Full Option IMA Integrated Motor Axle

[LongRat]

Here are a couple of pics of the new back end I have done for the Mardave, which I am calling the IMA.



The concept is self-explanatory, and the results are very pleasing. The car drives as smooth as silk, and there is no mechanical noise from the lack of gears. The current set up is using a slightly low kv motor (750) which isn't drawing quite enough current as I can complete a race on about 800mAh on a 2-cell. As a result it lacks a bit of punch out of corners but is very comparable with 'normal' cars in straight line speed.
The other benefit is that the whole pod weighs just under half that of a standard plastic pod with 540 size motor and axle.
I am going to switch out the motor for a slightly bigger one (35mm can) to try to get a little more low end. Once that is proven, I will move on to stage 2 of the concept, which will be a customised rotor unit for the new motor with an integral diff.
Judging by the performance of this, it wouldn't surprise me to see all pan cars change to this type of drive before too long. Touring would benefit even more, with biased F/R drives for better cornering, but that would take some customised electronics in the ECSs to achieve.

[LongRat]

IMA v2.0
Now using Aerodrive 3536 motor, 910kV.
This is a lot torquier, more powerful, and the fastest solid axle Mardave I've seen. Got second in the A final at this week's club meeting. Now got to make an integrated diff and it will be the complete package.

[JimboJames1972]

Really interesting idea here, always good to see others tinkering and thinking outside the box!

Good luck with it,

James

[LongRat]

Thanks James, I really think this will be commonplace before too long. It's great to drive.

[RogerM]

Do the race regulations allow this though Dave?

Part of the reason I stopped running 'Dave's at the club was that with a car "built to regs" I was totally out paced by the cars built to the club rules then, including your previous car.

[LongRat]

Apart from 'anything goes' rules I doubt this car would satisfy the regs at any club. Certainly wouldn't at ours. My intention here was to see if the concept worked, which it does, so now I want to perfect it. I've missed enough weeks of our championship to not worry too much about not counting for points.
The rules at Gloucester are still 2S/21.5 or 1S/13.5 to count for points. People who want an easy life, and a cheaper car, go for 2S. People racing elsewhere too go for 1S. The racing is still great and I have to say, the most enjoyable I have had since starting at the club.

[mark christopher]

Originally Posted by LongRat

I really think this will be commonplace before too long. It's great to drive.

that I doubt!

[LongRat]

Originally Posted by mark christopher

that I doubt!

I've heard that before - when I turned up at a track in Summer 2000 with 3 wires coming out of my motor.

With this layout the one thing that can't be escaped is the high efficiency. It is currently using roughly 3/4 of the energy to complete a race in a time faster than all but the very quickest GT12 cars at our club - compared to the exact same car running a 21.5T 2-pole motor. Properly designed, the suspension will work better as the unsprung weight is halved. These are major advantages and I am not saying my prototype has maximised any of this potential, but the potential is there to be taken and that isn't the case with a conventional geared transmission layout.