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Hot Tips For R/C Car Racing

• For your gas car.. put some zip ties on the heat sink to protect it. And you can use balloons over your shocks for protection, Valentin Hoang.
• I hate those little body clips, they always fall off, So the cheapest fix I have found is PAPERCLIPS! Ryan Rothwell
• To keep dirt off of your tires, simply spray them with Pam or any other
  cooking spray a few minutes before the race begins, Marina
• To keep your tires clean on your off-road truck or buggy you can use a additive called MUD OFF and you mix it with some water and put it in a spray bottle and before every race squirt a little bit all around each tire and at the end when you wash your tires, what stuff did stick you can just wipe it away with a damp clot, Josh
• For beginners: never let your wires hang out of your car. Your battery clips will break and the insulation will wear. I wore the insulation off my battery wire in five minutes. Try wrapping your battery in some duct tape just in case it scrapes the ground. You should also use a zip tie to bundle up every wire together, Steve.
• If your track allows it, try spraying a generous amount of pump hair spray on your tires before each heat. At the end of the day take off your wheels and rinse them good, Steve.
• Always use a receiver battery in your electric car. You get more power, longer run times, and never have to chase your car down the block again, Steve
• Here is a great tip for off road trucks. For best traction use 30 wt shock oil in the back with pink springs and use 35 wt in front with red springs, Diana.
• When running a nitro truck cut out the windows and install mesh screen in the windows. This draws in cool air to keep ya running cool, Sam Bialon.
• Puncture holes in yer rims so air can escape when hittn the jumps. Makes fer a smoother landiin' & better traction, Sam Bialon.
• Hey if you lost a spring that holds in the brush for your electric motor, get a cotter or a small body clip put it around where the spring goes and push it into the brush. If you tend to lose body clips, get a small zip tie and tie it around the clip and so that makes then easy to pull out and easy to find, Josh.
• To get more grip from your tires, rub them with Stridex face pads. It will soften the tire and give more grip. After you run a few laps, its undetectable. It gives old tires that brand new feel. Be sure its not against your rules to run the softened tires. Nobody likes the cheater, Troy - Team TSR2.
• To reduce body vibration and to protect those weak hold for your body mounts. Super-glue rubber pads to the inside of your body. The pads I use have a diameter of about 3/4 in. This works best when you have to use body clips on both inside and outside of the body, Troy - Team TSR2.
• To keep your shocks clean and free of debris. Take one of those balloons used for making animals, (long skinny ones) then cut both ends off and put over shock. Looks cool and protects your shocks from dirt, Ti
• (For people new to R/C cars/trucks) Holding the transmitter horizontal instead of vertical can make controlling the vehicle more natural. With the transmitter horizontal, left is left, not up and right is right, not down, Nathan H.
• If you cant find the right carpet tires, buy a set anyway and cut them off the wheels you bought using a steak knife. Then mount them on some rims of your choice then glue the tires on the rims with super glue and go racing, Mary Hafer.
• To start your pull start car with the body on it, cut a slot big enough for the pull start handle in the top of the body. Next take a body washer and cut a small section out of it form the center out. Next glue the washer on the body next to the groove. Next cut the center out of the washer on the body, James Belville.
• When you get a new motor that comes in a plastic case, cut the "dome" shaped case and tape it over your receiver. Then cut a small hole for the wires. Its a perfect "free" cover, Troy TSR.
• Sick of getting a great body and a great paint job and then chipping it up on an asphalt track? Try going to your local hardware store and picking up some silicone. This is great for preventing splits and cracks in your body!   Just squeeze it out around the inside of your body, Jordan Faulkenberry.
• Of course speed matters, but don't forget about that body!   If you don't win with speed blow 'em away with a phat lookin' body! Jordan Faulkenberry.
• You can keep the screws that are underneath the chassis perfectly clean by using just about any tape applied right over them. When it comes to taking them out just remove the tape, Mike.
• I just started and the thing that has saved my life are big bore shocks. If anyone has tips or questions e-mail me, Brandon.
• To mix small jars of paint, place a nut or a small pebble in the bottle. Then you can simply shake it. It will work like the marble in spray paint can, Rick.
• When adjusting gear mesh from pinion gear to spur gear. Take a piece of paper and run it between were the two gears meet. The paper should almost be cut through. If the paper is cut through the mesh is to tight. If it is hardly dented the mesh is to loose, Mike Magnet.
• Put some sort of tape on the inside of your body to prevent cracking.  I used electrical tape. Sure it ads a little weight, but it helps keep your car lookin' pretty!! Bill Nye The Science Guy.
