Hi all.

I have just started racing my NR and I am loving every minute of it. However, my love does not match my results in the race. Before I start asking questions I do realize that learning to drive is the key and having a smooth throttle delivery is most of it. I am getting better at driving each time I go out, but I keep hearing that if I can get a good set up, it will be much easier to drive.

I am currently trying some different tires. I have been running proline edge tires in the front, thinking about trying the blade tires. In the rear I started with holeshots but the compound is way too hard, R3 to be exact. So I tried some bowties that were a soft compound and wow did that do the trick. But I will still loose as a goose in the rear end. After changing the rear springs to a softer set up I got more traction than before. I went home and changed the shock oil to a 30wt all the way around and at the last race I had no traction. Tires were shot I guess. I have talked to a few people about some tips and tricks but I am still a bit vague on what to do.

The track is hard North Carolina clay with light dust on the top. I am going to try another set of bowties and possibly some step pins and those blade front tires. I am thinking about putting some heavier weight oil back in the front and possibly the rear as well, it may be too soft.

Also I have heard that a ball diff in the rusty will do wonders for traction.

If any one has any suggestions, tips or where I can find some good information, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Ball diff, new shocks, new cvd's, a good race engine, a decent exhaust system... i'd start there.

Guess I forgot to mention that stuff. I am running an OS .15, Duratrax aluminum shocks, dynamite exaust, XS3 FM radio, Hitec 645 and 625 servos, rechargable battery pack moved up front.

I don't have CVD's I am content as of now with the sliders, I might update one day, as of now I have too many other things to fix.

gear down to an 18 tooth clutch bell. and add a 10mm limiter ( fuel tubing ) to the rear shocks and 5mm to the front, this stops the roll and the lack of traction at the rear during any high speed corner. idealy a taller wider shocktower would do this far better if you want to make that, and for the fron moving the shocks to 15mm apart at the top would do the same thing perfectly. if you have the time make those, ask for help if need be.

Dann

Luckly I have an 18 tooth CB. I am running a 20 tooth and 70 tooth spur and I can get ahold of a 68 if need be.

I am running RPM A arms all the way around and the stock shock towers. In the front I have the shocks mounted at the widest angle, roughly 5.5" apart at the bottom and 2 & 7/16" at the top. In the rear there is only one spot to mount the lower part of the shock, but when mounted they are ~7.25" inches apart and on the top I have them mounted on the lowest setting, which puts the shock at more of a wide angle compared to the top mount which puts them almost straight up and down. At the lowest setting they are 3.25" apart.

Is this ideal? Or should I still put the fuel tubing in place?

Also, would a ball diff help?

-bryan

Yes the ball diff will help, and yes you should still put the fuel tube in the shocks. also there are a few spots to mount the shocks on the arms, on the stock rear arms anyway, have a look there are a few holes on the arm itself, you are not restricted to the mount bit at the end on the arms.

Dann

I looked at my stock arms and your right there are a few holes to adjust the placement, but I am running the RPM A Arms and would really rather stay with them because of their strength.

I will add the tubing though. I just place it on the shock rods at the bottom correct?

Thanks for the help.

Any more help would be greatly appreciated.

-bryan

nope
unscrew the shock cap, the take off the piston then put them on the shafts, theis stops the piston getting to the bottom of the shock and therefor letting thye shocks all the way out, reducing droop and therefor chassis roll.

Dann

The ball diff is about the best thing you can do to tame down the rear end if it loosens up a lot under power. You can also loosen the slipper a bit and run it a tad rich if you still have problems holding traction with the rear end, both will help prevent excessive spinning.

adding toe in front and/or rear will help it too.

Dann

Thanks for the responses. I have richened up the LSN a good bit to get the power a bit slugish off the bottom, and my slipper is adjusted to a little more than half a turn out. That is the most traxxas recomends. I have the stock amount of toe-in the rear. I guess I can try to toe the front in some, I have been keeping it as close to parallel as I can.

I will try to shock trick and see how it works, I am kinda leery about doing it because it sounds like it will reduce my travel signficantly. I am running the truck where the drive shaft is straigh and the A- Arms are as flat as I can. I guess your saying the fuel tubing with keep it there though.

Thanks Again.
All advice is greatly appreciated.

-bryan

yep thats the idea, the tube will limit downtravel of the shocks, but look at the mugen or losi, its not really needed unless you are on a sandy surface or super bumpy. ill send a link to explain it

Dann

http://www.teamorion.com/faq/car-handling3.asp

go down until you see the 2 moving blue boxes. (2.6)

Dann

Great link. Thanks. I will read it when I get back from work, it looks like ther is alot of useful information in there.

-bryan

Yeh it was 'stolen' from another site that i can no longer find (had a weird address). it is very good info, read it all. you will learn a lot.

Dann

Get the aluminum shock towers and bulk heads (front and rear). I kept breaking those parts time and time again. Get a set of panther wookie or switch tires for the rear and edge for the front. I agree with the bell to 18, out side of that it all depends on how your track is for that day/night.
Ive also niticed that the rustler isnt the best of fliers, my mst1 flies pretty straight but the rustler is hit and miss for flying straight, even if you hit the same jump the same way every time. It isnt the best off road racer, but its not the crappiest either.
The rustler is a good oval runner though.

well i love the jumping especially when compared to a losi or moog'.

yeh id say alloy too, but if you want help making your own im here for it
i have the designs here sum where :P
never got them made. got my gt before that.

Dann

Ok cool, thanks man. I started to read the info on the way to work, but i cant read while riding in a truck very well. lol.

I have thought about going aluminum, but not ready to do that yet. I looking towards spending my money, 1.) my gf's graduation gift, 2.) tires 3.) diff. For a total of over 200 bucks, I need to get back to work, lol.

Thanks for all the info. I have wondered how the Panthers hook up and how well they last. I am really tring to keep my options open on tires really. I have been pleased with the edge tires on the front. How are the blades? Arent they the half rib and half pattern tire?

Thanks

-bryan

go for whatever the other guys at the track are using, or bow ties, they almost always provide great traction.

Dann

The most popular tire there at the track is Bowties, that and step pins. It seems the buggy guys run those but the truggys and MT guys all run bowties.

-bryan

Lugnut T's are good for step pins. I rarely use bowties, due to the track styles here... sand.

I saw those and wondered how they would do. The track is hard pack, with light dirt on the top that makes it slick.

Here is a pic of the track
[link=http://misc.misbehavin-rc.com/site/sm-track.jpg] here[/link]

bryan