storytyme

iTrader: (20)

I just want to know if I should want more or less "flex" on my chassis. I drive a TC5 rubber tires on carpet medium bite track. I am not sure what chassis flex really does or if I want it or not want it. Thanks in advance.

decibels

iTrader: (3)

Hey chassis flex usually gives your car more grip and depending on where the flex is depends on where the grip will be!! if its flexi up front then it will want to steer harder and if its flexier at the back then it will have more rear grip and be hooked up or slightly understeer!! but as a general rule if you can run your car stiffer and it is working then you will have more corner speed and high speed steering and your car should be more stable to!!

rallyebmx

iTrader: (21)

decibels-thanks for that easy explanation!

storytyme

iTrader: (20)

I am new to driving the onroad car, so since I am looking for consistency with speed mixed in then I need the flex? I do tend to fish tail a little. Will the flex cut down on speed a lot or will a rookie like me not even notice?

decibels

iTrader: (3)

It depends it might make you faster if you are having less accidents!!

1101

How does this work? Wouldnt more corner speed come from more grip (obtained by more flex); or is it not that simple.
Also, for stock/silvercan racing, would less flex be the way to go to try & max the speed?? since initial cornering speed wont be that fast anyway..

decibels

iTrader: (3)

like i said less flex is usually faster in corner speed and in the spec classes especially and sometimes you add some flex to get around a setup change!! but if it makes you slower then it is not faster so you have to try and see how you go but don't just look at fastest lap look at your overall lap. if a setup change is good then you should have only a few laps of mistakes at worst and the rest should be close together. or closer together than what you have previously been doin!!

Dragonfire

iTrader: (1)

Flex basically allows you chassis to hold onto the surface better with more bite and slower response making it easy to drive. The penalty is that with too much grip your car will be "locked" and will not rotate as well in corners when you are leaning on it hard. A car that turns well has a balance between front and rear grip. When you have flex it helps in particular with generating rear grip so you do tend to loose some steering. The best use for flex is dealing with poor track conditions. If you are struggling with getting your car to work flex will help you with better drivability, but the potential for outright pace will be reduced. This is why modern TC's are designed to flex a little, but not too much. If flex was the be all and end all of setup, then chassis like the cyclone s, T2r, and tao5 would smack the high end chassis that they are based on.

Dane

iTrader: (26)

The above is true - more flex=more traction but I've also found that each surface needs a certain amount of flex (or lack thereof) to get the car to work properly. A car can be planted and have a decent amount of steering but if the chassis is not working properly, it can lose a good amount of cornering speed. Because flex affects the entire chassis and how it operates fundamentally, it's a powerful tool.

In other words, even if the car seems to be doing okay but the laptimes are not really showing it, try altering the flex in the car.

storytyme

iTrader: (20)

So would flex in the back, but stiff up front be more resonable than vice versa? I will have to play with it as it sounds like it is a track specific thing. I assume most top drivers run fairly stiff chassis. Is this a true assumption?

Dane

iTrader: (26)

Depends on your setup and track. I would start by making the flex as equal as possible (front to rear) and going from there.

By the setups I have seen in touring, most keep their chassis relatively soft with rubber tires on carpet due to limited traction.

Rojna

My TC5r was easier to drive the the o-rings in the top plate ... easier = FASTER

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