• Check your tires (especially the rear) for correct wear patterns. If one side wears down to fast it means the tire isn't touching the ground on all sides (right, middle, left). When it is correct you get more traction and more tire touching the pavement, Troy S. Team TSR2.
• The biggest part of racing is getting through the corners. You want to stay as close to the inside as possible, even if you have to go slower. Example: If a car is going around a corner 6" away from the pipe and is going 3 mph, and another car is 4 feet from the pipe it would have to be going 24 mph to come off the corner even with the other car, Joshua Schaffer.
• If you lose those little circle body protectors that go on your body mounts, get an old cream cheese container or something similar to that material, and cut out small circles about 3/4 of an inch across. To make the actual hole for the body mount use a handheld 1 hole paper punch, Kirk Dunkley.
• For the beginners; If you can't decide on a car or truck, I'd advise you to buy a truck. For starters there more durable than a car for off-road and they can take harder spills also have a wider tire base, Mike & Dana O'Dell.
• If you have an electric car and want tow know how smooth your gears are running drive it through grass to put pressure on the gears and listen if you hear ANY tick or click, chances are one of the teeth on your gears are missing, Get it fixed IMMEDIATELY! Or it could affect other gears and ruin them two, Kyle Bosch, Ogden IA.
• When using your com lathe, try to find a different way to turn your motor with something other than the supplied belt and pulley. The only thing they are good for is breaking the motor in, because it turns the motor in the right direction for motor break in. Anyway get a Xstar reverse stock motor, and figure out a way to cut your com with the Xstar in alignment with the motor you are cutting. Think about this, if a sideways load is applied on your stock motor, it will cut your com sideways, then when that tension is released the com is no longer in alignment with the shaft or the bushings, causing a rolling trapezoid effect. Brush bounce is bad thing, just doing this will greatly increase your performance. From Les Gapen
• OVAL Racing 101!   Plant the rear let god steer ...that's the first rule..... The wing pushes down on the rear pod instead of the body....You have to completely re tune the front end after you do that but its worth it....If you spin out on a banked oval add left tweak until the car starts to handle the you may be required to make some more adjustments to the front end..For mono ball you would shorten the rod to gain less steering and more rear traction. I will tell you one thing though set your car on a flat piece of glass....Pick up the front end and drop it you should only hear one thud... If you hear more than one something is wrong...Same with the rear...When you get this to happen you are getting close...Oh yes one other thing specific oils go with specific springs...A one thud setup will work on any track...You do have a wide car for flat ovals don't you??? You also know that you should run the same compound on left and right on the rear don't you...??? Watch out for stagger on the front end on banked track...Stagger on the front works well on long sweeping banks, but not on tight ones ..It has a bad effect on the recovery time of the front suspension......It causes severe under steer...This could drive you crazy!!!!!! So try not to stagger the front end if you can help....Back stagger is always good in oval whether it be flat or banked due to the stagger allows the right side to be heavy ...and that's what you would need for left hand turns....Right side heavy prevents spinouts coming off the turn....From Les Gapenon't cool down an engine too much or the glow plug will not fire any more. Use the most nitro the engine manufacturer allows. Get a carb air filter and receiver cover, From Mike
• Did you know that 60/40 solder has a very unstable plastic state when cooling?   Use 63/37 it melts at 350, but is more stable when cooling off. It is much better solder and easier to use and work with, Les Gapen
• Instead of buying expensive receiver cases to keep dirt out, put the receiver in a balloon to ensure a waterproof and dirt free cover. It also weighs much less than plastic, Blake Warner
• A good way to clean your bearings and other small metal parts is to use a jewelry cleaner. The cleaner plugs into the wall, just add motor cleaner and it vibrates the dirt and other debris off the bearings and metal parts, Jimmy G.
• Its not the car, its the driver, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE, Jimmy G.
• Graphite really smoothes out bushings and dog bone cups and places that need lube but doesn't need to attract dirt. You can find it at all hardware stores for like a buck fifty. Richard Schenfeld
• Put magnetic tape or just glue magnets to the bottom of the drawers in your R/C box, but be careful that you don't store your transmitter close to the magnets they can really mess it up, Billy Lund OH
• When rebuilding an associated stealth tranny, I soak the bearings in Paragon motor bath then dry them good!  I only use a minuscule amount of oil, almost dry! Then assemble the gears totally dry. Your tranny should spin almost as freely as your front wheels. Ed William’s, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• I noticed on a lot of cars there is a battery bar or holder that keeps the battery in place. Go to Wallmart & buy a roll of Velcro & place one side to the battery & one side to the car & stick it on there. This makes it faster to change & lighter.
