Brian,you have mention a while back you keep castor block pins in center hole,do you ever for some reason change once in a while & put one up on top & one in middle & what would make you do this.Keep up the good replies. Thank you, DOM.

DOM- i dont change those very often...if i need to take mechanical grip out of the front end i will flatten the upper arm but i usually do that by moving shims around on the kingpin.

Brian, could you explain mechanical grip? Thanks

REW- ill try to do this without typing for a couple hours...mechanical grip is when you make the cars suspension and its geometry make the car handle differently...alot of people use tires and traction compund to alter their cars and that is not mechanical grip...when you alter a front end as far as upper arm lengths,angles,spring rate,etc.. you are changing the cars mechanical grip...on flat tracks its very important to get alot of mechanical grip in the front end to get the car to turn and generate alot of corner speed...banked traks you dont to have to use mechanical grip as much because you have the bank to help the car turn...for instance my front end at the snowbirds was very modified as far as geometry goes because i needed to generate more grip...but when i went to nationals in akron i ran a completely stock front end because they dont generate as much grip...the more mechanical grip you can give a car means you can run a harder tire therefore make your car more efficient...on oval cars you have alot of lead way to help you with on the front end because of the way it is designed..the rear isnt quite as adjustable because its a solid rear axle but you still have options...these are all things i will talk about at the Race Rock race when i go down there so hopefully you can make it there.

Brain
I saw you car in the most recent RCCA mag. I saw some spacers between the castor block and the lower control arm. Do you use them all the time or for certain types of tracks, and if so what type of track would you want to have the arms longer. thanks for the info.

MACE- i use those spacers on all flat tracks regardless of track size...i dont use use them at all on banked tracks.

Brian
Thanks for the response.

Thanks Brian for the response.I have been doing just what you said, "Dirve and hang on" which is fun, just looking at ideas to help out.
I have another idea, Would cutting the foams help out at all? Kinda like the real sprint cars do to there tires, I was thinking about taking an exacto knife and cutting treads into the foams. Do you think this would help or not, or would I even notice any differance.

Brian, how would you get more mechanical grip to work for you on a cars front end and rear end for that matter? I read in a earlier post that you wore the left front more than the right front at the snowbirdes how is that done. Thanks for your comments!

MACE- no problem hope it all helps.

Dizzy- cutting the foams are only going to hurt you because when you go into the corner the foam will roll over and you will lose traction..grooves in tires are only used when you are on dirt or running in the rain and we all know electric oval cars dont run in the rain.

Chuck- to get more mechanical grip in the front end has to do with the geometry of how the front end is setup...different angles of the upper arms...if you look pretty close at my car in car action you can see some of it...the right front has a very extreme angle and the left front arm is totally flat...when you keep the left front flat it takes the camber gain out of the tire which is how you get the left to work more...camber gain on the left front of an oval car is backwards because the tire is moving up and in which is how you want it to work on a roadcoruse and keep in mind that this front end was designed first for roadcourse racing and then just adapted to oval ral racing with no changes i might add...thats why my front ends are built different to adapt them to oval racing...there are several ways to make a front end do different things and i would probably confuse you more than help...its much easier to show these types of things but we dont have that option here unfortunately...im not trying to be evasive but i dont want to get you in too deep...try to flatten the left front arm first and see how that helps your car.

Brian, Thanks for the help, have been following your thread and gleaning lots of useful information. I agree with you though that a picture is worth a 1000 words, and I wish I could SEE your set up. Is there a web site where we can see pictures of your set up ? Thanks again, have been into Oval racing for less than a year and need all the help I can get! Ralf in St. Louis :cool:

Ralf- im going to the Race Rock race the end of this month and i can have mike boylan tak some pics of my car and see if he will post them on his website..maybe that will be more helpful.

his car is also in the recent car action. check it out there.

