Serpent Seven20, Setup Manual, Page: 15 / 40

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SECTION B - ADVANCED SETUP
Section B: Advanced Setup describes the effects of changing settings on your
Serpent 720.
Throughout this section, we refer to handling effects of the car in the corner.
We distinguish three corner sections and three throttle/brake positions as
follows:
• corner entry • braking
• mid-corner • off-throttle
• corner exit • on-throttle
Car setup is a complex matter, as all adjustments interact. Fine-tuning the
setup will make the car faster and often easier to drive near its performance
limit. This means that all the effort you put into your car to prepare it and
optimize the setup should give better results and more satisfaction.
If you choose to adjust the settings to better suit different track conditions,
make small adjustments, one at a time, and see if you find any improvement
in handling with each adjustment. We advise you to keep track of your setup
changes, and record which setups work best at different racetracks under
various conditions.
Remember that for the car to work and respond to setup changes properly, it
must be in good mechanical shape. Check for the well functioning of critical
areas such as the free movement of the suspension, smoothness of shock
absorbers, and lubrication and wear of transmission parts after each run, and
especially after a collision.
After rebuilding the chassis, or in case you become lost with your setup,
always return to the setup described in Section A: Basic Setup.
TERMINOLOGY
The terms “understeer” and “oversteer” appear throughout this manual.
These terms describe a particular handling characteristic of the car.
Understeer
Also known as “push.”
A car understeers when the front wheels do not grip enough and the rear
tires grip too much. This results in a front end that slides too much rather
than turning. A car that understeers is easier to drive, but it is slower than a
car that oversteers slightly.
Oversteer
Also known as “loose.”
A car oversteers when the front wheels grip too much and the rear tires do
not grip enough. This results in a rear end that slides too much. Excessive
oversteer causes the rear tires to “break loose” allowing the car to spin out.