  Wiring: Always cut the wires as short as possible to each connector. This way the power can almost run straight to the connector instead of having to travel all the way through the wires. It helps you get a faster connection. When not using your battery's, keep them in the fridge, you'll get more power & longer life. If you need any tips, I know them all from electric’s to gear ratio's, to tires! Jeremy Crabtree
• For a little extra power and longer motor life, Freeze your motor with dry ice or electronic cooling spray. They now make it ozone safe. Be careful with the dry ice because you can get freeze burn. The spray can be found where car audio systems are sold. They use it to cool down amps in competitions. It comes out at about 60 below zero, and a little squirt lasts about 2 min. You will see improvement in performance, and your motor won't get half as hot. remember heat is not cool. :-] Craig Rediker with Team Blitzkrieg
• One of the most important things you can do is check you car over after every race or run. Not only do you get know your R/C Car from head to toe, but your also teaching yourself to find problems before they happen. Remember a last place finish is allot more fun than a DNF (did not finish). Don't get frustrated, just have fun and you will have a better time and a better lap time if you relax. Craig Rediker with Team Blitzkrieg
• A good idea on balancing tires is, instead of using balancing tape that works OK, but can come off, try using hot glue instead. When after applying you use to much, it will still be warm enough to take a little off. It can also be applied in spots where tape cannot be. Martin L. Blais.
• For all you beginners, REMEMBER the best thing for reinforcing bodies and wings is to use Sportsman's Goop (adhesive & sealant found at K mart's for about 3 bucks). I have found that the Sportsman's Goop is tougher than regular Shoe Goop. Martin L. Blais
• I have found that when we go to out door tracks, and we get up early it is usually cold outside and if it is windy our soldering iron doesn't stay hot enough. Out of desperation we cut a Pepsi can and wrapped it around the iron holder, and held it on with two wraps of wire. It is still there to this day. Martin L. Blais
• Instead of using a antenna cap which can come off, slide a piece of fuel tubing over the antenna and wire and it will stay put.  Daevon Morris
• (Legend car..battery holders) The best way I have found to hold your battery in place is to use two 1 1/4 rubber o rings found at most stores like Home Depot or Lowes Hardware. It let's you change batteries in a snap and they last almost forever. Rod Buckner.
• If your dog bones are loose and tend to fall out, I have found that placing a little piece of plastic from a wire bolt in-between where the dog bone meets the transmission will tighten it up until you have a chance to go out and buy one. J.D. from Michigan.
• Drill a very small hole near the body clips. Tie a piece of string on to the body clips then slide the string through the small hole you drilled tie it off. You will never loose those clips again. Alex Whitesides
• Try using safety pins instead of body clips. They don't come off like the clips can in a crash. And you can buy them in mass quantities. Alex Whitesides
• Use a medium paper clip instead of a body clip, they stay on even through a heavy crash, Jim Land.
• Aleene's craft glue works in corners you can't mask.
• You can use lamp oil in place of Trinity's Formula 96 Drops. You can also use CRC's Lectra Motive Electric engine cleaner at Auto Zone, Arron Cox.
• You can use a paper cutter to cut straight decals, (i.e. pin stripes, logos, etc.) I believe it is easier to do it his way, Chris Muldon.
• When tuning your motor, push in the bushings until there is very little play in the armature. It makes them run just like new. From Jerry
• From Lance in Virginia that races a XX-Sport-Team Losi car. Glue a small magnet to your racers box and put extra body clips on them so you don't lose them. Also use the magnet when changing motor and other accessories.
• If you are using bushings instead of bearings, put some white lithium grease on them and they will roll as smooth as bearings. Kevin from Florida.
• You can use 4 #10 brass washers and hi-temp axle grease. Place good bearing in the bell closest to clutch and washers in the gear section. Use a small bolt and nut to fasten washers together, chuck it in a drill and turn it on emery paper, you want to turn down the washers until a snug fit (important for the first and last washer) apply grease to each washer as they are pressed into place. May need a Teflon washer to adjust fit, replace e-clip and go get after it.
• To keep your tires clean on your off-road truck or buggy, you can use a additive called MUD OFF and you mix it with some water and put it in a spray bottle and before every race squirt a little bit all around each tire and at the end when you wash your tires what stuff did stick you can just wipe it away with a damp cloth. Josh
• If your R/C Nitro engine keeps on coming lose (like it does on my Kyosho Ultima RB), then a good way to keep the engine safely on is by using SUPER GLUE or THREAD LOCK. It works for me, just unscrew the screw holding the engine in place, then put super glue on the screw and screw it back in. You can unscrew it again if you want to take the engine off. Also if you have a Traxxas Nitro Stampede (like me), put a very heavy weight on the front of it, so that the front does not fly up in the air every time you accelerate the truck, this also worked for me :)... Try out these helpful tips some time.