speedmerchant speed spec II
07-11-2008, 04:37 PM
#32
Hey guys. I ordered my Speed Spec II from Speed Merchant's web site on June 26th and I still haven't rec'd it yet. I was just wondering if anyone else has ordered from their site and if so, how long did the shipping take(I'm in Ohio). By the way, I also emailed Speed Merchant a couple days ago and have yet to hear back. I'm not complaining, just anxious to get the kit.....I've already got everything else!!
07-11-2008, 04:55 PM
#33
Hey guys. I ordered my Speed Spec II from Speed Merchant's web site on June 26th and I still haven't rec'd it yet. I was just wondering if anyone else has ordered from their site and if so, how long did the shipping take(I'm in Ohio). By the way, I also emailed Speed Merchant a couple days ago and have yet to hear back. I'm not complaining, just anxious to get the kit.....I've already got everything else!!
07-11-2008, 05:13 PM
#34
i think i got mine in 2-2.5 weeks and i'm in ohio also. i know sometimes when you order from them it may take a while, and you may not get emails back as soon as you wish but in the end bruce is there for you and you will get a very nice car.
07-13-2008, 09:29 AM
#37
You will want to set the car up so that it is like at 4.5 at the ends and 3.5 at the rear pivot (main chassis). In our Speed Spec class (mabucci motors and 21.5 motors) when we start people out, we have the springs backed all the way out. This will make the car a little pushy, but very easy to drive. In the Speed Spec class we only have them dope the center third of the rear tire and 1/4 to 1/2 the front tire (pink rears, purple fronts).
Now, if you will be running a faster motor than a 21.5 or silver can motor (17.5 or 27t), you may want to adjust that a little. I would still start with the springs backed out for a few packs, just to get used to the chassis and to get things tuned in. However, you can add more dope to the tires: full rear, half front to start, and dope more or less from there. If you are crazy enough to go straight to the 13.5, put traction compound full front and rear, springs backed out.
After you have driven the car a couple of packs and it is pushing badly, start to tune with the springs. At first, bring the springs down equally half way. The easiest way to check where the springs are is to lift one front wheel off your pit board and note what height it is at before the opposite wheel lifts. Repeat for the other side, the height should be the same.
If the car still pushes badly, bring the springs down further. Like half the distance from where they are now to the link. All we are looking to do is eliminate the push, and keep the car easy to drive. You will only have to worry about tweak if the springs are fully in contact with the links. There are many people that think that the springs have to touch for the car to be right. However, if there is preload on the springs, they will need to have equal pressure, otherwise the car will be darty and hard to drive (pssst... I was told that one of the nationals winning 12th chassis had the springs backed off 1/4 to 1/2 turn at the nats).
The Speed Spec II was designed as a spec class racing chassis with certain criteria. We have a class of them at RCE that has over 20 cars in the class, if they would all show up in one night... We hit the 15 racer mark the other night, never mind that it is the middle of summer, and it's hot and sticky and humid inside with no additional air flow. It is that fun that people show up to race that class.
If you aren't running with other Speed Spec racers and need to run a hot motor like 13.5 or more, Speed Merchant was working on putting a conversion kit together to convert these chassis to a sport World GT chassis. It would allow the use of damper tubes, which we have found to be needless with the silver can motors..
Now, if you will be running a faster motor than a 21.5 or silver can motor (17.5 or 27t), you may want to adjust that a little. I would still start with the springs backed out for a few packs, just to get used to the chassis and to get things tuned in. However, you can add more dope to the tires: full rear, half front to start, and dope more or less from there. If you are crazy enough to go straight to the 13.5, put traction compound full front and rear, springs backed out.
After you have driven the car a couple of packs and it is pushing badly, start to tune with the springs. At first, bring the springs down equally half way. The easiest way to check where the springs are is to lift one front wheel off your pit board and note what height it is at before the opposite wheel lifts. Repeat for the other side, the height should be the same.
If the car still pushes badly, bring the springs down further. Like half the distance from where they are now to the link. All we are looking to do is eliminate the push, and keep the car easy to drive. You will only have to worry about tweak if the springs are fully in contact with the links. There are many people that think that the springs have to touch for the car to be right. However, if there is preload on the springs, they will need to have equal pressure, otherwise the car will be darty and hard to drive (pssst... I was told that one of the nationals winning 12th chassis had the springs backed off 1/4 to 1/2 turn at the nats).
The Speed Spec II was designed as a spec class racing chassis with certain criteria. We have a class of them at RCE that has over 20 cars in the class, if they would all show up in one night... We hit the 15 racer mark the other night, never mind that it is the middle of summer, and it's hot and sticky and humid inside with no additional air flow. It is that fun that people show up to race that class.
If you aren't running with other Speed Spec racers and need to run a hot motor like 13.5 or more, Speed Merchant was working on putting a conversion kit together to convert these chassis to a sport World GT chassis. It would allow the use of damper tubes, which we have found to be needless with the silver can motors..
07-13-2008, 09:57 AM
#38
"There are many people that think that the springs have to touch for the car to be right."
that's what i was thinking also. so leave the tweak springs be and use the shock spring to set proper ride height (droop)? and i'm using a 10.5t brushless motor. i talked with bruce about the conversion kit but i don't think it's out yet.
that's what i was thinking also. so leave the tweak springs be and use the shock spring to set proper ride height (droop)? and i'm using a 10.5t brushless motor. i talked with bruce about the conversion kit but i don't think it's out yet.
