Thorpe Innovations

More work on styling with the lines of the frame.

-Concept layout for predator powered street legal cruiser.

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Concept layout for predator powered street legal cruiser.

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Progression from a sketch to partially designed rendering.

I’ve been wanting to build this bike in real life for a while now for myself. I wanted to combine old and new into something clean, modern and practical.

It’s a mix of old school classic BMW style with touch of Flat Track and powered by a 96v electric motor.

The geometry is similar to a modern sport bike. I used a linkage suspension on front forks to get the raked look without losing the ability to carve corners.

The rear will most likely use a linkage similar to the 1000rr where the shock sits inside the swingarm.

The seat seat height and pedal location will be adjustable so I can go from cruiser to sport mode depending on how I feel that day.

I’ll be 3D printing a small scale version of this as I go until I’m pleased with the styling. Then it’s on to fab work.

So after about a year of being locked out of this account I finally got back in.

Very sorry to those I left hanging with unanswered questions or requests for custom designs.

I haven’t been designing parts for RC cars in a while. I have slowly shifted to other areas. Motorsports etc.

I uploaded a few of my popular designs to Shapeways because I’m not printing or shipping parts at all.

I thank all of you for the support from the RC world. I see that you all have really stepped up the RC Drag scene in an awesome way.

Here is the link for anyone that was looking for the Skinny Front wheels and shock pistons. Hopefully there are enough tires in circulation to keep up with the demand now.

Details on the tires are on the shop link.

Thorpe Innovations by frankiethorpe - Shapeways Shops We're sorry to inform you that we no longer support this browser and can't confirm that everything will work as expected. For the best Shapeways experience, please use one of the following browsers:

Getting a little closer to the run flat design of the 3D printed tire. This material is not easy to work with so there have been several design changes.

Anti-squat always has a large effect on handling and traction, but has an even larger effect on drag cars providing traction at the launch.

Most designs are conversions of existing buggy chassis with industry standard suspension. IRS (independent rear suspension).

IRS cannot transfer the immediate transfer of weight and load directly to the tires the way a solid axle can. This initial load gets soaked up by the springs. You can add anti squat to your A-Arms by raising the front hinge pins but there’s only so much room to move them without causing other problems. And you still lose most of the initial load from weight transfer.

Racers with traditional IRS also have to battle camber changes as the car squats off the line which can reduce the amount of tire patch on the ground.

This is the reason even modern IRS drag cars are sometimes converted to a sold axle with a linked suspension. Similar to the Traxxas Drag car that was discontinued. Watch videos of how hard they launch and you’ll get an idea of the difference it makes compared to an IRS buggy conversion.

Not saying an IRS car can’t be fast and launch hard. They can be. But they usually take much more tuning and preparation to get there.
To date, there aren’t any drag specific suspension systems available on the RC no-prep world.

Keep an eye out for our anti-squat IRS system. It offers the best of both worlds by offering a drag specific IRS system with tunable anti-squat, and adjustable track width, using most of the existing suspension parts.

As of right now it will be built specifically for use on the Chuckworks RC slash conversion because that’s what I have to build from, but plan to work with more chassis’s soon after.

“All of those cars were once just a dream in somebody’s head.” ~ Peter Gabriel

Wonder how this will look on the Grand National 🤔🤔🤔

Matching rear wheels in resin done.

Same offset as DE wheels. I think to fit better under this body it could use a little less offset but these are on stock Slash Arms.

The resin brings out the detail nicely with no post work on the face side of rim. They could use some sanding on the backside to be perfect.

This came up in my memories today. From about 7 yrs ago.

Pencil sketching I used to do. Always Loved the Grand Nationals.

Actually working on a set of wheels like this for my No-prep car now.

JConcepts new Grand National body sitting on stock width slash.

Ti wheels front and rear on DE slicks.

Looks like it’s going to sit nice and tucked even on stock Slash A-arms.

Of course I’m going to slam it as low as possible and of course all black paint coming next. It’s a GN 🤷‍♂️.

