RC Maker SP1-F 1/10th EP On-Road FWD Car Kit - Carbon

RC MAKER present the next evolution in FWD design, the SP1-F! A ground up development by top touring car racer and RC MAKER Owner, Ryan Maker. With over 20 years in the hobby and 8 in the design and manufacturing industry, Ryan always dreamt of being able to develop his own car kits. This dream has been brought to reality over the past 2 years, with all of the design done in house as well as much of the manufacturing and prototyping. Presenting the SP1-F, a FWD Chassis that challenges established concepts with an ultra-low centre of gravity coil-over shock absorber design.

The SP1-F is designed for everybody. A car that is easy to drive straight out of the box, with great durability. The SP1-F can be tuned for any drivers taste and any track condition through its vast range of setup options and option parts.

Features:

• Lay down push-rod coil-over suspension design for Ultra Low CG
• 19mm high topdeck for Ultra Low CG
• Under-arm Anti-Roll Bar Design for Ultra Low CG, easy changes and tweak adjustment 
• Minimised chassis width and length for less ground contact
• Electronics placement maximised for optimal weight distribution
• Easily adjustable gear mesh and fast motor replacement.
• Centrally located rear suspension components for reducing moment of inertia and weight over the rear axle
• Rear bumper for rear shock protection
• 2pc Composite upper arms with adjustable camber and caster 
• Aluminium Diff Casing designed for maximum heat dissipation 
• Adjustable diff height and belt tension via composite eccentrics
• Dual Ball Bearing inner driveshaft couplings for maximum drivetrain efficiency and corner speed
• Race proven dual bell-crank steering
• Built-in adjustable active rear steering 
• Quick release battery system with adjustment in all directions
• Hard Coated Steel drivetrain for maximum durability
• All 7075 Aluminium and Carbon Fiber major components for minimum weight and maximum durability
• High grade metal-shield ball bearings throughout 
• Nickel-Coated high quality steel screws throughout 
• Includes Carbon Fiber Front Bumper Mount and Battery Mounts
• Includes 2x 32g Front Side Weights and 4x 10g Front Bumper Weights
• Utilises high quality Bando 300 Belts made in Japan
• Utilises high quality Shock springs and bladders manufactured by AXON Japan

Lay down push-rod shock absorber design

The limitation of shock absorbers has always been the high centre of gravity due to the stood up nature of the shock. Our lay-down shock takes the whole shock absorber and lies it down along-side the arm, reducing the CG substantially. As the suspension compresses, the turnbuckle attached to the rocker pushes the inside of the shock outwards, providing the compression. As the suspension compresses, the outside mounting point of the shock also moves closer to the chassis, so the shock absorber is actually being compressed from both ends and the shock itself is always "floating". All aspects of this suspension geometry are highly tuned to achieve a progressive nature like a traditionally positioned shock.

Adjustability of the shocks is still available outside of the spring and oil. By adding or removing shims under the top rocker ball-stud, you can change the leverage that the suspension arm movement has over the shock, which softens or hardens the entire suspension (spring and dampening). Of course, a full range of linear and progressive springs is available for traditional tuning.

Ride height is still done with the collars, and there is no adjustment on the rocker turnbuckle length, as we have tuned that to the optimum point already. The system is kept as basic as possible and is designed to be jut as user-friendly as a traditional style setup, with some added adjustability options if desired.

19mm high topdeck for Ultra Low CG

One of the most obvious features of the SP1-F is the height of the topdeck. Lowering the height of the topdeck lowers the CG drastically, as it lowers several other aspects of the car in the process. Bulkheads, screws and motor-mount are all reduced in height and thus CG. Lowering the topdeck also softens it, therefore the topdeck thickness has been increased to 2.25mm to compensate.

Under-arm Anti-Roll Bar Design

The Anti-Roll bars have been lowered as far as possible to lower CG. This system just happens to also make changing and adjusting bars easier than ever. Tweak is adjusted via the ball cup under the arm simply by screwing or unscrewing the ball stud from the cup (whilst attached). The open design Anti-roll bar holders allow for very fast thickness changes between the 3 included thickness bars.

