F1 Fanatic

status updates:

parts and equipment researched, selected and acquired

initial construction complete
-several out-of-the-box steering issues corrected, wiring roughed in, shocks unsatisfactory

test 1
bench testing/living room assault mode – all systems ok. due to high speeds, living room assault mode is indefinitely suspended.

test 2
parking lot – all systems ok, multiple traction roll-overs with only cosmetic damage, severe degradation of super soft rear tires. due to high speeds, tire wear and surface conditions, parking lot testing is indefinitely suspended.

test 3
disused baseball field – extremely rough, hard, dusty, hot. added 1 temp probe to telemetry (battery), extended wheel base (1.5mm), rebuilt shocks bladder-less, speed control firmware updated and configured, 100% throttle attempted.

radio transmitting and receiving at range – ok
battery, speed control and motor power levels – ok
battery, speed control and motor temps – ok
steering and suspension – left front wheel worked itself loose at the 20 minute mark, due to not using thread-lock on the screw. wheel off, screw lost, go home.

use of full throttle – it remains very difficult to put full power down and keep it shiny-side up. instant wheelies at any speed and unsuitable surfaces have kept me veeeery light on the throttle. mostly, i was looking for glitching or low power as i stressed the car at maximum. i had a few nice powerslides, flicking the wheel lock to lock, which should have induced the problem if i was going to have it at all.

tear-down/analysis/rebuild showed severe dust and grit penetration of the rear exposed bearings, with no penetration of the motor or transmission internals. the stock bearing shields are painted/coated, which fouls the bearing even without external contaminants. since there is no penetration of the internals, the bearing shields have been removed and white lithium grease added to lubricate the gear teeth. the external bearings will remain in use with regular servicing until failure.

due to it being like driving on the moon, local baseball field testing is indefinitely suspended.

having hit several milestones, confidence remains high. during this rebuild, i have upgraded to bleeder shock caps and tungsten carbide diff balls, and arrived at a useable wiring solution. the car is now ready to accumulate some miles on a race track!

How quick does that thing go? Where are you racing?

How much $$$ to put my goldfish image on the car?

@f1yankee Oh come on, surely you could cut @magnificent-geoffrey some kind of deal!

@f1yankee
Keep us updated about CRaP, another great series if you have the time+money is Formula Student.

CRaP is delighted to confirm another excellent day at the track! :D

they have very recently re-done the indoor track, i think it’s quarterly. the new layout is very twisty with less jumps and a decent bit of elevation change. it’s also super loose, even on the racing line – forget about charging hard into turn 1! although i would prefer a wide open track and not a broom closet, this layout is fun and certainly easier on the car.

this was my first attempt at an independent tuning of the car, similar to proven setups but significantly different from stock. my lifetime of watching car races is finally paying off! on the very low grip surface i ran a quite low roll center and soft springs + damping front and rear, max wheelbase, max rear weight and max wing. i’m especially pleased with my f1-inspired front geometry, and i’m going to explore more camber and camber gain. a big bearing upgrade was installed which should be better in every conceivable way, and i’m trying a silicone spray, bringing total number of lubricants from 5 to 3. the batteries have completed break-in and now get the full charge/discharge cycle.

in compliment to proven hardware-based techniques, CRaP will soon be utilizing software-based solutions. fortunately, there is an affordable option that performs as advertised. unfortunately, my chassis is not available to download and i will have to build from scratch.

not only is the car coming along, but my driving and racecraft are progressing as well. as a super bonus, i was 1st at the track today and got 1 hour of private time with the dirt. when people started drifting in, i already had my eye and was able to pick off other cars somewhat cleanly. my very best effort was attempting to hang on to the back of 1 of the expert kids for a bit – once, i gave him “the full maldonado” :P

i hit the track again yesterday. i’m starting to feel like i’m hustling the car around the track instead of hanging on for dear life. my average was 23 seconds, with a best of 22.5 – 2.5 seconds off the pace. i’m gaining control and, critically, consistency. key to my new form was discovery of these things called “brakes”, they’re good! :D

did i mention i’m having an absolute blast? i even found myself about to put up hot laps just to blow it in the last corner or run into traffic, just like our heroes. “you’re more than welcome to that apex – WHACK! – once i’m done with it!” :)