TLR 3-gear transmission initial thoughts

I finally got a chance to bring the car to the track to test out the new 3-gear transmission.  I was able to run 5 packs through it, enough to get some thoughts on the changes it brings to the car.

The main difference is definitely less fore and aft pitch.  Under acceleration there is less weight transfer to the rear, and under braking less weight transfer to the front.  In general what this means is that the car is more responsive.  I’m not sure if I was able to carry more corner speed – the track had a new layout I had never driven on before, so it was hard to tell.

The downside to the less weight transfer was that when the track was dry and dusty, there wasn’t as much traction under acceleration.  I had to lower the front roll center a little bit also to get a little more front end traction under corner entrance.

Jumping is another area that changed – the car seems to jump even flatter – which is remarkable for a car that jumps very flat already, but it is very neutral in the air.  You can still control pitch in the air.  I didn’t notice more or less control in the air – it might react a little less, but nothing that seemed overly substantial.

Something that I don’t see mentioned is that my throttle seemed more connected to the wheels than before.  I think with less slack in the drivetrain, the throttle is more responsive and seems crisper and more accurate than before.  Acceleration is slightly improved IMO.

Overall a good mod and definitely worth the $25 for spec racing.  Frank Root’s Nationals setup seems to work better with the 3-gear, although I still have my car setup with a little more roll than his.  The middle hole on the rear arm is super-dialed!