JasonC

iTrader: (120)

Seems that Tamiya Usa, is a rather diffacult company for shop Owners to deal with, For example We have a local Track That has been trying to get kits and parts for a few months now, and it has not been exactly Easy for them to get anything. and they are within driving distance.

entitymugenmtx

iTrader: (85)

I dont think they will work

syndr0me

iTrader: (32)

Doesn't every car have its weak front end piece though? Don't most XRay guys run alloy knuckles? I think it's just a matter of finding the right combination of alloy and plastic for the front of any car. Also, if you guys aren't running a hard front bumper, that really helps. The Parma T2 bumper can be trimmed to fit quite easily.

lyoha

You are mistaken. This works very well. Not as good as in X-ray, but sufficiently ...

I think you are constantly checking caster after any collision? Alloy C-hubs can bend slightly and just because it is very difficult to see.

Gitsum

iTrader: (1)

Speaking of which, you guys might want to pick Syn brain on what materials he is running in his car. Currently he is the man to beat at the local track and his car looks very fast and stable.

Keith Billanti

iTrader: (15)

Speedtech is willing to work with me and send it priority mail-- so im okay there.. sort of.. I still have carbon blocks.

I dont care who makes them-- yah racing, 3 racing.. traxxas racing... HOW can i get an aluminum set of blocks here by saturday?

Worse comes to worst- and ill run the softies, i guess.. i have to make sure i still have them.. I think i threw them out?

seaball

iTrader: (9)

will we be seeing you again, this weekend, sir?

Stein Tumert

Well...., Marc, Victor, Jilles runs the "junk" and not alu parts...believe they say the car works better with the plastic parts...


...

syndr0me

iTrader: (32)

I think maybe he means the IFS versions of those parts which are a much softer plastic.

The TRF team also runs aluminum CVD's up front, and we all know how well those work. I think a lot of that type of thing is heavily dependent on what type of barriers your track uses. I imagine dots or rolled curbs are a lot easier on parts than heavy boards. I definitely saw some of the European drivers struggling with parts breakage at IIC. We've mostly figured out ways to overcome those problems, but it rarely means running the stock pieces.

TryHard

iTrader: (4)

Hey keith,
Noted with interest your talking about nasty traction roll... I was suffering the same this past weekend, running xenon28's on some duo carpet... They were just generating a silly amount of grip. Anyway, tried a whole host of things to cure it as follows;
Higher front rc (0.5mm under fron block, 1mm under rear for a bit of anti dive).
Wider car (5mm hexes)
Harder oil (up too 600wt from my usual 500... Would have tried harder, but didn't have any!!)
Droop at 7F/6R (down from 6/5, partly to take account of the bigger tyre diameter)
4.5mm on the ackerman
And one final thing that made the biggest difference, and I only ran this when I got told the car seemed to be dumping all its weight around...
Harder roll bars all round (hard front, med rear)

With the harder bars settled the car completely in roll, so much so I think its now overdamped for pitch, as I did loose some steering, and the car was a lot lazier. However it didn't traction roll once in the last final, so it was a deffinate improvement
I should also mention (and this is probably specific to the xenon wheel) that I also drilled some larger air holes into the wheel to help. The air hole as std is tiny (about 0.5mm dia), and it is pants at getting the air out. This is partly what I believed was causing the car to be nervous on those tyres, and having backed to backed std hole vs redrilled, I'm now convinced of it... Mugh smoother. Didn't halp too much with grip roll, but did improve the feel of the tyres not sure how legal it is mind... But ok for the club I was at

As for the cut top decks... I can kinda see the theory, but I'll admit I'm not overly convinced.. However still something to try, so be whipping the dremel out for the weekend
Regards
Ed

JimmyMac

iTrader: (2)

Plus another thing to also consider is that the pro guys tend to screw up less. Plus the competition is generally so close between them that one mistake or wreck can cost them that run. So they can afford to run the graphite chubs and aluminum cvd's etc. Us club racers need something more durable and the competition is not always that uber close. Go to a big race, run the graphite stuff. Go to a club race, run the durable stuff.

