It seems like there has been some progress recently in chassis design for the first time in years. Is the new trend in oval pan cars less material and more flex? It seems to have worked in the Trinity 12 reflex and it appears that CRC and Pro-Built have found out that it increases performance.
Are we seeing the oval car design that has been the norm for years finally starting to change shape?

People have been cutting there own chassis plates for many years.. This isnt a new find. Ive been chopping mine since the 4 cell stock days which made setup more critical then 6 cell..Brushless has even required more efficiency. Chassis flex has been used for many years to help cars with certain design flaws perform better. It has generally been refred to as a crutch. Meaning it makes things easier to setup.. The flex in the chassis acts as a crutch to make the actual suspension less critical, and easier to set up.. The older cars use to use .087-.089 thick grafite which flexed more.. The newer cars seem to have made .100 the standard. the problem with the thinner grafite is of course strength. the chassis is easier to break..

Brushless has really opened the door for more efficiency. you cant motor around the flaws in your setup.. any car with any amount of flex can be just as fast as the other.. The more rigid chassis designs just require more finesse to make thequick..

[QUOTE=burbs;2302840] The flex in the chassis acts as a crutch to make the actual suspension less critical, and easier to set up.. QUOTE]

I really disagree with that!!!! If i change a 20 thou shim anywhere on my car i can tell a difference on the track! The suspension is still extremely critical!! I have had stiff cars that dont react to setup changes and soft cars that dont react to setup changes. Flex doesnt effect that as much as you would think. Its an overall package including wheelbase's, offsets & many other variables! My cars i have been running lately are BY FAR the most consistant cars that if you make a slight change anywhere in the suspension you can tell on the track! :thumbsup:

FRANK whate cars are you runing. THANKS

[QUOTE=burbs;2302840] The flex in the chassis acts as a crutch to make the actual suspension less critical, and easier to set up.. QUOTE]

I really disagree with that!!!! If i change a 20 thou shim anywhere on my car i can tell a difference on the track! The suspension is still extremely critical!! I have had stiff cars that dont react to setup changes and soft cars that dont react to setup changes. Flex doesnt effect that as much as you would think. Its an overall package including wheelbase's, offsets & many other variables! My cars i have been running lately are BY FAR the most consistant cars that if you make a slight change anywhere in the suspension you can tell on the track! :thumbsup:

Can we take that as a YES?

Frank,
I have to agree with you. While testing our new car we started with a very stiff chassis and the car would not react well to changes. We did a big redesign and allowed the chassis to flex, the car would respond to even minor changes and would rotate through the turns much faster.

Dave Irrgang

FRANK whate cars are you runing. THANKS


http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h143/swung6/probuilt1.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h143/swung6/probuilt2.jpg

[QUOTE="Frank Ulbrik";2303316]

Can we take that as a YES?

I cant speak for all the chassis mfg's but my personal cars will keep getting faster and faster and i will keep offering what im running to my customers.. :thumbsup:

CRC design is interesting. HOWEVER, that rear pod-no t plate design- isn't that very similar to the Lynx design of the early 90's? The more things change, the more they stay the same! Next thing you know somebody is going to come out with a "revolutionary" belt drive design like the late 80's early 90's hyperdrive!

think of it as cyclical...

I always liked the old LYNX II rear suspension

It seems to me though that guys are looking for more steering, over rear end plant though... I have to assume this is mainly aimed at Carpet Racing where I'm always hearing guys are trying to 'free up' the cars. (Running slippery asphalt - we usually need MORE Stick in the back end coming off...)

The car i have been running is WAY more stuck to the track, front and rear.... and turns more at the same time than anything i have drove!! i would never give up freeing the rear up too much to make the car turn. a loose car will just slow you down.

Alot of people confuse wanting to free a car up with making it loose. I dont think you can ever have the rear too stuck as long as the front turns enough!

Frank what is the point in having that thin strip betwine the two front cut outs just for looks?


Jake

Carbon fiber is really strong and a little goes a long way, that little strip is just for extra strength rather than cutting that whole section out.

Looks real good frank. :thumbsup:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h143/swung6/probuilt1.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h143/swung6/probuilt2.jpg

Frank I will Give You 500$ Bucks for that Car.LOL
I just can't Wait for the Graphite to Come Inn...

i bet a used Woods car with cutouts would be so fast in brushless!

i bet a used Woods car with cutouts would be so fast in brushless!

Hendricks are faster!!! LOL

A Woods X-15 would run well in any class.

Pat come down to marshalls with a woods and see if its still competative! lol im serious id love to see how it does. on our outdoor track i run my Hyperslap SSe pro original and it runs great!

I keep intending to race it sometime and I never do. I raced it once right at the start of last year just for kicks. Ran as well as anything else. With respect to chassis geometry basically everything has been a take off on that car.

Yup, the "Woods cars" were the foundation (IMO) for where we are today in oval pan car racing. The X-15 was really just the last in a series of many innovative Woods car chassis and car designs (including the "CS Pod ") that were developed over several years of great racing ("Back in the Day"). Thanks and kudos to: Mike Sr., Mike Jr., Greg, Keith, Chris, Ed, Charlie Sr., and the many others who just made it happen on and off the track. So, get that X-15 back on the track, Pat and go kick some butt.

It seems like there has been some progress recently in chassis design for the first time in years. Is the new trend in oval pan cars less material and more flex? It seems to have worked in the Trinity 12 reflex and it appears that CRC and Pro-Built have found out that it increases performance.
Are we seeing the oval car design that has been the norm for years finally starting to change shape?

Yeah but the fastest cars on any givin day are solid with little flex...I.E. Ksg, Cefx, Silva/Associated...ect
The flex seems to comming up on certain peoples car for certain tracks, not a new outlook on oval but a requirment for some tracks.

The car i have been running is WAY more stuck to the track, front and rear.... and turns more at the same time than anything i have drove!! i would never give up freeing the rear up too much to make the car turn. a loose car will just slow you down.

Alot of people confuse wanting to free a car up with making it loose. I dont think you can ever have the rear too stuck as long as the front turns enough!

I agree totally.....