X6 Carbon Fibre Chassis

[Wacker 2]

Hi guys, just sending out some feelers for the time being...

I'm in the final process of developing a carbon fibre chassis to fit the X6 that will do away with the internal strengthening skeleton of the original plastic chassis, allow much better installation for the electrics but more importantly will allow use of saddle pack lipo's side by side (not length to length) for better weight distribution and make you able to reposition your batteries within the car as part of your cars set up. It wont just be layers of flat carbon fibre layered together to make the shape, it will be a proper moulded tub chassis - very simular to the Atomic Carbon S2 conversion.

Plus it will look amazing in carbon fibre.

My intention is to keep the chassis shape exactly the same as the original X6 so that you can still use the X6 bodyshell as normal.

The company I am using to make the carbon fibre chassis have asked me to do alittle research to see if it is something that is worth producing a few of to offer for sale to other X6 drivers, or to just make 1 or 2 for my own use?

What I need from you guys is answers to the following 2 questions:

1, Would you be interested in a carbon fibre chassis for your X6 buggy?
2, what sort of price would you be willing to pay for such a chassis?

Would appreciate as much feed back as possible,

Thanks,
Jon Seals

[Cooper]

with or without nosepiece?

I wouldn't use it anyway I think.

Carbon looks cool but I'm not a touring car driver, if it has 4 wheels with buggy tires I'm happy.

[Wacker 2]

It would be a one peice chassis including the nose peice, simular to the new X6 squared chassis.

[Mike Hudson]

have you thought about how you would have the gearbox mounting bits at the back etc made onto the chassis and how the lipos arn't going to be able to move around in chassis when racing? The origional chassis is carbon btw not plastic

[Wacker 2]

Looking to make the rear of the chassis flat and have a machined alloy peice to bolt onto the flat of the rear chassis, which will allow the gearbox and shock tower to fit in the normal way.

[Wacker 2]

Originally Posted by Mike Hudson

have you thought about how you would have the gearbox mounting bits at the back etc made onto the chassis and how the lipos arn't going to be able to move around in chassis when racing? The origional chassis is carbon btw not plastic

If you've seen an atomic carbon S2 chassis it is flat with a battery tray which will position the batteries securely once a carbon fibre battery strap has been put in place. looking to do exactly the same for my chassis.

And I know the chassis is carbon, reallised what I had written just after posting it, lol!

cheers, Jon

[Mike Hudson]

sounds good so far i might be interested in the chassis with a stick pack configuration like the current X6

[Wacker 2]

that would be possible with no problems at all... will just need a different battery tray to locate the Lipo.

Thanks very much for your feedback, I think I've thought of everything but need people like yourself to ask questions cos theres probably something I've overlooked!!!

Jon

[mattym0310]

i agree it would look cool, but other than that I don't see any benefits. I was thinking about doing this a while back but I don't think it is worth the money [i'm sure a mold has to be made for the chassis which costs a lot of money).

[JCJC]

Its an interesting idea, we have just smashed a nose off our x6, but never broke a b4, would have to offer advantages and moving batteries/weight may do it.

cost thats the difficult one ? wonder if Darren Boyle would find it interesting, if you can get DMS behind it you could sell a few.

[Wacker 2]

Originally Posted by mattym0310

i agree it would look cool, but other than that I don't see any benefits. I was thinking about doing this a while back but I don't think it is worth the money [i'm sure a mold has to be made for the chassis which costs a lot of money).

Whether its worth the money is essentially what this post is all about... I appreciate your feedback.

I used to run the X6 last season with the 4-2 battery configeration to try and get the weight as close to the centre of the car as possible - I found this handled a lot better than having a 6 cell pack from side to side. As most people are going to Lipo's this year, and as you cannot get a 4-2 Lipo cell you would have to go length ways again from left to right. I would prefer to run saddle pack Lipo's (like the S2) to keep the weight as close to the centre of the car like before. I've made a prototype using a modified X6 chassis and it did handle visably better this way. Also it allows alot more room for your electrics with no restrictions to placement.

Thanks again Matty,

Jon

[Wacker 2]

Originally Posted by JCJC

Its an interesting idea, we have just smashed a nose off our x6, but never broke a b4, would have to offer advantages and moving batteries/weight may do it.

cost thats the difficult one ? wonder if Darren Boyle would find it interesting, if you can get DMS behind it you could sell a few.

Darren Boyle?? is he with DMS racing?? thanks for the post, I will make sure I call him next week for a chat!

Cheers, Jon!

[warped]

What benefit does this give you as opposed to just using an S2?

I could see that there maybe 1 or 2 slight changes in geometry at the rear, but you may well be able to replicate the x6 geometry on an S2 with less hassle?

[warped]

Also with lipo you will have a lot of moveable ballast in the car. Being able to move cells won't be nearly as much benefit with lipos.

Interesting project, but can't see it being commercially viable.

[Wacker 2]

Originally Posted by warped

What benefit does this give you as opposed to just using an S2?

I could see that there maybe 1 or 2 slight changes in geometry at the rear, but you may well be able to replicate the x6 geometry on an S2 with less hassle?

Essentially there would not be any benefits over an S2 - but the S2 did cost a hell of alot more that the X6 and so if many people like me had funding issues (shall we say) when upgrading the B4 to a mid motored car, then they would have gone to an X6. Therefore there are alot of people out there that currently have an X6 or indeed the new X6 squared and so this would be an ideal upgrade for them.

Plus, if you wanted to instead go to an S2 it would be difficult as I think I'm right in saying that Atomic Carbon are no longer making the S2 conversion kit.

Thanks, Jon

[Wacker 2]

Originally Posted by warped

Also with lipo you will have a lot of moveable ballast in the car. Being able to move cells won't be nearly as much benefit with lipos.

Interesting project, but can't see it being commercially viable.

Appreciate your comments, thats what this thread is all about!

Thanks again, Jon!

[JCJC]

wasn't the S2 slimmer ?

[Wacker 2]

Originally Posted by JCJC

wasn't the S2 slimmer ?

yes, the S2 was much slimmer - only just enough room for 2 saddle Lipo's side by side. I will be keeping the X6 chassis the same size and shape as it is now so that you can continue to use the X6 bodyshell, but having more room in the car will allow for better placement of electrics and allow much more flexibility with placement of batteries - giving the option to run 1 single full Lipo from left to right or to run saddle Lipo's side by side closer to the centre of the chassis (which is my prefered choice!). eihter option will allow you to move the Lipo's within the car to see if handling can be improved by moving weight within the chassis.

I know that Lipo's are alot lighter than Nimh batteries but some of the Lipo's now are starting to come alittle heavier than the earlier ones. With previous Lipo's you had to put alot of weight into the car to meet weight restrictions which was good as it allowed you to place the weight wherever you wished, but if the Lipo's are starting to come alittle heavier the positioning of the cells will still be an important part of the cars set up!

Thanks again for helping out,

Jon

[jeroen206]

something like this
http://www.overrc.com/news/news2008/.../Photo_032.jpg
http://www.overrc.com/news/news2008/.../Photo_015.jpg
http://www.overrc.com/news/news2008/.../Photo_038.jpg

[YoungChazz]

We are so flattered that various companies are making hop-ups for our cars! Whodathunkit???

I"ll let engineer Paul give the definitive answer here, but I can tell you that we big money trying every combination we could think of before spending bigger $$ on a mold. And we did think of saddles...