Serpent 835 running Lola (parma) body
 

Guys,

I picked up this body (only because I couldn't get Serpent one within reasonable time) and I was doing trimming and fitting last night when I realized that the top of the fron shocks sits just so high that for the body to get as low as required I will need to Dremel an opening for the shocks to come up through the body. Of course I don't like it, but at this point it seems to be the only solution.

I know that some of you recommended this body a while back so I am wondering how did you deal with it. I am using the top mounting hole so I could got to the lower one which would make it a little better, but not by much since the carbon fibre brace would be touching the body then. Plus I don't want limit my setup options because of the body.

Thanks a lot

parma
 

I have never used top shock mtg hole,have added lower mt and trimmed plate.Also have mtd shocks to bulkhead. Body will also fit mounted higher to car.

From my Impact to 835, I have only experienced UNDERSTEERING....so there is no way I would mount the front shocks to other position except the LOWEST one, which is the holes at the front bulkhead..........you can actually remove the front shock tower, mine run without it, and my Parma does not rub the shocks....

I guess that's the inexperience on my part not knowing that the car will understeer on most surfaces an in most situations. So far in my 1/10 TC it has been ALWAYS the other way around.

RS: you mention removing the carbon fibre shock tower altogether (this part has not impress me anyways the way it's designed...). Now that brings another question. Since my front dogbones are touching the shocks at the bottom when steering is fully either right or left. If I remove the shock tower that would even bring the shocks closer to the dogbone. So di you insert some extra spacers between the arms and shock mounting holes?

Thanks

I think your caster setting must be in the most forward position.....but if that is your case, yes, I use some HPI Pro 4 purple alum spacer (like 2mm or so) to offset the shocks against the dogbone.....make sure use the same amount of the spacer at upper and lower position....

Don't compare 835 with TC, your TC does not have the wide rear tires, plus the rear floating body mount, nor the LOLA body.......you don't necessary need the front shock tower with LOLA body....the front shock tower is more use when you are running TC body....and usually are used over EUROPE when LOLA/GTP bodies are illegal....I think.

P.S...I did not try that before.........why don't you try to mount the tower UPSIDE DOWN....will that work with the Parma LOLA?

I've set everything according to the manual, so it might be that you are running different caster.

So if I understand it correctly by removing the shock tower I would have to replace it with a spacer plus another spacer to eliminate to rubbing of a dogbone and a shock. Correct?

on my car, I do have a single mounted carbon fiber bracing and I do have no spacer after that (on top) but a 2mm spacer at the bottom....my caster setting is stock (both front and rear have equal spacer)...I think that is 6 degree.

The concept is....add as much spacer to prevent the dogbone rubbing against the springs when the steering is turning...

You need only minimal steering travel on the 835.

trashcar:

Sorry, but how does a steering travel relates to the issue. Do you mean that I should limit my servo end points so they don't travel as much touching the dogbones?

This Parma body starts to be a really big disappointment for me now. I hate when you have to tweak the body a lot to fit. And it seems to be the case for me.

After I dealt with the shocks in front I can see that the right side above the trottle servo is visibly dragging the throttle servo horn. I wonder what's next?

Can somebody confirm whether the Serpent body has the same issues?

Thanks

Body should fit easily. Yes limit your servo travel or you will have way to much steering. Your throttle and brake linkage should be under the servo arm. The serpent body fits well but will not clear if you run the same body height as the parma.RC takes work,that's why an 835 is not sold as a ready to run.

Thanks trashcar for your input.

You know it's sometimes tough to get the parts you want especially considering 1/10 235 so I was kind of excited when I had all pieces finally together. I guess that's why I needed to vent a little bit yesterday after I found out about the issues related to Parma body.

I definitely have the linkage under the servo horn, using stock servo horn and Futaba 3010. I tested it yesterday and it visibly touches the body. The servo is strong enough to move without any restrictions, but I just hate when stuff binds like that, not speaking about the paint being gone within an hour of driving. I am using the highest hole on the pins so the body cannot go any higher.

Next time it's the Serpent body if I can find one.

Regarding the steering travel, I will test it and see. Most people say they had understeer so I am expecting to rather look for more steering, but it all depends what surface and conditions they race under.

Thanks

To much steer travel will make an understeering car worse or can cause understeer.I have not had an understeer on turnin problem with this car at all.Only problem I have had is on power mid to corner exit push that is easily corrected by setup changes

I mounted the throttle servo on the bottom side of the top deck. It required a relief cut on the chassis to get clearance, so there was a visit to a machine shop to do that. Both the Parma and Serpent bodies fit my car without the problems mentioned here. Oh, I also took a spoon and with heat from a cigarette lighter, dimpled the body above the top shock mounts to get clearance there. I have used those upper shock mounting holes. I know I have made an engineering project out of this, but that is what I did. I also used a 1 mm washer on the bottom of the front shock to space the shock away from the drive shaft. No problems there.

Sorry to hear about your problem...actually, these are KNOWN problem of the 835/Impact, not the Parma body....
If you use GTP body, yes, the front shock should not be a problem...but stil, the throttle servo horn will rub against the body...
A fix....buy one of those purple ALUM low-profile servo arms....the mount the screw from the bottom to the top, then drop a tad of CA onto the servo horn and glued the screw but make sure just the end of the screw, not the plastic push rod pieces.....that way, you will have a lot of clearence between the horn and the body.....because the stock Serpent horn are quite thick.

Oh, I forgot, I mounted the servo UNDER the radio plate...not above like manual said, that will give me more clearence....I will try to take pics and post here for you....only if I can find time and remember to do so.