I)arkness

iTrader: (7)

you couldn't have put it any better,

but yes, not sure if i wrote about the level rear arms or TFG added that in my m05 article, but i rarely set my car to this parameter but rather by eye and feel or if there are min height rules then will measure with ride height gauge

most of the time i just look at the bottom of the chassis and see if there is more scrapping then usual as i always run the traditional hard front and softer rear setups apposed to the wacky opposites that some people get to work?

as you mention, once you start playing with shock lengths and different springs as well as shock retainers and plastic or alloy preload tensioners this is blown out of the water, and can no longer just look at how the arms are level.


Also regarding the change on front bottom shock position, ive seen this been done i think it was 2 or so years ago and didnt take off. I never tried it personally but i tend to be one that if it works stick with!!

having just gotten the New rear carbon shock tower i find it pretty pointless so far.
stuffs up the rear ride height, due to the shock positions getting higher as you go out. which would mean you would have to lengthen the shock to go onto the most outer position. where i would rather just add a harder spring to get the same effects (all be it with slightly different roll geometry) will have to look at how it goes in further testing. as trying it at a major event where i only got less then 50 minutes of running, 5 min intervals over 3 days was hard to do anything.

irockflipflops

iTrader: (33)

Yeah I figured as much. Its too bad that magazines are going the way of the dinosaur...the anticipation of seeing something new and exciting every month, wearing out a spine from reading cover to cover, and all the while anticipating the next issue has been replaced with instant gratification. It sucks. Nobody seems to have patience anymore. And I'm only 27, so I cannot imagine how useless libraries and subscriptions will be when my son is old enough to need answers...

Dan

iTrader: (75)

I imagine your son will rely fully on wikipedia. lol

irockflipflops

iTrader: (33)

hey it's on the internet...so it must be true. Right? lol

Granpa

Just a comment on set ups. Set ups can vary widely from surface to surface, track to track, and rules to rules. Lately though, it seems as if my base set up is the same for all the tracks and all the different surfaces. The set up has been posted several times and is the same one that I send back if you PM me for a set up.

Also, the set ups can vary with the relative skill level of the driver and driver preference for how the car "feels". I'm going to use I)arkness or B. Portelli as an example here. His driver skill level is much higher than mine so his requirements are different. He uses a stiff front and a soft rear set up and mine is the exact opposite. If I drove his car, and this is just a guess, I'd probably scare myself half to death. If he drove mine, he'd promptly fall asleep. If his car is a SWB, that would be another reason for the set up differences.

One other thing that has a major influence on set ups etc. is how loose or tight the diff is. Some people are obsessed with whether it's a gear diff or a ball diff. Folks, it doesn't make any difference whether it's a gear diff or a ball diff. There isn't a driver alive who can tell the difference as long as both are smooth in operation and are set to the same "tightness".

Mechintosh

Are Type A Slicks worth purchasing and using over S Grips? With S Grips use soft or hard inserts? Our local track runs Sweeps, looking to run some TCS Events and tires were an issue. Playing catch up on learning Tamiya tires. ANy suggestions, gluing edges etc are appreciated.

Granpa

Personally, I don't think so. The original Type A tire was great, but the present ones less so.

If you're planning on TCS racing, the #1016 is now available. My understanding is that the free choice on inserts and rims was going to end when the #1016 premount became available. Unfortunately, the "glue job" on these is shoddy so you should check this. I had one set that was glued on the inside, but not on the outside. There is a premount that is identical except it has a black rim. The difference being that the gluing is top notch, better than most of us can do. They aren't "legal", but you can always switch to the #1016s for the actual race cause they are identical in every other way.

I don't know anyone who has a really good handle on how these new S-Grips work. Lots of theories, set ups etc., but nothing for sure. As far as gluing goes, just smear a layer of cyano from the rim all the way to the edge where the sidewall transitions to the tread. Don't be afraid of going too far cause you'll soon wear it back to where it should be. Lots of experimentation and head scratching here too. Rubber ca or regular ca????? Tried both and can't see all that much difference.

Sorry, long post with very little info, but I usually don't post info unless I'm pretty sure that it's accurate.

I)arkness

iTrader: (7)

Actually Granpa I'm sure you would be able to drive my mini with ease. I set my cars to be very neutral. One thing I find is when I let someone drive my mini they tell me how much extra corner speed I can carry compared to theirs.

As for wheelbases I think this year I've run it in all configurations just to match the tracks but mainly what body I plan to use.

Granpa

I have a SWB M05 that I plan on using at a smaller indoor carpet track this winter. It's an open tire track and the power is similar to the set up you guys use. Right now it's got all of the useful option parts like TRF shocks, al steering, etc. I plan on starting with Sweep 40 fronts and maybe the Atomic 33 rears. Right now it has a rear roll bar fitted. I'm particularly fond of the old Tamiya Mini body.

Can you share some insight into shock oils and springs and anything else you deem useful?????

Boons

Thanks for all the help guys. Very usefull information!

I'm looking forward to throwing my car into the first bend flat out and seeing which end comes out first

Granpa

Just a heads up for any TCS Mini racers. There's been a clarification on which tires are allowed. For me there has been a bit of confusion and multiple rumors. Visit the Tamiya thread in the Racing Forum to get the most current info on the tire situation. Whether it changes tomorrow, next week, next month is beyond my abilities to predict.

Boons

It's ready

Texas.john

I'm new to the mni screen and am wondering if any of one knows where I can get a monster mini body from. I believe it is made by Chevron but not sure.

AngryRog

iTrader: (20)

Google is your friend.

monkeyracing

iTrader: (10)

I believe that body is out of production. Haven't seen one for a while - Not on any of the usual or obscure sites, or even eBay.

So are we. Just as a friendly piece of advice: When offering the "Google is your friend" response, it's most effective to make it a hyperlink, in order to demonstrate your superior Google-Fu abilities.