RSR Setup Instructions
Thank you for your recent purchase of an RSR race car. We hope you find the following quarter midget racing tech information helpful in achieving success. Races are won in the shop during the week and proper preparation is essential. The information provided here is a basic guide in ensuring your Stanley quarter midget chassis performs as it should. We wish you the best of luck and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Download the setup manual as a PDF by clicking HERE.
Setting the Panhard Bars
1. Panhard bars should start out on the third hole down on the frame-side front and rear. The rear should be in the bottom hole on the bearing carrier and the front should be in the top hole in the axle.
Squaring the Rear Axle
2. The first step in squaring your RSR car is to set it in alignment bars. Tie rod jam nuts need to be loose so the toe can be adjusted to allow both spindles to sit down in blocks.
3. Once the car is down in the blocks, the next step is to set the side-to-side location of the axles. The left-to-right placement of the rear axle is determined by the location of the left rear bearing carrier. Place the inside edge of the carrier flush with the
inside edge of the main rail of the chassis.
*Note: For a Flat Rail car from ‘06-’2010, the carrier will be flush with the outside edge of the frame rail.
4. After axle placement, the bearing carriers need to be timed. Adjust LR Birdcage timing by using a square and adjusting the LR radius rods. Adjust the rods so that the square is flush against the panhard bracket.
5. Check and adjust RR Birdcage timing by using a square and adjusting the RR radius rods until the square is flush with the brake caliper mount.
6. The next step in the process is to square the rear axle in the car. Using two squares and a ruler, measure from the back of the rear axle to the back of the rear cross tube, this measurement should be 5”. Take this measurement as far out on the axle (on the left and right sides) as possible and adjust the rear radius rods by turning the top and bottom the same amount so you don’t lose your bird cage timing.
*Note: For a Flat Rail car from ‘06-’2010, the measurement would be 5-1/2”.
Squaring the Front Axle
7. Front axle placement is set by adjusting the panhard bar so the center of the axle bolt is 13.75” from the inside of the right front tube.
*Note: For a Flat Rail car from ‘06-’2010, the center of the axle bolt is 14-1/4”.
8. Once the rear axle has been squared in the car, we can use it to set the front axle. Simply measure from alignment bar to alignment bar on both sides of the car to get the center-to-center measurement of the axles.
Set the Front End
9. The next step in the process is to set the caster. Use a square to put the left front spindle straight up and down, which will give you a setting of 0° on the left front. The right front caster will automatically be set as caster split is built into the axle. Use the the right front radius rods to roll the axle until you reach the desired 0° on the left front. Lengthen or shorten the top radius rod equal and opposite of the bottom rod so the wheelbase does not change. After you achieve the desired caster setting, double check your wheelbase to verify it did not change.
10. The last step in the process is to recheck the toe setting. We recommend to run no toe in or toe out. Lift the front of the car out of the blocks and set it back in to see if there is any drag on alignment blocks.
Adjust your tie rods so that the pitman arms on the steering shaft are in the 11 and 1 position and spindle bolts come in and out of blocks without dragging.
Scaling and Set-up
After squaring your car, it is time to put on the tires and wheels. We generally run our RSR cars with the track width as narrow as possible. On the front end, this is achieved by running the front hub with no spacer behind it on the spindle. On the rear of the car, you want to utilize your axle spacers in such a way that the left rear tire is about .125” away from the radius rods.
The right rear tire should be about a .25” from the spring.
Now that your RSR car is all squared up and has tires on it, you are ready to set ride heights and set it on the scale pads. It is important to have a baseline setup to come back to if you have made adjustments to your RSR car and seem to have lost the handle. Set tire pressures at 11 PSI in the right front and right rear. 5 PSI in left rear and left front. We recommend a starting point of 1.5” ride heights without the driver to start out. You can measure this at the front and rear cross tubes by simply adding .75” to your desired height. For example, a 1.5” would measure 2.25” at the cross tube.
The final step in setting up your RSR car is scaling it out, without the driver in the car. When scaling your car, it is important to remember that left side and rear percentages will not change by turning on the adjusting shock collars. Moving ballast is the only way to achieve the desired percentage of left and rear. While the ideal percentages will vary, we recommend starting out with 57% left side and 57% rear. Move your ballast around in the car until you achieve the desired percentages. Once you have the desired numbers, it is a good idea to recheck your ride heights to see if they changed before setting your cross weight.
Everyone’s optimal cross weight will vary, but a good place to start is 54% measured without the driver in the car. When adjusting cross weight, it is important to use the X method. If you do the same adjustment to the left rear and right front and the opposite adjustment to the left front and right rear, your cross weight should change without ride heights changing.
This completes the setup of your RSR Quarter Midget Race Car! If you have any questions, please contact us!
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