Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2021-10-18 Origin: Site
Braking is one of the most difficult areas that drivers encounter. There are multiple factors at play. The electric motor, transmission, traction and the vehicle's suspension all affect weight transfer. It will go on and on. One thing we can control instantly is the brake settings of the ESC and transmitter. Below we will look more closely at our brakes.
Having trouble braking
Brake Adjustment
Other Adjustments
Scientific use of brakes
Too many brakes can be a bad thing. That's right, too much brake input power can cause wheel lock-up or overheat of the ESC and motor. Heat can cause inconsistent braking. Sometimes they can generate so much heat so quickly that the brakes always feel weak. In addition, when the brakes are too strong, you lose a large range of available brake input. This means you have very few brakes. This makes it difficult to adjust the brake input or get the perfect feel. Lowering the brake input only will increase the range of available brake input. You may not be able to "lock up" at all speeds, but the car will brake better for good braking control and feel. Being able to apply the brakes harder in an emergency without wheel locks can save lives.
In addition, to better feel and actual control, you can also reduce the voltage spikes generated by the motor and try to push it into ESC (ESC stands for Electronic stability control). When supplying a lot of braking input to the motor from ESC, it will have to keep all forward motion at stopping power. This results in a large voltage spike that is absorbed by the motor and ESC. This generates heat, creates inconsistencies, and ultimately risks damage to the motor and ESC.
What is the best way to ease the brakes? Opinions vary, but most radios in the midsize and higher classes have adjustable throttle and brake output settings. EPA settings will have both throttle and brake sides. You can simply neutralize the brake side. Many radios also have a secondary "brake only" adjustment feature. The ATL (or brake setting) works almost the same way, but allows for faster adjustment of the brakes on the fly. These settings are usually assigned to a button on the radio that allows you to toggle the brakes up or down while driving. Using a combination of these two settings is ideal. Turn down the main brake EPA internally, then use the Dynamic Brake/ATL setting to adjust exactly where the brake is needed. Limiting the "max" brake in the main EPA setting will prevent you from dialing in all brakes little by little for many runs. The brake settings for many speed controllers can be adjusted in the same way. Brake power, braking force, brake feel, overall brake, thrust brake, maximum brake, and many other names have been used. Read your manual to find the desired setting and then use it. This setting can again be used in conjunction with the radio system for real time adjustments.
The Electronic Speed Controller has other brake adjustment options. It is difficult to encompass all the known ESC terms and try to break them down, so the best advice is to try them out. Get a feel for them and test them yourself so you know exactly what they do. The descriptions in the manual may not be enough to put what actually happens in context. Try making smaller changes, then try making full changes. Feel the response to braking changes at multiple speeds. High speed, low speed and medium speed responses are usually affected by various ESC functions. Sometimes it is not the same. Make sure you have a good understanding of the various ranges of braking speed response when testing.
It may seem strange that less braking means more braking, but it's true. If adequate braking is still not possible, you may need to research the details and make some changes. High-turn and spec-turn cars usually find the gearing too high. High gearing can also have a detrimental effect on the brakes. On top of that, high RPM motors usually do not have strong braking characteristics, and you will often find holding brakes. In these cases, lowering the total brake input can help improve temperatures. The motor is always "required" to provide more braking before it can be powered, and rarely seems to have enough braking power. This can quickly generate a lot of heat. Some emergency braking operations can cause temperatures to rise rapidly. Reducing the overall braking will not affect the overall braking power, but will help reduce the temperature.
Braking is driver-specific and usually overlooked by many. Getting around the track faster and being able to control the rig in fast situations is never a bad thing. Take some time, do some brake testing, and reap the benefits!
