View Full Version : Looking to Join for 2wd Off Road
Hi all,
Looking at re-joining a club and although I'm up in Oxshott; I think SHRCC will be my closest club for 2wd off road.
I am trying to create an account to get BRCA membership but the website doesn't seem to be working for new members/joining.
It would be good to come down and see what it's all about on one of your practice evenings.
I've just picked up a new VBC Firebolt from the classifieds on here and I am in the process off finishing it off with some brushless electrics (nothing fancy) and a shorty LiPo I had from my last car.
This setup certainly won't be competitive but it would be good to get my eye back in, if you like, on weekday evenings :thumbsup:
Anything I should know about the club, membership etc? Would be good to get some tips on set up from some other racers. I don't even have a fast charger at the moment!
dobber
07-11-2016, 06:34 PM
Hi,
Great stuff. We only had one vbc firbolt at the club and it went round very well. Chris at the club used it so oh should be able to get som good tips off him.
We are open every Thursday evening for racing, every other Tuesday for practice (open this Tuesday) and every other Sunday (open week on Sunday) for racing too.
Pop along and bring the buggy. I believe you are ok for the first 3 meetings without a brca license, after that you will need one.
Hope that helps.
Perfect - Thanks Dobber!
Parts I need to complete are unlikely to be here tomorrow so it looks like next Tuesday at the earliest.
Will drop the BRCA email if the website doesn't sort itself out in the next few days :)
I doubt I'll be quick and I'll be on a steep learning curve but I need a cheaper hobby than full size cars, which are costing me far too much!
Looking forward to it and thanks for the reply.
keith123
12-11-2016, 06:07 PM
Glad you found your way over from the PH forum, the guys here should offer lots of help and good advice :thumbsup:
Thanks Keith :)
Have a couple more LiPos, fast charger, motor, ESC and pinions in the post somewhere!
It's all up and running as it is so I'll try and get down the next Tuesday practice.
Will that be the 22nd?
dobber
13-11-2016, 06:14 PM
Yes, next practice is 22nd. Why not pop along on Thursday and race?
Thanks Keith :)
Have a couple more LiPos, fast charger, motor, ESC and pinions in the post somewhere!
It's all up and running as it is so I'll try and get down the next Tuesday practice.
Will that be the 22nd?
Hi Dobber,
I think I really need some practice and the car needs a shakedown first... I am still waiting for some more pinions (will be very undergeared at the moment I suspect) and other parts to turn up, so I am best not being a moving road block in the Z Final to start with.
Just want to find a comfortable set up, make sure the temps are all good and get my eye in... whilst not coming last!
Plus, Thursday evenings are not generally great for me, sadly.
kengor
19-11-2016, 02:20 PM
Hi Dobber,
I think I really need some practice and the car needs a shakedown first... I am still waiting for some more pinions (will be very undergeared at the moment I suspect) and other parts to turn up, so I am best not being a moving road block in the Z Final to start with.
Just want to find a comfortable set up, make sure the temps are all good and get my eye in... whilst not coming last!
Plus, Thursday evenings are not generally great for me, sadly.
There are practice nights every other Tuesday which basically gives you 3 hours of pure tracktime practicing ........ Look up the SHRCCC facebook page for the dates ....... and don't worry about your speed, I'm a newbie to the club myself and nowhere near the skill and speed of the others but the guys give you buggy and driving tips ..... and above all, its a really friendly atmosphere!
Sounds great! I don't Facebook but I'll try and head down this Tuesday evening.
I'll certainly be at the beginner end of the spectrum. I've got a couple more shorty LiPos now so I can do more than 5mins at least! Perhaps forever with the 19t pinion that's in there!
Still waiting on a new ESC, pinions etc so I'll get some practice in while the car is 'slow'!
Thanks to everyone who made me feel so welcome this evening!
I haven't been home long - managed to find every diversion, crash and road works on the way home!