Keith Billanti

iTrader: (15)

Yes- I was referring to the "rubber" casters. (plastic- not graphite)

But- Im happy to call the graphite ones junk too.


The PRO's are pro's. But im no slouch, and I rarely break anything- let alone 5 C hubs in one day


The entire time I had the JRXS-r-- from prototype to production car, I broke like 4 arms. I was about the only person who didnt think there was anything wrong with the initial batch of arms (ha)

I hate aluminum add on's. But somethings gotta give here lol.

I will say that they likely didnt break from contact with the boards! it was from the VIOLENT traction rolling. It has been named the "Billanti traction roll" at my track.

I have never had a car lift like this LOL. It is gruesome.


TryHard-- Im loving the direction your going. Im going to print that post. I always seem to have my own ideas for setup= but a lot of those thoughts, seem to be in line with what my gut says.

I like the higher front RC.. but iv never been into antidive. I did try that a few weeks back and took it out. Didnt think to just raise the whole front. Cant wait to try that.

I generally run a narrower front than rear too.. I think this makes the car a bit more reactive around entry and mid corner.. ill try it wider.

I actually as a last resort- went to a front diff- as some of the worst rolls, were on power coming out of really tight turns. The diff- well, it worked sort of-- It wasnt rolling, but now diffing horribly. And the diff was barely a diff- almost a spool, it is so tight. I think some suspension adjustment would make this go away-- but the car was a little slower.

Martin had me lightening oils and softening suspension etc. I figured, his car= he knows his stuff.. (he has been running these cars for probably about 8 years).. but i think this is a case where one's setup just doesnt work for someone else.

I have driven his car, and it is very responsive- like 10x's as responsive as mine, and many people have said my car is way too aggressive. I like my wheel sort of soft around center.

I like the car a lot. I think it is very well designed, but-= I am not overly thrilled with the parts support. I was going to get the X or SX or what ever the new car is, but to be honest- this recent stuff has soured me a little.

Keith


@Goetz.. No. not this week. Im coming. Get your crap together- get your passport!! come race with me! im sick of always coming to see you guys= with no return gesture



OH- and im running aluminum front CVDs now.. seem to hold up better than the caster blocks (ha)

SammyZ

iTrader: (138)

ok so i have a strange problem that I encountered today and couldn't figure it out?

The car in general is predictable and easy to drive on power
but as soon as i let off throttle the car is loose entering the
corner and then while drifting it eventually grabs traction and
the car jerks (hard to explain?) and is unpredictable & very hard
to drive.

The car didn't do this before i changed to corally springs and a brushed setup (yes i know, my tekin blew up and this is all I had)

JoeGlover

iTrader: (4)

Keith at the Cam race I had roll issue's too.

here is my set-up from there:

Front:
1d-1d
4.5mm under front camber link
1mm spacer on the wheel hex
med sway bar
3 hole
Muchmore 600
Tamiya white spring
2.5mm of spacer behind front arm(wheelbase)
middle hole on shock tower
outmost hole on suspension arm
1.5mm of droop(uptravel)

Rear

1xa-1d
3.5mm under link at bulkhead
3mm on outmost hole on the knuckle
.5mm spacer on wheel hex
small sway bar
3 hole
Muchmore 500
Tamiya blue spring
2.5mm of spacer in front of rear arm(wheelbase)
3rd hole from top on shocl tower
outmost hole on the holes closer to the bulkhead
1mm of droop(uptravel)

5mm akerman, .5mm bumpsteer shim on the knuckle, 4 screws removed from the rear of the topdeck for chassis flex.

most of the weight added was to the middle of the car on the inside of the battery. A couple pieces were needed on the outside for balance side to side.

I was running sorex 28's then switched to 32's once grip came up and then the car was dialed, abosolutely no hint of roll and didn't lose a tenth switching to the 32's. Hope some of this helps

Keith Billanti

iTrader: (15)

@ Joe= thanks, ill take that one too. I dont think im far from yours actually- well, before Martin had be changing things.

I havnt tried 32's yet, but i think its in the future...

I am going to start fresh this weekend. I have added so much weight to the car- and its obviously not helping. SO- im taking it all out.

Complete tear down.

KB