set-up tips for the 4.5 chassis

[fester]

new to this forum,so bear with me,recently got back into racing and was informed of the 4.5 class. are there any chassis set-up tips for these brass sleds? what mods are allowed?beside the soldering of the oilites i havent used crown gears since the 70 so cal days

[AptosC6]

Fester,
I'm assuming that you are asking how to set up a Parma FCR chassis? If so, search for FCR and you'll find lots of info. Bottom line is that you can't do much to the chassis to stay within the rules. Start by making sure the chassis is flat and the bearings are level to the chassis. It will help to harden the front tires with clear nail polish (less friction in the turns). If the rules allow set the front wheels to turn independent of each other.
Good luck,
Randy

[fester]

yes the fcr,when onthe block with brushes off front wheels touching ? also what is a good front tire width? wheel to wheel looked in the archives already,like the nail polish idea

[AptosC6]

Fester,
You need to check what rules are being run at your raceway to determine what can be done with front tire width. In most cases you will have to stay with the stock, as-bought tire widths. The fronts should only touch in the turns and then just barely. I have mine set up about 0.020 inches above the block. When setting up the car, if it comes off the track going into a turn add a shim under the guide. Keep dialing in with more shims until it stays in the groove.
If you are allowed consider a pair of JK Plastic Big Hub tires. I run FCR on a King and these are the most used option tire. They are good for a few tenths easy over the stock tires which are pretty hard.

[SteveDee]

Here is how to really make these thing work. Set the front tires to touch the track with as low front chassis clearance as allowed. With the body off, push down on the guide nut, if the guide can be pushed down, this will allow the rear tires to unload making the car want to snap loose on corner exit, add/remove guide spacers till fronts just touch,and you cannot push down on the guide' if you do not have enough spacers between the tongue ant the guide the fronts will act as a fulcrum unloading the rears .Because these chassis do not have front "wings" like on a flexi, you need to use the front wheels to stabilize the car. Just because some car types work better with out fronts on the track, FCR and womp types work much better with them. Flexi's and things like Eurosport or open 12 that run with almost no front clearance (and have wing extensions as well) use the wings to stabilize, combined with a controlled chassis flex allow these to work with out effective fronts. Of course, every thing will work better with free running fronts ( a must have)and better yet with independently rotating fronts if allowed.

[fester]

thank you steve and aptosc6.55.79er9er found alot of info in the archives as well!

[dhamby]

hard sonic front tires painted with nail polish up front work great on a fcr set it up where after you run a few laps pick the car up and look at the bottom of the chassis up front behing the front wheels on the bottom of the chassis if you have a little bit of rubber build up at the edges good if no lower the front by either the guide shims or oil lites for the front axle we have even gone as far as to bend the rear end to get the center of the chassis lower but you must do this without the gears meshed and then remesh them after doing so take a couple time back and forth to get it just right if you do both you will lower the front and center of the chassis and have a very low center of gravity and the car will be on rails .

[fester]

ok.i changed the tires right out of the gate with pro tracks front and rear. the front tires are already hardened. the oilites are soldered. soldered the guide wires to the aftermarket clips, did the wire mod for guide return for goofy corner marshalls,the new front tires lack the offset as stock should i shim them out to spec 3.25? some say leave it alone?i will adjust the front wheel tracking once i get to the track so my front wheels touch the track slightly.not sure of their braid depth until i get there.the stock axle blanks are about a foot too long!!

[fester]

p.s. this is a really cool website! kooodos to those who invented it.i am a motorcycle enthusiast and this website is structured much like thumpertalk. peace out owh

[Zac Fick]

yes the fcr,when onthe block with brushes off front wheels touching ? also what is a good front tire width? wheel to wheel looked in the archives already,like the nail polish idea

I set up my FCR's with out braid in the guide and tires a couple thousandths off the track(most braid/track height is.010"-.015" - braid under the track surface) my cars handle great!

I have the braid a 1/8th inch off the back of the guide(not hanging over just down from the bottom or flush with the guide )

Buy the PARMA brand tech tool at your local track.. it will have the rules they follow on it(not written out just have one of the techs explain what they mean)

4 you can also use super glue on the front wheels to reduce friction

[fester]

i did that super glue trick touched my ear and it stuck.nasty stuff,wut about front tire width?same as rear?

[fester]

what does the shorter braid do?

[Zac Fick]

I would make the rear track a bit skinnier than the front..

[dhamby]

one thing that will help the front end out alot is to get yourself an independent front axle it will be an axle with a c clip on one end this will allow the front tires to turn independenlty of ech other and reduce friction and yes i cant spell worth poop i was born and raised in the south spelling is not our best haha. also if the rules allow it do away with that motor mount that goes around the end bell and solder the motor on each side where it meets the chassis . i have saw so many cars stripe gears because that mount comes loose and also the set screw that goes into the chassis for it will rub the track if the chassis is set low enough and the screw is not trimed down. the front tires being harden is good but trust me using clear finger nail polish just makes less friction and that is a big weakness in a box stock fcr . super glue works but like u said its messy and you can get it on all kinda stuff that it doesent need to get on . the nail polish last longer and is alot cleaner to use plus if you are married or have a girlfriend or still live at home with mom you dont need to buy any just sneak alittle from them when they are not looking haha.

[fester]

we are not allowed an independant axle,and we can only solder in one spot.but thanx,it,s stupid but what the hell