Thanks for the info Brian I'll check out RC/CA and see what I can see. All the info you tell us will help in the long run. I'm running a g-force in your opnion is this still a competitive and good car to set up chassis wise. :)

Brian
What did you use for spacing out the caster blocks on your car and is your receiver pack a flat pack used for gas or is SMC doing smaller packs for electric cars. Thanks

Brian, im looking to replace my green dot tires with something made in this century...lololol...I think everyone but me has gone to the new compounds....what do you recomend for our dirt oval tracks...I want soft and long life ..what do ya think about black dots/ or the a,b,c compounds????????.....DP27:rolleyes:

I would love to get a starting setup for the small track at kranzels. I have custom works intimidator 10, can you help me out with a setup and gear ratio for 19 turn please.
thanks

car action has some great shots of brians car. i suggest you run out and pick one up. for the oval racers out there the mag is worth the price just for the article on brians car. nothing realy trick on the car just a clean set up and a good driver.

Brian I know You have said before But what Piston would you, start with on the hpi shock. and when you mount your bodies is there a certain hieght you cut your posts to and do you make the body flush with the chassie of the car or lower? what ride hieght do you try to stay at.

HI, I am building an L3 from Ebay parts and i was looking for sugestions on what to get for a center shock.

THANKS

Budget
The HPI all the way. The smoothest thing out there. Part number is #72170. they come in packs of 2. And cost around 30 to 35 bucks. sorry Brian.....he he

Mace, those shocks are nice.... but I prefer a different hpi shock....check out hpi part#50533 Its the shock used on the hpi proceed gas car.... comes 1 shock to a bag, 10 different pistons, uses a bladder inside and is EASY to build...Im proof of that...:lol: ...its very smoooooth. All you need is a little threaded piece to put in the shock cap end and attach a ball cup, the ball cup on the shock shaft side goes on just like any other.

Hpi Proceed Shock parts list @ HPI SITE (http://www.hpiracing.com/graphics/proceed/proc-pl2.jpg)

Proceed shock on my car (http://home.cfl.rr.com/cneyedog/)

Budget, any question fee free to e-mail me.:thumbsup:

C
that shock is not threaded is it? I like the threaded one that is the only difference I believe. I could be wrong.

Yes, the proceed shock i pointed out above is threaded.:D

we all know how important a good setup is to go fast, but what about radio setups, im not just talking about the basic stuff but more about the finer points ie. turn in speed,out speed, dual rate thing like that. any sugestions?

C
I will have to check that one out. Thanks.

Thanks for the quick response. I heard some of the racers were using HPI shocks.

Hi Brian, plain and simple. Can the G-Force Floater win the Snowbirds, 6 and 4 cell modified???
Thanks, Bret

mjm these cars are not slot cars. you do have to drive these things around the track. with that being said you set up a radio to how "you" drive a car. not how "someone" else does. how fast and slow you set things up is the "feel" of the driver. as long as your speedo gets full throttle you are on the right track bro. ever drive your buddies car? his feels weird dont it? radio settings should be set up for each person imho.

I think maybe what mjm was talking about is an explanation of what each of the settings do and how they can effect the performance of the car in different situations,I thought it was a valid guestion and one that I also would be interested in, not neccessarily any one person's radio setup per say.

chuck47- yes the racetech g-force is still a competitive car...t-bar cars havent undergone major changes so just by updating a little it is just as good as current cars.

mimoon19- i used bolink part number 5253..it is a tree of different spacers that work very well for that and also spacing your front wheels...that is a smaller pack just for electric cars...im not sure what SMC's plans are for it yet but if i find out ill let everyone know.

DP27- i dont think black dots will work on dirt but the a,b,c tires are really good...they are basically a gas rubber used on 1/8 scale cars but cut to dirt size.

bcobra- ive only run the small track at Kranzels once and i didnt do very well so i probably couldnt help a whole lot with that one.

littleal- i use the #2 piston in the HPI shock..thats the only ive ever used...i mount my bodies flush with the chassis all the way around the car...i dont have a certain length for body posts because most bodies require different height posts...i always run my chassis as low as the rules allow or just above the point of the car rubbing the track at speed.

Budget- like most have said the HPI shock is the best in the business.

mjmeers- radio setup is very critical but to copy someones radio is probably not a good thing...the reason for this is every servo is different and driving styles are also very different...some people cant drive cars that steer very fast so they slow their servo speeds down..i drive my cars very aggressive and use very quick settings on my radios..the best thing you can do is try some different settings and see if they help or hurt you.

