Float a gap?

[mhuffman_81]

How do you accomplish this? I am new to rc's and just got a MRC a couple days ago, and find that anytime I try to go over a gap with one wheel it falls and either causes it to get stuck or roll over. I have all stock electronics, stock wheels and tires with bb's for weight. The lower links have been upgraded to high clearance bent links, and the shocks have been upgraded, although I don't know what kind they are, they are not aluminum, they are still plastic, threaded grey, with a gold piston and blue springs. I have tried tightening up the threads and that didn't seem to help it still falls down and actually pulls the opposite rear wheel up with it if the shocks are too tight. Any suggestions? Thanks, oh and I have relocated the esc to the rear axle tray, the rx to the rear upper links, and the stock battery is on top of the servo. Is that to much weight up front, bb's and the battery? I don't have a scale to weigh the whole thing or each wheel. I got rid of the battery/electronics tray, and just cut off the ends that mounted to the chassis that now act as cross braces with no tray in between them.

Thanks.

***Edit*** Upon closer inspection they shocks may be aluminum, it's hard to tell. At first I didn't think so, but the threads feel metal rather than plastic, but I don't have any experience so who knows.

[Reflection]

A little weight in the rear wheels will help it keep the rear planted while the fronts float.

Springs and oils in the shocks are personal preference and kindly need to be tuned to the trucks weight bias.

[JohnRobHolmes]

I float tires with wheelspeed.

[Reflection]

Originally Posted by JohnRobHolmes

I float tires with wheelspeed.

Or what he said.

[mhuffman_81]

Also why would the shocks in the front be upside down? The threads on top with the piston on the bottom, the rear is just the opposite. Both have springs on the outside so it doesn't appear to be set up in droop in the front.

[Reflection]

Some people flip the shocks cause they think the oil in the shock is heavier than the shock shaft.....hence trying to lower the weight.

[2500hdon37s]

maybe liminting the flex a little too might help?

[mhuffman_81]

Originally Posted by 2500hdon37s

maybe liminting the flex a little too might help?

How would I do that? And is shock oil a specialty oil from an RC store or will some type of regular auto oil from walmart work? I don't have any supplies on hand and don't want to take anything apart yet until I can get some, but there is a walmart right here in town.

[JeepinOR]

Originally Posted by JohnRobHolmes

I float tires with wheelspeed.

Sig'd.



All depending on how many bb's you have up front, it's possible you could have too much weight. Too much would certainly hinder floating.

If not for leaking, the shocks may have been upside down for clearance purposes...?

[2500hdon37s]

Originally Posted by mhuffman_81

How would I do that? And is shock oil a specialty oil from an RC store or will some type of regular auto oil from walmart work? I don't have any supplies on hand and don't want to take anything apart yet until I can get some, but there is a walmart right here in town.

yes its a speical shock oil (from a hobbyshop or online rc store) but id limint them exturnaly with a small pice of fuel tubeing, all you have to do is remove the spring from the shock, take off the rod end, and put th fuel tube pice on the shock shaft, and id also take som weight out of th front wheels

[speedjunkie]

How much ground clearance do you have on the skid? Those shocks sound like the Losi aluminum shocks. If they haven't been limited, the COG is going to be VERY high. I used some fuel tube and limited them about 3/8" inside the shock. This should lower your COG and have a belly height of about 2". The shock oil is hobby shop special. I'm running 40wt personally, but I think 40-50 is fairly popular.

If those clearance links are the Losi brand, they will shorten the wheel base down to about 8 5/16". Comp legal is 8 1/2" as is stock.

You can also get some wheel wideners to push towards the 8" limit, although turning radius will suffer.

You've got a good start, let us know how it turns out!





Mike

[mhuffman_81]

Originally Posted by speedjunkie

How much ground clearance do you have on the skid? Those shocks sound like the Losi aluminum shocks. If they haven't been limited, the COG is going to be VERY high. I used some fuel tube and limited them about 3/8" inside the shock. This should lower your COG and have a belly height of about 2". The shock oil is hobby shop special. I'm running 40wt personally, but I think 40-50 is fairly popular.

If those clearance links are the Losi brand, they will shorten the wheel base down to about 8 5/16". Comp legal is 8 1/2" as is stock.

