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Hey guys,

I'm restoring a blast from my past, an Associated RC12i and I need some help please. I am missing the chassis plate stiffener piece that ran down the center of the lower chassis plate. I believe it was made of Kydex???? Can anyone confirm that and provide the dimensions for me (length, width and thickness). I haven't been able to locate an Associated part number for it (doubt there is one) so I was thinking of fabricating one of my own.

Thank you in advance.

The part number is #4137, the graphite stiffener is 1/16" thick and 1/2" wide by 3 3/4" long. Hope this helps.

So it was actually made of graphite, not kydex? Thanks for the part #.

Hmm, I can't find any reference to that part number. I did locate a pdf file of the 12i instruction manual that describes the part as a "chassis rib" and states it is plastic (black, grey or white) and is supposed to be 1/16" thick by 1/12" wide and 6 1/2" long.

Guess I kinda answered my own question. I'll just try to make my own, unless someone on here has a source for them or a better idea.

Thanks

I had/have one that is pliable but if I remember correctly it had a 12e part number 3###, the ultimate length was determined by where you wanted it to start and end on the chassis and I have seen them long but most were shorter (3 3/4") like the one in my nip #4137 Graphite Stiffener pictured below. It probably doesn't matter whether you use kydex as it would be cheaper/easier to get and won't handle any different if this is going to be a shelfer but it would make a difference on a runner.


I just found a 2nd Graphite Stiffener in my hoard.

in my hoard

What's a hoard

RC10resto wrote:

in my hoard

What's a hoard

Someting like what you have but not nearly as much.

wmcwings wrote:So it was actually made of graphite, not kydex? Thanks for the part #.

I think the first ones were Kydex and they were wider than the later graphite version. The Kydex one was inteded to dampen vibrations but it didn't really do very much. The original 12i chassis didn't have very big cuts in the back to allow the chassis to flex. As we started making bigger and bigger cuts for more rear grip it became necessary to run a spring on the upper pod and the graphite chassis stiffner helped as well. So the later generation 12i production cars had bigger cuts and the graphite stiffner.

This was the progression to the t-bar design of the 12L... isolating the roll movement from up-and-down movement.

WC1982 wrote:

wmcwings wrote:So it was actually made of graphite, not kydex? Thanks for the part #.

I think the first ones were Kydex and they were wider than the later graphite version. The Kydex one was inteded to dampen vibrations but it didn't really do very much. The original 12i chassis didn't have very big cuts in the back to allow the chassis to flex. As we started making bigger and bigger cuts for more rear grip it became necessary to run a spring on the upper pod and the graphite chassis stiffner helped as well. So the later generation 12i production cars had bigger cuts and the graphite stiffner.

This was the progression to the t-bar design of the 12L... isolating the roll movement from up-and-down movement.

Thank you for the history! That is way cool. That's whats the best about this forum.