Link to body:
https://www.jconcepts.net/shop/1987-buick-grand-national-street-eliminator-body

What’s the coolest thing about a Blank?

As we get our process and our website streamlined, we are introducing something I haven’t seen available anywhere else in the RC world.

Stay tuned...

www.thorpeinnovations.com

Ok I need some input here. This is strictly for those interested in the “Skinny Front” wheel design we offer. If this works, I will have a lot more designs to fit this tire.

I’m considering producing my own 3d printed tire from a rubber like resin that’s similar to 30-40 shore rubber.

These tires will have an internal run flat design and will not need any inserts. However, they will still have internal reliefs to absorb harsh bumps while holding the weight of the car well.

I’m having to outsource production and this tire will be more expensive than a regular rubber tire.

But, as of right now the supply of those rubber tires are very limited.

They will save you some money by not requiring an insert however so I hope it can balance out. The regular 1/8 rubber tires from 2wheelhobbies.com cost $9.99 each and inserts are $7.99 each. That’s a total of $35.96 to get your tire setup at 2wheel

I’m going to have to price my tires around $30 for a pair but could combine them on shipping if bought with skinny rims to save more.

I know this is a little pricey and there are cheaper options if you just want to run an O-ring style.

I have to make a large commitment to get them produced at all and after that I’ll be able to lower the price hopefully.

So:

Hell yes?

Or

Hell no?

Coming soon...

Thorpe innovations Thorpe innovations

JConcepts killed it with this new Grand National body. 😱🤯

Got my order in and excited to see it in person.

I’ll be working on some wheel designs for this car in the meantime.

Here is the link to get one of your own.

https://www.jconcepts.net/shop/1987-buick-grand-national-street-eliminator-body

Now that I have the base design it’s time to play with styles. I call the first one “brass knuckles.”

Mock up for matching rears. The screen capture pics show the look of design. This detail will show much better in a final durable resin print.

These are 1 piece glue style rims for DE Racing Street Outlaws. 12mm hex.

If demand is here I will begin putting these in production to match the 2.2 fronts also mounted on the test car in picture.

Feelin cute. May catch a wheelie later IDK 😂

Coming soon:

I’ve been working on a new re-design for the front wheels due to the lack of available tires for the skinny front.

Pictured in black is the mock up for standard size front tires such as Hoosier’s or Proline or any other front 2.2 Buggy tire.

These are 25mm wide with a reversible offset the same as the skinny (+7 or -4mm).

I have the skinny fronts mounted in grey to compare the different width.

The final high detail version will be produced in a durable black Resin, but can be painted to any color you like.

The rear bead locks (no glue) have been a challenge to get the backside to grab hard on to the tire with the very small lip on them. I believe I have it figured out, but want to do more testing before offering those to the public.

I thank you all for your patience as I organize and streamline this process.

Just got my Chuckworks R.C. Redshift drag chassis in for the slash.

I wanted a rigid chassis that doesn’t act as a bandaid for poor suspension setup. This is definitely something I can work with to incorporate some of my own designs.

I also really wanted to have a test car that looks just as good with the body off as it does with it on.

Chuck knocked it out of the park on his design.

I think he offers a great price especially considering this is a hand built kit.

Here is the link to the chassis kit for the Traxxas slash conversion.

http://www.chuckworksrc.com/chassiskits/products/redshift

I don’t want to brag on my wheels, but I want to brag on David Fielder for the amazing job and color scheme he did on the Reversible Skinny wheels.

I’ll be so glad when more Motorcycle front tires are available for these.

For right now we are going to hold off selling the skinny fronts until 2wheelhobbies has tires In stock or I find another source.

Until then I will offer a standard front buggy tire width (25mm) of this same style of reversible offset wheel.

So in the quest of trying to design a functional bead-lock, (no glue) I’m now back to the drawing board after printing some test parts.

They do work on DE Street Outlaws as you can see in pics.

