Hotshot series dogbone query

[Saito2]

Despite the drivetrain similarities between all the Hotshot series cars, why do they have different dogbone length setups across the model range?  Granted there are some material/construction changes in the dogbones but specifically, I'm curious about the altered lengths front to back. The Hotshot and Super Shot feature shorter dogbones up front compared to the rear. The Boomerang, Bigwig, Hotshot 2 and Super Sabre all have equal length dogbones. When the re-releases came out, the Hotshot and Super Shot received shorter 'bones up front again (though the same construction this time vs the original Hotshot's unique composite construction). The Boomerang again got equal length 'bones, but the Bigwig switched from the original equal length to shorter front 'bones like the Hot/Super Shot had/has. So, what's with this constant monkeying around with lengths?  

[Saito2]

Tough question or one without a readily available answer I'm guessing(?) 

[Grastens]

It makes sense for the front dogbones to be shorter, I suppose. Perhaps that was a concession to "modernization" for the models that got shorter drive shafts up front where they had previously been equal length front and rear? That is, noting that the cars with shorter drive shafts up front continued with them...

I wonder if it is also a legacy of the Hotshot being one of the first cars of that class (if not the first) to be re-released...

[Silver-Can]

It might possibly have something to do with steering throw too. I have a hotshot re re and the turning circle is something akin to the moon. Don't know whether the boomer etc have tighter turning circles, necessitating longer dog bones to account for the more acute angle of the knuckles at full lock and hence slightly more distance. Or I might be talking rubbish 🗑 🤔 😁🤷‍♂️

[IoMTom]

Isn’t it track width? I put the rears in the front of y re re hotshot when I first built it and they were too long. Could the changed ones just be using suspension arms from the other models to save manufacturing costs ?

[Silver-Can]

3 minutes ago, IoMTom said:

Isn’t it track width? I put the rears in the front of y re re hotshot when I first built it and they were too long. Could the changed ones just be using suspension arms from the other models to save manufacturing costs ?

As far as I know, the hotshot and boomer share the same front upper and lower arms. Don't know about the bigwig though. But yeah, the rear dog bones are deffo too long to fit in the front of a hotshot. Maybe the rears on a hotshot are just longer than the boomer and bigwig, whereas they're of equal, shorter length, on those two. 

[Saito2]

3 hours ago, Silver-Can said:

It might possibly have something to do with steering throw too. I have a hotshot re re and the turning circle is something akin to the moon. Don't know whether the boomer etc have tighter turning circles, necessitating longer dog bones to account for the more acute angle of the knuckles at full lock and hence slightly more distance.

The Boomerang and its later sibling, the Super Sabre do use a unique and more effective sliding bar steering mechanism vs the bumpsteer-prone direct-to-servo steering of the Hotshot, Super(Hot) Shot and Hotshot 2. The Bigwig has a unique rack-and-pinion steering system that works rather well despite having the least amount of throw.

3 hours ago, Silver-Can said:

As far as I know, the hotshot and boomer share the same front upper and lower arms. Don't know about the bigwig though.

The Hotshot, Super(Hot) Shot, Boomerang, Hotshot 2 and Super Sabre use the same front arms (though there have been minor production changes over the years) while the Bigwig has unique front arms to allow for the front dampers to mount ahead of the arms. At the rear, the HS, SHS use the same arms and the Boomer, HS2, BW and Sabre use the same arms.

One theory I had was making the dogbones the same length was a cost cutting measure, cutting down on unique parts. In the old days after the HS and SS the rest of the line went to equal lengths. What's odd is the pattern continued with the re-res until the Bigwig which switched to shorter front bones vs the originals equal lengths. Perhaps, cost cutting, or not, the equal length dogbones didn't perform quite as well as the shorter one. Purely guessing.

[Alangt4]

Mmm tough one- cost cutting parts simplification is a good possibility. Maybe just a different engineer/project team on them.