Went onto MB Models website and the only part they have out of stock is that "arm pin pivot ball" that I need to sort that rear wishbone issue!
Apologies for all the crashes etc I absolutely loved it though - so much fun.
My set up, out of the box, actually seemed to work pretty well! I don't think the car was the major issue with the lack of speed ;)
Gearing seemed spot on and the car wasn't lacking straight line speed and although there's a bit of initial understeer (that could probably be dialed out with a little less toe-in, which I was quite aggressive with) I think I'll leave it alone as it was pretty wet out there.
Even the Schumacher yellow mini darts seemed to do an ok job. Just need to get used to this trigger/wheel controller!
The car doesn't look quite as pretty as a few hours ago but held up surprisingly well. I am just not sure why these bolt heads seem to shear. Other than missing that cup after that bolt sheared, everything else should clean up nicely!
fidspeed
22-11-2016, 11:20 PM
well done sir
well and truly hooked ?
nice to see you acknowledging your host club ,a lot of people put a lot of hardwork in for others to enjoy and its often overlooked
well done to all involved keep it fun
dave fid ( along way away oop north and east in RC wilderness (Lincolnshire)
kengor
23-11-2016, 12:26 AM
Good to hear that you had fun ...... It's what the club is all about tbh ...... We have such a diverse range of buggies and drivers it's quite intriguing ....... Shame I can't make it to the track at the moment otherwise would have caught up with you to see how you're getting on ......
But welcome to SHRCCC ........ :)
It's a great set up and despite the rain; everyone seemed in good spirits.
It's going to be a steep learning curve but a lot of great fun!
Just need to find a better route to/ from with all these road works!
Hopefully MB Models get the parts I need in stock in the next couple of weeks but I guess I can probably order them from the manufacturer, direct, if not!
kengor
23-11-2016, 01:29 PM
How did the VBC fair at the track ? did you manage to pace yourself with one of the regulars? Should've been ok - I remember when I joined the club last year with my Tamiya DT-02's ...... one was running 10.5 blinky, the other was running a sport tuned 23T brushed ..... ahhhh race nights were so amusing back then ........
Pace myself with one of the regulars? Ummmm.... No. ;)
To be fair, I managed one whole clean lap whilst going easy on the throttle but never two at a time and I am not even sure I nailed 2 corners in a row, whilst giving it the beans. When it came together (rarely), it seemed quick.
My inputs just aren't refined/ delicate enough. I do wonder if I should go back to sticks but I'll persevere for now. It's very early days. It has been 20yrs since I had a Mardave Cobra for racing and a stick transmitter! Brushless motors and these trigger/ wheel transmitters are a whole new world!
The actual car performed very well IMHO. It jumped nicely (when positioned correctly pre-jump), was fast on the straight and seemed pretty smooth (considering it was running a sensorless setup). I've got a sensored setup (or will when the postman delivers it) but I might leave this for now and get used to the car as it is.
I was getting a lot of understeer on corner entry, which surprised me as I am running a shorty LiPo, down the chassis, as close to the front as possible. However, I was possibly running a little high with a little too much toe-in. I set it up 'by eye' with a view to it hopefully being easy to drive and taking a few hits. That didn't necessarily work out to plan, as the heavens opened up and there just wasn't enough steering.
Perhaps the Schumacher Yellow Mini Darts (and medium inserts) were wrong for the track/ conditions as well. I'll need to buy a bit of a selection, I guess.
Lots of oversteer/ fishtailing coming out of corners on the power. I think we can put that down to the driver and a lack of delicacy on the trigger and the steering. Possibly I could tweak the ESC modes/ settings as well.
So, lots to learn on the driving front and some set up to play with. I'd like to try it in the dry, as it is, however just to see where the chassis/ grip/ setup is before I go fiddling too much.
Spoke with MB Models and they should have my pivot cup things in by Fri/ Mon so I should be good to head down the next practice Tuesday. I might pick up some more parts in the next order 'just in case'.
