Mad rat handling in the wet

[markymark6183]

Hi guys, last night I was down the track last night and it was wet, handling wise all the back end wanted to do was overtake the front end it was a proper hand full, steering wasn't great either so my question is what set ups do you guys use for the wet ?

Cheers

[Cameo]

What tires did you use and what is the surface?

[markymark6183]

Originally Posted by Cameo

What tires did you use and what is the surface?

fastraxx mini spikes (brand new) and we drive on grass,astro and concrete all on the same track

[Dave Dodd]

when its wet/damp i always use Ballistic greens.

[Cameo]

Originally Posted by markymark6183

fastraxx mini spikes (brand new) and we drive on grass,astro and concrete all on the same track

I'm sorry I have no experience on there surfaces. I would certainly check what the others use and try the same. It will also hep if you "tame down" the front. Make sure the shock is inside on the tower and outside on the arm. Also make sure the ride height is the same or higher than the rear.

Originally Posted by Dave Dodd

when its wet/damp i always use Ballistic greens.

Dave know's his stuff I'd try these.

[markymark6183]

Would it make a difference if I did the camber on the front, so the top of the wheels toe inwards?? What impact would that have on the rat ?

[Cameo]

Originally Posted by markymark6183

Would it make a difference if I did the camber on the front, so the top of the wheels toe inwards?? What impact would that have on the rat ?

I run 0 camber on the front. Adding camber will add steering. (Make your situation worse)

Tires are 90 percent of setup. I use my base setup everywhere then find the right tire then make suspention changes.

Try starting with my base set up and the tires Dave recommended.
http://www.petitrc.com/setup/kawada/...eSetup2011.pdf

[markymark6183]

Originally Posted by Cameo

I run 0 camber on the front. Adding camber will add steering. (Make your situation worse)

Tires are 90 percent of setup. I use my base setup everywhere then find the right tire then make suspention changes.

Try starting with my base set up and the tires Dave recommended.
http://www.petitrc.com/setup/kawada/...eSetup2011.pdf

thanks cameo that helps alot buddy as im new to this game, but i love it already, half the fun is playing round to find the right set up

[markymark6183]

Originally Posted by Dave Dodd

when its wet/damp i always use Ballistic greens.

Tried these tyres on the rear last night and all I can say is wow these are fantastic, had grip all night result

[4_cell_racer]

Originally Posted by Dave Dodd

when its wet/damp i always use Ballistic greens.

Is that all round Dave? If just on the rear what do you run up front??

[Robbiejuk]

I usually just use them just on the rear, and then if I need more steering in the damp I will use them all round. I usually find that schumacher slim Green or yellow mini spikes in the wet give a better balance than the ballistics.

[markymark6183]

Now I've got the tyres sorted, I run standard kit shocks so what shocks do you guys use which fit straight onto the rat ?

[Robbiejuk]

We just upgraded a lad at our clubs mad rat shocks just by buying the alloy bodies and the plastic tops that go inside the metal ones.

Total cost was around 35 pounds I believe and you already have all the seals, shafts, pistons and washers that you need in your standard shocks. These obviously bolt straight on with the standard shock fittings.

[Mad-Wolfie]

Originally Posted by Robbiejuk

We just upgraded a lad at our clubs mad rat shocks just by buying the alloy bodies and the plastic tops that go inside the metal ones.

Total cost was around 35 pounds I believe and you already have all the seals, shafts, pistons and washers that you need in your standard shocks. These obviously bolt straight on with the standard shock fittings.

I've just upgraded mine, i was sick of the tops popping off the kit shocks on landings & in general use.. after 4 runs (1 practice, 3 heats at a club meeting) the other week, 3 of them ended with shock problems & i decided that was enough & something had to be done.

I have read all the blurb on people saying "get the losi shocks" but at those prices i can wait, so as i tried the upgrade on an Ansmannn touring car i had changing from kit shocks to upgraded alloy ones from the Ansmann range, i decided to take the plunge on a gamble.

I've bought the Ansmann aluminium shocks 95mm for the rear (part number 201000039) for the rear & the 85mm shocks (part number 201000038) for the front & each retail for less than a tenner a pair so cheap enough not to break the bank but cheap enough to fiddle around with. I've stripped the entire rat kit shocks down & also the alloy shocks & transferred the internals (shaft, piston, red bladder, bottom eyelets) from the kit shocks & transferred them into the alloy ones & they are now like silk with 3 hole pistons & 30wt oil. i've kept the top alloy eyelets & shock body (as they were the root of the problem in the 1st place on the plastic shocks) but simply had to put a 2mm alloy spacer & a small washer to act as a stand-off on the shock tower as the eyelets on the alloy shocks have a metal collar fitted which seems more substantial than the plastic kit one & the shocks seem more articulated on the metal collars so tend to move freely even with the top bolts nipped right up.

I've also had to add about 4mm of rubber pipe to the inside of the shock shaft to limit the drop of the front arms (with the kit shafts fitted). I've also got the 75mm shocks on order which i'm going to test on the fronts or swap to if i need to. although i've not track tested them fully in all conditions apart from a bit of track time indoors when i 1st got the shocks, they seem better than the kit shocks, granted probably not the Losi quality but an improvement on the kit plastic rubbish even in a standard set-up with just the kit springs fitted as the springs that come on the alloy shocks are rock hard.