Quote:
Originally Posted by chet
like I said above the chassis is a lot lighter so try some weight in your car. Are you running a shorty pack or full size? When a car is to light it drives wierd.
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Hi,
I completely understand where you're coming from, and I use weights on rare occasions as a quick-fix myself when the car isn't quite right and I'm stuck for time.
But, a handling improvement due to the addition of weights would indicate that the car was previously overdamped, oversprung and/or a bad balance between front and rear suspension.
The top drivers that I have spoken to (Richard Cree, Richard Lowe and others - we'd all like to be as quick as those boys!) advocate that a light weight car will always be better -requires less traction, less forces in the suspension, carries more speed in the corners, less heat in the electrics, more efficiency, less tyre wear etc etc.
I've only recently weened myself off using weights, and although my regular setups made the car unpredictable and all it wanted to do was roll over onto its roof, once I reduced the damping and rebalanced the car by using a lighter lipo and positioning it right, the performance came back - and I'm quicker.
I'll agree, the car is harder to drive as it's not as lazy and unreactive as the weighted up car - but it is quicker.
It became evident at the oOple Invernational this year when I turned up with my DEX210 (standard chassis) weighing 1760g - car struggled for traction, took forever to change direction and destroyed tires. DEX210s at the top of the field were light (plastic chassis and some used lightweight 30c LRP lipo packs) probably around the weight limit (1590g?) and were nibble, needed bugger all traction to get moving, and tracked really well through the medium into low speed corners. The lighter cars also cleared the jumps using 8.5 turn motors, whilst I had to drop to a 7.5 to get the mid range grunt - this caused further low speed traction issues...
My advice is to aim light, and do your best to ween yourself of weight.
Just some food for thought....