They are heavy and a pain in the ass to get the tire in the correct position.

I’ll keep at it but if anyone is looking for some ideas here are some that do work.

Low quality Test print of Bead-lock for fit and function. DE Street Outlaws mounted. Original DE wheel for comparison.

Getting close.

Edited:

Added a mix of designs. The last pic.

Getting closer to a final design to match fronts...

Ribs or no ribs? 🤔

Personal project I work on when I have time.

I’ve been redesigning the chassis of an old VMX450 to use an active stability system I came up with. That isn’t included in pictures on purpose 🤫

One day you will see video of this bike balancing at a stand still. One day...

Need input please:

So I designed the skinny wheels to use the motorcycle Front tires. I love the look and the function. It was exactly what I was shooting for.

But It seems the demand for the wheel may be higher than there are tires available. I don’t want to push a product that you can’t use as you expect.

So far so good if you’ve already ordered them and they are on the way. But this is for moving forward...

I talked to the owner at 2wheelhobbies and he says he has more tires ordered but they come from oversees and it may take a while.

So this is where I want to possibly make a change.

A: I can keep everything as is and try to develop my own 3D printed tire that uses a flexible resin, (fairly expensive) but will not need an insert and can save on shipping by putting it all in same box.

OR

B: I can offer the wheel in a wider style that fits popular 25mm wide buggy fronts. This still gives you a scale look with reversible offset the same as others. Only difference is it’s 10mm wider total.

Shipping out today for all of those who ordered this week.

Let us see some pics on your ride once you get them in.

Link to reversible offset wheels:

https://www.facebook.com/110235747325161/posts/121205629561506?sfns=mo

Teaser pic:

Functional Bead-Lock (no glue required) wheels designed to match our Skinny Front.
12mm Hex will be released first.

These wheels will fit the DE Racing Street Outlaws.

Update:
2wheelhobbies has responded that the Venom Tire will also fit giving more options.
Just be sure you order a 1/8 GP bike tire.
Inserts are not as critical on form tires but if you get a super soft tire you’re going to need them.

These are now slightly redesigned to fit 12mm hex for most popular cars.

The pics are of a stock slash with no mods, with and without these wheels.

They fit 2.2 x 6 (56mm x 15mm) motorcycle tires from 1/8 bikes like the kyosho /ZH racing: http://2wheelhobbies.com/product_info.php?cPath=27_43&products_id=1979
I would select firmer tires so you don’t need inserts.

The design is the same on both sides so you can flip them on either side to adjust your track width.

The rolling diameter of the bike tire is the same as a low profile buggy tire so the rim and sidewall look more scale than O-ring wheels but still have similar minimal contact patch.

The offset is +3.5mm or -3.5mm on an 11mm axle such as Traxxas slash. This can help narrow, or widen the front track width a total of 7mm.

The hex is 7.5mm deep on one side and 4mm on the other. This puts the outside of the rim either 6mm or 9.5mm from the center line mounting point on the axle.

This narrows a stock slash down to about 10 3/8” wide in the front with the -3.5 flip. That’s a little more than 1” narrower than with stock wheels.

Please measure your current setup to see if this helps you.

At the moment I can offer 2 rims 3D resin printed (SLA) in Grey for $30 shipped. (Standard shipping.) The resin holds paint well so you can do whatever color you want.

I’m trying to gauge how many people will be interested so I can have some ready to ship out ahead of time with less waiting.

If you want a set just comment below with PayPal address.

I decided to make a set of skinny’s for my No prep car.

These will give the option to flip either side for +2mm or -2mm offset.

Fits tires for 1/8 motorcycle front tires.

They have the same rolling diameter as buggy tires and still a scale sized wheel look.

Considering uploading the file for purchase if there’s enough interest.

These fit 10mm bearings on 11mm axle but will change to other mounts if there’s enough interest.

Dynamic Velocity Pistons: DVP-Drag Spec

Our shock pistons use Dynamic Velocity Dampening to keep your car stable and increase overall traction.

