The Matrix Concepts carbon fiber losi 8ight chassis

[Semi Pro]

Originally Posted by montyjcm

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I was wondering how this chassis has performed in race conditions. Any update?

great, so far, everything has worked flawlessly, its getting pretty scrached up but we all new that was going to happen

[Mentat]

So you think carbon fiber over aluminum for chassis design? I have been wondering about that.

[ikpthegame]

I can tell you guys that Semi Pros buggy just seems to glide. It jumps without an issue, and it makes in air changes like nothing ive seen.

[Semi Pro]

Originally Posted by Mentat

So you think carbon fiber over aluminum for chassis design? I have been wondering about that.

im very happy with mine


both my 8ight and my revo have carbon chassis and havent been a problem


if you can afford it i say go for it, even way over geared my buggy runs effortlessly. everyone who has seen it in person is just floored by how it handles and jumps

[montyjcm]

How does the chassis wear? I know that my chassis gets a fair amount of wear on it. Had to get a new bulkhead recently and noticed how thin section that pokes through the chassis got! It definitely looks pretty sweet.

[spcpicard]

I've replaced the front and rear skids once since I've owned it. If you use the DE racing skids front and back, it keeps wear to a minimum. The front wears faster right at the bend since the de bump skid doesn't cover it. The rear could last forever with the use of the de rear skids, just drop a line of Ca glue to the front part to keep it from peeling (CA bonds great with CF) There is no question on durability for sure, last race they were using large wooden jumps and I was tripling the double double every once in a while, at the end of the last qual I lost traction on the face of the first jump and cased the top of the third wooden jump from about 25 feet landing almost straight down on the middle of the chassis. The car hit so hard it bounced up probably 12 feet. Several people came over after the qualifier wanting to see if my chassis was bent (they didn't know it was CF) I couldn't even find a mark where it hit. Several people said that if it would have been Aluminum, it definitely would have bent from an impact like that.

[Semi Pro]

im still useing the first skids, i bought 3 sets just to be safe, so far i have been repairing every scrach every race just to get the most out of the chassis.

as i said before, im very happy with the performance of the chassis

[Ryu James]

i started making my own carbon chassis' last fall and have loved them. with the exception of my 1/5 all my conversions have carbon chassis and have held up very well. in fact, the 3mm carbon chassis on my rc8t took a major beating one night and never had an issue: our track had just got a huge skateboard style wood jump installed a few weeks ago. the first night racing i couldnt resist trying to pull some back flips. in the races the 1/8s typically have to hit this jump very slow to avoid major air time and breaking your car. anyway, i hit the jump and pulled a large back flip. next lap i did a double back flip, and the next lap i did a triple. needless to say to pull a triple back flip you have to be like 30ft high. so i was catching huge air, like XXXmain type stuff. i did not land on my wheels everytime and despite the hard landings and crashes i took my chassis just kept on going. so i am a firm believer in carbon fiber chassis. i wanted to make my own available to the masses but have had trouble getting everything setup to machine them in large quantities. also, my carbon chassis' weigh nearly 6 ounces less than the aluminum chassis. i have never used MC carbon parts but my own rides are equiped with carbon all over and i have never been disappointed.

[montyjcm]

Good to hear... I am sticking with stock right now, but looking at options for a future upgrade. I really debating over whether or not to go with Tekno, Matrix, or the BCE chassis. CF has a lot of benefits though.. anyone know how they stack their laminas?

[sabongi]

i'm wondering about a CF chassis for the D8. Can anyone talk about difficulties on fabricating one? I seen toyeast and 3racing sells the sheets, probably 4mm would be fine. How about cutting and drilling?

[Semi Pro]

Originally Posted by sabongi

i'm wondering about a CF chassis for the D8. Can anyone talk about difficulties on fabricating one? I seen toyeast and 3racing sells the sheets, probably 4mm would be fine. How about cutting and drilling?

its not hard, easyer than aluminum but you will need to ware a dust mask when working with it

honestly i would look into getting a Ve8 chassis if i were you, im planing a buying a Ve8 soon to use as my new basher buggy

[Ryu James]

Originally Posted by sabongi

i'm wondering about a CF chassis for the D8. Can anyone talk about difficulties on fabricating one? I seen toyeast and 3racing sells the sheets, probably 4mm would be fine. How about cutting and drilling?

i have made over a dozen carbon chassis for my 1/8 buggies and truggies. it isnt too bad but does take time and you do need to wear a respirator mask at all times. not just one of those cotton paint masks but one of those rubber masks with replaceable filters. look in the paint section at home depot and you will find them. breathing carbon dust is like asbestos. it never gets out and continues to cut your lungs every time you breathe.

also, 4mm is too thick. i have doen 5mm, 4mm, and 3mm chassis. i never thought the 3mm would be thick enough but i have 3mm carbon on all my truggies and buggies and never had an issue. plus it saves the most weight. if you go 4mm you wont be saving much weight plus it is much harder to work with. also, it doesnt flex at all and this hurts the performance of the buggy. you want a little flex and the 3mm works perfect.

for the kickup needed on the front end of the chassis you can use a propane torch to heat it up from a few inches away. practice on scrap piece first. once it gets hot enough you can bend it, clamp it to the stock aluminum chassis, and let it cool. then you have the same angle kickup as the stock unit and if you do it right the carbon will not lose its integrity. one thing with carbon chassis just be sure to run your chassis brace in the front and the rear. the only time i broke one was when running without a rear chassis brace. just like an alum. chassis would bend dramatically without a rear chassis brace. but carbon breaks, not bends.

anyway, hope some of my experience helps. i still make all my own chassis out of carbon to this day. i keep different thicknesses of carbon on hand at all times and always use it for custom parts. it is a great material. it is not the easiest to work with. you need very tough bits. they need to be tungsten carbide or they will just melt and be dull in like 1 minute. even with good bits you will go through a few of them most likely.

good luck and keep us update on your progress.

oh, another tip. cut your carbon chassis slightly large and then clamp to the stock chassis and use a round sanding bit in a dremel and sand around the edges. the sander takes the carbon down very quickly but stops when you hit the alum. you end up with a perfect looking carbon chassis. referring to the stock unit will help you get everything in the right place and provide a good format. but dont be afraid to try something new. i have taken parts from different kits that i like and mixed them. in fact the truggy and buggy i run are essentially losi 8ights with the AE rc8 center driveline and center diff. i prefer the AE driveline assembly over the losi one and so i maid my kits that way.

[SnoopMaxx]

Where do you buy the CF plates ?
ohh nd great work on the chassis

[Ryu James]

Originally Posted by SnoopMaxx

Where do you buy the CF plates ?
ohh nd great work on the chassis

i buy all my stuff from DA-Graphite out of SanDiego. its not cheap but by far the best i have found, especially their fineweave sheets. they sell small pieces on ebay under the username graphite-girl but they arent large enough for a chassis. easiest thing to do is to email them at graphite-girl@cox.net and let them know what you need and they will give you a price. they only sell sheets in 18x24" unless you get the small ones on ebay. i found i can get 4 chassis out the 18x24" piece and then you get your moneys worth. they have worked with several RC people and are great to work with.

[SnoopMaxx]

Thanks