Crash master

Radio Control Car Action, Aug 2000 by Foster, Brian

I have a Kyosho Sandmaster buggy that I run on a track I made in my yard. It runs fine, except on jumps. No matter how fast or slowly it goes, it nose-dives when I jump it. What can I do to fix this?

BRIAN FOSTER

The dreaded nose-diving jump. You can try a couple of things to stop your Sandmaster from sticking its nose in the sand. The first technique has to do with throttle controt; your car's attitude can be controlled with the throttle and brake. In a nutshell, applying throttle in the air causes the car to lower its rear wheels, and tapping the brake causes it to lower its front wheels. It takes some practice not to overdo it and "loop out," but I'm sure you'll catch on quickly. If you cannot cure the problem with that tech pique, it's time to check out the suspension. If the rear ride height is too low or the rear springs are too soft, the chassis could be bottoming out and kicking the rear end up (check the damping, too; thicker oil may help). The problem may also be the jump itself; if it is too steep or the ground doesn't transition smoothly from the flat surface to the face of the jump, it may kick the car into a nosedive, no matter how well you set it up.