FTX Outlaw handling issues.

[Mr Johnty]

Just got a new editiion to my collection i got the FTX Outlaw fantastiic looking car and can shift a bit for a brushed setup.

The problem im having is trying to keep the shiny side up . When you turn with a bit of speed the big soft front tyres just  bite and it flips i thought it was as its on tarmac and its to grippy.

So we went to our local disused golf course and it was better but still wants to flip most of the time. It has big soft tyres and big oil filled shocks its a nice big truck and jumps very well.

Is there any setup i can do on it to make it more stable and less prone to roll over.

Please help.

john

[Bajadre]

could try soften the shocks jonnty will make it a bit more plush then should have an ring adjuster on them try highering it up and see how she handles then 👍

[Mr Johnty]

Oh right I will give it a go .

TBH my logic was the other way stiffen up the springs stop it rolling as much.

But I'm up for trying anything if it helps.

I have about 3/4 of an inch I can back the adjuster off further up the shock body.

I will give it a go thanks for the info.

 

[Redback]

Stiffer springs is the way to go, I use 1/8 springs on the front, you also will find the sway bars help, along with harder foams in the front tires as its rolling due to the soft side walls rolling and biting. Move the battery forward onto of the top brace, check the outlaw thread for all these tips and more.

[m4inbrain]

1 hour ago, Mr Johnty said:

Oh right I will give it a go .

TBH my logic was the other way stiffen up the springs stop it rolling as much.

But I'm up for trying anything if it helps.

I have about 3/4 of an inch I can back the adjuster off further up the shock body.

I will give it a go thanks for the info.

 

 

 One thing to note is that there's no "stiffening springs". You just compress the spring through the shock collar (to adjust ride height) - it doesn't change how stiff or soft the spring is, for that you'd need to change the spring. I'm with Redback there, stiffer springs, and less compression (lower ride height). You could try thicker/heavier shock oil, to slow down compression/rebound, that might already help - but that's about it. You could of course also just buy worse wheels. 

 

The biggest issue though is inherent - all desert buggy kinda style rigs flip easily, due to their narrower track and usually relatively high CG. To actually fix it, you'd need some stub extenders or something (not sure if they do something like that for the Outlaw) to widen the track. And take off the spare wheel at the back, you want as much weight down low as possible (and remove everything that adds weight on top). That might already make a pretty substantial difference, but it'll still flip eventually due to the narrow stance.

Edited April 15, 2023 by m4inbrain

[Mr Johnty]

OK sounds like a plan.

can you recommend an alternative stiffer spring and where I can get a set please.

Thanks

[Redback]

Hobao Buggy 1/8th front springs, from 2005 blue coating, think its the softer version, (purple were stiffer) its the length that helps as stops bottoming out.

Sure there is same to be found or take the rear outlaw springs and cram them on the fronts 🙂

 

Otherwise wind the collars all the way down with the stock ones and add a sway bar, should help a bunch.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Redback

[m4inbrain]

1 hour ago, Redback said:

Otherwise wind the collars all the way down with the stock ones and add a sway bar, should help a bunch.

 

What's that collar setting supposed to achieve?

[Mr Johnty]

Thanks guys some good advice I will try some of the suggestions and see how I get on .

Thanks so much everyone. 🙏 

 

[Redback]

17 hours ago, m4inbrain said:

 

What's that collar setting supposed to achieve?

Hardens the compression, less bottoming out.

[m4inbrain]

35 minutes ago, Redback said:

Hardens the compression, less bottoming out.

 

That's not what that does, it's one of those myths that just don't die. 

 

What it actually does is set the ride height to maximum, which is the complete opposite of what you want to do if your problem is traction rolling already. Shock collars do not change the spring rate. The spring compresses with the same force regardless of whether it's one quarter or three quarters compressed. They're linear, and they have to be because otherwise it'd be impossible to tune for races. Unless of course you have a dual stage spring/progressive spring, which i doubt on an Outlaw. 

 

Compression is tightened by changing either the oil, or the piston to one that flows less ("less holes"). That's it. Preload just affects the ride height. Nothing else. 

 

Here's a few links that i find incredibly helpful/useful in general (i use them all the time, too old to remember everything). 