The Jet- in my opinion no i dont think it can...that setup is very good when traction is a problem or its very bumpy...two things that snowbirds have very little problem with.

pepe- if you guys are looking for what each individual radio function i can try to help as much as possible...i thought he wondering how each person set their radio up but i may have misread it..if you would like me to try and help let me know.

hey catfood, i wasnt looking for your radio setup exactly the way you dont set it up. i was talking about what Pepe said, just interested in some thoughts on the finer points of radio setups. which obviously you have no idea about, and as far as you slot car joke HAHA!

mj bro why in the heck are you attacking me? maybe you were unclear about what you were asking. maybe your radio didn't come with a 300 page instruction manual. maybe you want brian to re-read his, so he can write the entire function of every button and knob on your radio? i dunno calling people names and acting like a complete 3 year old wont get you far. leave that up to me! catfood wow now i bet it took all night for you to think that up. spend more time reading the radio instrucion manual and less time attacking people who are trying to help! noob

btw mj while your attacking people you better go after brian. he said the same damn thing! but noooo you attack me mr. nice guy? brian go ahead and hook him up with the real secrets. while were on the subject...one of the most resepcted oval racers in the southeast( i wont say his name cause he will get mad) cough "mb" cough cough "mb" uses a futaba sport radio it has maybe 3 knobs or buttons on it and that is including the on off switch! he drives circles around all of us in 19t mod. he has set many track records and has been sponsored by just about everyone at one time or the other. soo i dont put alot of faith in all those knobs and switches we have on our radios. brian i think you know who i'm talking about. if ya dont he will be racing with you in 2 weeks in orlando. play nice mj.

mj, if I tell you to experiment with radio settings.... does that make me ..... "dogfood"?:rolleyes: . I agree with brian and katfish, some guys like alot of steering, some don't..... its all personal preference. What works for me, may not work for you and vice versa.

How about so ideas on how you take care of your bearings. I am racing at the SUMMER SIZZLER in a couple of weeks. I bought a new set just for the main race.

hey budget. only thing i do is buy new one's every other week. outdoors on dusty dirty florida tracks with sand and mole crickets they get ate up fast. i buy cheap bearings. i'm gonna try some ceramics when they come in. 6.00 a piece thats what i pay now for reg bearings. dont over do it with the oil, it attracts more dirt. touch a pipe with a oval car and it realy tears them up.

Thanks Brian for the response I'm not going to comment on all the other goings on,But yea I was thinking about maybe just some helpful hints on radio adjustments in a general sense, I agree, I can't drive with someone else's radio I think "HACK" would be the end result.I've recently learned to drive with a little left trim and it improved my corner speed and lap times immensly,this is just an example of the type of hints I am looking for.

HI KATFISH, HOW CAN YOU AFFORD THAT MUCH IN BEARINGS? I FEEL LUCKY TO GET A NEW SET FOR THE BIG RACES. WHAT BRAND OF BEARINGS DO YOU CALL CHEAP AT $6 EACH?:eek:

ok first off everyone needs to calm down just a tad...remember we are just trying to have some fun and maybe learn some things along the way.

Kat- i do know who you are talking about and i also know that he can drive circles around alot of people regardless of the radio.

Budget- bearings are tough to keep performing top notch for two reasons...one of them is the abuse we put them through as far as how fast they spin...this is the only place that a ceramic or and ABEC-9 bearing will be better...ABEC-9's are a german bearing that roll super fast but are also very expensive...i have run these and they are really good but they wont help you win a race...the other problem that we put bearings through is hitting the walls...these bearings are so small and precise that if you touch the wall even remotely hard that bearing is not going to work the way it did before...it doesnt matter if you are running a $3 chrome bearing or a $6 ceramic bearing or a $10 german bearing they will ALL blow when you hit the wall...my advice is use a decent bearing and keep it clean...if you race indoors use a very light oil and a small amount of it...if you race outside use a graphite powder to keep the bearings lubed because graphite powder wont attract dirt like oil does.

pepe- i use mainly all the stock settings on my radio but i also run a Airtronics radio which has a faster reaction time than futabas...i dont mess with thottle end points at all...i do however run ALOT of left trim which if you can used to driving it can speed your lap times immensely...the easiest way ive found to get used to it is if you go to a new track just start putting left trim in the first time your on the track then try to get accustomed to it...at the snowbirds in ran about 6 clicks of left trim and in akron i ran about 9 clicks which is a ton...like has been said its all about driving style.

