Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
The fascinating part of an RC car is its speed, and that is what attracts most RC lovers to it. For Rc enthusiasts, the faster the RC car, the better. Although the speed can be a bit too much for beginners to handle, that’s why most RC car models have different speed levels/modes to switch to. An RC car is able to reach really fast speeds right from the moment you open it. If you intend to race your RC car on road courses or asphalt, then you probably would like for your RC car to go faster. Most of these RC cars can hit top speeds above 70miles an hour at races.
The more skilled the RC car lovers are, the more speed they desire. Fast cars tend to seem slow to them, and they lose the rush of adrenaline. This is why most RC fanatics upgrade to extremely powerful and faster models, depending on how much speed they desire. However, you don’t have to upgrade to a faster model when you can make your RC car go faster and even save yourself some extra costs.
There are various ways to make your RC car faster, some of which are discussed below.
HOW TO MAKE AN RC CAR FASTER
Some of these tips will help to improve the speed of your RC car.
- CHANGE THE GEAR RATIO
This is a quick and straightforward way to improve the performance of your car’s acceleration and speed. It can be quite surprising how changing the gear ratio can take your car from zero to hundred, while giving it a different and better feel.
You can achieve this by changing its pinion or the spur gear for a varied size. The pinion is the smaller metal gear on the motor, while the spur gear is the bigger plastic gear. You can change both gears for a full effect and remember to re-adjust the position of the motor to correct the gear mesh when done.
If you’re going for a higher speed, then choose a bigger pinion gear with a lot more teeth and a small spur gear with not as much teeth. Just remember that this will be done at the expense of your acceleration because it will get slower and also increase the motor temperature. This is best for long, vertical runs and huge areas.
Now, if you’re more interested in acceleration, then you want to opt for small pinion gear and bigger spur gear. This will cause your car to accelerate swiftly from the start and with higher torque. Although you wouldn’t have the highest top speed, you’ll enjoy cool temperatures and an extension of your motor and ESC life. Remember to carry out experiments to get the balance right and don’t gear too high.
- REDUCE THE WEIGHT OF YOUR CAR
When you reduce the weight of your RC car, you can increase its speed. This can be done by replacing its heavy parts with graphite or carbon/aluminium parts. You can also install lightweight body parts and wheels.
If you’re running on Ni-Mh battery packs, you can swap to Li-Po batteries. This is a good way to reduce the weight of your car fully. The major disadvantage of reducing the weight of your car is the loss of resistance because a lighter RC car may not be able to corner properly.
- CHOOSING THE RIGHT TIRES BASED ON THE KIND OF SURFACE YOU RACE ON
When you use the right tyres, considering the surface of the race track, it will help to give your car a better grip to optimize the power of your RC car. Without the friction of tyres, you won’t be able to move fast, so tyres are essential.
Full spike types of tyres work better on wet mud or grass while slicks have a more firm grip on dry road surfaces or tarmacs and so on. You should also consider the compound of the tyres. Soft tyres are ideal for wet and loose dirt conditions, but the medium compound is best for hot weather.
- UPGRADE YOUR BATTERY
Sometimes, all you have to do is to replace your old and worn-out battery for a new one to improve your RC car’s performance. You can upgrade from Ni-Mh type battery to modern Li-Po battery. This can affect your car positively, especially if you use a good combination of ESC and brushless motor.
- UPGRADE YOUR ESC AND MOTOR
Many electric RC cars that are purchased in the shops are equipped with a brushless motor system, or budget brushed motor to beat the price down a bit. This is an okay way to start, but if you want your RC car to be pushed to its limits, then you may want to upgrade your motor and electronic speed controller to a higher performance system.
When you use an excellent performance ESC or motor, you’d be able to get your car to reach some incredible speeds and also improve its efficiency. Although these high-performance motor an ESC can be quite expensive, sometimes even more expensive than the car itself but ifn= you wan to go very fast then you’d have to budget well for this. You can go for the Chinese systems if you’re budget is tight because they are cheaper.
- USE A MORE AERODYNAMIC BODY SHELL
You can also opt for a more aerodynamic body cover to help increase the speed of your RC car. A heavier body shell will cause more weight and stress on the car and may slow it down. It may not have an adverse effect on the speed of your RC car, but it will contribute to making your RC car faster and even assist you in beating a former high-speed record.
CONCLUSION
All these tips aligned for you can help to increase the speed of your RC car potentially and even it’s acceleration too. Ensure that you weigh all your options and consider every factor that may affect the speed or acceleration of your car.
You can also see;
How much is a remote control car
How to fix a remote control car
How to change frequency on a remote control car