RC Cars Books

my daughter who is 17 was very surprised on christmas morning. She loves David Hasselhoff and Knight Rider. The car was great!

The K.A.R.R. is supposed to be a collectors item ... but my 11 year old son plays with his and he loves it! It's not an educational toy obviously, and would last for ever if I could convince him to leave it on the shelf. I'm sure he will break it eventually but it is metal, so is tough. If you are looking for a model of K.A.R.R. go for this one. I may even buy another one.

This book teaches you all you need to know about RC Car racing. I recently got started in this wonderful hobby and now know more about it then I ever did! I would highly recommend this book to anyone just getting started in RC Racing.

This book focuses primarily on obby grade electric RC cars. It primarily covers hobby-grade 1:10 battery powered buggies, touring cars and trucks. Additional information is provided for covering the Mini-Ts and the Tamiya QD series.

Information presented is intended for beginners and intermediate users who want to upgrade their RC cars cost effectively for the purposes of enjoyment and elementary-level racing.


<< Table of Contents >>

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT 6
PREFACE 8
TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 10
TOOLS YOU'RE GOING TO NEED 11
SOLDERING TECHNIQUES 16
PROPER HANDLING OF THE SCREWS 18
THE PROPER WAYS OF TAKING THINGS APART AND PUTTING THEM BACK TOGETHER 21
YOUR UPGRADE OBJECTIVES 23
THE CHASSIS 26
WEIGHT 26
STURDINESS 27
BATTERY COMPARTMENT 32
BUMPER 33
THE DRIVE SYSTEM 37
TRACTION 37
2WD VS 4WD 38
SHAFT DRIVE SYSTEM VS BELT DRIVE SYSTEM 40
EXPERT TIPS 44
GEARS AND BEARINGS 45
GEAR RATIO AND GEAR PITCH 45
DIFFERENTIAL GEAR 48
ONE-WAY UNIT 50
EXPERT TIPS 51
THE BEARINGS 53
EXPERT TIPS 54
THE MOTOR 55
BRUSHED MOTORS 55
EXPERT TIPS 57
BRUSHLESS MOTORS 59
OPTIMIZING YOUR BRUSHED MOTOR 61
PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION 61
UNDERWATER BREAK IN 63
MOTOR BUSHING BREAK IN 65
ADDING TORQUE TO THE MOTOR 65
MOTOR MAINTENANCE 66
THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM 69
OVERVIEW 69
COMPONENTS OF A SUSPENSION SYSTEM 71
THE DAMPERS 72
DOUBLE WISHBONE VS SINGLE WISHBONE 74
FINE TUNING THE SHOCK ABSORPTION FUNCTION 75
MAKING YOUR OWN DAMPER SPRINGS 77
THE USE OF STABILIZER BAR 79
EXPERT TIPS 79
THE WHEELS AND THE TIRES 83
CAMBER, CASTER AND TOE ANGLE 83
TYPES OF TIRE AND THEIR USE 86
FILLING UP THE TIRES 88
TIRE PERFORMANCE FACTORS 89
EXPERT TIPS 91
R/C ELECTRONICS 93
THE REMOTE CONTROLLER SET 93
EXPERT TIPS 101
THE WIRES 105
CHOOSING WIRE: STRANDED WIRE VS SOLID WIRE 106
THE CONNECTORS 106
THE BATTERIES 108
DISCHARGE CHARACTERISTICS 109
VOLTAGE VS MAH 110
USING SMALL BATTERIES 112
NICDS VS NIMHS 114
SANYO, PANASONIC AND GP 115
PROLONGING THE LIFE OF THE BATTERY 115
THE CHARGER 116
SLOW CHARGING VS FAST CHARGING 117
MEMORY EFFECT 118
EXPERT TIPS 119
TROUBLESHOOTING R/C ELECTRONICS 120
CLEANING OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS 120
TROUBLESHOOTING R/C ELECTRONICS 121


<< SPECIAL NOTES >>: UPGRADING THE QD (QUICK DRIVE) R/C CARS 124
UPGRADE OBJECTIVE 124
CHASSIS 125
BATTERY COMPARTMENT 126
GEAR SWITCHING 126
THE 280 MOTORS 127
THE BATTERIES 129

