Did you adjust your ride height by adjusting shock preload and not adjust your droop settings accordingly?

If so, that is why the handling changed. By adjusting ride height and not your droop settings at the same time, you are changing the amount of uptravel.

-Rich

I use the droop screws. :)
Jake

Yes, That was my problem. This is my first season indoors, I thought that once you set the droop it stays set. What would you guys do in this situation:

Normal-6mm droop setting, 4mm ride height, 60mm tires, all set on Hudy gauges

New- (?)mm droop setting, 4mm ride height, 58mm tires, same gauges

I still get a little confused on the droop. I would think that I would go to a lower number on the gauge, thereby increasing the actual amount of droop??? I could use the help, I have a box of 57 & 58mm tires that I would love to keep using. Thanks.

I don't remember what the measurement on my droop guage was. :( I do know that the front and rear of mine is set the same, with the top of the droop screws even with the top of the arm. I know, I know, not the right way measure droop.....but the setup works for me. Before I change anything I will measure it and write it down. :D
Jake

When setting my uptravel (I call it "lift") I measure how much the chassis moves up from race ride height. I don't use the droop gauge to set my car to a specific number.

So, to try and explain this, I use my ride height gauge and set my front and rear ride heights using the shock collars. I check ride height by pressing down on the chassis so that the car is at race ride height. So, let's say I set the ride height at 4mm front and rear (ie: level chassis).

Once the ride height is set, I now go on to set my 'lift.' This is measured by how much the chassis lifts up from race ride height until either the droop screws bottom out, or the tires come off the table. For me, on foam tires on high traction carpet, I typically set the 'lift' to be 2mm front and rear.

So, using the ride height gauge, when the car is at ride height the gauge reads 4mm. When I pull up the chassis at the rear shock tower until the droop screws bottom out, the ride height gauge will now read 6mm. Same goes for the front.

Anyways, once I have my 'lift' set front and rear, I'll then pull the wheels off the car, and then use the droop gauge to make sure the setting is the same left to right.

If you change your ride height after this, then you need to go through this whole process again.

Hope that helps!
-Rich

Rich-again-we think exactly the same!!! The only difference is I run a little more "lift" in back than the front as I feel it makes car a little more forgiving when you drive as poorly as I do!!!!

That actually helps alot. I have heard it explained what seams like 100 times, and that has got to be about the simplest way yet. I am learning that hard & fast numbers "by the gauge" are not always the last word. Now where did I leave that Oh so expensive Hudy equipment.....

Rich's way is the only way to do it on foams.

Tom, The setup posted is with 4mm ride height front and rear. that way you can run a few runs without changing anything. Don't go lower than 3 mm, you will drag the chassis edges in the turns. Walter

The chassis should be level without having to adjust the
shock collars differently side to side right? Mine isn't.
Does it make THAT much of a difference moving the battery
over? My car was 100 times better today though. Thanks
guys!

Tom

if everything is right you should only have .0020 to .0030 diff. side to side on the shocks. To me moving the battery in was a big improvement. Walter

HI walter

Iwas just wondering if the set-up you posted is what you used in cleveland?

thanks:thumbsup:

very very close to what i ran!

Walter,

My buddy is making me a bunch of narrowed/lightened chassis on his Bridgeport in about a week. I am waiting on delivery of a bunch of new chassis'. We are going back and forth on if we should make the slot 0.125" or 0.20" wider. 0.125' wider is very easy and allows you to keep a lot of the center rib. 0.20" wider slots means you have to take the triangulation out of the center rib by milling a good portion of it out.

PLease-your thoughts on if 1/8" is enough to feel a big difference-or if you need to move batteries into center line to feel a difference!!!

Thanks,
Ray

Ray, of the few i have done the more you move them in the better
the handling. currently i am running the batteries as close as possible to the driveshaft.The wires are on the outer side, otherwise they would rub the driveshaft. I think i went .300" over. Walter

Walter,

Thanks!!! I appreciate your opinion on this!! Now-I just hope theres a market for them!! If not-at least I'll have a Kick--s ride!!!

Ray

You're my hero Walt!!!

