RC Car Action April 2020

It’s been a cold winter season hasn’t it? What are you looking forward to most when the weather thaws out? For me, it’s going to be hitting some outdoor tracks and recreational areas to put in some serious wheel time. There’s plenty of driving to be done. One of the hottest up and coming radio control hobby segments right now is drag racing. This type of racing that is making strong moves across the country. We see many a buggy or truggy being converted to scale replicas of muscle car drag cars and even funny car dragsters. A little while ago the RCCA staff went out to partake in some head to head competition. Seeing the cars rocket their way down the drag strip was intoxicatingly exciting. In this issue of RCCA,…

1. JConcepts Wash Brush This 100% purpose-built tire washing brush includes the proper type of bristle for getting tough dirt off your tires. The wash brush features hole locations molded into it so it can be attached or bolted to a desired surface or area such as a re-sealable bucket for repeated pit use. Includes mounting hardware. MSRP: $8 jconcepts.net 2. RPM Small Parts Tray with Magnet Keep your pit area clean and tidy without losing all of those e-clips, nuts, & bolts that tend to roll off of your workbench whenever you work on your vehicle with RPM’s Small Parts Tray. It incorporates a small magnet for those small parts that always seem to get lost. MSRP: $2 rpmrcproducts.com 3. PROTOform PROTOshine RC Body Cleaner Use PROTOshine RC Body Cleaner to keep your polycarbonate bodies looking their best.…

TUBE FRAME TRUGGY ORIN CAMP « DOUGLASVILLE, GA The signature feature of Orin’s toughlooking truggy is his completely custom tube frame chassis he handbent out of 3/16 and 1/8 steel rod and brazed together. It has no frame rails; it’s a proper tubular space frame that supports the powertrain and suspension directly. When the tube frame was complete he powdercoated it with prismatic powder silver metallic base and then candy lime green, then mounted a Tamiya Clod Buster body that he pinched at the front. It uses Currie Rock Jock axles for an SCX10 by Vanquish Products. Vanquish also supplies the transmission case, Method Roost wheels, VVD front universals, the spur gear cover, and brass knuckle weights. The steel spur gear and slipper are from Robinson Racing. The center drive shafts are…

It’s always interesting to see what someone brings with them to the track. One’s TDC can vary greatly depending on the type of event or vehicle they are running. In the case of this month’s featured TDC set up, we catch up with all-around RC enthusiast and racer, Mark Santa Ines. Some of this notable RC achievements include 2017 Tamiya TCS GT2 TQ & National Champion, 2017 Tamiya World Championships ST Class Top Qualifier, 2018 Tamiya TCS Euro Truck National Champion, Reedy Touring Car Race of Champions A-Main finalist, International Indoor Championships (IIC) A-Main finalist and more. We asked Santa Ines to show us some of his favorite tools that he brings to the track.…

HobbyWing WiFi Express MSRP: $74 hobbywingdirect.com Features: HobbyWing’s WiFi Express module allows you to transfer data between your ESC and your iOS or Android powered smart device. The module works with HobbyWing XERUN series & EZRUN series ESCs and Platinum series aircraft ESCs. What Santa Ines says: There is no quicker way to update your ESC at the track than with the this module. It also allows you to transfer your data to your smartphone as well as adjust settings to fine tune the user feel and experience. One of my favorite features is the ability to import and export settings for different tracks, conditions, and motors, to have a better starting point for wherever you are racing. GForce Shock Holder MSRP: $32 amainhobbies.com Features: The GForce Shock Holder is machined from aluminum and is made to provide a convenient…

Keep It Together It’s never a good time to juggle wires when you have a burning hot soldering iron in your hand. To keep wires manageable while soldering, use an alligator clip to keep them together. Tinning the wires beforehand will make the job even easier. Shock and Motor Cap An upturned spray can cap can be a great way to work on your shocks without getting a mess everywhere. This tip works specifically with caps that have the extra raised ring inside of them. Simply place your shock into the cap and it will sit upright, allowing you to fill it with oil without fear of spilling. Alternatively, you can keep your workbench clean when cleaning your motor by sitting a motor into the cap to use it as a motor spray…