4LikesBecoming consistent...
02-20-2012, 08:32 PM
#91
All electric motor brakes are is when your ESC deliberately shorts the motor against itself, causing the motor to take the kinetic energy of your car and use it to generate electrical current that is disippated as heat through the windings of your motor. The braking force your motor/esc combo can provide is proportional to the RPM it is turning, so when the motor speed approaches zero (which can easily happen in a slow apex) the braking force goes to zero. This is why in a car you can be hard on the brakes but still roll another six feet at walking speed (my 1/12 does this real bad). All ESC's and motors do this.
As far as driving fast and consistent goes while being on the brakes, I try to have markers where I hit the brakes and let off again.
For everything else, I tend to run a few laps at a set throttle position, and just hit the lines, and slowly speed up until I hit the lines at wide open and I know the car is feeling right.
As far as driving fast and consistent goes while being on the brakes, I try to have markers where I hit the brakes and let off again.
For everything else, I tend to run a few laps at a set throttle position, and just hit the lines, and slowly speed up until I hit the lines at wide open and I know the car is feeling right.
02-21-2012, 01:49 AM
#92
There's definitely a click that happens when you get a smooth and consistent setup. When the car just goes where you think about wanting it to go, and you're not distracted with watching whether it's actually going there. My devils are traction rolling when I turn a bit too hard, or the front end jerking as I get on the power. Only once have I had my TC fully dialed where I could turn it as hard as I wanted, and roll on the power without the car changing its set. It was strangely telepathic. I long for the day when I can have the car working like that round after round, day after day.
-Mike
-Mike
02-21-2012, 06:42 AM
#93
When a car works like that it's as magical as a rainbow shooting from the ass of a unicorn; the holy grail is when it happens at a big event. That's enough to give you a perma-boner.
02-21-2012, 08:52 AM
#94
What always seems to fix my cars woes is a fresh look at what set of tires I'm running. For instance, in 1/12 I ran magenta fronts and pink rears for weeks, then after fighting the car for a few rounds I switched to black fronts and yellow rears and promptly reset the track record.
02-22-2012, 01:45 PM
#97
My experience
I have been racing RC cars for almost 10 years now, and been doing okay i think 
So i'd like to share my experience, with all you guys.
First the car:
Depending on your level, you don't want to use the setup from the absolute fast pro guys. Their setup is made to get the max out of the car, and thereby setting aside the driveability.
You can take inspiration from their setup, but mostly need to adjust to your own like!
That said, your setup needs to be well balanced, in the start slightly to the pushing side.
It's important that the back is stable, and must not step out of line while driving! The car must turn through the corner with both ends of the car, not by the back drifting wide or the front diving/digging to hard in.
The car must also drive balanced through the hole corner. If the car has to must steering out of the corner, compared to turning in to the corner, it will be hard to make nice controlled corners every time.
maybe ask some experienced guys to look at your car while you drive, then they will be able to tell if the car looks right while you drive. And let them try it, the will spot if the car behaves weird.
And as others has also said, your car must always be in a good condition. Clean the car after each run with a brush, and regularly check the setup, reglue tires, clean the tires and the dampers are very important, if there is air then change the oil.
Then on how you actually have to drive:
Some basic things about driving into corners.
it's always better to get slow in and fast out! Never the other way around...
It's not faster to go fast through a corner away from the apex. Slower but closer to the apex is always better
The car only has 100% grip to use to go around the track. When you approach the corner you need to slow down. but if you brake and turn in at the same time, you use the 100% on 2 motions, turning an slowing down. This translates into both things not working very well... The car doesn't turn and doesn't stop. While braking go as straight as possible, according to the layout of the track, then turn after braking. This happens very fast, and it takes time to do it right.
the same thin applies to going out of the corner, you cant hit full throttle to soon. but try applying throttle slow and smooth, keeps the pack stable and must be done in all classes slow and fast.
When you drive through a wide corner, make it as smooth as possible, don't use more steering throw than needed. Make the turn long apply steering throw gentle, to not upset and unsettle the car.
Generally drive smooth and without doing to much with the car, make it flow as naturally as possible. the car doesn't like being rushed on.
Being consistent.
To be consistent you need to drive without mistake, clear enough. But on the way to getting consistent, you also don't want to make to many crashes. Drive the car gently, and make sure you hit the corner in the right angle, speed and in the same line each time. in the start do it slowly, then when you are getting better at doing "the same lap" each time, you can drive faster.
But if you are making many mistakes when you drive, you should slow down your pace. Don't try to hit the apex in each corner, but try being 30 cm form the apex.
If you are hitting the corner markers, you are driving to hard, or trying to get to close.
When you are trying to hard to get a fast lap, you will get slower, because you are pushing the car to hard. Let the car work as god as it can, the car won't turn faster, just because you are going faster into the corner.
And don't over do your part of driving the car, don't make make a lot of adjusting on the wheel through the corner, it will unsettle the car.
Brake, turn, apply throttle. not brake and turn in the same time, then adjust on the turning a bit of throttle more turning less turning and then yank the throttle.
My little started racing RC just over a year ago, and i'm trying to learn him all these things, and i can see every time on the track, that it helps. Because i am telling him what to work on, and what he is doing well.
One of his mistakes is that he is driving to aggressively, but thinks he is going to slow when he relaxes a bit. That's a typically rookie mistake!
Gentleness is very important!
(and practice, practice, practice ,practice)
Sorry for the long post, but it's all important to evolve and get consistent
So i'd like to share my experience, with all you guys. First the car:
Depending on your level, you don't want to use the setup from the absolute fast pro guys. Their setup is made to get the max out of the car, and thereby setting aside the driveability.
