The nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery was the original battery in RC off road cars for hobbyists. The cadmium makes it very difficult to dispose of, and it suffers from memory effects (that is, over time, it can lose its ability to hold a charge). However, it can be pretty easy to rejuvenate if you have the correct charging system, and it is easy to detect its peak charge.

The nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) was the next step up in battery technology for off road RC racing. It had a higher capacity than the NiCd battery and suffered from fewer memory problems, but it did require a more sensitive peak-detection method. Its environmental friendliness made it easier to dispose of, too, but it is easy to damage a NiMH battery by overcharging it or when charging it with unmatched cells.

The lithium-ion (Li-ion) was a natural choice as the technology became available; you may have heard of these batteries often being used in laptops because of their quality. They have twice the capacity of NiCd, making them last longer than NiMH, too. They use a more expensive, exotic material than their predecessors, but they can contain a controller chip that adjusts the speed of the power discharge and prevents overcharging, but it does require a specialized charger.

Lithium-polymer (Li-poly) is the latest upgrade to battery technology for those awesome buggies, truggies, and trucks. It is very lightweight and has twice the power of a Li-ion battery, meaning it has four times the power of a NiCd battery. It can be easily shaped to fit small spaces, making it perfect for an off road RC car. However, it does require a special charger, and it can be very, very dangerous if it is overcharged – exercise extreme caution in that situation. Some new charging systems address this issue, but they are even more expensive than this, the most expensive of the batteries for electric off road RC cars.

So keep an eye out for which battery would work best for you: NiCd, NiMH, Li-ion, or Li-polymer. Remember the strengths and weaknesses of each!

The Original Post is Located Here: Types of Batteries for Electric RC Cars

Why is the Revo one of the best RC off road cars on the market? First of all, because it doesn’t fall apart. A lot of cheaply made machines will simply tear themselves apart trying to cross rough terrain, and that’s hardly a good use of your time and money. Secondly, it exceeds 45 miles per hour, making it one of the faster RC off road cars available. Finally, it can pull up steep inclines with no problems at all, losing hardly any speed, unlike some models that spin their wheels and never get anywhere.

The Revo also has a strong suspension system. You always want your RC off road vehicle to have great suspension, because one of the most important things it will ever do is cross uneven terrain. This suspension system in the Revo means that you won’t have problems when you encounter bumps, jumps, rocks, or hills anymore.

The Traxxas Revo’s extra-long wheelbase chassis, longer than most of its competitors’, is another great feature of this quality RC off road vehicle. This helps this great off-roader to stay on the ground and maintain traction, even on sharp turns and uneven terrain. A lot of the off-roaders called “box trucks” will turn or flip or lose their grip when you hit a sharp turn or a lot of bumps, but not the Revo.

The Traxxas Revo is a great, high-quality RC off road vehicle. It is one of the best on the market, and its suspension system and long wheelbase chassis are two of the reasons why.

The Original Post is Located Here: Traxxas Revo Offers Great Suspension, Long Wheelbase

Tamiya has the rights to make models of common, everyday cars – as well as monster trucks and off-road vehicles – into RC off road racers. So when you see some of the models they offer among their off-road buggies, don’t be surprised if you recognize the names: the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV, V, and X; the Datsun 240Z Rally Version; the Subaru Impreza; and many more. If you like rally racers, then you’ll love Tamiya’s selection of off-road buggies.

Tamiya has trucks of two types: standard off-road trucks, many of which are based on full-size vehicles, and semi-trucks – no, not truggies, but actually big-rig semi-trucks, with trailers and everything, making your RC experience that much more complete. Their off-road truck models include the Ford F-150, Ford Bronco, Mercedes-Benz Unimog 406, Jeep Wrangler, and more.

A third notable category that Tamiya sells is tanks. Yes, you read that right: tanks. These RC off road tanks are based on many full-size models from a number of countries. From the U.S., there’s the Sherman, Leopard, King Tiger, M26 Pershing, Sherman Howitzer, and more; from Germany, the PzKw IV, the Jagdpanther, the Panther Type G, and more; from Russia, the KV-1 and the KV-2, among others, are available at Tamiya. These are great for RC hobbyists who are also history and military buffs.

Tamiya is a quality supplier of RC vehicles, parts, and tools. Look into their selection of buggies, trucks, semi-trucks, and tanks for your next purchase today.

The Original Post is Located Here: A Quick Look at Tamiya Off Road Vehicles of Note

RTR stands for “ready to run.” Buying a car RTR means that you will be running your RC off road vehicle within 30 minutes or less after opening the box. That’s all the preparation it takes. This is ideal for hobbyists who don’t have the time in the schedule to set aside hours upon hours to build a kit before going out on the weekend and racing it. It’s also great for anyone who wants to make a quick and easy addition to their collection, without having to invest too much time or too many resources into it. Obviously, it’s also good for people new to the hobby, children, or young relatives – anyone who might not have the technical expertise to build their own buggy, even with instructions.

