Building a nitro car for drifting

[weblet]

Hey guys hows it.

I have a 4wd nitro car (hsp) not the greatest brand but it goes.
Specs:
.18 engine
2 speed
4 wheel drive or 2

and i was wondering how should i set this car up for drifting

do i got 4 or 2 wheel
do i get rubber wheels or more like plastic ones
do i stiffen suspension

any ideas please let me know?

I am finding that rear wheel drive is hopless but could be my tyres.

 

[griemar]

If your seriously going to attempt this idea, the 4 wheel drive is the way to go. But I'll warn you, this topic has been discussed many times and few nitro's have ever gotten good results. Drift is all about balance and with a nitro, the balnce is always changing. Your engine alone throws off the weight balance, not to include tank position, sloshing of fuel ect.

As for the tires, a medium to a medium-hard compound. Again, it's balance, you want a hard enough tire that will slide when you pitch sideways, yet enough grip to grab the surface and pull you through the drift.

Good luck and please keep us (me) posted on your progress. I'd love to see the results.

 

[solly69]

I'm thinking about doing the same
i also have a HSP
let us know what information u get about it and how u go with it

 

[ohmygahitscoby]

For drifting, you want to run 4wd. Controlling it with 2wd is WAY too hard to do.
For nitro drifting, I believe HPI Type A's should work fine. T-Drifts also work, but I think they wouldn't grip enough for nitro.
You want to run soft shocks in the front and medium in the back. This is a great setup for beginners. For shock oil I run 20wt silicone oil. If the car feels too bumpy, I would suggest going softer on the springs. If it feels like it's bottoming out, then go with harder springs. It all depends on where you are drifting.
Also, make sure that you lock the rear diff. This will help in swinging the rear out. You don't want the front diff too loose either. Looser means more oversteer because the inner wheel is allowed to turn slower than the outer wheel. Making it tighter will give you more understeer because the inner wheel will spin at a rate that is closer to that of the outer wheel.

 

[Suicide]

yeah also lean the lsn a bit ( not too much just enough to give good respsonse ) and richen up the HSN cause your not going fast and to keep er cool

 

[brad55102]

the ISSUE....

Drifting requires HIGH rpms to spin the tires,,,
the nitro can handle it, but only for a while,
THe problem is that you create too much heat in your mil.

This is why nitro is not the best platform to create a drift car with.

 

[Suicide]

which is why you fatten up the high end. but nitro really would only work on a longer track with long straights

 

[sbz]

hpi rs4 drift rtr cars work great. i just bought one and love it. my buddy has had one for a while and really the only time it overheats is if you're drifting in circle for too long

 

[HPI-Killer]

I have the rs4 3 evo with the Stage D conversion, its all setup with foam tires and the dbox gyro, gas tank centered for weight dist. All I need is a motor and I'm set for it, ya 2wd drifting won't work, 4wd ftw imo. As far as tire compounds, you can either pick up a set of HPI drift tires or any brand name, or simply wrap your tires with eletrical tape, I did that on my N4-Tec and it was hella fun, a tad too much power though without the gyro to countersteer.

 

[KryptoRoxx]

I remember a buddy of mine and I (before I actually got into the hobby) attempting this with a Kyosho FW06 and we got it to drift pretty well actually. We weren't doing it on a track of course since there aren't any really close by that would be suitable for drifting but the best surface for drifting nitro is a very smooth concrete like you would find in a warehouse or garage. We had a hard setup in the rear with a camber setup so that about half the tire was touching. We left the front around medium and that gave us enough grip-less to swing the rear out and then when the weight would transfer enough "grip" to keep the car stable during cornering. Before long even I was doing loops around my buddy while he stood there without too much trouble. I hit him in the ankle once though lol. I have no idea what kind of tread he had at the moment but we were working with smooth concrete too. Hope this helps.

 

[GPdori740]

It can be done. a custom chassis plate will need to be made, and upper deck, as well as driveshafts ( you may be able to source HPI original drift shafts)
HPI type-A tires #4402 are a must. the only other tire that will work is Tamiya Type-D (mounted on gold wheels) its not as hard as it seems. move forward all the components, trace out the chassis design, cut, then drill. same wiht the upper deck, make a template with plastic sheet, transfer it to either aluminum sheet or carbon fiber. driveshafts are the har dpart if you need to make them. with my custom nitro drift project, i needed an even shorter front sahft, and a longer rear shaft. front is about 6mm, rear is about 116mm.