You can take inspiration from their setup, but mostly need to adjust to your own like!
That said, your setup needs to be well balanced, in the start slightly to the pushing side.It's important that the back is stable, and must not step out of line while driving! The car must turn through the corner with both ends of the car, not by the back drifting wide or the front diving/digging to hard in.
The car must also drive balanced through the hole corner. If the car has to must steering out of the corner, compared to turning in to the corner, it will be hard to make nice controlled corners every time.
maybe ask some experienced guys to look at your car while you drive, then they will be able to tell if the car looks right while you drive. And let them try it, the will spot if the car behaves weird.
And as others has also said, your car must always be in a good condition. Clean the car after each run with a brush, and regularly check the setup, reglue tires, clean the tires and the dampers are very important, if there is air then change the oil.
Then on how you actually have to drive
:Some basic things about driving into corners.
it's always better to get slow in and fast out! Never the other way around...
It's not faster to go fast through a corner away from the apex. Slower but closer to the apex is always better
The car only has 100% grip to use to go around the track. When you approach the corner you need to slow down. but if you brake and turn in at the same time, you use the 100% on 2 motions, turning an slowing down. This translates into both things not working very well... The car doesn't turn and doesn't stop. While braking go as straight as possible, according to the layout of the track, then turn after braking. This happens very fast, and it takes time to do it right.
the same thin applies to going out of the corner, you cant hit full throttle to soon. but try applying throttle slow and smooth, keeps the pack stable and must be done in all classes slow and fast.
When you drive through a wide corner, make it as smooth as possible, don't use more steering throw than needed. Make the turn long apply steering throw gentle, to not upset and unsettle the car.
Generally drive smooth and without doing to much with the car, make it flow as naturally as possible. the car doesn't like being rushed on.
Being consistent.
To be consistent you need to drive without mistake, clear enough. But on the way to getting consistent, you also don't want to make to many crashes. Drive the car gently, and make sure you hit the corner in the right angle, speed and in the same line each time. in the start do it slowly, then when you are getting better at doing "the same lap" each time, you can drive faster.
But if you are making many mistakes when you drive, you should slow down your pace. Don't try to hit the apex in each corner, but try being 30 cm form the apex.
If you are hitting the corner markers, you are driving to hard, or trying to get to close.
When you are trying to hard to get a fast lap, you will get slower, because you are pushing the car to hard. Let the car work as god as it can, the car won't turn faster, just because you are going faster into the corner.
And don't over do your part of driving the car, don't make make a lot of adjusting on the wheel through the corner, it will unsettle the car.
Brake, turn, apply throttle. not brake and turn in the same time, then adjust on the turning a bit of throttle more turning less turning and then yank the throttle.
My little started racing RC just over a year ago, and i'm trying to learn him all these things, and i can see every time on the track, that it helps. Because i am telling him what to work on, and what he is doing well.
One of his mistakes is that he is driving to aggressively, but thinks he is going to slow when he relaxes a bit. That's a typically rookie mistake!
Gentleness is very important!
(and practice, practice, practice ,practice
)Sorry for the long post, but it's all important to evolve and get consistent
02-22-2012, 02:21 PM
#98
Tech Regular
practice, alot.. and run vrc pro at home, it really helps you get consistent in real life! it has helped me alot, i dont have a permanent track to run on so real practice suffers alot, but thanks to vrc pro i am quite consistent when i gets to a track (once a month..)
04-12-2014, 07:58 PM
#99
Hi Everyone. It's been awhile since this thread been at the top and I've been away for a while so this a bump. I've learned a lot reading this thread and hope it helps others.
I also want to express my gratitude to everyone who's posted.
I also want to express my gratitude to everyone who's posted.
04-12-2014, 10:30 PM
#101
I would like to contribute that VRC pro helps a lot! It greatly helps consistency and overall timing when driving. While it may not "feel" the same as driving an actual car, I found it greatly helped my consistency and getting into the "groove" before a race.
04-13-2014, 06:45 AM
#102
Great thread. I am an off-road driver since on-road fell off years ago unfortunately, but everything I learned in this thread I can apply to off-road as well.
Funny thing is Friday night club racing, Dakotah Phend was racing 4x4 SC, and I was marshalling the technical part of the track. First thing I noticed was he brakes early, and powers on to get around the corner. Just like you guys have said in this thread. Where as the other guys in that race were diving deep into the corners, jamming on the brakes as they were trying to steer into the corner and pushing out of the apex with the suspension all in a bind. I race 2 wheel SC, so I can't dive overly hard into the corners, but I think I am doing the same, where I am still on the brakes as I start to turn in and that's why the tail end gets happy on me. I just need to start braking earlier, so that when I reach the corner the truck is going the right speed at the start of the corner for my turn in and I can then roll the throttle on coming out of it. Something I am going to practice the crap out of for sure.
Funny thing is Friday night club racing, Dakotah Phend was racing 4x4 SC, and I was marshalling the technical part of the track. First thing I noticed was he brakes early, and powers on to get around the corner. Just like you guys have said in this thread. Where as the other guys in that race were diving deep into the corners, jamming on the brakes as they were trying to steer into the corner and pushing out of the apex with the suspension all in a bind. I race 2 wheel SC, so I can't dive overly hard into the corners, but I think I am doing the same, where I am still on the brakes as I start to turn in and that's why the tail end gets happy on me. I just need to start braking earlier, so that when I reach the corner the truck is going the right speed at the start of the corner for my turn in and I can then roll the throttle on coming out of it. Something I am going to practice the crap out of for sure.
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