Gift Card Chassis v 7

[BARC 1]

Each time I build a car I modify the Gift card chassis to improve what has been observed.

This is version 7 and is working very well.

The FN30 motor is set through the chassis and a brass plate is attached from the underside to act as a heat sink and weight to lower the CG. I run these motors on 14 volts and they can get hot. The big brass heat sink keeps them cool.

The side pods also have brass bar stock added. These are held in place with plastic c channel. This allows them to be removed or changed to help set up the car.

Bearings are used in on the rear axle to keep things tight

Guide flag is a wiper type arrangement that means there is no wire to hinder the movement of the flag.

Front axle is a straight axle to keep things simple and trouble free.

This is the fastest Gift Card chassis I have built to date and is about 20% faster then the cars that went to the proxy race, I am waiting on their return and then I can do some head to head comparisons to gauge the improvement.

This has proven to be a simple low cost chassis with the turned wheels being the most costly component. Without the wheels these chassis are costing me less then $5 to build. I bulk order the bearing and motors, so the expense is minimal.

Having said that the chassis I sent to the proxy race had one DNQ and one that finished next to last, hence the focus on improving this design. If the 20% improvement is real when measured against the returned proxy car then this will put this chassis in the competiton again.

[walker]

Nice. But the motor doesn't look like an FN30. These are 20 mm long ( can 20x12x10 mm).
It looks like an F-030 ( "Standard" Go! -and SCX Compact motors).

Roland

[LloydL]

It is amazing how many cars run very quick laps on my own tracks, only to fall to bits or develop a fault when they get to a proxy. Maybe I need to put them in their travelling box and throw them around the room as if I was a postman, then retest them!

Regards, Lloyd.

[BARC 1]

It is labeled FF030PN, and it is the same size as a standard GO motor

[pfuetze]

thanks for the pics, Dan!
chassis looks good!
one thing you may consider is streghtening the area between the rear axle bearing and the motor. To help the gearing to run smooth even under pressure, the motor should stay 100% in the same position relating to the bearing, no movement. That´s why there are motor brackets used.
the other thing that comes to my mind - make sure that mounting the body doesn´t put stress on the chassis. It should mount easily without having to bend anything. for example the chassis sitting nicely with all 4 wheels touching the track without body, but giving one front wheel a slight lift when the body is mounted. To avoid such a thing, i´m normally using 4 pieces of screws on the side of the chassis between the wheels. with the screws you can fasten the body or allow the body to move just a little, little bit. chassis doesn´t become any faster with, but more consistent lap times, a little more forgiving. maybe you can get the same effect with the 2 tube mounting system, too.
Peter

[walker]

[BARC 1]

Thanks Peter

Yes I completely agree on the importance of the rigidity of the gear mesh. The square styrene is supposed to help in that regard. I may have to look at that area a little closer. No doubt there will be a version 8

Dan