A kit means that you have to build your RC off road vehicle with your own tools from the parts included in the kit. Instruction manuals have improved greatly in information and direction over the last few years, so this has gotten a lot easier. Usually, you won’t find any electric cars in kits, just their nitro-powered counterparts. Kits can work for beginners, too, especially if you love building things. Most companies have either online or phone support if you need any help, and the detailed diagrams and instructions can get you through, usually.

If you’re a first-timer, you probably want to start with one that’s RTR, because you want to test how much you love this hobby before you invest a lot of time and money into it. Otherwise, a kit is the best way to really get to know your new car, so you can maintain and repair it with ease over the years you race together.

The Original Post is Located Here: Ready to Run versus Building a Kit

Competition RC rock crawlers are designed for performance. Function is everything. For an RC rock crawler to be in the competition class, nobody cares what it looks like – all it needs to do is climb rocks and run on a remote control, and it does that really well.

Semi-scale RC rock crawlers try to walk that fine line between competition and design. They are primarily functional, but aesthetics are important here, too. They balance both guts and glory, so they’re still competitive, but they want to look good while they win.

Scale RC rock crawlers are all about the pretty details. Meticulous design and construction go into these, where the goal is to make a perfect scale model of a monster truck in every detail. They can still climb rocks, just not as well as the other classes. A scale RC rock crawler is intended to be a perfect replica, usually in 1/10 scale.

Traxxas is one of the quality companies that makes great RC rock crawlers RTR (ready to run). Sometimes these are also called RTC (ready to crawl). These require very little assembly, usually just adding batteries to the remote control and the radio receiver on the crawler. Sometimes you might need to glue in the tires, but for the most part, this is the easiest thing about an RC rock crawler. The hard part is winning in competition.

RC rock crawlers are a great subset of the RC off road racing hobby. There are competition, semi-scale, and scale types, and Traxxas offers great options in all three.

The Original Post is Located Here: RC Rock Crawlers–Put Your Monster Truck Skills to the Test

If you’re new to RC off road racing, then you might not know what you need in an off road RC car. We’re here to tell you what you are (and what you aren’t) looking for to get into this great hobby. After all, research is not always easy – so we’re here to make it simpler, so you don’t have to waste time tracking down all this information yourself!

You are probably already well-versed in toy RC cars. These are always electric, but they probably run on a couple of D batteries in the car and AA’s in the remote. They almost definitely have a brushed motor, reducing their power and speed and limiting the amount of time someone can play with them before the batteries need changing or recharging. Let me sum this up for you: these little things are NOT what RC cars and trucks are all about.

You want a car that has been designed for the hobby, not some toy. You will want something that’s electric, yes, but this is because it requires less tinkering, adjusting, tuning, and building – to start out, you just want to race. What you do need is a good battery. Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) and nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) are okay, lithium-ion (Li-ion) is better, and lithium-polymer (Li-poly) is best, but each of these is more expensive than the last, so try to gauge your interest in the hobby before you invest too much. A brushed motor means less power and less speed, so you probably want a brushless motor, but this, too, will be more expensive.

Electric cars are also cheaper than nitro-powered cars, often starting as cheap as $100. Most companies offer electric versions of their best off road models, so which one you buy depends on how much you’re willing to spend. HPI Racing offers electric versions of their very popular Savage Flux HP and Savage XS, for example; Traxxas also has quality options like the E-Maxx Brushless RTR Truck.

Tracking down exactly which off road RC car you want depends a lot on aesthetics and budget, but hopefully, you can narrow down your selection based on this information. Remember, this isn’t a toy; go electric, and go for quality with a good battery and a brushless motor for the best experience.

The Original Post is Located Here: RC Off Road Cars for Beginners

If you’ve never really been into off road RC racing, then there are a few important things you should know about it before you try to dive right in. Have you ever tried to get involved in a hobby you know nothing about? It’s not easy. Get introduced to some of the terms first, some of the systems and mechanics, and get some idea of what you want, before you embarrass yourself in a shop or on the phone with an expert. This information will help you do just that.

There are two classes of off road RC racing: toy grade and hobby grade. The toy grade, obviously, is focused on cars that are intended for children: this means low power, high safety, and as much durability as can be afforded while keeping these vehicles at a reasonable price for a toy. The hobby grade, however, is intended for people who really care about RC off road racing; this means higher power, less safety, and very high durability (with the assumption that you’ll be caring for your car afterwards). If you’re here, you’re probably interested in hobby-grade cars.

If you are just getting started in this hobby, you probably want to start electric. They are more often RTR (ready to run), meaning you can plug in a couple batteries and take off, right out of the box. They also require less expertise with RC cars and maintenance over the long term, meaning you can get used to the hobby before you engage in everything it has to offer. They also tend to be cheaper than nitro-powered cars.

There are a lot of companies that make quality RC off road cars. You’ll want to do some research and figure out what you really want. Remember, the more complex the machine, the greater its power, or the longer its battery life, the more expensive it’s going to be; you may want to start small to make sure that this is what you want to do with your free time before you invest too much in it.

Remember: you’re looking for hobby-grade electric RC off road cars, which can vary in price depending on how committed you are.