However, the car itself seems excellent and I have no doubt a seasoned driver there would have made it look very good with some minor tweaks. I certainly don't think I need spend more money on chassis/ motors/ batteries/ electrics/ chargers etc as my budget set up seems to offer way more than my skills and it'll take a good while to catch up and know what I am doing.
kengor
29-11-2016, 06:58 PM
Should try a race night! A nice experience to actually be focused and drive for 5 mins. I was scared initially as I kept thinking my skill level wasn't up to it, and it wasn't up to it! But it makes you focus Driving the heats and improves your driving even though you're only driving about five minutes at a time ...... Plus the guys all give you a hand with setup and driving tips .....
I'll definitely try and do a Thursday but more often than not, it's a drinking night!
Would be good to get down on Tuesday again but my parts are held up in customs so we'll have to see!
kengor
03-12-2016, 01:28 AM
Lol - come drink tea/coffee and play with your toy car down at the track. ;)
I was there last Thursday. It was truly freezing but it was one very enjoyable night ...... I know you said you don't do Facebook, but checkout the clubs Facebook page every now and again to catch up on the frolics. ;)
Playing with my toy car has already amused my friends greatly but possibly no more so than my love of 90s French hot hatches :D
My parts have arrived in stock and been ordered so I should be good to go on Tuesday, which is warmer and dryer by the looks of things!
It looks like there is a fair chance I'll be working in Woking from some time in January so it will be easier to get down the track after work, which may help. I'm still not sure I could justify binning Mrs9 off for two nights a week but you never know!
She's on FB so will take a look at the club page with her when she reappears from her night out last night!
My selection of pinions has now turned up, as well as my cheap sensored ESC and motor but I think I'll have a fiddle with the geometry next time out and try and find a nice setup before I change anything electric (or even gearing) as it all seemed 'fine' last time out.
A lot of guys recommended lighter oil in the rear dampers than the front, when the car was built, so I am running 40wt(F)/35wt(R). I might dial out some of the aggressive front toe-in next time out and see if the understeer can be tamed and, if not, I may look at switching the damper oils round - start with the simple stuff. Perhaps I need less toe at the rear but I guess that needs some new parts.
Parts just arrived from MB Models (thanks Michael) but I am slammed at work.
Not sure I am going to have time to get my work done, get the car back together and come down tonight.
Back from a trip on the 20th so I am not sure Mrs9 will want me sneaking straight out that evening, so it looks like it's the first practice of the New Year for me!
Happy Christmas everyone! Looking forward to more practice and perhaps some racing in 2017!
kengor
08-12-2016, 10:02 PM
Ditto with me too - I probably won't be able to get trackside till the end of January due to work. But I'm sure we'll be fine.
As they say, when you gotta race, you gotta race!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year SHRCCC!
Treated the VBC to some TLC today. Battery moved to rearward position to make room for the ESC and Receiver, which weren't happy in the longitudinal battery position.
New Futaba servo (metal gears etc) picked up brand new/ unused off ebay for £25-ish installed. Also treated it to another tooth on the pinion and fixed the rear suspension damage from the last time out.
Will be interesting to see whether I have less steering now the battery position has been changed, though I have reduced some of the toe-in (a lot) I was running at the front and lowered the car a little.
Looking forward to the next practice evening, which I guess may be Tuesday 3rd January?
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dobber
29-12-2016, 06:38 PM
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year SHRCCC!
Treated the VBC to some TLC today. Battery moved to rearward position to make room for the ESC and Receiver, which weren't happy in the longitudinal battery position.
New Futaba servo (metal gears etc) picked up brand new/ unused off ebay for £25-ish installed. Also treated it to another tooth on the pinion and fixed the rear suspension damage from the last time out.
Will be interesting to see whether I have less steering now the battery position has been changed, though I have reduced some of the toe-in (a lot) I was running at the front and lowered the car a little.
Looking forward to the next practice evening, which I guess may be Tuesday 3rd January?
