Since Xray (teamxray.com) released the M18, racers have been trying to get every ounce of tuning out of it. There are many after market parts as well as Xray option parts to help provide the right winning setup. Most serious racers and casual hobbyists agree that the stock plastic XRAY chassis just doesn’t do it. I had the very fortunate opportunity to check out the Team Hammer Racing (teamhammerracing.com) Carbon Fiber replacement chassis kit (X-18 Pro 6) as well as interview Team Hammer owner / designer Bob Stanley….click Read more for the full story.

Everything from the word “go” with this chassis kit is top notch quality. The chassis, motor mount, screws, and all the other contents are wonderfully packaged with very well written and easy to read instructions which include pictures to help out.

The chassis itself is manufactured from some of the finest grade rigid woven Carbon Fiber panels available. It is a full 2mm’s thick, and is cut out using a CNC router process by a company that machines carbon fiber pieces for some of the biggest manufacturers in the RC world. It was discovered that the stock chassis was flexing so much, that when cornering, the gear mesh would change, getting too tight which caused unnecessary binding that led to loss of efficiency and excessively hot motors. The Team Hammer chassis is extremely rigid, which eliminates those problems entirely and allows the suspension to perform the job it was originally designed to do.

The motor mount is CNC machined from 6061-T6511 Aluminum alloy for its strength and thermal conductivity properties. The mount has a very unique design which is different from the stock Xray mount. I asked Bob Stanley, the owner of Team Hammer Racing, why make a change? He explained that, “after just a few gear adjustments using the clumsy stock arrangement, it was obvious to us (Hammer Racing), that there had to be a better way.” They developed a design that allowed adjusting the gear mesh from the top, while also providing a means of drawing heat away from the motor. Bob went on to say “The design we came up with, I think, is quite unique and extremely functional.” He is right, one adjustment on the mount and it is clear that Hammer Racing’s design is far superior for adjusting the proper gear mesh. This “from the top” gear mesh adjustment was objective number one on the list for Team Hammer.

So how does a sheet of the finest grade rigid woven Carbon Fiber panels available “grow up” to be a proven race winning M18 replacement chassis, you ask? Good question. Bob told me, “The process basically consisted of measuring the stock chassis to get the envelope we (Hammer Racing) were to design within, along with all the mounting and locating holes necessary to utilize the various components of the drive train. From there, the creative process combines with the design goals to help formulate the layout and overall design.”

The chassis was designed utilizing 2-D CAD, from which the CNC tool paths were directly derived, ensuring a high degree of precision and repeatability. It’s no wonder why the chassis and motor mount are precision crafted, Bob holds 2 AAS degrees in design, both utilizing CAD and has made his living for almost 12 years as a mechanical / product CAD designer for a company that makes high performance parts for race engines that were used to win championships in NASCAR, NHRA, and IHRA drag racing, as well as various other forms of motor sports. See what I mean? This was the right man for the job.

The original design was finished literally just a few days after the first M18’s were available. A few hand made prototype chassis were built shortly thereafter to prove out the design and make any necessary refinements. In all, there were 2 minor revisions to the original design; a couple thousandths here, a couple thousandths there to get everything just right. After a few minor tweaks, it was ready, and the feedback was so great that Team Hammer Racing brought the kit to market.

So you are saying, that’s all great, but what makes the Team Hammer chassis such a proven winning chassis on the carpet? Bob said it best, “We were able to obtain our design goals while at the same time developing a chassis that was simple to set up and maintain, lightweight, and works for just about everyone. The motor and batteries have been lowered from the stock positions to help lower the CG (center of gravity) and provide faster cornering speeds. The inline battery configuration results in an extremely low Polar Moment of Inertia, as the majority of the cells’ mass lies on its diametric center line. This helps provide for faster transitions with almost no tendency to traction roll.” To you and me that means a better handling car that’s dialed on the track with just a few set up changes. Don’t take my word for it, read what some of the local “fast guys” are saying about it:

"The Hammer chassis is by far the best upgrade you could make to your Xray M18. If you want to go fast and have a car that is easy to work on and setup then you need the Hammer chassis. The included top mounted motor plate and overall quality of the chassis pieces will give anyone a contender on the track. I personally can not remember a car improving as much as my M18 did once I installed the Hammer Chassis kit." – Bob Zahn

“The Hammer Chassis has been the easiest to set up and best performing chassis to date. I especially took notice of the quality in craftsmanship and accuracy of its design. Simple design yet optimum performance.” – Marc Colucci

It’s obvious to see that an amazing amount of time has gone into the design and production of the chassis. Bob said, “It has been an amazing learning experience. Given the proven results that the chassis has obtained, I’d have to say the final product has met, and in some ways, exceeded our expectations.”

At our local track where the car was first developed, the car has been so dominant, taking many TQ’s and finishing at the top of the A and B, that if you don't have a Team Hammer chassis, you're probably behind one!

For more information or to order Team Hammer Racing's X-18 Pro 6 Chassis, visit Team Hammer Racing Online

Team Hammer Racing would like to take this opportunity to thank (in no particular order); Mark and Greg at Universal Entertainment, Tom at RC Racing Experience, Ray, Mitch, Tony, Dan, Bob Z. and all the other people who helped us out immeasurably along the way. Without your help, things would have been a lot more difficult. Thanks!

This story and pictures © WNYRC.com - Any reproduction partly or in its entirety with out express written consent is strictly prohibited