<< SPECIAL NOTES >>: UPGRADING THE MINI-T R/C CARS 130
THE CHASSIS 131
BATTERY COMPARTMENT 132
BUMPER 132
GEARS 133
SLIPPER 134
SHOCK ABSORPTION 135
STABILIZER BAR 135
CAMBER, CASTER AND TOE ANGLE 136
TIRES 138
THE BATTERIES 139

The very best model railroads are those whose designs are accurately based on real railroads. The premier publisher of model railroading books and instructional guides for model railroad enthusiasts, the Kalmbach Publishing Company's newest title, "Mid-Size Track Plans For Realistic Layouts" by Bernard Kempinski showcases twenty-six innovative model railroad track plains in Z, N. Ho, O, and G Scales that are specifically designed to fit into mid-sized areas such as a spare room, basement corner, or in a garage. Profusely illustrated throughout with more than one hundred and forty photographs and plans, "Mid-Size Track Plans For Realistic Layouts" provides a wealth of practical tips and basic information on condensing real towns and scenes into model form, researching prototype railroads, realistically operating small layouts, designing walkaround-style layouts, and so much more. An ideal and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal and community library model railroading instructional and reference collections, "Mid-Size Track Plans For Realistic Layouts" is thoroughly 'user friendly' and replete with track-planing tips for creating personalized layout designs applicable to any size model railroad set-up.

A lot of outdoor fun along with sharing with brother. Fun to watch. It really looks like the real thing.

This book was fine for my sight impaired mother..... however the packaging from Amazon was very poor....two loose books in a cardboard box. substandard for Amazon!!!!!

The first of the Mitford series, this book takes you to a town where we all wished we lived, where there are friends wherever you look and characters aplenty! Jan Karon writes the way these North Carolina people talk, and the reader can actually "hear" them chattering away. Once you go to Mitford, you can't wait to go back, can't wait for the next book, and the next and the next! There are pages that will make you smile, laugh out loud, make you cry, too, and send you down your own memory lane because many of the people in this book are like people that you know. So, start reading about Father Tim, his nosey secretary, and his huge dog Barnabas who responds to commands so much better when they're accompanied with a Bible verse--and it doesn't matter what verse, any will do. And that's just the beginning of the list of citizens of Mitford who await you!

It's an endearing series about christian faith and small town living. I have read the entire series. The characters become more and more lovable as you go along.

I am currently working on finishing the rest of these series, but I must say this one is a total and complete charmer! Being a fan of the whole small-town vibe I was very much taken in by the pure sweetness and hilarity of this book. Jan Karon is rather sentimental in her writing, but if the reader is all right with that then this book will be sure to please. Its lead character is a priest of a quirkly little town that does not even have a Wal-Mart. His life is changed when his a new neighbor enters the town--not to mention the quirky lives of a dozen loveable characters. It's smartly written and a pleasure to read.

I didn't think anyone else would mention this so thought it could be helpful to SOME people but there is some mild bad language in this book.

I can understand why people love this kind of book, just everyday life centered around a clergy and his staff. I did find some nice Christian thoughts etc BUT a warning for those of you christians that really like a 100% clean language book. This isn't it sadly. I am not saying its really bad but I stopped reading it as there were too many "oh my G**" and not done in a 'prayer like way!' There were other few mild language. The first one I could see as a non christian character and the pastor putting up with it but then there were more that didn't fall into this category.

I realise that this warning may not be applicable to a lot of people but for those including myself that like a 100% clean language book then I am just letting you know, that there is that small anount in there.

The RC18T Team factory kit from associated electrics is by far one of the best electric offroad vehicles available. At 1/18th scale, its tiny, able to fit in a shoebox. Make no mistake though, even in its small size it can handle many huge obstacles and is loads of fun.

The first thing you should know abou this is that it is a kit. This means you have to assemble everything, and I mean everything. You also must paint the body, apply the decals, put the tires on the wheels, etc. Another important note, is that the car does not come with everything you need. In addition to this kit, you will need a radio transmitter (and batteries for it), a reciever, esc (last two items can be purchased as a single item sometimes, at a loss in quality), a micro or mini sized servo, and 300 sized motor, batteries for the car, and a charger. If this is your first kit, expect to pay at minimum another $200 just to get the car running. This does not include spare tires for varying terrain conditions, paint for the body, and spare parts. This may seem like a lot, but it will be the same for every other car kit. Also, many things, such as batteries, transmitter, and charger can be used among other cars as you get more into the hobby, so its more like a wide investment.

