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Use this guide to help you achieve the best performance from
your Delphi Indy car. Before you begin, make sure that all the
screws are tight that you have equal lengths from side to side
for the shock adjusters and steering tie rods.
TIP: When tuning your Delphi Indy car, only make one
change at a time and then test. This will make it much easier
to keep track of changes. We also recommend you keep a log
book close by so you can record what you did and the effect
it made to the car.
FRONT TOE-IN AND TOE-OUT ALIGNMENT:
Toe-in and toe-out refers to the angle at which the tires point
when viewed from above. Toe-in increases stability under
acceleration and helps straight away tracking. Toe-out will
increase steering going into corners, but will decrease the overall
stability during acceleration. The front typically is set-up with 0 to
-2 degrees of toe-in. Only use a toe-out setting when you are
running on a short track with many turns and few straights.
BATTERY PLACEMENT
The battery placement of the Delphi Indy car can be adjusted
by moving the location of the electronics. With the battery
positioned from side to side, the car will have more weight
towards the rear. This results in better rear traction but slightly
reduced steering agility. This is a good placement for oval
tracks. With the battery positioned down the center, more
weight is placed on the front wheels allowing quicker turning
response. The weight is also positioned closer to the
centerline of the chassis. This will produce less chassis roll
and a more consistent feeling car through the turns. This
position is good for road course tracks with many turns.
RIDE HEIGHT
The ride height of the Delphi Indy car will effect how weight is
transferred from side to side and from front to back. Generally
speaking the lower the ride height, the better the car will
handle. The ride height of the Delphi Indy car is adjustable by
installing the ride height spacers under the rear motor pod and
the front suspension arm. Lowering the front ride height will
increase steering response due to more weight on the front
wheels. Lowering the rear ride height will increase rear traction
and reduce steering response due to more weight on the rear
wheels. Note: If you are running on rough surfaces with many
cracks and rocks, a higher ride height will be desired for
clearance. If your surface is smooth, run a lower ride height.
REAR PLATE ADJUSTMENT
The side to side stiffness of the rear plate is easily adjustable
by tightening or loosening the center pivot. A stiff setting will
give you a more consistant feel but slightly less rear grip (the
wheels may spin out easier but it won't break-loose as
suddenly). A softer setting will increase initial rear grip but
may tend to break loose more suddenly. Typically a tighter
setting is more predictable at high speeds and softer setting
more predictable at lower speeds.
DIFFERENTIAL ADJUSTMENT
The Delphi Indy car comes with a gear differential for
durability and easy adjustment. The diff can be set looser or
tighter by simply adjusting the right rear tire nut. Running the
diff tighter will reduce steering response and increase
understeer slightly (push). This is good for oval racing where
turns are wide and sweeping. Runing the diff a little loose will
increase steering but may cause oversteer (loose).
CAUTION! Do not loosen the diff too much or the internal diff
gears could strip. As a rule of thumb, a tighter diff is usually
easier to drive.
SIDE SHOCK ADJUSTMENT FOR TRACKING
The side shocks have adjustable collars which allow you to
add more preload to the left and right side independently. Use
this adjustment to tune the car to run straight and true during
acceleration. First make sure the steering trim is centered
correctly. Run the car at medium speed and let it coast. Adjust
the steering trim so the car tracks straight. Next, from a stop,
accelerate and take note of the direction the car tends to pull.
If it consistently pulls right, adjust the right side shock adjust
down a bit and the left side shock adjuster up a bit. This
tuning adjustment will allow more aggressive weight transfer
to the right wheel giving this wheel a little more initial traction.
Note: Tires can effect how the car will track as well. If your left
side tires are worn more than the right side, the car may not
track straight under acceleration.
TUNING GUIDE
