This board and it's users rocks!

So my first day with my newly built RC12L4 was Saturday(yesterday). Old weak 1700 NiCds, a rear axle that was coming "un-shimmed" all the time, diff put together . . . I'm still wondering if the manual is right. The bearing carrier was installing itself properly making the tire hit the pod frame. Another 10 shims later I think this is sorted.


I had expected there would be no carpet tracks nearby or any people that were running 1/12ths (in NorCal) so I was trying to optimize grip for the asphalt out front my house. I installed the thinner .060 t-bar in the hope of gaining some compliance/grip. Replaced the stock .020 front springs with the softer .018(all I could find lhs). Eyeballed some negative camber and some toe out in the hopes of having some fun in the street. The setup worked pretty well I guess.

Come to find out there is a nice track about 30 minutes from me where some 1/12 scale gurus hang out.
Big video stream, 8:35 minutes
http://ammdesigns.podcastpeople.com/posts/19876

Went back today to try and figure the setup/track . . . For whatever reason the car was *still* pretty much undriveable. Most of it was *me* trying to learn this setup but the car was very inconsistent. I didn't know what was going on. Plenty of front end grip but no rear, oversteering everywhere. I put the camber back to flat and took out most of the toe out. It was better but the car would pull right when I punched it. Diff/tweak problems no doubt. I can't understand the Assc manual, the diff assy pics look wrong to me. Whatever . . .

The other thing I noticed was with the thin t-bar, the stock pod shock spring (green) was jacking the whole pod back making for a funny pod/chassis orientation. I haven't been able to find the soft shock spring locally so I said f this, I paid my money, I really want to get this thing up to speed. NOW.

I built the car a couple of weeks ago when I got the flu. I scoured the local shops for old Assc. stuff. Slim pickings. Being sort of a suspension specialist by trade I was looking for soft springs, front and rear. In my haste I picked up a couple of sets of 1/10 scale front .018s. Damn, they don't fit my front end. Oh well, good to have I guess . . .

So I'm at the track today, totally pissed with the oversteer/handling in general and this *stupid leaking excuse for a damper* which has a spring with too much rate/free length for my setup.

Coil over . . . pshaw. Then it hit me, *coil under*. So I took off the lower perch and spring, took the top perch (hat) off the shaft and put one of the 1/10th scale front .018 springs on the shaft and put the hat back on.


Went out on the next session and my old NiCds dumped badly. I went to the parts counter to buy the nice saddle pack they offered and some Jack the Gripper. *I really try to support my local guys. Don't really care what the price is. It is my duty to buy things from them whenever I can.* Tried to charge my old pack again but it was "fully charged" in 2 minutes. RIP. Wired up the new cells and hooked them up to the charger. 4A charge and they were done in 45 minutes? I think I need a new charger?

Now I had punch and extra weight from the new NiMH. It was a totally new car. I asked a couple of people to drive it. Both said it was easy to drive (4WD TC guys). Both said, "take some steering out, add some drag brake and put some sauce on the tires".

Dumped some steering, added some more brake and some tire sauce.

Totally transformed. I was now elevated from moving chicane to running with the bottom three TC's.

It's a crazy setup right now. I've got what looks to be about 5mm negative rake. Probably takes some caster out but I dunno . . . Looks f'ed to me but it drives well . . .


What say you RCTech?

Thanks Again . . .

Jeff