Lazer ZX5 Carbon Fibre chassis

[OldTimer]

I will hopefully post a few photos tonight of the Atomic Carbon ZX5 carbon fibre chassis for you all to have a look at. Made from 3mm carbon with milled battery slots and motor area. I am not sure if i am going to go into production with them as they are pretty pricey and i have had to sort battery posts hardware and a carbon fibre battery strap which pushes up the price., as you cannot really use the kit items.

[jimmy]

Look forward to seeing the photos Jonathan.

[OldTimer]

Photos attached of the 3mm chassis complete with battery strap in 4mm carbon fibre, the cells do slide a little, but if you add a little bit of rubbery tape to the bottom of the battery strap you should be ok, unless someone knows of a battery post about 1-2mm small than a BJ4 post.

http://atomic-carbon.gforceimages.net/products/zx5_atom_chassis_sml_2.jpg

http://atomic-carbon.gforceimages.net/products/zx5_atom_chassis_sml.jpg

http://atomic-carbon.gforceimages.net/products/zx5_atom_chassis_sml_1.jpg

What do you think, will it bring you back from the dark side (pred) Jimmy

[jimmy]

im back! honest! :afro: :buggy: :bounce:

looks great ! I have some yokomo standoffs but im guessing they might be too short.

[Will Olpin]

So Jimmy what is your car that you will race and wont be only building and reviewing? :wink: :jimmeh

[jimmy]

ZX5 ! for now. I'll have to see what the x10, yokomo, xx4 and academy V2 have to offer.

[DCM]

Hey Jim, if you want a veiw on how the V2 is over the original SB, there are a couple of us who have owned one, lol.

Jon, maybe you need to actualy cut the cells slots out, so the cells sit in the slots rather than ontop of a milled lower area??

[OldTimer]

Steve, i had thought about that but as there is no undertray out for the zx5 i thought it would be best to mill the chassis. I guess i could make the strap out of 5mm carbon.

[jimmy]

Steve, youve had a V2 ? mad... i know the team use a milled chassis like this one jonathan has designed, i saw glyn ward with one at the f345's, no cut outs because the original cf kit chassis was too flexible..

[DCM]

Not had a V2, but a lot of the stuff we asked for from the original is there, but not heard great stuff, usual good design with infuriating flaws, and yes, the Carbon Academy uses isn't good for a beer mat let alone a chassis....

[OldTimer]

So guys what would you like on the chassis ?, milled out slots like the chassis above or cutouts like on most chassis's ?

Also the chassis above always you to move the cells backwards and forwards like on the orginal chassis, or would you like them static in one position if so which position front / back / center.

I guess cell position depends if you need more steering or more rear traction ?.

[Tres]

Very nice....

My Zx is the mail right now, should have it this weekend...

I currently run a Bj4 and have a XXX4g+....
and have tested/ran most other 4wheels also(XX4, Mx4, X5, etc...)

I like the tunning option of moving the batts and would also prefer the chassis just milled and not slots cut all the way through....

[BluesFan]

I have no preference on the battery slots. I'd just like to see one actually on the buggy! Looks really nice OldTimer. You do some excellent work with the carbon fiber. I know a friend here in the states that could use one for sure. At our last race, he broke the battery strap rods completely off the chassis with the strap still attached with the body clips, and he cracked the front of the chassis really bad as well. First time I've seen the stock carbon composite chassis break.

Just curious, are you selling your stuff to any distributor in the U.S.? The shop I purchased my ZX-5 from has some carbon fiber parts that look remarkably close to yours: www.evolutionhobbies.com.
If you are selling to U.S. distributors, I'd love to see one of those chassis over here. :D

[jimmy]

its good to have the adjustability of the original chassis so this milled option is perferable really..


snapped a car with all the Atomic parts on yesterday at york, cant remember who's it was though..

http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/york29.jpg

[OldTimer]

BluesFan, i am working on a deal with Evolution Hobbies, and yes they are Atomic parts under there own brandname, if you need something in the mean time drop me a email and i can ship direct to you.

Looks like people like the milled chassis, i think i will stick with that design for the moment, btw you can move the cells forwards or back by 7mm on the chassis

Jimmy, its nice to see the parts on a car :)

[BluesFan]

BluesFan, i am working on a deal with Evolution Hobbies, and yes they are Atomic parts under there own brandname, if you need something in the mean time drop me a email and i can ship direct to you.

