Carbon Fiber and Aluminum chassis question.
 

Carbon Fiber and Aluminum chassis question.

I’ve read that carbon fiber should be stronger than aluminum depending on the compound used. However to me alloy still looks stronger. Is the carbon fiber used in the Gorillamaxx chassis just as strong as the aluminum since it costs more to buy? I know alloy will bend in a hard crash/landing during a bash but if it were carbon fiber I think it will just snap? What do you think?

Carbon fiber snaps or shatters/splinters, aluminum bends/breaks. Carbon fiber has more torsional rigidity than aluminum at certain thicknesses. Around 2.5~3.0mm is a decent thickness for both, but anything over 3.5mm and carbon fiber is technically stronger.

Thanks KMN.

The gorilla chassis are 3mm so techincally their as strong as each other?

On impact, carbon fiber will shatter/crack... aluminum would be more flexible and "give" a little, and maybe bend.

They're both really strong, but if you throw both of them at a pole at 40mph/63kph, the aluminum will bend, and the carbon will snap.

Thanks for clarifying. that is what I had suspected. Cheers

yes, but if you have quality carbon fiber you would be very hard pressed to ever "snap" it or crack it. and at 3mm it has just the right amount of flex so it is less likely to break. 3mm real carbon is extremely tough to crack or break. you would need to hit a brick wall at 50mph in a 10lb MT to "snap" it.

crappy quality carbon on the other hand is totally unpredictable and will snap and splinter without warning.

i am sure the carbon for the traxxas stuff is quality carbon.

Preferance
 

This is definitely one of those personal preferance subjects. Some like aluminum better, some just like the whole carbon fiber look. If you look through some of the threads throughout RCM you will find pros and cons for both. TDC57 has a Gorilla project/build with the carbon fiber accessories and his chassis snapped on one of his jumps during a bash session. Depending how bad you bend aluminum you may be able to bend it back and keep right on going. Once the carbon fiber breaks you are done. Game over purchase another $100 to $200 piece and start all over again. Either way just have fun and love what you are doing.

I don't mind paying for the carbon that I potentially break, but GM is no longer supporting parts for the G3R. What they have is all they got. Maybe they are working on a G4R?