RC Drag car project.

[A Commodore cant 4x4]

Hey, I have finally decided to go ahead with my project of building an RC drag car with a chainsaw engine to power it :twisted:

It, according to my plans, will be about 1500mm long, 270 wide in the bum to fit the motor, and about 50mm wide at the front. 200mm high at the rear, with the motor poking out the top slightly to feed air into it, leaning down to about 40mm high at the nose.

Dimensions may vary a little, depending on how long the metal bender is at work. I actually forgot to measure it, but im sure it will fit. If I can get it longer, I will make it so.

Steering will be taken care of from a doner car. Ill get a cheap 1/16th scale rc car off fleabay, strip it for the steering arms, and front shocks and springs.

Ill use 1/6th rear wheels (hopefully from a B5 Baja or something that will have the strength) with street slicks. Fronts will be perhaps from the 1/16th car? or an RC bike. Not sure yet.

I am going to wing this project. Im really not sure how to make it all come together, but I will work it out myself, to force myself to be creative, and ue my brain. Dont know how Ill attach wheels to the axle, to the body yet, nor get drive to the rear axle, but I will work it out. If it doesnt work, or I break it, Ill do it again, and again.

Im going to use very little input or research off the net. Im going to have a go at this old school style. I want the end result to be my creation, not a copy of someone elses.


I used to have a drouge 'chute at one stage, complete with pin release and spring deployment, but I no longer have it :confused: How wicked would have that looked!

Anyway, Im taking some ideas to the metal shop tomorrow....

Here is my gruby motor..


Ill update this as I make progress. BTW, this will be far from hi-tech. It will be a very basic build, that I hope to advance on over time. Renovating my house will have priority over this car, so I may be a little slow getting things done.

THANKS!!

[isuzutoo-eh]

Good luck with your project!
If someone has advice to offer, should they post it?

Winging it sounds fun though, if there isn't anybody to tell you you're doing it 'wrong' then there's a good chance its 'right' enough to work. Backyard innovation time!

[Grover-98]

All the best mate keep us posted! :)

[A Commodore cant 4x4]

Yeah if someone has some advice post it up for sure. To me, its only 'wrong' if it doesnt work.

[45tr0]

sounds like you've got all your ideas together - given that you want to go it yourself I won't give any advice other than to say

"Make sure you put a radio fail safe on it!!"

Sounds like a lot of motor and if it gets away it will just keep on going - i know it might seem obvious but you'd be surprised how many RC's get scrapped for glitching radios.

I'd be looking for a 2.4ghz system.

[XSiV]

You'd probably find that you can buy all the steering components and suspension etc separately from a hobby store rather than buying a whole car just for a few bits. How do you plan to drive the axle? Chain or gears, or some other gizmo that you have an idea about? I have a mate that works the nitro engines you get in RC cars and he knows pretty much all there is to know about RC cars that go fast. So if you do get stuck and want to pick someone's brains you could contact him via his website massivemods.com.au.

I'm keen to see how this progresses. Also good idea of 45tr0, you need a good failsafe system. I had a plane that flew into a river when my RC gear failed.

[isuzutoo-eh]

G'day Commie Door,
Please take the following with a grain of salt if it doesn't suit you!
I work in a hobby shop. I brought up your project today with the resident R/C 'guru'.
Be careful of 2.4 GHz, as much as its touted to be the best available, a lot of R/C enthusiasts are going back to analogue wave forms. With the digital, you either have a signal or you don't, no warning. With analogue you can notice a loss in reception before its an issue, just hold your aerial higher. Analogue is heaps cheaper too!
Not that in a drag you'd have too much chance to notice a loss of control:angel:

2 stroke chainsaw power might not be as quick off the mark as you'd expect, and have a limited top speed unless you go for a multi gear set up. Chainsaws are designed for max power/torque a fair way into their rev range so unless you have a manual clutch you might find acceleration a bit slow. You might be able to mod the auto-clutch of the chainsaw to be manually operated by a servo.

Unless you have a friendly police man with a radar gun, you might make space allowance for a little GPS unit with max speed function so you can tell how fast you're getting!

Having said all that, less is more. Keep it simple, lightweight, balanced and you'll be replacing tyres in no time :)

Low friction=ball races with sewing machine (very light) oil, replenished nearly every run!

I remember reading years ago of RC Drags, they were running 12 cell packs with low-turn electric motors and hitting just over 100, the nitro funny cars were clocking 125kph. Running RC car fuel mix might get your chainsaw running faster too. Those guys even used to use spread liquid sugar on the track before the event for grip!

Hope you have a long straight track...with plenty of over-run:p

[big guy]

I tend to agree with above post.

I would go a quality Spektrum 2.4 Ghz radio. I find mine very reliable.

At that size, they become a weapon and although they sound like fun at first, if out of control the are a projectile.

A chainsaw motor will have to be ported and proper tuned pipe etc fitted. They are more suited for tugs or scale off road 4Wd's.

For dragging, you need instant power.
Take a look on You Tube for some of the cars. 5 secs and its all over.

I raced R/C buggies for some time and now fly large scale helis, they are fun but start of with the wrong motor etc you will still be at the starting grid and the drag be over.

Sorry to have to burst your bubble for that application, the chosen motor is not suitable.

Build a Tug boat or big 4WD and it should be good.

Best of luck in any case.

Here is my heli link YouTube - Agusta A09 Model Helicopter Adelaide

[XSiV]

Nice heli ther Big Guy. Sounds like it has a gas turbine in it, but I guess that's just the blades winding up. It is rather large and I love the whole retracting undercarriage.

Also in regards to you opinion about engines etc I would have to agree, a worked nitro engine would most likely be the best option. Even one of those little nitro V8's. Now that would be a cracking drag car.

[45tr0]

since we're voicing opinions - for a dragster, electric will nearly always kill nitro or 2 stroke - instant power and torque from a brushless system.

You only have to look at all the brushless conversion kits coming out for monster trucks and buggies - for real speed a well set up electric will axe nitro most any day.

[mike 90 RR]

Mmmm ... I think that A Commodore cant 4x4 just wants to build it "for fun" from "bibs & bobs" lying around the shed (so to speak) & to learn from it ... Not the exy way at this stage ....

Mike
;)

[The Mutt]

A friend is mad keen on R/C boats and cars, he often tells me about the guy that appears occasionally to p*&& off the young fells with his electric R/C car, the motor gets that hot that he set-up a small fountain pump to cycle water from a water bottle through copper pipes wrapped around the motor, to quote Dave " it's the fastest $%^#$@# R/C car he's ever seen."

By all accounts petrol engines are great when you don't wish to recharge batteries all the time, use a high end electric motor for speed.

Glenn

[A Commodore cant 4x4]

Mmmm ... I think that A Commodore cant 4x4 just wants to build it "for fun" from "bibs & bobs" lying around the shed (so to speak) & to learn from it ... Not the exy way at this stage ....

Mike
;)

Spot on ;)

-Joel-