How do you mod?

[JediYoda56]

Hello All,

I am new to this whole tiny rc thing. So far I only have a zipzap and I wondering what some mods do. Ok engine upgrade I understand faster rpm should equal faster run times. Same thing with gearing different gears for faster speed with slower off the line or faster off the line with slower speed.

Ok what are the Suspension Torsion Bars for and how do you replace them? Do the air foils do anything?

Well that is it for now. Thanks for reading.

[ax0n]

you're the 3rd person to ask today. clik the "Search" link and search the Zip Zaps forum for "Sway Bars"

There's a few different discussions on this already.

[JediYoda56]

Actually the other threads do not answer my question. No one actually tells you what the changing the sway bars are meant to accomplish, just how to change them, which is good. But was does changing them do for the cars?

[Namuna]

The 'Sway Bars' apply different levels (there's currently 3 options available) of pressure down on the steering arms of the front wheels.

Think of it as getting soft, medium or hard shocks in the front of a car.

The 'Airfoil' or 'Wing' works as a downforce on the rear of the car...The faster the speed, the more the downforce (the idea is that you WANT the car to stay on the ground as it's going faster and faster :D )

Keep this in mind though...These technologies are from the full size racing world, whether or not it actually makes a NOTICABLE difference at 1:64th scale is a different story.

[lowerdfool]

the "torsion bar" / sway bar, acts like a spring suspension in the front and also lets the front end sway a little from side to side for better traction during turning. airfoils or wings or whatever you want to call them are asthetics only. Don't be afraid to dig around on the other sections of this forum board. there's a lot of info in the microsizer/Bit Char-G section and both hop-ups and projects. just take a good look around and use that search function open to all sections and you may find out more than you do in just this one section.

[Axel]

Hehe, the wings/spoilers don't really do anything on these cars except make them heavier and slower. They look nice, but definitely take them off before a race.

[JediYoda56]

Do the sway bars actually make a difference?

[Axel]

In my opinion, yes. But not a ton. If you want the best steering, bend one of them down a bit so it doesn't have much give. It helps out.

[Lord Bodak]

Keep in mind that the average "riced" car in the real world is front wheel drive and so wings/spoilers on the back do the same thing-- heavier and slower without much real benefit.

Originally posted by Axel
Hehe, the wings/spoilers don't really do anything on these cars except make them heavier and slower. They look nice, but definitely take them off before a race.

[go_zz_go]

on real cars the wing is to cause down force to keep traction so on a front wheel drive with a wing it will take more weight off the front is kinda of dumb to have that wing doing the opposite of what it is supposed to lol

[lowerdfool]

A wing is provided to equal out the traction to the rear wheels around corners on fwd. Or on the rear wheels for straight line traction in drag racing for rwd. Most people use them as an aesthetic purpose though. If you've ever went around a hard corner to hold traction to at 60 miles per hour on a fwd car without a wing then went around the same corner at the same speed with a semi small downforce spoiler you'd realize they do play a roll in handleing and traction. But for as small as these cars are and as fast as they move I would't worry bout loosing traction. I don't know of many cars that leave nice little burnout marks everywhere they go or spin out going around corners berfore they flip over at high speeds. Besides maybe people that have the rear set up for drifting but that's another story entirely.

[ax0n]

Don't forget that a spoiler also can decrease turbulence drag if you install the right one, as well as offering some downforce.

Contrary to "Rear Wheel Drive Big Displacement Freak" myth, a spoiler can also reduce the effects of lift-off oversteer even in front wheel drive vehicles as well.

Although I must come clean; most hondas you see on the street with boeing wings on the trunk won't ever encounter lift-off oversteer, as it's something that only happens on tight corners at moderate speeds, such as the conditions of running your car on a real track like laguna seca. Most kids with gaudy wings won't ever sit in the grandstands at a real track event (and I'm not talking about nascar ovals here), much less actually drive their car around a track (autocrossing excluded) in competiton.

I was having a problem with rollovers using too firm a suspension. Putting slicks on the front and stock tires on the back helped that out a bit, as the stockers seem to give it a little oversteer because they lose traction before the fronts, so it doesn't roll over as easily. Although on my kitchen floor, and smooth concrete, you have to drive carefully. Much like in real life, oversteer can be used to your advantage if you know how to induce it and control it; by the same token if it happens unexpectedly, you will lose control of the car. play with different suspension setups for steering control, and tune the back end with different tires, gears, and motors to get the "right amount " of oversteer for your application.

Straight courses and slaloms, it would be best to disregard oversteer as an option, and run the grippiest tire you can for the surface you're on, and tune the car for all out speed, and practice your slalom skills.

On autocross or track courses on cement or tile, you may want to experiment with drifting (oversteer) to help you dominate in the twisties.

On surfaces like short short carpet, felt (like on a pool table) or tablecloths, don't even try to oversteer. it won't work.