Serpent is pleased to announce the release of the ‘09 spec of the Championship winning Serpent 720 chassis. Maintaining the cars race winning geometry and already high specification, the 2009 version will now be supplied with a number of great option parts as standard. Main new features: - LCG chassisplate made of aerospace quality 7075T6, lowered, and has pockets for carbon stiffners / brass weights. ( this idea has been followed by many already) - Harder nylon parts - Spring steel cvd’s front - New material fueltank, more temperature stabile Serpent 720-09 TQ and winner of the 2009 Winternats, USA
The new main features of the Serpent 720 '09 are the clear anodised LCG chassis plate, improved tank, harder/stronger nylon parts and durable spring-steel CVD-sets and dogbones.
The bumper plate is made from a high-quality composite that is impact resistant. This is all protected by the low profile foam bumper which can withstand huge impacts and still protect your car. The front bumper mount is also the mounting point for the front body posts.
The nose block ensures that the downstop settings are not altered by impacts. This piece also doubles as a neat personal transponder mount.
The front anti-roll bar uses the effective blade system. The mounting levers are used to adjust both upstop and downstop settings.
Supplied with the 720 '09 kit are these Evo2 steering blocks, which are supplied in 2 sets with 0 and 1mm kingpin angle. These new blocks have 1mm more offset compared to the standard versions, which gives the car a more smooth steering style. The 0-degree blocks work well on medium traction surfaces while the 1-degree blocks work better on low to medium level traction surfaces. However if you swap the left and right 1-degree blocks, the car will then work better in high grip tracks, actually reducing the effects of grip roll, while at the same time giving the car smoother, more consistent, cornering.
A direct replacement of the original servo saver, this new version allows the user to easily adjust the cars Ackerman through the use of inserts thus eliminating the need to remove the entire assembly. Users can now find the most suitable setting by easily switching between the 4 different Ackerman settings now available to them.
The 720 '09 comes supplied with the finest Spring Steel drive shafts capable of withstanding constant punishment; these shafts are ultra durable and very stiff allowing you to put all your power to the tarmac. The rear of this car uses dogbones while the front uses the supplied CVD shafts.
The ultra-lightweight but very strong aluminium pivot balls provide a huge weight saving over the steel versions without compromising strength, and we have provided them as standard.
These new adjusting nuts are made from Nylon and replace the previous aluminium nut with plastic insert which will not only makes assembly easier, it also reduces unsprung weight. Reducing the parts used at this point also reduces side play so it makes for a more precise handling car and because the material used is self-lubricating the movement of the pivot ball will remain smooth throughout use.
The car also comes supplied with orange anodised aluminium hex wheel adaptors that ensure that flex is eliminated in the drive train when under strain.
The chassis plate, made of aerospace quality 7075 T6 alu has now been clear anodised and features a machined recess to mount the supplied front brass plate, an option that helps remove snap oversteer and allows the car to corner faster and smoother. This 4mm thick aluminium plate features countersunk screw holes along the bottom to ensure that no screws come in contact with the ground. The chassis also features chamfered edges to give greater clearance when going over curbs or when running low to the ground, chassi has been recessed in all area;s for lower center of gravity, LCG.
To keep the centre-of-gravity as low and as centralised as possible, the chassis also houses the car's battery pack.
Serpent has included an improved version of their 75cc fuel tank in the 720 '09 which has been made from a newer stronger material. The milky white coloured tank will now have more resistance to shattering in the event of a heavy impact. The tank is top-mounted using rubber-covered aluminium mountings to isolate the tank from vibrations, and small body clips allow for quick & easy removal.
Improving on the concept that Serpent pioneered, their famous AFL fuel tank lid has been updated once more. Made from rubber, the new seal (softer silicone rubber) has been shaped to create a perfect seal around the opening of the tank and allowing the tank lid to close fully.
Rigidity is important in a modern day chassis, and this car is no exception. Sporting graphite side plates, a technology that Serpent pioneered, this car is ultra stiff and allows the shock absorbers and suspension components to work more effectively by reducing unwanted chassis flex.
The left chassis stiffener also doubles as the mounting point for the side belt tensioner.
An aluminium radio plate X bracket also comes as standard, that not only looks great but also helps increase rigidity of the car, while finally, to ensure the engine mounting points are kept aligned, reducing stress on the crankcase, the 720-09 is supplied with the single piece orange anodised engine mount.
