Originally Posted by
SerpJimmy
I certainly appreciate you guys taking the time to try different set-ups. Also , really looking forward to getting down to actual front to rear numbers . And how the truck responds . Its all about numbers .. If i had to take an educated guess , id say weight needs to be more over the rear wheels 40f/60R. Our traxxas slashes come in at about 40f/60R by the way and will nose dive and have handling issues anyway if not, set up. Apposed to 50/50 which is more of an onroad set-up. But if you choose to run your sct on a track like car 50/50 is probably good. But again , its just a guess.. Also lets not discount how many manufactures do this for a living & think otherwise..
The thing is, the manufacturers don't think otherwise. The original weight bias was more than likely a very balanced one, with a nose heavy 60/40 give or take 5%, toward the nose.
Considering what I was told about Tekno using a light weight low mah pack with a light weight RX8 ESC paired to a 540 motor with a light weight servo, I would imagine it would have been very balanced.
Unfortunately for many of us, especially on the east coast where the majority run on small to medium sized rutted, loamy, or both (less groomed) outdoor tracks than they do in Cali where this thing spawned.
Considering a loss in surface grip means we can't manage the throttle as well which causes burn outs randomly, we need beefier electronics to reliably do the job for a 10 minute main without hitting LVC by the time it's over.
Fact is, 90% or the SCT people, including myself are using more power than we can possibly lay down to the track to begin with.
This factor has it's highlights, but energy efficiency is not one of them.
Hence the larger motors and batteries.
That being said, since we do run heavier equipment we are penalized in the balance department. Hence the birth of mods, like the battery back trick and ESC behind the battery deal.
And while I can understand why you would think having a heavier static rear end weight bias would be beneficial, I can assure you it's not in the long run.
You have to realize that when accelerating a vehicle with as much suspension travel as these trucks have, inertial weight shift becomes apparent real quick.
When accelerating a 50/50 balanced vehicle, depending on G's pulled and various other little factors, the rear end all of a sudden becomes heavy automatically.
This destroys stability in the dirt, especially the loose stuff.
Typically, you will almost always want at least a 5% over-front weight in these conditions.
Having a front heavy vehicle makes it much easier to save from a spin out as well.
Understanding this concept paired with a 4WD is also the reason why I want my truck to land nose first off a jump that I will be accelerating away from once I land. That front end will plant the rear while pulling you straight if you set it down first while managing throttle, which is what baffles me about so many complaining about a nose down attitude off a jump.
I understand you don't want it to nose over to much, but some is more than acceptable and actually more optimal in my experience.
Think about what I have said and ask yourself why you don't see many full scale mid engine rock crawlers and dessert racers with that 50/50 weight bias.