12th 17.5 Why so popular in US?
12-24-2011, 02:42 PM
#91
I am fairly new to it and trying to break my sloppy build/tune/setup habbits has been one of the hardest things about it. I used to build cars with the tires half glued shocks half full of air....you get my point. 12th makes you look at the car in a whole new light. It is that little "bur" on the arm that you used to let go that you now spend time trying to figure out the best way to take off. There is a ton of little - big things you have to do in order to get a well handling car. In addition to that it develops your "feel" of a car. When I started RC and guys would talk about the "feel" of the car, I thought they were full of crap. My thinking was: you are not setting in it - how can you "feel" it? Then after I began racing I saw what they were talking about. Now that I am working with 12th my "feel" is really heightened -they are so sensitive. There is a good mix of guys at our local track. About half of them bolt on tires, charge batteries, slam the body on then pitch the car on the track and then can't understand why the guy that has all the gauges and spends all his time between rounds checking and adjusting is blowing him away - and 12th makes you do that. People are allergic to them because they don't want to take the time in working and learning. They want instant, easy gratification.
I am new and maybe overstepping my experience to all of this by saying anything, but I do think there are valid points in what I have said. Plus, I have been all of the people I discussed. I just think it is better to start out with something that is not harder, but has to been done close to exactly right. Then everything else is easy.
I am new and maybe overstepping my experience to all of this by saying anything, but I do think there are valid points in what I have said. Plus, I have been all of the people I discussed. I just think it is better to start out with something that is not harder, but has to been done close to exactly right. Then everything else is easy.
So lets start a 12th scale military school where new racers can break bad habits early on and give extreme attention to detail hence producing an elite army of RC car enthusiasts the likes that have never been seen before
12-26-2011, 11:07 PM
#92
I dont think anyone would debate that Sedans are more complex.
The argument that some are making is that the setup of a pan car, specifically, 12th scale, is more important than that of a Sedan to obtain a funtional, drivable car. Thus, where beginners tend to make mistakes in ride height settings, building crappy shocks with air in them, leaving the suspension binding, etc... This has a much more pronounced effect on the handling of a pan car than on that of a 4wd Sedan with independent suspension. These issues may not manifest themselves in a truly negative way with a Sedan... your Sedan may not be perfect, but it isn't going to be undrivable. The same cannot be said for a pan car that is setup so poorly.
Regardless, every has their own opinion about these things.
The argument that some are making is that the setup of a pan car, specifically, 12th scale, is more important than that of a Sedan to obtain a funtional, drivable car. Thus, where beginners tend to make mistakes in ride height settings, building crappy shocks with air in them, leaving the suspension binding, etc... This has a much more pronounced effect on the handling of a pan car than on that of a 4wd Sedan with independent suspension. These issues may not manifest themselves in a truly negative way with a Sedan... your Sedan may not be perfect, but it isn't going to be undrivable. The same cannot be said for a pan car that is setup so poorly.
Regardless, every has their own opinion about these things.
My family runs our own track. I try to take an active role in assuring that our locals always run well and have a good time. In saying that, I work on 3x more 12th scale and WGT chassis than I do TC's. The TC drivers' cars are always pretty drivable, and generally turn comparable lap times, even after weeks of neglect.
Pancar racers have to pay way more attention to collapsed springs, different tire diameters, crunchy bearings, etc.
Those of us who have been doing this for a long time, and especially those of us who did this back when all the mfgr's cars were less than perfect, are totally accustomed to this. The average guy who tries his hand at on-road after running a spec Slash class in the dirt, is woefully unprepared.....
This is not opinion, but rather hands-on experience. I wish it were different, but it's not........
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