 

https://www.sodialed.com/rc-settings/shock-pre-load#:~:text=About shock pre-load&text=Pre-load is a fairly,the top of the shock.

 

https://www.sodialed.com/rc-settings/shock-springs

 

https://www.sodialed.com/rc-settings/shock-oil

Edited April 16, 2023 by m4inbrain

[Redback]

Well, im only giving advice based on what worked for me and the coutless hours spent resolving the outlaw issues, stiffer springs are the way to go, but you can also get a way without, as per the 2 outlaws shown.

I wont spread false truths, just what works for me.

[PumpkinPie]

22 hours ago, Redback said:

Hobao Buggy 1/8th front springs, from 2005 blue coating, think its the softer version, (purple were stiffer) its the length that helps as stops bottoming out.

Sure there is same to be found or take the rear outlaw springs and cram them on the fronts 🙂

 

Otherwise wind the collars all the way down with the stock ones and add a sway bar, should help a bunch.

 

What do you mean by add a sway bar? Sorry, noob question.

[Redback]

45 minutes ago, PumpkinPie said:

 

What do you mean by add a sway bar? Sorry, noob question.

Ftx sway bar from the carnage for the fronts, either currie or home made rear bar, don't waste money on the ebay junk. The bar is cheese.

Edited April 16, 2023 by Redback

[m4inbrain]

14 hours ago, Redback said:

Well, im only giving advice based on what worked for me and the coutless hours spent resolving the outlaw issues, stiffer springs are the way to go, but you can also get a way without, as per the 2 outlaws shown.

I wont spread false truths, just what works for me.

 

Indeed, stiffer springs (and the sway bar you mentioned) as well as thicker oil or different shock pistons are the solutions. You gotta admit though that cranking up the ride height (and with that, centre of gravity) is nonsense when your issue is that your RC constantly falls over. It just doesn't make sense. The Outlaw isn't different than other RCs in that aspect, cranking down the collars means lifting the body. It very well could be that i'm missing something else and that cranking up the body does fix something - but in that case the effect still isn't changing the compression. That's more my point, not that it doesn't fix anything, but that it changes the spring rate/compression, because that isn't happening. 

[Redback]

3 hours ago, m4inbrain said:

 

Indeed, stiffer springs (and the sway bar you mentioned) as well as thicker oil or different shock pistons are the solutions. You gotta admit though that cranking up the ride height (and with that, centre of gravity) is nonsense when your issue is that your RC constantly falls over. It just doesn't make sense. The Outlaw isn't different than other RCs in that aspect, cranking down the collars means lifting the body. It very well could be that i'm missing something else and that cranking up the body does fix something - but in that case the effect still isn't changing the compression. That's more my point, not that it doesn't fix anything, but that it changes the spring rate/compression, because that isn't happening. 

Forward mounted battery means the ride height isnt as affected as it seems,  due to it compressing when loaded with a battery and even more so when breaking, thus wound all the way down you dont bottom out as much, I find little improvments with shock oils when the ftx ones tend to leak it out.
In my outlaw thread you can see the results when testing, limited roll overs (even no sway bar on mine (silver / red one tested on 4s and3s mod 1).

Edited April 17, 2023 by Redback

[Iobymac]

Hi Can someone please tell me what pitch pinion I need for the FTX Outlaw? I'm putting in a 3660 bl motor. Have a hardened spur 62t gear. Motor shaft is 5mm. I can go 23t with new mount or stick with 17t steel pinion but what pitch? I think the original brass pinion is either .6 or .8 mod?

[Redback]

2 hours ago, Iobymac said:

Hi Can someone please tell me what pitch pinion I need for the FTX Outlaw? I'm putting in a 3660 bl motor. Have a hardened spur 62t gear. Motor shaft is 5mm. I can go 23t with new mount or stick with 17t steel pinion but what pitch? I think the original brass pinion is either .6 or .8 mod?

.6 yeah, RW racing used to do 5mm long boss .6mod pinions, but it looks like they dont make them any more 😞 Id stick with 17t as its already overgeared.

[Iobymac]

Thanks for your feedback.

Ok but I can't find anywhere 17t 0.6mod 5mm bore pinions in the UK. Any ideas?