You can also get some wheel wideners to push towards the 8" limit, although turning radius will suffer.

You've got a good start, let us know how it turns out!

Mike

My ground clearance is sitting at almost 2 3/8", wheel base is 8.25", and width is just over 7"

And the shocks are not mounted on the battery/elec tray. They were mounted on the second set of holes inwards towards the middle of the chassis, the holes next to the ones where the battery tray mounts. They are also the same holes where my body mounts are.

I just took one shock apart and there was no oil in there at all. I will look around and see what I might have laying around that I can use to limit the shocks by about 3/8".

[soundcolor]

I, personally, wouldnt externally limit your shocks. All thats going to do is limit the amount of compression you have. And you really dont want that. Instead, I would limit the shocks internally, which will limit the amount of extension you have.
Limiting the shocks internally will lower the truck, keep the springs in constant state of compression (which aids in overall suspension control) and limits the articulation the way you want.
Limiting the shocks externally will not lower your ride hieght, and while it will help to cut down the amount of articulation you have, it will do it in the wrong way. You want your rig to be able to get as low to the ground as possible (tho you do not want it to always be that low).

How do you Internally limit the shocks. Pretty easy.
1st. remove spring, and spring cup.
2nd. remove top cap and drain all fluid out of shock
3rd. remove end-link from shock shaft (carefull with the shock shaft, dont knick it or scratch it).
4th. pull shock shaft out from shock body
5th. put a 1/4 to 3/8ths long piece of nitro fuel tubing on shock shaft.
6th. re-insert shaft into shock body
7th. re-install end-link
8th. fill with oil (at least 50wt)
9tu, re-install cap
10th bleed shock

and your done.

Make sure you have oil in them

[Mnster]

Play with the weight.

You want it almost balanced but still front heavy. This way the front drops the gap nose down slightly but throttle input keeps it balanced. Sounds like you have the majority of your weight up front.

[speedjunkie]

Originally Posted by mhuffman_81

My ground clearance is sitting at almost 2 3/8", wheel base is 8.25", and width is just over 7"

And the shocks are not mounted on the battery/elec tray. They were mounted on the second set of holes inwards towards the middle of the chassis, the holes next to the ones where the battery tray mounts. They are also the same holes where my body mounts are.

I just took one shock apart and there was no oil in there at all. I will look around and see what I might have laying around that I can use to limit the shocks by about 3/8".

Yep, that's where mine sat without limiting the shocks and it was very top heavy. Limit your shocks per soundcolors instructions, although weight is personal preference.

You can lengthen your wheel base back out by extending your links a turn or so on each link. Start with the 2 front ones or back ones and measure again and adjust as required. Wheel base is measured center of axle to center of axle with rig in full running gear and suspension carrying the load.

Width is measured the same, running gear and suspension carrying load, but widest part of tire, to widest part of tire. You can get some aluminum wideners that will add about 1/4" for cheap, or you can buy different wheels that will get you about the same. Or add both and push towards the 8" limit.

There are a few here vendors that offer a 2mm offset wheel that will give you a great bead lock wheel, a heavier wheel, and maybe removable weights option.

The wheels can get pricey and are by no means mandatory, so let's get your COG down first and go from there. Also, please take a few pics of the shock placement, it might help as well.

Good luck and keep us posted!





Mike

[extreme]

uhm i dont think anyone answered his question... basically its just a driving technique. when your in 4wd locked front and rear when you turn the axles will want to bind lifting the front wheel that is on the inside of the turn. you'll notice it when you crank it hard passenger on these little rigs, hard driver will hav ea simliar effect but minimalized b/c of the axle rotation.

so yea when you approach a grap that your front tire has to cross.. looking at the gap with the opening on the passneger side. when you approach aim for the far driver side tire line, right before the hole/gap, when you hit that mark turn into it hard passenger this will bind the rig and lift that tire up then aim properly and you can hold that tire over the gap and get it acrossas soon as you clear nail it like john and "float" that rear tire across

[mrklaw]

by passenger side you mean the right? Just for us crazy people that drive on the wrong side of the road its easy to get confused

[JeepinOR]

Originally Posted by mrklaw

by passenger side you mean the right? Just for us crazy people that drive on the wrong side of the road its easy to get confused

Good point! (lol) Yes, right (as opposed to the left) side.