The Original Post is Located Here: Introduction to RC Off Road Racing

If you’ve opted to purchase a quality, high-power, long-lasting nitro RC off road vehicle, then you’ve already gotten used to the idea that you’re going to have to get your hands dirty once in a while. Whether you buy it RTR or as a kit, you’re going to have to put a lot of work into maintaining, tuning, and adjusting your car to make sure it is in tip-top condition for your next race. This means basic maintenance, taking care of the tires and the body, and following all of the detailed instructions that come with your car.

Basic maintenance is pretty straightforward. At first, this sort of thing is all you will have to do. You’ll need to clean and tune the engine, which is much more delicate than an electric motor, so you’ll need to take special care while handling it. You have to keep dirt out of this thing for it to run smoothly (of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t get dirt on it, but make sure the insides stay clean). Your fuel is typically a mix of nitro methane, methanol, and oil; try to use the cleanest fuel of the best quality to maximize your engine’s lifespan. You also need to lubricate all the moving parts regularly, to make sure everything runs smoothly during a race and doesn’t lock up.

Your tires need to survive the roughness of off-roading, so check on a regular basis to make sure they are all in good condition. You’ll probably just want to replace them as necessary, instead of worrying about repairs in tiny tires. Clean the chassis and the body after use, though when you buy it, you should make sure that your RC off road car is both sturdy and waterproof.

There are always specific maintenance instructions included in the manual that comes with your car, especially if you got a kit, so make sure you pay attention to that and do everything it says to keep your RC off road vehicle in its best possible condition.

So remember: basic maintenance, tires, chassis and body, and following instructions. Don’t let your car get hurt by neglect; keep it at its best with quality maintenance.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Maintain a Nitro RC Off Road Car

When it comes to off road RC racing, one of the most difficult things to find is a really great course. Here’s the good news: building a course can be almost as fun as driving them! We’re going to give you the secret to a really great off road course, and then we’re going to tell you how to achieve it. Get ready for a fantastic drive with your off road RC car right in your own back yard!

The cost of building and maintaining your own off road RC course are surprisingly low. This means that you can build a course in your backyard and keep it in good condition without bankrupting yourself – always a good option when it comes to a hobby, even one as awesome as off road RC racing. How can it be so cheap? Because of the nature of off road RC racing: all you really need is someplace that isn’t a road.

But here’s the secret for a great off road RC course: simulate as many different types of terrain as possible. Rock piles can give you that great mountain terrain you want, or they can provide a harsh obstacle that you must avoid. Wood piles can be a similar obstacle, or be used as a difficult series of steps for your hardy off road racer. Want a desert? Buy a few sandbags and empty them out, quickly converting them to dunes that can give you a wild ride and big air. What if you want to bring in water? Mud, swamp, and quicksand can be pretty easy to make with water and a little patience, not to mention streams that cross the course.

Even with all of this great terrain, though, you’ll also want to test your driving and your car technically. Include some straightaways and tight, sharp turns, too, to keep things interesting. And if the changing seasons affect your area, don’t hide your course in the winter: let the snow and ice be a part of the course, adding new challenges to keep things interesting!

An off road RC course can be a lot of fun to build and to drive. It is surprisingly inexpensive, and the best way to do it is to vary your terrain as much as possible.

The Original Post is Located Here: How to Build an Off Road RC Course

One the first questions any newcomer to RC off road racing must ask themselves is this: Do I want an electric- or a nitro-powered car? Each has a few upsides and a few downsides, but technology is bringing both of these types of RC off road cars into the future.

Electric cars cost less than nitro cars because of their simplicity and the minimized danger of operation. They also mean less work for you, because they usually do not need to be assembled and need little maintenance over years of use. All of this makes them a great idea for someone brand-new to the hobby, unless you already know that you’re a huge fan and want to work hard on your RC car both before and after you start racing. Electric cars are also silent and can be run indoors.

Nitro-powered cars require more involvement from a racer from the very beginning and throughout the life of the car. Often, you must build the RC off road car from a kit using your own tools, and then you must adjust, tune, and maintain the vehicle for as long as you want to drive it. However, nitro-powered cars do have more power than electric cars, and they are better suited to driving RC off road cars as a long-term hobby. They produce realistic sights, sounds, and smells, as if they were real off-road monster trucks. Because of the danger of using nitro fuel, however, they are not allowed indoors and must be driven outdoors only.

Recent developments in electric cars, specifically the brushless electric motor, have shrunk the power gap between electric- and nitro-powered cars, making electric cars more attractice, not just to beginners. Even so, it’s still faster and easier to fill up a tank of nitro fuel than to wait for a battery pack to recharge, even if you have to recharge the batteries less often.

Both electric and nitro cars have good points and bad points. It really depends on what you want to do and how you want to drive; if you’re a beginner, an electric is a good idea to get you into the hobby, but if you want to build and maintain your RC off road car for a long time, then a nitro car could be for you.

The Original Post is Located Here: Electric or Nitro–Which Should You Choose?