1/12 forum
I don't know if it's the case in the USA, but in the UK I find that 12th scale drivers are by far the most helpful of any class of racing. If you ask for help or advice you get it, and to the best of their ability. I've even seen top guys rebuild cars for other people at the nationals.
Trev
Trev
Tech Champion

Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,191
From: Hawaii, USA
Fortunately racers like that are the exception not the rule...in most cases the top drivers are more than willing to share information and help out where they can. But there still are a few here and there like that.
it was a while ago (quite awhile ago 20 years) at a state race have a miss hap with my equipment (went Missing) and a few of the guys got together and gathered up enough pieces we are talking radio, chassis, and support equipment so i could run the event used to have a strong 1/12 scene here but now everything is off-road or 1/10 TC its a 2+ hour drive just to find a place that run on carpet i have loaned out all kinds of stuff just to make sure guys can run
BA002 - R8C = Isn't that aggressive. Yes it has a lot of steering. And yes it has a lot of rotation. And I think it rotates the hardest of all bodies. But does not have an "initial high bite", like the BA004 does. Yes it holds a lot of corner speed, but I think that's because of the high rotation. This body normally is mounted like a extreme wedge. And does do good in Both Modified and Stock, but is mostly seen in Stock.
BA003 - R10 = This was an awesome boy for NIMH Racing. For Lipo I think it’s terrible. It looks wonderful, but feels like it has no rear grip, and lifts the inside wheel pretty fast (but I've not tested a lot with Lipo and this body). For NIMH it was almost the only body we where driving.
BA004 - Bomb R = This body has a lot of initial steering, but also a lot of lateral grip. I think it's a body that drives pretty easy, but is loosing some corner speed due the high initial steering it gives you. The body does do well in stock cause of the "grippy" feel it gives. This one is also seen in both modified in stock, but mostly in stock.
BA005 - Mohawk = I've also not tested this a lot with this one, but it feels like it's easier then all his older Black Art brothers. Will come back on this one.
Protoform - AMR This is a cool body. I think it has a progressive steering curve. On high speed it doesn't have that much steering, and therefore looks like it doesn't have that much initial steering. But when slowing down, it starts to generate more and more steering. So due the "low" initial steering it doesn't tent to grip roll and keeps a lot of corner speed. I think it's really easy body that's suits a lot of tracks from high to low grip, but can feel a bit "under steered" compared to the Black Art family.
Parma - Speed 8HD = This one feels really like the Protoform AMR, but has more of a linear steering Curve. It has a little bit more initial, on high speed compared to the AMR, but has a little les steering on low speed compared to the AMR. This is a really good body for Modified on grippy tracks because it feels like it keeps a lot of corner speed. But I then again this body will also give you the "under steered" feeling, a thiny bit more then the AMR compared to the Black Art family.
What you also need to keep in mind. The Black Art bodies are really really light and there for really thin Lexan. They tent to crack pretty easy. I always reinforce my bodies at the front with some extra lexan or tape. Parma has the thickest bodies and have a really long lifetime, but are heavy. Protoform is just a bit in between. (Parma and PF do both have Light Weight bodies, these are also thin)
Then again all of this is just a feeling, just my feeling and can feel a lot different to other drivers. I've tested a lot of these bodies back to back with other drivers, and we all came to almost the same feeling, but maybe us European racers are just strange

