[Update]: When I first did this report, I didn't get a chance to run the cars. I finally was able to run two of them, so I added that information to this report. Hope that isn't confusing.
I got a chance to run the three cars that I worked on yesterday, hoping that there would be some improvement there. Each car needed work, and all three had specific issues that needed to be addressed.
With the #66 Chaparral, I think it's been mainly a handling issue, so I reset everything and started from scratch. I went with a med/med float, but it took a bit because doing a quarter-turn on the front screw wasn't like doing one on the back screw. So you'd get tight/med, or med/loose. So I had to do a half-turn on the front and a quarter-turn on the back.
I set the pod float to medium, which gives it just enough play to free up the pod a little. By doing that the pod is a bit separate from the rest of the chassis, so the car doesn't get twisty on acceleration. It also helps with acceleration in the curve, allowing a bit of suspension flexibility through the pod. A car setup with medium pod float and medium body float will feel well-planted and sturdy in the turns.
I ran some laps tonight to see how it runs now, and it seems to be running very well. I haven't done any timed laps yet, so I don't know if there's actual improvement yet. But it feels much more responsive. I know it's got at least .2 more speed in it. I'd be surprised if I didn't improve it, if even just a little bit. But I think this car has potential, so it's easy to keep at it.
I have now run 50 timed laps, and it went great. Car was fast, smooth and had a quickness that I hadn't seen before. Also, it ran all 50 laps without one crash. Here's the results:
Official Race Time: 5:41.68 Lap Time: 6.82
Post-Race Checkup: 5:33.08 Lap Time: 6.66
Okay, I didn't plan that. That the #66 came out with a lap time of.....nevermind.
Now that's certainly a difference. That time puts him in the Top 5, as well as in front of its twin, the #65. Putting everything on a med/med float worked. I could definitely feel the difference in the handling, and it had that acceleration thing the Matra has, where it just whooshes away. It didn't once sound like it was working hard, it ran smoother than it has yet, and it was never at risk of coming off the track.
When you have a field that is as close as this one, a .1 second improvement in lap time is pretty good. A .2 is pretty extraordinary. It usually means that you've come across something pretty big and gotten past it. The #66's history is brief but eventful. But now I think I've gotten it into the range of the other cars. As long as I know that it can maintain those speeds, I won't think something is wrong with the car. So yay.
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The Porsche had suspension and front axle issues, so I tended to them, resetting the car to med/med float. It was tight/medium, but that wasn't my intention originally, so I think it had to do with the body maybe being knocked out of whack from a crash or something. Not sure. Either way, once I reset everything, I felt pretty confident that it would run better.
I was right. It certainly did run better. It might even be the most improved of the three. The secret is to master the rear end, and I think the setup got me going in that direction. I might have to loosen the body float in the back a little, but we'll see.
I also repaired the vertical play in the front axle, bringing everything more in line. I got some laps on it, and it seems to be going through the corner with a better balance, and not feeling so loose. It's acting a lot like the Matra, which is a very good sign.
I was also able to get the Porsche on the record for 50 laps now that it has been rebalanced. Strangely enough it crashed 4 times. Here are the results:
Official Race Time: 5:42.55 Lap Time: 6.84
Post-Race Checkup: 5:32.68 Lap Time: 6.64
Another example of two tenths of a second being an impressive improvement. I can't explain the crashes. All four happened at separate locations [also weird]. Regardless, it still ran a pretty good time. 6.64 puts it just behind the Matra, which means it is a competitor. No doubt about it.
The car itself felt well-balanced, although the room was hot, and that always seems to affect race cars. But whatever, I think there's always going to be a little bit of tail to deal with while driving this car. I'm okay with that. This helps me feel better about the upcoming Group C additions. I was a little worried I'd have to sort by class. I don't want to do that just yet if I don't have to.
So congratulations to the Porsche and the Chaparral as well. Nice recovery to both of those cars.
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The GT40 needs the most help. I realized I can pretty much start at the beginning with this car.
It had a ride-height adjustment screw come loose and was wedged in a weird place, binding the front axle. Otherwise I set it up med/med float, putting it more in line with the other GT40's.
I ran some laps, and I can tell there's an improvement. but it's hard to tell without running some timed laps. I'm hoping for a .2-.4 per lap improvement. It isn't much, I know, but I've found that it's better to tune in smaller increments than in radical flourishes.
I'll be re-running these three cars against their times for the Summer Slam. Oh yeah, speaking of that, I just noticed Harry over at HomeRacingWorld named his race Summer Slam, so I'll be changing mine so there's no confusion. After all, he's got more advertisers than I do. By the time you read this, I will have changed it, although I'll keep this little bit here.
Oh, re-running these three cars will not affect the standings or championship points. They'll just be performing a curiosity. If there's no improvement, I'll take any of the cars back to the garage for more work. The whole field is only separated by half a second on a 7-second lap. That's pretty tight. But if I can get two of the three cars running better from this, that'll be good. All three? I'll take it. Stay tuned.
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