Brian... some racers here use TRC Platinums when they need more traction than a pink. What does Jaco have as far as colors that are softer than a pink?

Mike- thats all they have is the pink...anything softer than a pink seems pretty soft to me but i guess it could be the surfaces that require that...unfortunately there isnt anything in the jaco line softer.

Brian, could you explain what left trim does? I assume you have to counter steer down the strait aways, but what is the difference between that, and having it setup strait, and just turning at the end of the strait away?

Ovalman- what left trim does is make the car more efficient...when your car is driving correctly you usually dont have to turn back to the right to get it to stay straight because you are trying to make the track a big diamond or a circle...the left trim makes it easier for the car to turn because they dont have to move as much therefore making the car more efficient.

Hi Brian I am sure that you are familiar with K&N Stafford, While racing my switchblade 2 this weekend I ran into a problem that stumped me all day, Fom the first test run the car was loose, I tried going rom a blue rr to 2 greens across the back. still the car spun in the corner. I dropped the ride hight and stiffened the front springs and softened the center shock still loose until I cranked almost 1/2 inch of tweek measured at right rear wheel coming off the bench. after later examination I found a very bent lf tie rod. Could excessive toe out cause my loose condition?
RichD

hey catf1sh- as i recall, your the one that started the digs,I didnt want brian to read my manual (ko mars), i was just looking for some imput. enough on this. sorry for asking.

mj i re read my original post that i wrote. i did not read anything that attacked you at all. i didn't say you had a slot car nor did i say you should buy a slot car. and brian also read your post wrong. yet you said nothing to brian about it. instead you yelled at me. i was trying to read the part that you thought i was attacking what you asked. i know there aren't very many secrets hiding in our radios. simply because i know someone who drives the wheels off his car with a generic radio. i was like you and wondered what in the heck all the dials and buttons did. heck 90% of us buy these fancy radios and use 10% of the settings on them. were men we dont read stinking instructions! we all may not be able to drive our cars with 7 clicks of left trim. it takes alot of practice laps to get accustomed to that much trim.

i'm not sure about everyone but...i never ever take those color dots for face value. to me a trc platinum is like a fresh set of jaco pinks. a trc pink is like a jaco purple. or the trc's kinda fall in-between jacos. if you can borrow a durometer from a buddy it tells the tale. also depends on how fresh the tires were when you bought them. i have durometered pinks that were as hard as purples.billy b preaches to me every race day to try purples all the way around. and no matter how many races he beats me i seem to like my comfort zone. most tracks here in central florida seem to like pink lr pur rr purples up front. i run plat lr pink rr purple rf pink lf all trc. car feels good that probably is a bad thing. but than again i still run 6 cell stock. i'm crazy like that

hey that was real fancy dog! maybe tony needs to clear all this up? lol oh well i'm the bad guy again. i'm gonna lose sleep tonight again we all read only what we want to. i rarely attack unless provoked but my posts are very easy to "take the wrong way" i slept through english,math,history,and science. but man i loved study hall.



hey budget: i buy alot of bearings on ebay when i see them for 3.00 a piece and throw them away every month. i think it's rcboyz who has a entire bearing kit for the 10L30 for 15.00 thats 4 rear bearings and 4 front bearings. i buy them up when i see them and replace as needed. do i think everyone needs to do this? heck no but there will come a time when one breaks and you will have to replace it. let me ask you this budget? do you want me to save all my olsd bearings and mail them to you? i have about 20 now that i was going to throw away. lmk wsell@cfl.rr.com see i am a nice guy who else would do this? step up

Rich- i would almost guarantee that your problem was right there the whole time until you started to put that much tweak in the car...toe-out makes a car loose and toe-in makes a care tight...also when you start getting so far from the norm to make your car right you are probably making making go back the other way...too much tweak will have a reverse affect on a car and 1/2" is way too much.

THANKS FOR THE OFFER KATFISH. BUT YOU CAN TOSS THEN I HAVE PLENTY OF OLD ONES. I WILL JUST BUY NEW ONES MORE OFTEN. I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO KEEP THEM GOING LONGER. DO ANY OF YOU USE THE BOCA BEARINGS? ARE THEY ANY BETTER?

THANKS