GianPaolo

I'm new to rc cars and was wondering why so many people have/use Aluminum chassis.
Why can't someone use a Graphite/carbon fiber chassis???

I think it would cut weight down alot it graphite was used from other rc cars right?

Your probably thinking graphite is to thin and wont hold the load of the engine etc but if you add multiple carbon fiber sheets the end product will be REALLy strong not to mention light.
What do you guys think??

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

Aluminum is A: cheaper, and B: dissipates heat better than carbon fiber

GALAXY

Yeah,I think its mostly a heat issue...CF is really no more expensive from a manufacturing standpoint.Electrics have CF chassis but not any nitro that I've seen.

GianPaolo

What are you guys talking about??? In real cars like the TVR Tuscan and the Ferrari Enzo Both have Carbon fiber chassis and bodywork and i seriously doubt they "OVERHEAT".
Personally i think that about 10 layers of carbon and the right amount of epoxy will be just as strong as a 3-4mm Aluminum chassis.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

the TVR uses a tubular space frame, as does the Enzo.
also, they're water cooled, not air cooled like an RC car

Wait, nevermind...the Enzo has a CF tub...
however, the engine isn't bolted to CF.

Josh222

ya and those cars have rubber between the engine and chassi, feel the chassi of you rc after a run it can some times be really hot

GianPaolo

You guys are seriously underestimating carbon fiber. And yes those supercars are watercooled but they don't have thier engine sticking out of the body do they???
You guys are just making assumptions.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

uh, dude, you asked, we answered. an RC engine typically runs at temps higher than that of ANY street car. Go build a CF chassis for my X-Terminator or my NTC3 and I'll get back to you on how they work

GianPaolo

HAHA NO!! I'm gonna go for it. Once i make it for my car and it works perfectly i'll be the one telling you I TOLD YOU SO!!
Plus i think i will be the first person to actually perform this project for a nitro car.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

I seriously doubt you'll be the first, but I've got a freshly baked humble pie right here in case I'm wrong.
Seriously though, if you do it, make sure you let me know how it works and make sure ya have pics, cuz i wanna see this beyotch

zimzalahbim

My Feedback: (8)

aluminum is stiff (good for chassis) and cheap for rc manufacturers. aluminum will bend, and carbod fiber will just break. carbon fiber is hazardous to work with (carbon fiber dust is bad), and the enzo has a carbon fiber chassis.

JNS

OK aluminum WILL flex thats one of the advantages CF has 0-flex, if you were to make an entire chassis from CF the car would be essentially too dangerous to drive, in an accident it would be worse then a tin-can, there are CF nitro chassis and cars (team walbern dragsters) the thing is though.... most of the chassis is CF ... except for 3 inches around the engine where theres an aluminum plate that mounts in a cutout area of the CF

jandb917

if Im not mistaken alot of people used CF not to many years back for their cars and i think they were having promblems with it do to the fact it was causing interferenc with the radios I dont know i might be wrong though

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

an aluminum chassis would cause more interference issues than CF

GianPaolo

If you add multiple sheets of carbon fiber then the product will not just break.
And i haven't heard that carbon fiber is hazardous to work with but in any case your suppose to wear a mask.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

carbon fiber is brittle, no matter how many layers you have. do you HAVE an RC car with CF parts? have you ever had one? if something DOES NOT bend, like CF, it WILL crack.

zimzalahbim

My Feedback: (8)

from my bicycle mechanic experience, carbon fiber is tough. you can smack it with a hammer, but when she goes, it aint pretty. splinters everywhere

Jus10

My Feedback: (1)

Carbon Fiber is mean stuff... It is very bad to breath the dust though... need to have a certified resporator to work with it. Like a lot of toxic paints. I believe you could have a carbon fiber chassis.. you would just want to make sure you insulate the block, mounts, and resesses from CF. Also, the 'bats' and motors from electics also get extremely hot. At least from my heli they do... enough to burn you instantly.. so its possible its hot with the cars too. I would imagine so cause you unload those batteries fast. I assume they use aluminum cause of cost... aluminum is super super cheap... they probably stamp out the blank for the chassis, drill and countersink the holes (they might even stamp the holes). Can be done extremely fast.

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

I've never had a battery get that hot in my electrics, but yeah, those motors can heat up REAL quick

JNS

umm 7075 and 6061 aluminum isnt "cheap" O_o its used simply because for the same reason its used in the engine, whereas copper dissipates heat more effeciently aluminum is very good in the same respect but can withstand more stress and higher temperatures AND FREGGIN DEAL WITH IT IT ISNT A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE A CF NITRO CHASSIS

ThunderbirdJunkie

My Feedback: (3)

I wonder why the motor mount plate on my CF chassised RS4 Rally is aluminum instead of CF[&:]

schmism

Dude if it was SUCH a great idea then we'd all be running it. The fact that the parts dont exists attest to the fact that it was probibly tried and deamed not worth it.

btw my chassis gets so hot i can usually cant hold on to it under the motor after i get done running.

GianPaolo

I don't crash my car like most people on this site so i don't have to worry about the carbon snapping.
Don't tell me not to do it because i'll do the opposite.[8D]

Jus10

My Feedback: (1)

Random online price qoute for 6061 aluminum already cut to size is only about 6 dollars a plate (an thats for 1/8" plate.. could get away with a lot thinner). And that price isn't bulk... and machine time on that is very little.

Josh222

7075 is super hard and the price isn't bad