Originally posted by davidl
Now the t-plate comparison topic which is very popular. I disagree with Casey in that each t-plate has it's own characteristics and is good for a particular application. The fiberglass t-plates have a dampening characteristic that the spring steel t-plate doesn't have. I suggest the fiberglass on bumpy tracks because you don't have to depend on the center shock to do all of the dampening. And you can adjust the degree of each based on whether you use 2 or 3 screws to mount to motor pod to the t-plate. The spring steel t-plate might have too much rebound in its natural frequency to use on a bumpy track because you might end up making the center shock too stiff. The side to side stiffness differs between the three so you can use the spings to give more options as stated in the paragraph above.
davidl - I disagree when you say that the spring steel t-plate might have too much rebound in its natural frequency to use on a bumpy track. I think the Silva spring steel t-plate destroys the fiberglass t-plats on bumpy tracks. Any inherent rebound dampening qualities of the different t-plate materials can be completely controlled by the center shock and damper tubes. I think tuning ability is greatly simplified and improved be decoupling the increased dampening (compared to spring steel) of the fiberglass material and the shock/tube dampening. On average, I run 10 wt higher in the center shock with the spring steel t-plate but fine tuning the dampening still depends on the track.
The spring steel t-plate does what fiberglass t-plates can't do. It combines the roll stiffness of a .075 t-plate with the forward compression stiffness of a .063 t-plate... with much, much, much more longevity and consistency. I have found on carpet that my car handles better and is quicker with the spring steel t-plate. It's kind of like running a .075 fiberglass t-plate that is good over the bumps and doesn't wear out after 1 or 2 weeks.
I do agree that each t-plate has its own characteristics and is good for a particular application, but I think right now the spring steel t-plate will work better then fiberglass t-plates in most applications.