Looks like people like the milled chassis, i think i will stick with that design for the moment, btw you can move the cells forwards or back by 7mm on the chassis

Jimmy, its nice to see the parts on a car :)

Ok, that's what I figured. :D For right now, I think I'll stick with the stock parts and play it by ear. My main focus right now is to get an aluminum front hinge pin brace. I'm amazed that you guys aren't breaking them over there in the UK. We are breaking them left and right here in the states! No shop can keep that part tree in stock! Solving that problem will obviously send the shock elsewhere and I'd like to see what will be breaking next once the brace is more sturdy. If the shock goes straight to the chassis, then I'll definitely be in the market for one of those nice looking carbon fiber ones. :D It really looks nice in the picture with all the other carbon fiber pieces you've made for the car. What are you using for an undertray on the car? Lexan? Also, without the cutouts for the battery or motor, do you believe cooling to these areas will become an issue or will there be a minimal difference? Hopefully Jimmy will soon have an updated review with all the parts installed. I'd like to know if there are any handling differences that he's noticed with all of these parts on the car.

BTW, the store owner of evolution hobbies mentioned to me that he has somone working on the aluminum brace for him as well... are you the supplier on that one too?

[jimmy]

I got to try out a prototype Carbon Fibre main chassis from Atomic Carbon this weekend for the first time, Ill stick some more photos and words up later this week (bit busy with the XX4 review as well).
This is very close to the production version, and is cut out (instead of milled) and so a lot cheaper than the previous chassis.

My car had electrical problems in the final, possibly dodgy switch, but i finished all 3 qualifiers well.
This chassis setup (CF top and bottom decks) is very stiff, certainly stiffer than the BJ4, I have to say it handled really well even on the ultra slippy polished floor.
http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/kyosho1.jpg
Oh, and with all the Atomic Carbon products on there, the car really does look blinging awesome.
http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/kyosho2.jpg

[chrislee]

Yeah, pity about the final Jimmy, you had been flying in the qualifiers and the car looks awesome now with all that bling.

Chris

[Tres]

The chassis looks trick....

It should be very good for the high tractions tracks here in the states.(less flex)

The track I run on weekly is very high traction and smooth.

[daz]

your lazer is looking good jimmy. Richard Lowe was messing around with craig collisons car on sat night at york it looked really good in the final never seen a lazer go so well got the set up in my head so gonna change mine, probably post details on a set up sheet if i get chance

[jimmy]

yea i had a look at his car on sunday, he was in my heats, he won all 3 and i was 2nd in all 3.. needless to say he was a lap in front!

richard lowe helped me set my car up originally when i reviewed it, looking at craigs it was very similar with the suspension settings..
He was running 40wt all round and some different pistons in the back (bigger holes)
i am running 35wt and kit pistons so quite similar.
he was also running blue front and silver rear AE springs.
I have the blue fronts but AE silver rears are softer than the kit springs, I have the #75 kyosho springs which are 1 level harder than the kit rears.

Richard reckoned that CVD's would help the back end of the car a lot to stop it collapsing around corners on power, so i think i will get some to try in the rear.

[OldTimer]

@ Tres if you want to go for no flex in the chassis you are better off going for the milled chassis as it is from 3mm carbon and as it is milled these areas are strong than cutouts, but the cost is high, the new "Ion" spec chassis with the cutouts will sell for £67.50 a lot less than the milled version, and had a tad more flex but is still a lot better than the standard chassis, even better if you use the carbon fibre top deck :D

@ Jimmy glad you got on with it well, hopefully you should of gained some more steering from the reviesd battery layout.

Hopefully the "Ion" spec chassis will be avaliable in around two weeks, I will still produce the milled "Atom" spec version but they are made to order.

[tony1034]

Jonathon,

Please drop me an email at tony@tony1034.com

Thanks,

Tony P.

[OldTimer]

I have just got in the new Ion spec chassis's with the cutouts for the ZX5, and they are 23gm's lighter than the kit chassis which is a bonus. Details on the website.

[jimmy]

Added a little review of the Ion Spec chassis, I like it!

http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/zx5/atomiczx5chassis.html

[Bathy]

Cool additions to the website Jimmy (ZX5/XX4 reviews), that ZX5 with Atomic stuff looks really nice. Myself I would need a complete under tray with velcro all around the edges, I like to seal off-road cars fully, think I'm allergic to dirt.

Took a close look at one of these cars at Tivy a couple of weeks ago, really like the look of them but the idea of having the spur gear uncovered and hanging a little out the bottom of the chassis disturbs me.

Great work again, you going to be selling this car? ha ha