would require only a small semicircular cutout to be ground in it for motor clearance.
Last edited by John Stranahan; 02-14-2003 at 05:42 PM.
01-20-2003, 06:38 PM
#83
John thats an excellent idea i may have to try that mod. my chassis seemed to tweak half way through a run when i ran mod with it last weekend. i have moved the batteries in .250" and dremeled away under the servo and around the motor opening. the chassis does seem to have added flex now which im not liking in mod. im getting a new chassis next weekend to see if this fixes the problem. as for the moded chassis i will be making a top deck for it, but does anyone know of any that are available in the U.S. i know team prp may be making one. well need to go get some dimensions.....
01-20-2003, 08:29 PM
#85
i was going to do one down the center of the chassis kind of like on josh cyruls car.
01-20-2003, 08:56 PM
#86
Tech Adept
spaz456:
Hi,
Did you cut a stock chassis????????? so far I haven't any real flexing problems with any of the TC3 chassis I've but they were all graphite.
John:
Hi,
nice lower mounting block for the TC3. do you ever race foams on carpet???? we live in the snow belt and race indoors all winter on carpet. mostly stock and 19 turn. as for your chassis getting a indentation on the bottom try grinding the motor cam down a little this usally stops that from happening. also we remove the motor as soon as we are done racing to help stop this from happening.
Are you going to play with the nitro rack steering??? I have it mounted in two of my TC3's both are backwards to the stock nitro mounting holes. I will post pics if you would like to see them.
Thanks
Hi,
Did you cut a stock chassis????????? so far I haven't any real flexing problems with any of the TC3 chassis I've but they were all graphite.
John:
Hi,
nice lower mounting block for the TC3. do you ever race foams on carpet???? we live in the snow belt and race indoors all winter on carpet. mostly stock and 19 turn. as for your chassis getting a indentation on the bottom try grinding the motor cam down a little this usally stops that from happening. also we remove the motor as soon as we are done racing to help stop this from happening.
Are you going to play with the nitro rack steering??? I have it mounted in two of my TC3's both are backwards to the stock nitro mounting holes. I will post pics if you would like to see them.
Thanks
01-21-2003, 06:43 AM
#88
fakk2- have you milled the center brace on any of your chassis. i did and im running carpet w/foams and the chassis never seemed that bad after the mods i did when running in stock until i ran modified sedan, but i suspect that my rear diff may have heated up a little as well and the could have made my rear end loose. when i pulled my car from the track after the main the rear diff felt like it had seized up somewhat. and yes its the graphite chassis
01-21-2003, 07:45 AM
#89
Tech Adept
spaz456:
Hi,
I have 3 TC3's with the chassis milled. only one almost to the driveshaft. the other two are milled about a 1/8th of a inch inboard. as we only run stock and 19 turn we have not had any chassis flex problems. I will run a 8x2 this weekend to se if I notice any flexing.
We went to the Hardcore diffs. so far they are working great. the only down side to them is you have to cut them for the "D" diff rings. we also ran the RRP diffs until they stopped making them
I am messing around with filling in whats left of the some resin. to make the back bone of the chassis stiffer. it will only add a few grams to the chassis. I will post results as soon as I get one done...
Thanks
Hi,
I have 3 TC3's with the chassis milled. only one almost to the driveshaft. the other two are milled about a 1/8th of a inch inboard. as we only run stock and 19 turn we have not had any chassis flex problems. I will run a 8x2 this weekend to se if I notice any flexing.
We went to the Hardcore diffs. so far they are working great. the only down side to them is you have to cut them for the "D" diff rings. we also ran the RRP diffs until they stopped making them
I am messing around with filling in whats left of the some resin. to make the back bone of the chassis stiffer. it will only add a few grams to the chassis. I will post results as soon as I get one done...
Thanks