> News
S960 LCG Chassis Set (903191) (14/05/2006)
- By:
- Glenn M. Cauley
- Linked to:
- Chassis set S960 LCG Pro
Today's OEM Aftermarket
It wasn’t all that long ago that if you wanted to get a trick car chassis, you were forced to look to the aftermarket. It seemed that the cars’ own manufacturers were not all that interested in making ‘aftermarket-esqe’ components — such as different chassis plates — that offer more tuneability and performance for their cars.
Well, those days have passed, as is evidenced by the abundance of the high-quality tuning options that car manufacturers are offering from their own product catalogues.
This is brought into sharp focus by Serpent’s release of a new LCG (low centre-of-gravity) chassis set (903191) for their championship-winning S960 1/8 nitro on-road car.
This article is a pseudo-continuation of my “Building the S960 – Tips & Tricks” series of articles. While not necessarily part of building the car, it does offer some TIPS on the definitely TRICK LCG chassis set.
Chassis S960 LCG/Pro
Made from grey anodized, high-grade aluminium, this beautiful-looking chassis plate has a slightly different design than the original.
The LCG chassis is machined in various areas top & bottom to reduce unnecessary weight without compromising integrity or stiffness. Most notable is the top-side machining of the engine bay, which allows the engine to lowered by almost 2mm.
A scooped “air intake” channel directly below the engine directs air across the bottom of the crankcase, providing extra engine cooling.
Monoblock M21 LCG
The new engine monoblock takes advantage of the extra space below the engine on the new LCG chassis plate. In addition to the benefits given by the engine monoblock system - which reduces chassis flexing and gives more solid engine mounting - the engine monoblock allows the motor to be mounted lower by almost 2mm.
With the engine mounted on the new monoblock, the engine crankcase actually protrudes below the bottom of the monoblock. No bother… the chassis’ machined engine bay accounts for this, allowing the engine crankcase to sit in the machined cutout, right above the cooling channel.
Filler-plate Carbon for LCG Chassis
The carbon filler plate is mounted on the underside of the optional LCG chassis plate, where it has been machined, to protect the front belt and steering system from stones and other large debris. Due to it being made from carbon, it adds very little weight to the already lightened chassis plate.
You might say, “But with the chassis cutouts covered, how will I use my starterbox?” Fear not… Serpent already thought of this, and machined two oval holes for the front PowerStart brackets.
Preparing for Conversion
If you take a read through my “Building the S960 – Tips & Tricks” articles, you will know that I take my time preparing things before assembly; I don’t like unwanted surprises when building my cars. That being said, there were only two small steps that I took to prepare for the LCG chassis conversion.
One step that I took — which was probably unnecessary, just personal preference — was the very minor filing of the LCG monoblock to give a bit more clearance for the rear bulkheads. I describe the procedure in my S960 building article #4 at:
http://www.mytsn.com/publ/publ.asp?pid=11454
under section “Engine Monoblock.”
The other minor step that I took was to clean out the small screw holes for the battery plate and carbon filler plate (8 holes in total). I found that the anodizing made it difficult to install the M3 screws. I used an M3 tapered tap to clean out the threads.
With these small preparatory steps completed, the LCG chassis conversion process went very smoothly and without surprises.
THE CONVERSION PROCESS
Installation of the LCG chassis was very easy and straight-forward. To ensure that all the pieces installed properly and easily, I used a 2-stage conversion process.
Stage 1: Disassembling the Original Chassis
1. Clean the car thoroughly.
2. Remove the exhaust system, left-side chassis brace, engine, mounting block(s), and receiver battery pack (on its plate). Remember to disconnect the receiver battery.
3. Remove the side belt.
4. Turn the car upside down.
5. Remove all screws from the bottom of the original chassis. To remember where to re-install them, I put them on piece of shop towel in a pattern that closely resembles where they were removed from.
6. Remove the original chassis.
Stage 2: Installing the LCG Chassis
1. Install the carbon filler plate. I recommend using medium-grade (blue) threadlock sparingly on the screws.
2. Install the front bumper on the LCG chassis using only the front center screw.
3. Turn the LCG chassis upside down, and roughly align it above the car components.
4. Attach the middle transfer block to the LCG chassis.
5. Lower the LCG chassis onto the components of the upside-down car, and press the components (front & rear bulkheads) into their respective alignment holes.
6. Re-install all of the screws, using medium-grade (blue) threadlock sparingly on any screws that thread into metal components.
7. Install the LCG monoblock in the chassis, then install the engine onto the engine bay and attach it to the monoblock.
8. Install the side belt, left-side chassis brace, and exhaust system.
9. Install the mounted receiver battery.
Receiver Battery & Plate
To keep with the carbon-plate theme, I opted to use Serpent’s 903195 solid carbon battery plate.
A direct replacement for the original fibreglass plate supplied in the S960 kit, this carbon version has no cutout holes and therefore helps protect the battery from damage by stones and other debris. Being a solid plate, it allows for different battery configurations such as the new 5-cell AAA pack for the S960 chassis (903188) or… wait for it… a LiPo pack!
For more information on the VXR Racing LiPo Rx pack that I installed in my S960, see my article at:
http://www.mytsn.com/publ/publ.asp?pid=11823
Other Trick Parts
There are a few more trick parts that I decided to put on my S960:
* 903161 Susp Bracket alu FR upper (2)
* 903162 Rear Plate S960 alu grey
* 903198 Pulley Solid Axle 51T Fast
* B0116 Mugen Seiki Pressure Chamber Set
Minor Mods
I found that I had to make a few minor modifications to compensate for the lowered engine to prevent wear on the carb rubber bellows.
1. With the lower engine & carb, the rubber bellows just slightly contacts the top of the radiotray when the slide moves in and out. To prevent wear in the bellows, I filed a shallow groove in the top of the radiotray where the bellows 'travels.'
2. The lowered carb bellows was touching the bodyclip that secures the rear of the fueltank. Rotating the rear fueltank mounting post by 90° solved the issue.
Time for TESTING
With this new LCG chassis, I think that this car will now hold a definite edge over competitors… now if only the driver’s skills are up to the challenge… only time will tell.
IMPORTANT NOTE
When you are using hand tools and power tools (e.g., drillpress or mototool), you MUST exercise extreme caution, and use proper protective eyewear and gloves. NO loose clothing around power tools, either! It only takes a momentary lapse in concentration to receive an injury or damage a part.
S960 LCG Chassis Set (903191)
Chassis S960 LCG/Pro
Air intake slot aids in engine cooling
Monoblock M21 LCG
Carbon filler plate
Chassis bottoms – LCG & original
Other trick parts
News