What does Dynamic Velocity Dampening mean?

This is the ability to dampen suspension movement, responsively to suspension travel speed.

Our shock pistons are the ultimate upgrade for increasing traction by absorbing bumps and imperfections in the road surface, without disrupting the cars stability. They also maintain full control of weight transfer. (More on that later...)

This is the ultimate goal of suspension tuners.

Read on if you’d like to learn more about shock dampening...

Rebound Speed:
After hitting a bump, Its extremely important for your tires to get back down on the ground. The quicker your tires meet the surface, the faster they can get bite again. You can’t put the power down if your tires are still in the air. How quickly your suspension puts the tires back down is called “rebound speed.”

Spring Frequency:
Different rate springs have different frequencies. Stiffer springs have a higher (or faster) frequency, softer springs have a lower frequency (slower).

Imagine you had no oil in your shocks. If you were press down on the chassis and slip your finger off, the car would shoot back up above ride height, then bounce up and down a few times before resting at ride height again. It may be hard to actually see this, but it definitely happens.

Different rate springs need different amounts of dampening. You can imagine to perfectly control the frequency of a stiff spring, you need thicker oil for stiffer dampening. Just the opposite for soft springs. A perfect balance would let the car shoot up fast and stop exactly at ride height with no bouncing.

Weight transfer:
Weight transfer is when the weight of your car moves to different ends or corners as the car accelerates, stops, and corners. This isn’t hard to understanding or notice. It’s why drag cars squat in the rear and raise in the front. Or why dirt track cars lean as they go into and through the corner.

Another purpose of shock dampening is to control timing of the weight transfer. If your dampening is too soft, the weight will transfer too quickly. Timing of weight transfer is critical in all forms of racing.
In drag racing this can cause the car to unload both the front and the rear too soon, compromising your traction off the line..

Weight transfer should not be confused with tire loading. That is another subject and controlled by spring rates and suspension geometry. You need the correct tire loading by using the proper spring. And you need the proper dampening to control that spring.

Shock “pack”:
Standard shock pistons are inherently prone to what is known as “Shock Pack.”
This is when shock fluid velocity is too fast to flow through the small piston or***ce. This in turn locks the flow of fluid, and also locks the suspension.

This can be beneficial in Off-road racing as it helps keep the car from bottoming out when landing big jumps. The problem is that also causes the car to be unstable when hitting bumps in the track.
It’s a trade off, you must find balance.

For Drag Racing, “shock pack” is bad for several reasons. The most important is stability. When your car is making a high speed pass, the last thing you want is to have a small pebble or imperfection in the track surface send your car tumbling or skidding on that beautiful body you’ve spent so many hours on.
The second reason is for the suspension to react to the surface, not bounce or “jump” any bumps in the road. Remember the tires need to stay on the ground.

So you would think the quick and easy fix is just get rid of “shock pack” all together. This can be done several ways, but unfortunately this also limits your ability to control weight transfer. You don’t want your car to flop around like a ‘79 Cadillac with no control of weight transfer. Conventional ways of reducing shock pack also limit spring dampening. As mentioned before, it’s usually a trade off.

The “Fix”:
The goal of shock tuning is to get the least amount of “pack”, fastest rebound dampening, still control spring frequency, all without losing control of weight transfer.

Until now, this has always been an unfair trade off.

Dynamic Velocity Pistons react to the speed of the shock shaft. The faster it’s moving, the less dampening the piston creates. As the shaft speed slows down, the dampening increases.

This creates the Perfect balance of stability and traction not found in any other RC Shock Piston.

Full size cars and motorcycles achieve this with different types of valving and active stability control systems.

This is not practical on RC vehicles due to the actual size of the parts and the properties of available shock oils.

Dynamic Velocity Pistons have no extra moving parts, and no complicated modifications.

You can be ready to race in no time. All you have to do is swap out your shock Pistons, and shock fluids to our recommendations and get back to racing and winning!