Saturday, August 30, 2008
Remote Control Car Setup Tips
By Gregory Alexander
Setting up a remote control car is as much a science as it is an art, the physics behind rc cars is exactly the same as the physics that governs real cars, if you know how setup changes in a race car work, you already know how to setup a remote control car.
The problem that most people have with setting up RC cars is that when you make a change in one area it always has a knock-on effect on the rest of your settings, setups are very much a balancing act
To start with I'll concentrate on the basics of handling, over steer and under steer. The physics behind this is pretty simple, if you turn into a corner the center of gravity will move in what ever direction you were initially travelling. Your tires via friction push back with (hopefully) an equal amount of force. When your wheels lose traction and start to slide the energy that was being turned into heat in your tires gets released as inertial energy in the original direction of travel. With cars, both back and front don't break traction equally, this creates either under steer or over steer, which is how we describe the experience the driver has under these conditions.
Under steer
Under steer is when the front of the car loses traction while the rear of the car still has grip on the tar, the effect is that the nose of the car drifts away from the direction you are turning, turning harder makes it worse, the only thing you can really do is back off the throttle and bleed off speed.
Over Steer
Over steer is the opposite of under steer, and in most cases it's best to have a little of this. The front of the car keeps traction while the rear lets go. One of the key benefits is that you can typically corner much faster in a car that has some over steer
Over steer / Under steer Tuning tips
There are a lot of ways to tune the handling or your radio controlled car, the easiest is to adjust the front and rear shocks. While there are a lot of options with springs, different oils and all sorts we are just going to concentrate on the basics, most decent shocks have adjustments, either with spacers or bolts that let you adjust how hard or soft the shocks are.
As far as maximum and minimum stiffness goes, make sure that the bottom of your car doesn't scrape the ground, and on the other end make sure it doesn't bounce and leave the asphalt, apart from that you need to find the setup that matches your driving style, most people get winning setups off the internet and try to learn to drive them, mind you this is a great starting point, and most championship winners post their setup sheets
Shock Stiffness guide
Stiffen in front = increasing under steer or reducing over steer
Stiffen in rear = increasing over steer or reducing under steer
You may be wondering why one setting makes two changes, this is because it's all about balance, you could for example setup your rc car by only every changing the rear stiffness, but you would find that when you got the perfect amount of over steer under braking the car would then be uncontrollable during the exit of the corner. It's all about balance,
Another thing to keep in mind is that when you change the shocks you also change the roll of the car, this the the chassis of the car moving with the inertia, in effect pushing the front tires into the road during breaking and the rear during acceleration. If your shocks are too soft then the transfer might dig your front wheels in and lift the rear enough to make you car spin out, or lose steering under throttle, you have to find the right balance
More to come...
Gregory Alexander was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He spent most of his younger days travelling the world, but eventually settled back home. He first got interested in Remote Control several years ago, since then it has grown into an obsession, now a successful RC Racer and Drifter he shares his knowledge with the world. More tips and tricks like the one in this article go to http://www.rcspares.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_Alexander
Setting up a remote control car is as much a science as it is an art, the physics behind rc cars is exactly the same as the physics that governs real cars, if you know how setup changes in a race car work, you already know how to setup a remote control car.
The problem that most people have with setting up RC cars is that when you make a change in one area it always has a knock-on effect on the rest of your settings, setups are very much a balancing act
To start with I'll concentrate on the basics of handling, over steer and under steer. The physics behind this is pretty simple, if you turn into a corner the center of gravity will move in what ever direction you were initially travelling. Your tires via friction push back with (hopefully) an equal amount of force. When your wheels lose traction and start to slide the energy that was being turned into heat in your tires gets released as inertial energy in the original direction of travel. With cars, both back and front don't break traction equally, this creates either under steer or over steer, which is how we describe the experience the driver has under these conditions.
Under steer
Under steer is when the front of the car loses traction while the rear of the car still has grip on the tar, the effect is that the nose of the car drifts away from the direction you are turning, turning harder makes it worse, the only thing you can really do is back off the throttle and bleed off speed.
Over Steer
Over steer is the opposite of under steer, and in most cases it's best to have a little of this. The front of the car keeps traction while the rear lets go. One of the key benefits is that you can typically corner much faster in a car that has some over steer
Over steer / Under steer Tuning tips
There are a lot of ways to tune the handling or your radio controlled car, the easiest is to adjust the front and rear shocks. While there are a lot of options with springs, different oils and all sorts we are just going to concentrate on the basics, most decent shocks have adjustments, either with spacers or bolts that let you adjust how hard or soft the shocks are.