The exhaust mount is a spring-type mounting wire that isolates vibrations. The wire mount is attached to the radio plate by a mounting post and secured in place with a set screw.
The rear end of the Serpent 720 '09 features strong 1-piece lower wishbones and fully adjustable uprights. As with all the wishbones on the car, the lower wishbones can be used on both the left and right sides, minimizing the number of spare parts needed to bring to the track. The rear upright features robust pivotball mounting points on the bottom and two upper camber link mounting holes for fine-tuning rear roll centre.
The rear anti-roll bar for the Serpent 720 is ball-raced for extra precision. Stiffness is quickly and easily adjustable by changing the linkage mounting points on the lower wishbones or alternatively by changing the position of the ball joint pivot point on the roll bar itself.
To further stiffen the rear end of the car, we have created a distinctive S-shaped carbon brace which spans the two rear bearing blocks.
The Serpent 720 continues to use an adjustable linkage as it has proved to be solid and lightweight, easily handling impacts, while offering improved and simple adjustment. The two inner mounting positions of each camber link offer an easy way to adjust camber rise.
Precision machined disk brake, due to its excellent cooling characteristics, this ventilated brake disk allows smooth and precise braking. Its also very lightweight and is also very cool looking. Simple and effective stopping power.
The 720's braking system has been race proven and comes with a single ventilated brake disk to further improve braking performance and consistency.
The simplicity of the rear end of the 720 means it is possible to remove the rear axles with only 6 screws. This configuration also makes it very easy to adjust the rear lower roll centre positions. Another great feature of the rear end is that the body mounting posts are no longer mounted directly to the carbon shock tower but are instead mounted to a flexible composite body mount plate. This reduces the chance of shock tower breakage even in large accidents.
The supplied gear differentials give smooth differential action and high durability, and gear slippage is non-existent due to the geared design. Performance and tuning characteristics are easily adjusted via gear oils of different thicknesses.
As an added extra, the Serpent 720 '09 comes with the previously optional front one way system as well the one way lock set to make it into a solid axle, ensuring your car will be ready for all conditions.
Ofcourse the Serpent invented Centax clutch is also incuded in the Serpent 720.
High quality gears, strong and durable clutch-housing, combined with shaped clutch-shoe plate, high grip red shoe and best quality hardware.
All the punch you will possibly need.
The 720 '09 comes with a new smaller diameter flywheel but continues to use the same lightweight and well-tested transmission as in previous versions. Featuring a fine gear pitch and lightweight components, the result is better acceleration whilst the race-winning Centax-III clutch system is easily adjusted and performs brilliantly.
The RCC shock absorbers are the smoothest and easiest to build shocks ever designed. Machined from metal and unique in that the shock bodies only open on the bottom half, they are really simple to assemble. They come with a fixed piston and no longer use a diaphragm as with the previous shocks. The result is an ultra-smooth and air-free shock absorber thanks to the self-bleeding system incorporated into the design.
Another great benefit is that these shock absorbers come pre-assembled in the kit, so you need only add shock oil.
Supplied with orange-sealed high-quality lightweight bearings throughout, the drive train is very efficient and runs very smoothly.
The 720 '09 sports a now tried and tested drive ratio that makes it suitable for all tracks. The car comes with 3 narrow, low friction Kevlar belts.
The Serpent 720 has been designed with the highest level of competition in mind and is therefore fully adjustable. The racer can change numerous settings easily and effectively, including the suspension geometry. Upstops and downstops can be easily accessed and easily adjusted for optimum handling, as can the cars roll centers at both the front and rear of the car. Castor, toe, and camber are also easily adjusted.
The wheel axles are made from the highest quality steel. Sporting a threaded shaft to mount the wheel, these parts are built to last. The 720 '08 comes with 2 rear wheel axles made for dog bones whilst the front drive shafts make up part of the supplied CVD system.
Serpent supplies a full-colour instruction manual to allow you to build your car with the greatest of ease. A separate brochure containing all exploded views and latest option parts is also supplied with the car.
Included is a Serpent 720 decal sheet and blank set-up sheet.
All Manuals are available to download as a PDF in the 'Downloads' section of this product page.
DJ Apolara won the 2009 Winternats in Florida USA, after Polao Morganti already TQ-ed the 200mm class with Serpent 720-09, making qualifying a 12,3 and 4 for Serpent.