Originally posted by walterhenderson
Ray, of the few i have done the more you move them in the better
the handling. currently i am running the batteries as close as possible to the driveshaft.The wires are on the outer side, otherwise they would rub the driveshaft. I think i went .300" over. Walter

Hey Aaron- i should be hehehehe

walter, since you have your center rib milled do you run a top brace now. also do you think one will really be needed in stock or would it only be beneficial in mod?

No i don't run a top plate. I don't feel it is needed.The chassis
does not flex enough to me in my opinion. Walter

What servo do you guys run?

S9450 Futaba

Good 'ol Futaba S3003. Yep, a standard servo. It works for me, a better servo wouldn't make me a better/faster driver at this point.
Jake

Originally posted by rayhuang
Walter,

Thanks!!! I appreciate your opinion on this!! Now-I just hope theres a market for them!! If not-at least I'll have a Kick--s ride!!!

Ray

do you have a cost estimate yet Ray?

jake-I think, from past expereince if you went up to a 0.10 sec to 60 and 80 Oz. servoyour driving would get much btter first time out!! trust me-I learned the hard way on that!!!

Patelladragger-here on HObbytalk!!! Sweeetttt!!!! The labor is $40.00 plus the chassis. I should be getting my first lot of 4 or 5 donr next week (~~12/20 or 12/ 24 at the latest!) . Depends on how slammed the machine shop gets next week!!!

So what Hitec fits the bill? LoL I can't (shall I say won't) afford a Futaba or Airtronics. You may be right and if you say it helps I am willing to give it a try, but I don't want to spend $100 on a servo. :)
Thanks
Jake

I would recommend the HS-5625MG (.17 sec/60°). It is their High Speed Digital servo and is right now on Tower Hobbies for $54.99. They make an Ultra High Speed (.10 sec/60°) for 89.99, but at that point you should get a JR.

SS

Check Ebay, the guys in Cali, or even from overseas, are selling brand new in the package $135 Futabas for $79. You cannot beat that price anywhere for a servo that good.

Hi,

Jake:

See me next Sunday at Nick's track. I'll bring a servo out of one of my rally cars or you to try. it's a HiTec something....never really looked at it but it works great,

Ray:

are you going to post pics of your chassis???? you got me interested. I have been banned from the tool room at my shop for doing chassis after work :(

Servos:

We are running the JR 8714, 8450, and the 9450 in all of our sedans. gave up on Airtronics servos.

NTC3NUT:

Did you ever make it to Cleveland???????

we had a bad weekend. my son only got one round in as he was sick all weekend long.

Originally posted by DaWrench Hi, Jake:
See me next Sunday at Nick's track. I'll bring a servo out of one of my rally cars or you to try. it's a HiTec something....never really looked at it but it works great. Thanks for the offer, but I doubt that I will be able to make it down to Lansing on sunday. I'll be there if x-mas shopping is done, wrapped, no family stuff, etc....... you get the idea. :rolleyes: If I can make it I would love to be able to try it out. I really appreciate your offer, BTW, do I know you? :)
Jake

DaWrench,
No, I never made it. The wife and all the kids (4) where sick that entire week, we almost had to cancel Thanksgiving! I just got back from the Toledo CRL race though, had a great time!

NTC3NUT:

Hi,

we didn't make the Toledo CRL race. I had to work and I also caught a lung infection. so I haven't done anything in the way of racing. still I hope to make at least one trip to Toledo this season (indoors)

Thanks

Jake:

Hi,

if you have been to Nick's track on Sundays I'm the guy to wrenchs on his son's TC3. he's 13 (oops 14 now) usally in the A. runs a white 2.0 stratus. he has a 3pk. if you make it there on Sunday just ask for Jason

Thanks

OK gang, it has happened again this last weekend....

I watch the Nitro TC3 guys bounce off every pipe, every other car, and a few turn marshals on the track for 10 minutes with no damage. Then I go out with my electric, try to shave a corner a little tight and a light tap on the pipe breaks an arm and a steering block. I noticed there has been talk about using NTC3 steering on the electric, but how about the arms, carriers, blocks, etc, has anyone tried this yet?