Regards Robert
Last edited by Robert_K; 01-06-2012 at 01:23 AM.
Tech Master
iTrader: (13)
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,117
From: Austin, TX
I wanted to discuss reactive caster with you guys.
I have been doing a lot of testing on the carpet track here in Dallas with my 17.5 12th(12R5.2). I seem to have finally found a good tire combo and saucing routine that keeps the car consistent enough over 8 mins. And Ive gotten the rollout and timing in the ballpark. I have a basic setup that is pretty decent. It isn't doing anything that I dont particularly like, it seems to handle quite well.
But given that I am pretty new to 12th carpet, I have been making small changes to see how they affect the handling... and to see if they can result in quicker lap times.
Today, during the last session, I went to from 5* reactive caster to 0*. I kept the static caster the same(3.25*) and readjusted the toe and camber to my previous settings.
I was under the impression that reducing the reactive caster would smooth the car out and make it a bit more mellow? Maybe I had my facts wrong.... either way, it seemed to do the exact opposite. It made the car much more nervous and it felt unstable especially at higher speeds.
Any thoughts on the handling traits I observed?
Edit: Well... nevermind I guess. After making the reactive caster change, I had a decent shunt on the 2nd lap. Hard enough that the motor shifted slightly in the pod and I had to reset the gear mesh before heading back out. I just went over the car more thoroughly and it turns out I snapped the thru shaft on the side shock... not only was there no lateral damping, but it was preventing the pod from pivoting more than halfway in left hand turns.
I have been doing a lot of testing on the carpet track here in Dallas with my 17.5 12th(12R5.2). I seem to have finally found a good tire combo and saucing routine that keeps the car consistent enough over 8 mins. And Ive gotten the rollout and timing in the ballpark. I have a basic setup that is pretty decent. It isn't doing anything that I dont particularly like, it seems to handle quite well.
But given that I am pretty new to 12th carpet, I have been making small changes to see how they affect the handling... and to see if they can result in quicker lap times.
Today, during the last session, I went to from 5* reactive caster to 0*. I kept the static caster the same(3.25*) and readjusted the toe and camber to my previous settings.
I was under the impression that reducing the reactive caster would smooth the car out and make it a bit more mellow? Maybe I had my facts wrong.... either way, it seemed to do the exact opposite. It made the car much more nervous and it felt unstable especially at higher speeds.
Any thoughts on the handling traits I observed?
Edit: Well... nevermind I guess. After making the reactive caster change, I had a decent shunt on the 2nd lap. Hard enough that the motor shifted slightly in the pod and I had to reset the gear mesh before heading back out. I just went over the car more thoroughly and it turns out I snapped the thru shaft on the side shock... not only was there no lateral damping, but it was preventing the pod from pivoting more than halfway in left hand turns.
Last edited by JamesL_71; 01-06-2012 at 08:11 PM.
Tech Initiate
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 30
This would work for 1/12 right? http://teamnovak.com/products/esc/17...ex.html?pp=10&
The first run i made with mr crc xi, i had white front/rear with stx(i think its called that) sauce with a bone stock xi with a duo3 17.5 i was hitting lap times of 20 seconds with no body. I will never go back to tc!! I cant wait till i get my body so i will be a tad faster maybe true the tires.
Recently my 1/12 has been "Square'ing up" corners if you know what I mean .. the car enters the corner well and about mid corner the rear looses traction, slides a bit and centers itself on corner exit, resulting in loss of corner-speed.
What is this a sign of? I've been messing around with front and rear track width, camber and tweak and have not found the issue yet .. Anyone have suggestions for this behavior?
What is this a sign of? I've been messing around with front and rear track width, camber and tweak and have not found the issue yet .. Anyone have suggestions for this behavior?
Anyone know what kind of downforce levels 12th scale bodies actually produce because the corner speeds are just unreal..
was just watching this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht5DkO33wgI
it's just mind boggling how fast those corner are taken.
was just watching this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht5DkO33wgI
it's just mind boggling how fast those corner are taken.
Having blown compressed air over my car with the body i know that the increased downforce can be significant in comparison to the overall weight of the cars, but most of the handling of the cars is given by its foam tires and not the body downforce.
Hi to all 12's
my first 1/12 car is a Κyosho AXIS EX back in early 90's.A bit expensive,a bit tricky to set up but when you find his "button" it handles like a dream...Still in my own in a almost perfect condition!
(see photo 1)
...an few months ago,another AXIS joined my r/c garage! (photo 2)
Forgot to write that my old AXIS has a home made modification on front and rear end to accept RC12 tires due to difficulty finding tires with Kyosho hexagon for it....(see pics for details) yeah I know It was a bit dirty...
The second AXIS (photo 2) is original to everything.
my first 1/12 car is a Κyosho AXIS EX back in early 90's.A bit expensive,a bit tricky to set up but when you find his "button" it handles like a dream...Still in my own in a almost perfect condition!
(see photo 1)...an few months ago,another AXIS joined my r/c garage! (photo 2)
Forgot to write that my old AXIS has a home made modification on front and rear end to accept RC12 tires due to difficulty finding tires with Kyosho hexagon for it....(see pics for details) yeah I know It was a bit dirty...
The second AXIS (photo 2) is original to everything.
Recently my 1/12 has been "Square'ing up" corners if you know what I mean .. the car enters the corner well and about mid corner the rear looses traction, slides a bit and centers itself on corner exit, resulting in loss of corner-speed.
What is this a sign of? I've been messing around with front and rear track width, camber and tweak and have not found the issue yet .. Anyone have suggestions for this behavior?
What is this a sign of? I've been messing around with front and rear track width, camber and tweak and have not found the issue yet .. Anyone have suggestions for this behavior?
hope some of the experts on here will chime in with some good advise.
Tech Master
iTrader: (41)
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,325
From: Grand Portage, MN
Recently my 1/12 has been "Square'ing up" corners if you know what I mean .. the car enters the corner well and about mid corner the rear looses traction, slides a bit and centers itself on corner exit, resulting in loss of corner-speed.
What is this a sign of? I've been messing around with front and rear track width, camber and tweak and have not found the issue yet .. Anyone have suggestions for this behavior?
What is this a sign of? I've been messing around with front and rear track width, camber and tweak and have not found the issue yet .. Anyone have suggestions for this behavior?
excerpt from my cobbled together setup guide
Side Damping:
Thinner - helps to increase rear traction & allows the car to transition faster and turn-in a little better. Decrease front traction, decrease steering.
Stiffer – Increase front traction, increase steering. Slows transition & soften steering in fast sweeper. If car is double steering on power use, thicker oil to slow reaction time but if go too far, inside rear tires will lift in tight corners.



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