Dan's ProCat runner/racer project

[DerbyDan]

The build progresses - albeit very slowly!

New chassis parts - cut to my own CAD file;



I've since realised that I cannot use the rear-most position as the battery post location clashes with the motor - I suppose thats the risk when trying to detail something up without a built car in front of you.

This is pretty much where the car stands now - the G10 rear shock tower brace is another part I had cut, inspired by the one on Phil Davies' RRC featured car.



I'm not happy with the rear diff - when its tightened to the point that it doesn't slip, the diff action itself is just so stiff (smooth but stiff), I'm not sure if it needs bedding-in but I can't see anything particularly wrong with the assembly apart from i've only used the kit 2No conical sping washers rather than 4No that is often recommended. Luckily I have a couple of BossCat diffs that I'm going to strip down & build one good one out of the two - the one I recently recieved from CAT3K (Thanks Paul) already feels better than the diff currently installed

[CAT3K]

Looking good Dan

That shock tower brace is interesting, I have one of those lying around here (somewhere ) I didn't know it was a Phil Davies piece.

Paul.

[DerbyDan]

Looking good Dan

That shock tower brace is interesting, I have one of those lying around here (somewhere ) I didn't know it was a Phil Davies piece.

Paul.

Thanks Paul

I believe Schumacher sold a similar GRP brace for the ProCat - I have the 2wd version on my TopCat (has the 4 Holes to suit the 2wd bulkhead), of which i've seen loads for sale... but not the one to suit the 4wd cars? So whilst I was drawing up the chassis & getting that cut, I quickly added the brace onto my file. Phil Davies worked for Schumacher & ProCat was featured in RRC - it included a similar shock tower brace which at that time was probably a prototype part?

[Peakey]

Looking good dan how did you get on with the eccentrics, have you had chance to measure them yet?

[Peakey]

How are you getting on with it dan my builds stalled a bit but I did refit the front anti roll bar and it just catches the belt no matter what I do with it

[DerbyDan]

How are you getting on with it dan my builds stalled a bit but I did refit the front anti roll bar and it just catches the belt no matter what I do with it

This is about where i'm at with the ProCat - I'm hoping to get a good day of 'tinkering' on it on Saturday.... hopefully get it running!



One of the things I need to re-visit is the steering assembly - i'm not sure if a couple of the little brass bearing/spacers were bent before or I damaged them when dissmantling the assembly - but the steering is stiff & blatently crooked! Luckily there was a set of new pivots on ebay - so hopefully that should solve the issue.

I know what you mean about the belt rubbing the front roll bar - I spotted that also I can only assume that the belt basically is allowed to ride over it - bearing in mind that on acceleration with drive to all four wheels the top of the belt will be more slack on top that on the underside?

[DennisM]

Looking sharp, Dan - Now let us see that new front bumper

[CAT3K]

With my race Procat BITD I used to file the roll bar wire to half its thickness to avoid belt rub.

Here's a pic of the same done on my XL, plenty clearance on the belt now





Paul.

[DerbyDan]

Mmm interesting - that seems like an obvious solution Paul.... but doesn't it reduce the roll bar's effectiveness, being that its cross sectional area has been reduced?

[Peakey]

But that's got to work better than not having one at all. But I have been looking to see if you could arrange one differently by maybe using a different roll bar perhaps

[Coelacanth]

A couple standoffs less than a centimeter tall could be used underneath those stabilizer mounts, and the bar could pass over the belt instead of under it...

[DerbyDan]

A couple standoffs less than a centimeter tall could be used underneath those stabilizer mounts, and the bar could pass over the belt instead of under it...

This would be possible.... but it would mean you would need to cut more out of the body, possibly making the nose-peice quite weak? Looking closer at the photos in the Phil Davies RRC article above - I believe his roll bar is run underneath the top deck? Will have a look at the feasibility of doing that since that would be a nice 'clean' solution.

[DerbyDan]

Better pics from the Phil Davies article (from the scans section)





... I see Kaszal runs his roll bar under the Top Deck also - I think the TopDeck itself requires filing down slightly (if you intend to use the original wire) to allow for the bend in the roll bar.

[Peakey]

That looks like a plan I'll have a look at mine when I get chance but I may have fun as my top deck is alloy

[CAT3K]

Mmm interesting - that seems like an obvious solution Paul.... but doesn't it reduce the roll bar's effectiveness, being that its cross sectional area has been reduced?

It does reduce the roll bars stiffness, yes. Although I don't think in a bad way, that wire is way thicker than the wire I run on my modern cars

Paul.