How to compensate for a loose track condition

[godale03]

Hey guys,

I got to go racing this weekend. First time out in about a month. I was running my T4. I had a great time. Qualified 3 and finished third. It was a very frustrating day though. The track conditions were way loose. The track surface was hard packed clay with a bit of sand on top. Usually we can wet the track down and get it to where we have some sort of traction. It has been so dry here though that whatever water we applied was soaked right up and it was dry again in minutes. I ran Proline Edges in the front and bowties in the rear to start. I had some traction but I was very loose in and really loose coming out of a turn. I switched up and ran some Panther switches in the rear and even tried running a set of Proline holeshots in the front.. just to see how it worked. I figured I had nothing to loose... right! LOL. I was way to loose durning that run. I had now traction what so ever. So I swithed back to my original setup and finished the day. My question is.. what type of tire would you recomend for the surface described here? I was really chasing the truck all day. Thanks guys.

Tom

 

[HeartBreak]

Your front tires should be fine. Using the stock settings on the truck, oil and all, try a set of holeshots, or maybe some step pins. Something with a real small pin on it should work fine.

If you find you need more traction up front, try a set of Blades. They're half holeshot, half edge.

From there, all you need is a smooooooth throttle finger. Easy on, easy off, grasshoppa.

 

[FastEddy]

You can lower the ride height in the back to try and get more traction. Move the battery to the rear most setting. Even try to loosen the slipper a bit.

 

[godale03]

I will give it a shot guys. I am learning. I chased the setup all day. I changed tires, springs, and played with the shock placement. It took me most of the day, but I did figure out that if I breathed to hard on the trigger, I spun out. LOL. So I set the radio to Exp for throttle and I had a better time with it. I just couldn't find the hook up. Thanks for the advice guys. I will give it a shot. Thanks!

Tom

 

[godale03]

Hey Guys,

Is there any recomendation on different types of rubber that may help as well? I am looking for other options for rear rubber for different conditions. Maybe a run down what tires work on what track conditions is a better question? Just looking at ideas for different setups. Thanks

Tom

 

[HeartBreak]

I'm not sure how panther rates their tires, but with Proline, the M3's are softer, which yield more traction, and have a shorter life. The gain is not very noticeable; I'd stick with the M2's, since they'll last longer.

As for tread patterns; basically the loamier the dirt, the larger the spike, until you hit hard-pack, then it's the smaller the spike the better. When you have hardpack with "sand" like stuff on it, then you need a small spike as far apart as you can get.

 

[godale03]

Thanks HB, That makes alot of sense. Thank you. I will see what I can find out there for hardpack with a sandy top. Thanks

Tom

 

[HeartBreak]

Not a problem. I used to run M2 Square Fuzzies on the rear with M2 Edges on the California Clay, and they hooked up really well with the box stock settings on my T3. On somethin with a fine layer of sand/dust, I'd almost say the Square Fuzzies would work, but then you need something with just a little more gap between the knobs.

Also, as Fast Eddy pointed out; set your battery pack all the way to the rear, and perhaps try one set stiffer of springs on the front shocks.

 

[godale03]

Well, after weighing all the advice and doing alot of reading on compounds and tread patterns...... I have decided and ordered a set of holeshots for the rear, and a set of blades for the front. I think based on what you guys have said and what I have read this is the best setup for the track conditions I will be running. I guess there is only one way to find out.. right? LOL Thanks for all the help guys.

Tom

 

[HeartBreak]

No prob amigo. If memory serves, the stock front springs are green... Have you tried some silvers?

 

[godale03]

No prob amigo. If memory serves, the stock front springs are green... Have you tried some silvers?

I do have a set of slivers. I actually was able to find a complete set of springs for the front and back... they are really tough to get for some reason. I will give the slivers a try. Thanks man.

Tom

 

[chuck3]

well since one question has been answered, and another that relates to this thread has popped into my head i am unofficially going to jack this thread!

what would be the best shock setup for different surfaces? softer or harder springs? more or less preload? i have raced on all kinds of surfaces and all I've been able to notice (not that i was looking) is that for faster corners, you want less preload and a lower truck.

and keep the tire answers coming to! maybe we can start getting into shock/tire setups for all kinds of terrain.

 

[HeartBreak]

There's no hard-n-fast rule for a general setup for different surfaces; it all depends on the handling characteristics you're after. For shocks alone, if you're after traction on any given end, you basically want to stiffen the opposite end, in order to force the weight transfer to stay closer to one end (think of it as a teeter-totter trying to come down; the more one side pushes up, the more the other side comes down).

I would highly recommend going to the RcDocuments.com site and grabbing a copy of the T3 setup guide. It covers pretty much all the adjustments, from shock oil to anti-squat and back. It's a very excellent book that teaches you the principles behind all the adjustments.