As far as maximum and minimum stiffness goes, make sure that the bottom of your car doesn't scrape the ground, and on the other end make sure it doesn't bounce and leave the asphalt, apart from that you need to find the setup that matches your driving style, most people get winning setups off the internet and try to learn to drive them, mind you this is a great starting point, and most championship winners post their setup sheets
Shock Stiffness guide
Stiffen in front = increasing under steer or reducing over steer
Stiffen in rear = increasing over steer or reducing under steer
You may be wondering why one setting makes two changes, this is because it's all about balance, you could for example setup your rc car by only every changing the rear stiffness, but you would find that when you got the perfect amount of over steer under braking the car would then be uncontrollable during the exit of the corner. It's all about balance,
Another thing to keep in mind is that when you change the shocks you also change the roll of the car, this the the chassis of the car moving with the inertia, in effect pushing the front tires into the road during breaking and the rear during acceleration. If your shocks are too soft then the transfer might dig your front wheels in and lift the rear enough to make you car spin out, or lose steering under throttle, you have to find the right balance
More to come...
Gregory Alexander was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He spent most of his younger days travelling the world, but eventually settled back home. He first got interested in Remote Control several years ago, since then it has grown into an obsession, now a successful RC Racer and Drifter he shares his knowledge with the world. More tips and tricks like the one in this article go to http://www.rcspares.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_Alexander
Fast Electric RC Cars - The Basics of Choosing an RC Car
By Alex Desatoff
How fast are they really?
If your interested in buying an electric RC car then you likely have a few questions regarding what you can expect from them. The main question that arises the most kind of speeds can it reach. Fast electric RC cars, the ones that are tuned just right and have a custom engine are still no match to a gas powered RC car. You can realistically expect speeds of 30-45 MPH on an average electric RC car and 50-75 MPH on a more advanced and properly tuned vehicle.
Battery Life/Run Time
Another factor that should be considered before making a purchase is the battery life. The battery life on an average RC car will give you 15 to 20 minutes of run time - full speed. Some radio control cars will deplete energy faster depending on accessories like working lights, alarms and the like. Check the battery charge rating on the specifications sheet to ensure it will run on a single charge according to your expectations.
Space Requirements/Where To Race
Unlike gas powered RC cars, electric RC cars can be driven/raced in apartment complexes due to being slower and the reduced noise levels no worrying about complaining neighbors! Most fast electric RC cars are built with standard street tires which are smaller and use less rubber. This is ideal if your in town and you'll only be driving on pavement. If your into offroad racing then you will need to upgrade your RC car tires to a larger size with better tread for increased grip.
Your Local Hobby Shop
Hobby shops often have race tracks and strips of pavement specifically for racing RC cars - a great place to have some fun and learn some interesting things about RC cars from other enthusiasts. If you really decide you like the RC hobby world then you can even enter racing competitions that take place at these tracks and have a chance at winning prizes! Electric RC cars may be fast but they are no competition for a gas powered RC car so you may be out of luck unless they specifically have different competition groups for gas and electric RC cars.
About The Radio Control Signal
One final note pertains to the signal output by your controller. On cheaper RC cars the signal may interfere with other RC cars and you may experience dead spots where you lose control of your RC car. Better models use a specific signal "channel" for each type of RC car that is built - if the same two RC cars are together you have the option of switching to another "channel" so this does not happen.
If you would like to learn more than visit http://www.Saber-RC-Cars.com, an informative website about owning, taking care of and tuning fast electric RC cars which includes a questions and answers section and video content.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Desatoff
How fast are they really?
If your interested in buying an electric RC car then you likely have a few questions regarding what you can expect from them. The main question that arises the most kind of speeds can it reach. Fast electric RC cars, the ones that are tuned just right and have a custom engine are still no match to a gas powered RC car. You can realistically expect speeds of 30-45 MPH on an average electric RC car and 50-75 MPH on a more advanced and properly tuned vehicle.
Battery Life/Run Time
Another factor that should be considered before making a purchase is the battery life. The battery life on an average RC car will give you 15 to 20 minutes of run time - full speed. Some radio control cars will deplete energy faster depending on accessories like working lights, alarms and the like. Check the battery charge rating on the specifications sheet to ensure it will run on a single charge according to your expectations.
Space Requirements/Where To Race
Unlike gas powered RC cars, electric RC cars can be driven/raced in apartment complexes due to being slower and the reduced noise levels no worrying about complaining neighbors! Most fast electric RC cars are built with standard street tires which are smaller and use less rubber. This is ideal if your in town and you'll only be driving on pavement. If your into offroad racing then you will need to upgrade your RC car tires to a larger size with better tread for increased grip.
Your Local Hobby Shop
Hobby shops often have race tracks and strips of pavement specifically for racing RC cars - a great place to have some fun and learn some interesting things about RC cars from other enthusiasts. If you really decide you like the RC hobby world then you can even enter racing competitions that take place at these tracks and have a chance at winning prizes! Electric RC cars may be fast but they are no competition for a gas powered RC car so you may be out of luck unless they specifically have different competition groups for gas and electric RC cars.
About The Radio Control Signal
One final note pertains to the signal output by your controller. On cheaper RC cars the signal may interfere with other RC cars and you may experience dead spots where you lose control of your RC car. Better models use a specific signal "channel" for each type of RC car that is built - if the same two RC cars are together you have the option of switching to another "channel" so this does not happen.
If you would like to learn more than visit http://www.Saber-RC-Cars.com, an informative website about owning, taking care of and tuning fast electric RC cars which includes a questions and answers section and video content.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Desatoff
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
