Reinforcing weak parts for the D4?

[Edd]

Hi,

I've been racing with my Cyclone D4 and I have found that the weakest part is the suspension arms

http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/revie...frontarm01.jpg


Everytime they snap where they meet the hinge pins I want to reinforce them some how so I can save on parts.

There is a diy store not far from me and I reckon glass fibre could do the trick. I've seen people putting some one their wheel wells but not in large amounts as I intend. I don't think the glass fibre would weigh much and I've used it a lot making boats so i don't mind the weird feeling.

any help would be appreciated

[bert digler]

Originally Posted by Edd

Hi,

I've been racing with my Cyclone D4 and I have found that the weakest part is the suspension arms

http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/revie...frontarm01.jpg


Everytime they snap where they meet the hinge pins I want to reinforce them some how so I can save on parts.

There is a diy store not far from me and I reckon glass fibre could do the trick. I've seen people putting some one their wheel wells but not in large amounts as I intend. I don't think the glass fibre would weigh much and I've used it a lot making boats so i don't mind the weird feeling.

any help would be appreciated

sounds a bit daft but the weak point is built in so you dont break the bulkhead or bend it ask phil what to do he'll have a suggestion

[sparrow.2]

Have a look to see if Tamiya 501X or durga wishbones might fit with a little ingenious dremeling. I put them on my BJ4 because they were snapping at the point they meet the hinge pin too. No trouble since then. The Tamiya stuff is tough!

[Adam Skelding]

Hmmm,
It's a difficult one really, I think I only ever broke one of the 'Old Style' front wishbones. But you can never crash like someone else can, or replicate their incident.

There are some new revised ones which come standard in the WCE kit, the part number for the best value is HB61588. You get most of the impotant stuff that stops your car breaking in one neat package.

http://www.hbeurope.com/piw.php?partNo=61588&lang=en

I'm assuming here you have the old kit, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Bert raises a good point, it's better to have the w/bone break or something else more expensive will break.

Other than that I think most people have found the car pretty bullet proof.

[Edd]

yeah I got the old kit however I did catch the updated version of the heavy duty nut for the differential. I've heard that boiling the parts in water for 10 mins can make them more flexible but im not sure. But what do you guys think about the glass firbreing?


Edd

[jim76]

i don;t think it will help much as getting it to bond with the wishbone may be difficult and not really add any strength, just weight.
As Adam said the new wishbones are reinforced in certain areas compared to the original kit items and are worth fitting.
Only other real option is to try and machine yourself a set from nylon or delrin which will have a bit more flex than the stiffer plastics.

[Edd]

you reckon some epoxy 'd do the trick?

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by Edd

you reckon some epoxy 'd do the trick?

try the new wisbones Adam has spoke about

[jim76]

yes, just order the new wishbones, and try to avoid crashing which will prevent any breakages and improve your times! :-)

to be honest i don't think you could reinforce it around the hinge pins as any extra material around there may stop the suspension working smoothly.

the wishbones have been tweaked to improve their durability so just use the new ones, they are designed for the specific purpose so should be up to the job unless you crash in a major way, in which case any wishbone would break.

better to work on your driving and avoid hitting track markers etc. Just back off a little through the more tricky sections to make sure you get through clean and your overall times will improve.
Or try a slightly slower motor, you may find it much easier to keep in the middle of the track and you'll be surprised that your lap times don't really drop due to less grunt.

[bjcaldwe]

As a maintenance note... make sure your front brace is secure. I have had the screws try to back out. A dab of thread lock seems to do the trick.