Yep, practice is on for Tuesday 3rd January 😀👍🏻
Top man, thanks Dobber - I shall see you all there!
Another 'difficult' night last night!
First run out the slipper nut came undone. Almost got a full cell out of it though and in the slippery conditions, I think it actually helped with my driving and I crashed (slightly) less and felt I was putting in better laps, despite the new layout/jumps causing me some difficulty.
Initially I think that may have been because I couldn't get enough speed on the combination before the straight, after a tight turn, due to the slipper. I also seemed to 'lose' it there a bit, which may have been the chassis bottoming out.
Rear traction seemed pretty good with the LiPo moved to the back, considering how slippery it was and running Schumacher Mini Dart Yellows. Front bite/ turn-in also seemed better (though maybe that was the slipper taking some of my ham-fisted throttle inputs out) with less toe-in at the front.
All in all - much happier with that setup, at least in those conditions. It would still be nice to try it in the dry/ warmer conditions.
On the second LiPo, things were going better on the jumps but I was spinning more under power with the slipper tightened up but a lot of that could be attributed to my inputs, I guess. However, a low speed impact with another car cracked/ snapped the RH rear upright.
That's the same corner of the car that was damaged last time out so I reckon it was probably cracked from previous incidents. A new pair of uprights have been ordered, along with the rear anti-roll bar kit.
The ARB won't help the spinning (though some driver improvement will) but may help a bit with the turn-in, which definitely dropped off a bit on the 2nd LiPo, once the slipper was tightened up.
The car will be repaired before the next practice (on the 17th, I assume), the rear ARB added and I think I'll jack the ride height up a little (I had lowered it after the first practice a couple of weeks back) to try and avoid bottoming out on the jumps on the new layout.
I'll keep the geometry the same (new front toe looks near to 0°, by eye) for now and then hopefully get through my 3 LiPo packs next time to improve my thumb skills.
I would agree that it feels a little soft but I think I'll look at damper internals/ springs after the next run, if I am happy with it. Feels like some 'more' damping on the new layout might be good and certainly when grip goes up but with conditions the way they are; the dirt setup seems to be working ok.
Plenty of power and torque (maybe too much for me) from the Dynamite 4000kv sensorless setup and plenty of run time from the 4000mAh shorty LiPos. More grip generally needed in the damp/ ice though!
What are the recommendations for tyres on the astro when the conditions are as they are?
Still - A cracking laugh, a good turnout and seemed like a nice bunch of people again! None of this has dampened my enthusiasm. I enjoy the fiddling as much as the driving, I reckon so I am looking forward to developing it further.
dobber
04-01-2017, 10:21 PM
In the wet you need Ballistic buggy green rears and either Schumacher cut stagger silvers for the front or slim dart silvers. I'd try the silver cut staggers first.
Thanks Dobber...
Ordered some new tyres, some stiffer springs and a couple of alloy steering parts and some carbon servo spacers (hopefully room to run the battery lengthways).
No harm is having more set up options. I seem to be chasing my tail a bit by buying the options after they could be tried. Now the pit box is starting to fill up!
Hi chaps - Long time no post!
Had to finish a work contract, get over some man flu and move house!
Car still in pieces but will be back together this week.
The SHRCCC website seems to be down (for me) - when is the next practice?
dobber
03-04-2017, 11:51 AM
Practice is on the 11th April.
Thanks Dobber!
Actually think I can't do next Tuesday... Hmmm...
Will see how it pans out - really want to get back out there, especially with the weather so good!
dobber
04-04-2017, 03:08 PM
If you can, why not come down on a Thursday, where the real fun is....Racing 😎
Seeing as my drinking night appears to be Tuesday next week... I might just do that.
Car has definitely taken a back seat during the house move but I want to get it out regularly this year.
Also had to get my full size 'toy' back rolling on new suspension etc prior to going to paint before the move, so it was out of the way. It has been hectic!
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