Tuning
Your HPI R/C vehicle can be customised to enhance speed and performance. Simple adjustments and easily main-
tained settings will assure optimum operation and performance. When making adjustments, do so only in small incre-
ments and always check for other parts of the vehicle that are affected. Many aftermarket options are available to
make your HPI R/C vehicle faster and stronger. Use this section as a basic tuning guide and always make sure you
write down your base settings in case you need to refer to them at a later date. To adjust the various toe and camber
angles you will need to purchase the optional camber link tuning set.
Front Steering Toe Angle
The front steering toe angle has a dramatic affect on how your car performs and how your tyres wear. You can have
toe-in, zero toe or toe-out. This can be adjusted by turning the steering turnbuckles with pliers in the direction you
need.
Toe-in will be less reactive and cause the vehicle to under steer (front wheel push straight on whilst turning). This
can be advantageous for drivers struggling to get to grips with the driving of the vehicle.
Toe-out will be more aggressive on the steering response especially on small steering inputs. This will make the car
want to over steer (rear wheels slide on small steering inputs). This is useful as a race tuning aid to gain extra
steering.
Zero toe will make the front wheels run straight and make the car very neutral. Tyre wear will also be reduced and
the vehicle will feel easier to drive.
Camber
Camber can be adjusted on all 4 wheels of the car. You can have negative camber or positive camber which will
affect the contact patch of the tyre both statically and whilst cornering. Camber is mainly used to control the wear of
the tyre. You should adjust the camber to equal the wear all across the surface of the tyre. Camber is adjusted by the
top turnbuckle linking the wheel to the chassis front and rear.
Gearing
You can adjust the gearing of the vehicle by changing the pinion gear on the motor and/or the spur gear. You should
always try to adjust your gearing so that you reach top speed two thirds of the way down the longest straight. If you
gear the vehicle too high then you may cause excessive heat and premature wear. Stick to motor manufacturers
recommendations on gear ratio.
Exaggerated Toe-In Setting (never run
this much!)
Exaggerated Toe-Out Setting (never run
this much!)
This is an example of negative
camber. This is when the top of
the wheel is closer to the centre of
the car compared to the bottom
of the wheel. Negative camber will
give more contact area in the
corner and more grip.
Excessive amounts will cause less
grip and uneven wear.
This is an example of positive
camber. This is when the bottom
of the wheel is closer to the
centre of the car compared
to the top of the wheel. Positive
camber will give less contact
area in the corner and less
grip. Excessive amounts will
cause less grip and uneven
wear.
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