What is the "V-Force" front end? What company is going to make it and what is different about it from the dynamic strut or old style front ends?

What do these front suspension shims do? http://www.hobbyetc.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?part_id=1099 . Do they adjust caster, camber, or ride height? I can't find any information on them. If I can't find any shim kits to adjust caster with could I use a piece of paper or cardboard to adjust caster? I would just put a piece of paper under the front or back of the suspension mounts right? How many MM's of shims would I need to get 2º of caster?

I have never run a 1/12, I hardly know anything about them. I was just wondering what car(s) are condsidered the top competitors(for road courses). I have run touring cars for a while, and I just love watching those little cars tear up a road course.

Check out the speedmerchant Rev. 3, if you re-read the past like 3 pages you will find out why (i would type it again, however i end up doing it ever few pages so i am kinda getting sick of it, lol)

racerdx- its speedmerchant new front end, check it out on their website, www.teamspeedmerchant.com. i am not sure 100% about why it works, however i have seen speedmerchant drivers (including DavidL) testing it at my local track over the past season and i have been very impressed by it. it also works on any other car that is compatable with the dynamic strut or old style front end. however it is completly different than anything else out there right now.

Sounds pretty cool, I'll go check it out..........

The Track,RCO or wherever/whenever I can get to it.

Impact - you have PM

The Rev. 3, Carpet Knife, 6 pack, 12L3, switchblade, and corally are some of the cars I've heard can be pretty competitive.

adjusting ride height?
 

How do you adjust the ride height on a 1/12 car? I've seen ride height shim kits, do you use those on the front or rear, or both? I've also seen rear bearing carrier things (not sure what the correct name is for them) that have the hole for the bearing at different heights, are those the only way to adjust the rear ride height or can you use the shims too? For the front suspension I'm guessing that the shims go between the chassis and front suspension mounts. But than when ever you adjusted the front ride height than you would also have to adjust the camber and caster again, if I have the correct way of adjusting the front ride height. Can you adjust the rear ride height with the preload on the center spring? Say if your ride height was too high than you could back the shock coller off or remove some plastic clips and than the rear end would be lowered? Would that work? Should I order a ride height shim kit, or two? How many should I get? Also, should I get some of the rear ride height adjusters? Would the ones for the 12L3 or the Rev. 3 work on the Carpet Knife?

I'll do the best I can
 

Front ride height: Your Carpet knife comes with 4 aluminum kind of thick washers. These go between the chasis and front lower A arms.

YES you have to reset camber and Toe when you change ride height.

Rear: Those bearing holders come with the CK. use the one that gives 1/8 or a little more in the back. I think the one with the hole in the center works with new tires.

Adjusting rear ride height with the shock will only screw up handeling. Set it for .5 to 1 mm pod droop. Your car has to set into the sespension. That is all. The only other shock adjustment would be to change the spring. Your car should sit with the pod level to the Chasis fully loaded.

racerdx - The rear ride height should only be adjusted with the bearing carriers to raise or lower the rear axle in the pod plates.

I used some .020 and .030 thick lexan to make shims for the front. Associated 0 degree castor shims are .060. I use combinations of those thicknesses to get an acceptable ride height for the front and then match the rear to it. I don't re-adjust the castor or camber when using these shims. Toe-in is re-adjusted after making a change to the front.

I just cut the lexan to the same outline as the 0 degree shims and put holes in the same location. I slot the holes for easy insertion or removal. That is so I do not have to fully remove the mounting screws of the suspension. Good luck.

How often do you have to readjust the front and rear ride height? It seems like it might stink to have to re-adjust the front camber every time you change the ride height. Oh well, it looks like the V Force front end will be nice, it also looks like it has adjustable front camber with some tie rods :) . Is the caster still adjusted with the shims or does it have another way? I guess that's kinda a stupid question to ask because no one really has it............... :rolleyes:

Yes, you have to use shims to adjust caster, but this won't be a problem.... personally I use the Associated 2deg. shims and leave it there....

That doesn't sound too bad. I can't wait for that to come out, is it really going to come out this summer? Because Associated said the Monster GT would be in production by this spring and to my knowlege it's still not in production. Although to get the V Force front end in production is pretty simple compared to a new nitro monster truck.

I have the V-Force front suspension by Speedmerchant. I used it in the first 2 qualifiers in the Orion race at The Track last March. You use the shims I described to set castor on that suspension. You set the camber with the links on the top of the cantilevers. The V-Force has a lot of camber gain with small movements of the suspension. Therefore, the linkage has to be perfect to control bump steer. This is not an easy task. It may be too difficult for the unexperienced driver. Speedmerchant has not officially announced a release date for production units. Mine is a prototype.

OHHHH ...... I thought Speedmerchant had just taken the arm and turned it into a c-hub which had the same kingpin/ steering block set-up as the old style front end.... which should have no chamber gain.