Trying to race a boost (17.5 class)

jbalsamo23

Active Member
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34
Hi Guys,

Track is an indoor hard packed clay with medium traction.

Here is my setup
2nd gen Boost
jconcepts dirtwebs (gold)
Alum boost shocks
30wt oil all around
stiff front springs in front
stock boost springs in back
-1 deg of toe all around
21mm ride height front and back
69/35 gearing with the slipper set pretty tight
no timing
no drag brake
Servo is a hobbypartz solar servo d652 (.09sec, 111oz/in)
rpm servo saver eliminator
motor is a tekin 17.5
esc is a skyrc ts50


Buggy is plenty fast, and jumps well, turning is another story. Keep in mind I am not a very good driver yet. The track has one long straight away and then a hard right, my boost slides past the turn at higher speeds. Other 2wd buggies seem to
hold the turn way better. I am pretty sure the other buggies are mid motor. Any help with improving my turning would be greatly appreciated.

IMG_20171210_091114323.jpg IMG_20171210_091126445.jpg IMG_20171210_091140204.jpg IMG_20171210_091156708.jpg IMG_20171210_091114323.jpg IMG_20171210_091126445.jpg
 
Hi Guys,

Track is an indoor hard packed clay with medium traction.

Here is my setup
2nd gen Boost
jconcepts dirtwebs (gold)
Alum boost shocks
30wt oil all around
stiff front springs in front
stock boost springs in back
-1 deg of toe all around
21mm ride height front and back
69/35 gearing with the slipper set pretty tight
no timing
no drag brake
Servo is a hobbypartz solar servo d652 (.09sec, 111oz/in)
rpm servo saver eliminator
motor is a tekin 17.5
esc is a skyrc ts50


Buggy is plenty fast, and jumps well, turning is another story. Keep in mind I am not a very good driver yet. The track has one long straight away and then a hard right, my boost slides past the turn at higher speeds. Other 2wd buggies seem to
hold the turn way better. I am pretty sure the other buggies are mid motor. Any help with improving my turning would be greatly appreciated.

View attachment 2611 View attachment 2612 View attachment 2613 View attachment 2614 View attachment 2611 View attachment 2612
Try -2 camber and add about an ounce of adhesive wheel weights to the front end. I fit 3 1/4 oz weights in front of the servo tray and one on top of the servo. It improved front wheel grip substantially.
 
Try -2 camber and add about an ounce of adhesive wheel weights to the front end. I fit 3 1/4 oz weights in front of the servo tray and one on top of the servo. It improved front wheel grip substantially.
Never mind. I see your weights now. The front end may be too stiff. Try a lower spring rate. The oil should be fine. Roll in to the corner and slowly increase throttle on the exit. Mash it once you’re headed straight.
 
Here’s another good one.

It won’t let me copy and paste, but search hudy off-road suspension tuning. It’s a good pdf.
 
I raced my Boost briefly. All the ECX 2WD cars (rear motor design) have a serious rear weight bias. I also set up my AMP/Circuit for racing and learned a lot about that car too. You can read about my experiences and mods >here< Most of that will apply to the Boost. (And you're right about the other cars- if you're in stock buggy probably all the other cars are MM. You may see a few older RM cars like the original TLR 22 or AE's B5 in RM config)

One thing you can do that can help is to buy a shorty pack and move it all the way forward. This removes some of the weight at the rear. You'll need to insert some foam blocks or mod the battery strap to keep the battery in place (I screwed a LEGO brick to the strap as a stop.)

You want to get the front of the car lower. This will shift a bit of weight onto the front end. You can install some internal limiters- I used the o-rings from the stock plastic shocks or you can buy a pack of purpose made limiters by Associated or TLR (or any other racing brand). The o-rings are about 1mm thick and I'd start by installing three in each front shock and 1 in each rear.

For racing on high traction surfaces (I race astro and carpet) you want to be low. (For example my TLR 22 3.0 buggy rides at 16mm/19mm F/R.) This can be a bit tricky to accomplish with the Boost but if you can get to 19-ish you should be okay. But don't sweat it too much.

You might want to program the ESC for about 20% drag brake- this can help set you up for the corners by getting the car to transfer a little weight to the front before you apply a little throttle and drive through.

What compound tires are the front? Go for the softest compound. Same for the inserts- softest. You want the front tires to deform and stick (as much as possible) to the surface. If the tire rubber or inserts are too firm then the tire will be more likely to slide across the surface.

I used old Losi springs on my ECX cars and they worked pretty well. (I'm guessing you're using the Losi blue springs on the front?) The trick is finding them at local stores on on Ebay.

I'd suggest you give the Losi red (LOSA5128 2.5 rate) or orange (LOSA5129 2.9 rate) a try.

Unfortunately racing an ECX car like the Boost (or Circuit!) will be all about compromises. You'll never get it to perform like the racing kit cars but it's definitely fun trying and you'll learn tons.

Keep us updated... I love the idea of racing these ECX cars!
 
@Jeb pointed out one important thing: driving technique is key. You'll have to figure out how to drive this car- it doesn't drive like others. :) When I got my TLR 22 3.0 the difference was AMAZING.
 
I have an amp buggy that is setup pretty well for outdoor/indoor off-road tracks. That being said, it handles nothing like my mid motor associated B6D. It is still a fun truck to drive, but the handling is not even comparable to a Losi or Associated mid motor truck. Just my 2 cents.
 
@Jeb pointed out one important thing: driving technique is key. You'll have to figure out how to drive this car- it doesn't drive like others. :) When I got my TLR 22 3.0 the difference was AMAZING.


Thanks for all the info, I know my boost wont ever match the performance of the true race buggies but I am really enjoying the learning experience. I just got my short lipo, hopefully I will be able to get some track time in this weekend to experiment with some new adjustments.
Thanks again for all the help. Shorty battery.jpg
 
Thanks for all the info, I know my boost wont ever match the performance of the true race buggies but I am really enjoying the learning experience. I just got my short lipo, hopefully I will be able to get some track time in this weekend to experiment with some new adjustments.
Thanks again for all the help. View attachment 2634
You’ll have a blast, I think everyone should start with modding a cheap vehicle. It will teach you a lot and save you tons when and if you decide to upgrade. Have fun, that’s why we do this and always remember they’re just toys
 
I totally agree with @Jeb I started my "second RC renaissance" with a Boost and learn TONS from modding that thing and racing it. I think that the experience of trying to overcome flaws was vastly more valuable than starting with a high-end race kit that almost drives itself! Once I DID get a race kit the experience driving it was sublime.
 
28E89B4E-A609-47F3-AA38-C4D3B6C843DD.jpeg 2DF3AFCD-4BC2-452C-B009-22D55B4F7FF2.jpeg It’s-12 outside and all snow and ice. My son is starting to race his 1/16 torment and I just built a 1/10 tamiya M-05. Tomorrow is my first race and virgin run of the M-05. We also just did a new layout on the indoor track. So much fun!
 

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