07-13-2008, 10:42 AM
#39
On asphalt? I don't know so much about that surface... You may want to run pink all around or d.pink all around. For a 10.5 I'd bring the springs within a turn from touch down, full dope f/r. Probably add header card stock to the outside edges of the arms to bring the camber to -3 deg. Adjust the shim washers so that you have about 3 - 5 deg of caster. Header card stock goes on the chassis plate, caster washers go on top.
Don't mind the mess, I haven't finished the wiring on this car... I was waiting for KO's new electronics...
Don't mind the mess, I haven't finished the wiring on this car... I was waiting for KO's new electronics...
07-13-2008, 11:20 AM
#40
yes, asphalt. i was told to run 5mm ride height using 2.250" pink tires.
i have about -3* camber, 4* caster.
how do you measure ride height at the pivot point? best i can do is catch the sides of the bottom pod plate.
i have about -3* camber, 4* caster.
how do you measure ride height at the pivot point? best i can do is catch the sides of the bottom pod plate.
Last edited by LOW ET; 07-13-2008 at 01:57 PM.
07-13-2008, 03:55 PM
#42
Since with tire wear, one side of the car will be lower than the other, I measure as far back on the main chassis plate on each side. 5mm front and rear is fine, make sure that the center is about 1mm lower and can extend up about 1mm. Droop is important for transferring weight to the front (put a 2 - 3mm shim under the front shock ball stud to transfer more weight to the front.
Your caster/camber combo is a good place to start. 1 deg total toe out.
Rotate your tires depending on tire wear. It will help keep the chassis flatter and help negate some of the chassis being lower on one side than the other.
To answer your earlier question, tweak springs only facilitate the pivoting of the chassis/pod and is not used as a ride height adjustment. Ride height is ultimately adjusted using the shims under the arms and the oval ride height adjuster blocks at the rear axle. The shock spring only adjusts the center of the car, and the amount of weight transferred to the front wheels for steering.
So, theoretically, if you were racing a paved track that was super bumpy, you could run your suspension set-up for >5mm ride height. If you went to a track with the same layout / grip, but billiard table smooth, you could either take your tires down a couple mm on all 4 corners, or change the shims/adjusters and leave the center shock alone. I would still check ride height to make sure that the chassis doesn't rub. Loss of many tenths that way.
Your caster/camber combo is a good place to start. 1 deg total toe out.
Rotate your tires depending on tire wear. It will help keep the chassis flatter and help negate some of the chassis being lower on one side than the other.
To answer your earlier question, tweak springs only facilitate the pivoting of the chassis/pod and is not used as a ride height adjustment. Ride height is ultimately adjusted using the shims under the arms and the oval ride height adjuster blocks at the rear axle. The shock spring only adjusts the center of the car, and the amount of weight transferred to the front wheels for steering.
So, theoretically, if you were racing a paved track that was super bumpy, you could run your suspension set-up for >5mm ride height. If you went to a track with the same layout / grip, but billiard table smooth, you could either take your tires down a couple mm on all 4 corners, or change the shims/adjusters and leave the center shock alone. I would still check ride height to make sure that the chassis doesn't rub. Loss of many tenths that way.
07-13-2008, 04:14 PM
#44
We use gravity for that
When we use the springs fully touching, the idea is that there is no pre-load. Very rarely do we need to pre-load the springs. The trick that I use is to sit the car flat on a set-up board, tap the antenna then gently lift the main plate from the tweak brace and just when you apply pressure to lift, the spring should be floating on the ball. Repeat for the other side.
After a run, if the car is tweaked, swap tires (rotate) then adjust the springs so they are just touching. I use the coin trick just to check what kind of influence the springs are having on the chassis, not to adjust the tweak.
gotta work, ttyl.
When we use the springs fully touching, the idea is that there is no pre-load. Very rarely do we need to pre-load the springs. The trick that I use is to sit the car flat on a set-up board, tap the antenna then gently lift the main plate from the tweak brace and just when you apply pressure to lift, the spring should be floating on the ball. Repeat for the other side.
After a run, if the car is tweaked, swap tires (rotate) then adjust the springs so they are just touching. I use the coin trick just to check what kind of influence the springs are having on the chassis, not to adjust the tweak.
gotta work, ttyl.
08-02-2008, 06:03 PM
#45
Finally got my Speed Spec II and got to test it today.....definitely worth the wait
!! This little sucker was pretty well hooked up on our large flowing outdoor asphalt track. I was running a Mustang GT-R body so it didn't have the greatest of entry into the high speed sweeper but this thing was really good thru the in-field. I was running a Losi 13.5, BSR D-Pink front and BSR Pink rears with Paragon Ground Effects. Next week our club will have it's first class of 1/10th pan cars.....can't wait!! Anyone got a base setup for asphalt?
!! This little sucker was pretty well hooked up on our large flowing outdoor asphalt track. I was running a Mustang GT-R body so it didn't have the greatest of entry into the high speed sweeper but this thing was really good thru the in-field. I was running a Losi 13.5, BSR D-Pink front and BSR Pink rears with Paragon Ground Effects. Next week our club will have it's first class of 1/10th pan cars.....can't wait!! Anyone got a base setup for asphalt?