Bigmooseracer, you should look into the delrin (nylotron-(sp?)) arms that are being produced for Mike Dumas. They are precision machined arms-not injection molded-out of a really tough, but light material. nearly indestructible. You can get front and rear arms, steering knuckles (which also have more thrwo and even steering right and left) and rear hub that have more locations to attach camber link to.

They are super nice!!

You can e-mail me for how to get-them.

Ray

I think I may have a tweaked chassis. If I set my shocks
up equal side to side and get everything squared up the
car is very loose in left hand turns and pushes in right
turns. I ended up adjusting the LR and RF shocks WAY down.
I was wondering if anyone knew of cases like this
and what the problem was. I have a new chassis but won't
be able to try it for a couple weeks. I do have the spring
for the motor clamp on also. Any advice would be great.

Also, when moving the battery to the centerline, how much
of the chassis is normally taken out where the drive shaft
mounts to the chassis next to the rear differential? It
looks like to really move the battery over you have to take
out alot there?

-Tom

HELP!

I'm sure there are a few factory tweaks out there that people know about. I heard one of them was to grind the center support away a bit to move the batteries closer to the center. Are there any others? (ones that weren't already mentioned) There have been a few mentioned already that I will try.

Tom,
The best way to check the chassis is a flat board or
piece of glass.It is a pain but to do it wright you should
take the car apart.Put the chassis on the glass and then you will
know.If you haven't already, check all your hinge pins also.

I checked the chassis and I don't think there is anything
wrong with it. I replaced it anyways because I bought
the graphite one. I'm baffled as to what is wrong, and
something MUST be wrong. I've went through everything.
Thought maybe I had a different piston in one of the shocks
but just checked and they are all the same. I was thinking
maybe moving the battery ahead would help, I think it will but
that can't be the problem because most people I see run them
there. :confused:

Tom

I know this may sound a little stupid, but check your tires. If you run purples and plaids, make sure you have both plaids on front. One time I had one of the plaids on the rear. I've seen it done more than once.

chuck

Chuck -- I've done that! :D

--------

Tom - like Walt suggested, check your hinge pins. That doesn't just mean disconnecting the shocks and seeing if the arms flop up and down freely. The arms can still flop freely even if the hinge pin is bent. You need to pull the front bumper off and pull the hinge pins out through the arm. If they are bent (usually at the point where they go into the F block) they will be hard to pull through the arm.

Also, check to make sure your shocks are the same length left to right, and make sure your droop screw settings are equal left to right.

I'm sure you checked (having the shocks off already), but look at the upper & lower shock mount screws. I have bent these before, and they are hard to see unless you remove them to check.

i have a tc3 and a xxx-s . my xxx-s was the first sedan i bought. i noticed that the tc3 was very loud compared to my xxx-s it was loud enough to draw concern. i checked the diffs to make sure they were right and i checked the meshing on the motor/spur but none of that was the problem. and i was wondering if it could be all my bearings? i bought the kit new and unassembled. i thought that the noise could be from not oiling the bearing properly. Could that be the problem and if so how should i oil my bearings?

If your transmission is free spinning then the noise should not be of too much concern. A belt transmission (re: XXX-S) will inherently be quieter than a gear based transmission (re: TC3).

The noise you are hearing is most likely the gears in the transmission cases. The gear mesh for those gears will also affect how loud the car is -- if it is too tight or too loose the gears will be loud (just like setting gear mesh on a 1/12th scale car).

If the noise bothers you a lot you can always put a thin coat of very thin lube on the gears. Just realize that that adds some drag to the tranny.

-Rich

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I really appreciate it!
I think I found the problem...bent right rear hinge pin!
Makes sense if it was toed in more than normal (loose left,
push right).

thanks again.

Happy Hollidays!

-Tom

Glad you found your problem. If we can anwser anymore ?? just ask.
Walter

Hey Guys, are there any really good changes/tweaks/adjustments etc that guys are doing to their cars? Up here in Canada we don't get all the info as fast as you guys in the States do. If you can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Most of the tweaks have been listed in this thread. So, break out the reading glasses and start perusing. :D

Ray,

Sending mail, thanks!