19 February, 2003
The
1/24th Scale Chassis
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When one talks about performance model racing cars, what do they mean? Is performance defined as simply top speed and nothing else? Some might argue that yes, top speed is the overall factor when judging performance. However, for myself it is more than just top speed, it is a combination of things that define performance for me, and it looks like now I have another benchmark to go by: The TSR chassis. |
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Most of you reading this already know of this chassis and its capabilities, but for those just joining us, I will try and give you a quick look at what makes this chassis so special. |
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The old saying goes: "You get out of something what you put into it" comes to mind when driving this chassis around our track. As most of you already know, Philippe De Lespinay of TSR has put forth a tremendous effort in bringing us this chassis, and as far as I can see, it shows. The TSR website is where you will find everything you need to know on maintenance, building, tuning, approved bodies, and club information. Also Ken McClellan of Slot Car Illustrated did a great review on the 1/32nd scale chassis as well. |
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They have already provided a wealth of information on this chassis, so make sure you check these sources as well. After it arrived here safe and sound, we were very eager to get this chassis to the track. After placing a few drops of oil on the rear axle and motor, we began our first few laps. I can safely say this is the smoothest car I have ever driven in this scale. From the first pull of the trigger, you will appreciate this chassis, as throttle response was excellent, along with a whisper quiet drive-train. |
The chassis comes with a bar magnet placed underneath with 3 positions to choose from. I tried all 3, with very little difference in overall lap times, however it seems to me this chassis is just begging to be ran without magnets.
So with that said, I lightly sanded the tires, and without the magnet, this chassis was just as smooth as it was with it. Of course traction was reduced, however, it was just nice to see a chassis that can roll down your track as smoothly as it did without the aid of a magnet. Adding some lead weight, and of course your choice of bodies will certainly improve matters. For those that run on Copper taped routed tracks, or in clubs without magnets, this chassis should please you.
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As strange as it may sound, it is at these lower speeds that this chassis really shows itself. As I cruised around the corners and down the long straights, there were things missing that I usually see, such as out of round wheels, excess rear axle free-play and bad gear mesh. Lap after lap, this chassis seems to just float around the corners, with braking smooth enough to please just about any driving style. I found the compound of the tires to be easily sanded, and provided excellent grip on our Carrera track. |
| The wheels themselves are proof that they can be made from plastic, yet still be round and true, without being prone to cracking so easily. The front wheels with tires have a diameter of 1" with a width of .5", with the rear wheels measuring 1.0625in diameter and have a width of .625". |
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A
few other things make this chassis a little different that what you might be
used to. The motor itself is of higher quality than the average Mabuchi,
being almost identical to the Falcon motor, and was more than enough power
for our home racing applications. The chassis comes with a stock gear ratio
of 11/48 utilizing 64 pitch gears. The actual ratio at the tires is
3.3379/1.
The wireless power system is another great design feature, and works flawlessly. I have had my share of problems with fitting the motor wires right where |
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they needed to be in my 1/32nd scale models, and this system eliminates all of this, and makes me wish it was a standard feature in all of my models. Simplicity seems to play a major role in this chassis, and this design, along with the front guide system, proves it. |
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Speaking of the guide system, here again, things are improved. I have plenty of ready-to-run models that have the front guides extremely loose, and their durability, along with performance, isn't much to speak of because of this poor fit. On this chassis, the guide is a solid assembly utilizing a more pin-type approach than the longer blade-type you might be used to, with smooth, durable braid making contact with the rails. This front guide needs to be trimmed slightly in order to fit the Carrera track, |
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Two metric flat-head Phillips screws are supplied in the kit and can be added to attach the motor more firmly for serious racing. |
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The motor gets its power through pressure contact with formed stainless steel wires. The positive lead is shunted to the motor can by a metal ring set around the armature bearing housing. |
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The chassis itself can be stretched to 6 inches with a wheelbase range of 3.75 to 4.5 in 9 possible increments. This allows plenty of flexibility for the modeler, and recently news of a bolt-on kit will stretch the wheelbase to an even 5 inches. Weighing in at 3.6oz without any body, with a average clear plastic body mounted it bumps it up to 3.8, and as an example, the Carrera BMW V12 body brings it to 5.6oz. Bodies can be mounted in a variety of ways, from using the provided pins, screws, or even tape. |
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Application of your handy "Modelers License" will certainly find a way to fit this chassis under your favorite model. |
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The body mounts use a captive nut so that bodies can be epoxy-glued to the mount, the whole body now retained by two screws under the steel pan. |
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This view shows the simplicity of the design, offering much potential for racing all forms of model cars available as static kits as well as new vacuum-formed bodies produced by TSR. |
In closing I can only emphasize how smooth this chassis is to drive. I guess this is the characteristic in any slot car that ultimately defines performance for me. Any model can be made to go fast, especially with the aid of strong magnets. Having a model that has it right BEFORE you add a magnet increases your driving pleasure than you might think. I look back many years ago on what enthusiasts had to work with to get their models to run smoothly, and the obstacles they sometimes faced in construction. We are truly more fortunate these days, as not only has our ready-to-run market grown, but a chassis like the TSR helps the "Scratch-Building Challenged" like myself have a great running car almost immediately. Do yourself a favor, grab one today and see for yourself, I am betting you will be glad you did.
Harry Wise
As always feel free to email me at
wiseone@yhti.net about this article, or
just the hobby in general.
Thanks go to Fantasy World Hobbies for providing me with this chassis.
For this chassis, I can highly suggest logging onto the TSR website for all the latest information possible. They always have time to answer your emails, and found their Customer Support to be outstanding.
Click here for Technical Information on this Chassis