Because you assemble the kit yourself, you guarantee the quality of the build. Associated is known for good cars, regardless if they are factory assembled, but with a kit you know how much effor was put into the car, and as long as you follow the directions, know everything will work fine. The factory team kit also comes with several upgraded parts, including nuts, battery strap, upgraded shocks, linkage arms, etc.

The car itself is great. With a mamba ESC/Brushless motor and lithium batteries, the truck is capable of speeds of 60 miles per hour. At this point, most drivers would not be able to control the car, it is simply too fast for anything but the most experienced drivers. Luckily, most set ups will get the car to have a top speed of 40 miles per hour, which is fast enough to win many competitions, beat your friends in races, and have a great time. The battery strap allows up to 3 LiPo cells or 6 sub c NiMH cells, but can be modified to fit 7 NiMH for more punch.

The car is shaft driven 4WD, meaning you get more power, more offroad capability, and better turning from a small package at a great price. The endless supply of "hop-up" upgrade parts means the car's ability can grow as your skill level increases.

For some reason, Associated did not include a slipper clutch into the car, which would prevent many of these issues. Unfortunatly there is no upgrade. One way to get around this is to make the differentials slightly loose, and replace them more often due to wear. Your other option is to get a nicer ESC that allows to adjust your starting curves, so the motor doesnt strip the gears. Or just be careful not to hit the gas too hard, and make sure everything is tuned up. The steering can get a little loose, but not enoguht to be a problem except for racers, who should be experienced enough to engineer their own solutions.

The car is almost too powerful for its own good. Starting at resting and hitting full throttle immediatly can damage the drive gears if your ESC doesn't have a slow start up rate. Excessive power can strip the parts of the differential. In other words, buy spare parts and aluminum alloy ones instead of plastic, when possible. Every few runs, make sure the differentials are at the correct tightness.

DO NOT LET THOSE MILD FLAWS FOOL YOU. Almost every r/c car out there has similar problems. The RC18T is a very durable truck. It can handle jumps several feet tall, take hard crashes, and keep running. It is more durable than the comparable Losi mini-t. The mini-t is a great beginner car as well, but at a cheaper price, the saying "you get what you pay for" comes into play.

On a building note, there has been an issue lately where the differential loses grip. Instead of oiling between the outdrives and D shaped rings when assembling the differential, sand them lightly and glue the differential rings with the flat side in place. This will prevent them from slipping, and will lengthen the life of your differntials.

Recommended parts are the Associated C1016 servo. This servo is the best one that fits in the car stock (not using the optional mounting equipment). It has the most torque and is fastest. It is also the servo included in the RTR version of the car. A mamba esc/motor is a good, but high end brushless system. Any Reedy brushed motor with a LRP, Novak, or Tekin brushed ESC (micro sized) would be a cheaper and still great option. GP1100 battery packs are recommended, but any 6 cell NiMH bar will work. LiPos are a higher end and more expensive, but ultimatly the best choice for racing or serious driving. Any micro reciever and compatible transmitter will work fine, only 2 channels are needed. Make sure its rated for surface r/c use.

In the end, building your own r/c car can be a very educational experience. It can teach a lot about physics, gear ratios, radio transmission, electronics, and more. Also, since you choose your own parts based on what you feel is important, and paint your own car body, a kit makes your car a very personal item that you can quickly become very attached to.

I bought this for my six year old son who has somehow become a Nascar fan. He loves it and has played with it often -- so far, so good.

From a product review perspective, I like it because the controls are so simple to use (forward back / left right) that even my three year old can run it with no problems. Car is fast and the radio range is good. There are two negatives, though. First is that it doesn't have a rechargeable battery pack -- this is minor, but would have been nice. The other negative is a little more serious -- the car is very low to the ground. The ground clearance cannot be more than 3/8, so every crack and pebble it hits causes the car to jump and lurch which makes steering difficult. If you were running it on a completely flat surface (i.e. tennis court), it would not be noticeable, but we run it on our street and driveway and you can definitely see the affect of the ground on the car. Not a huge negative, but another 3/8 inch of clearance would have really helped.