Minimised chassis width and length for less ground contact

The short chassis reduces scrubbing, and also centralises the weight of all suspension components to reduce the moment of inertia. The suspension arms all taper in a way that allows the chassis to be short, while maintaining a normal wheelbase. This moves all screws, ball studs and cups towards the centre of the car. This makes the car more nimble, allowing it to change direction fast and rotate quickly in the corner for maximum corner speed. The chassis is also very narrow at only 82mm, and the profile minimised for reduced scrubbing in corners.

Layout and weight positioning

The SP1-F features a "mid motor" modern design, keeping the motor-mount behind the front diff. The electronic components are moved as far forward as possible to position weight over the front axle. The car accepts low profile servos, all motors and ESC's as well as Shorty batteries.

Composite upper arms with adjustable caster via inserts

Our composite upper arms are a "fixed" type caster design. This option is more user-friendly and forgiving than the dual turnbuckle design found on some cars. The SP1 still sports a large range of caster adjustment via 2 different offset inserts which can be turned to access 4 degrees range on both ends of the car. The camber is adjustable via the special set screw in the arm with a 2mm hex. The front ball cups feature a built in adjustable body stopper to prevent the body touching on the tire and scrubbing speed.

Aluminum Diff

Our 7075 Aluminium Spool and Diff offer great durability at a light weight. The diff features a typical spider-gear design with internal dual bearings to keep the outdrives straight and low friction. The pulley keys into the diff to ensure minimal pressure on the screws and housing, and is kept round by the diff housings support. Diff outdrives are manufactured from hard-coated steel for minimal wear.

Adjustable diff height and belt tension

2 diff heights and 7 belt tension positions are available with our composite eccentrics. The eccentrics can be easily rotated once the upper bulkheads are loosened and snapped back into place. They fit slightly loose in the bulkheads to ensure the car can flex around the these areas when under load.

Driveshafts

All important driveshaft components feature a hard coating to ensure maximum longevity. The driveshafts themselves feature a traditional design which is produced at a high tolerance. The inner driveshaft couplings minimise friction and wear on your drivetrain. They prevent the suspension binding when the drivetrain is under load, which allows the suspension to work freely when under acceleration, braking or cornering. The bearings also minimise the wear on the diff and spool outdrives, making your entire drivetrain last longer. Whilst they are a pain to install, these are absolutely a performance enhancing component of the car.

Shocks and Springs

The SP1 Shock absorbers are manufactured from high quality and low friction components. The shock body features a diamond-like-coating for reduced friction and minimal wear. This is critical in keeping the shock action as smooth and consistent as possible even under the greatest loads. They feature a modern design with the bladder integrated into the shock body for simple, air free assembly. The ladder itself is of a soft material and manufactured by AXON in Japan. The SP1 has a full range of Optional Linear and Progressive springs which are also manufactured by AXON in Japan. 

Quick release battery system 

Battery installation is an important part of the car, being such a heavy component. The SP1 features the easily twistable tabs for quick changing of batteries. The kit includes carbon battery hooks, which can slide in and out for different battery widths. The battery fwd/back movement can also be tuned by the eccentric battery posts. Simply loosen and twist the post into different spots to tune the position or movement of the battery.

Brass Weights 

Weight positioning is the most important thing on a FWD Chassis. The SP1-F includes 2x 32G Brass Black Coated Weights which are positioned in-front of the Servo and Motor. It also includes 4x 10g round weights which can be screwed into the bumper. The bumper accepts a total of 8x 10g weights. There is also an optional front centre weight which locates behind the diff of 29g for further tuning.

Premium Hardware

The SP1-F is fitted with premium quality screws and bearings throughout. The screws are Nick-coated which not only looks great, but gives a tough and corrosion (rust) resistant coating, especially important for drivers in humid areas. All shims are 6061 Aluminium with black anodising.

SP1 Parts Compatibility

The SP1-F shares most of its parts with the SP1, this keeps costs down by having to carry less spares for both cars. 

Manufacturing

The SP1 features a range of components which are manufactured in Australia by RC MAKER, as well as Taiwan and China. All parts are manufactured to the highest tolerance and inspected before packaging. 

Support

As with everything RC MAKER, there will be a great support network behind the SP1. As the SP1 hits tracks around the globe, there will be public collaboration between RC MAKER, customers and team drivers. This ensures help with setup, assembly or any issues that may arise. RC MAKER are dedicated to providing the best support for your SP1 no matter where in the world you're located.