Tech Q&A


TESTED: Pro-Line Ultra Reservoir Shock Caps for Traxxas X-Maxx [REVIEW]

TESTED: Pro-Line Ultra Reservoir Shock Caps for Traxxas X-Maxx [REVIEW]

Regular readers will recall that we reviewed Pro-Line’s eye-popping Ultra Reservoir Shocks for scale trucks back in the April 2017 issue, and found the reservoir tech to be as functional as it is stylish. Since then, the Pro-Line CNC machines haven’t slowed down, and now there’s a second member of the Ultra Reservoir family: the […]
Light Bright [TECH CENTER]

Light Bright [TECH CENTER]

I want to trick out my trail truck with LED lights, but I’m wondering how they’ll affect battery life. What’s the range of power consumption for LED lighting kits?   The amp draw for 1/10-scale LED light kits is so low that most don’t even list a power-consumption fi gure. The actual power used will […]

How To Understand Differentials

How To Understand Differentials

Unless you have a drag car, your RC machine has a differential—maybe even two or three.  Even though nearly every car has at least one, and differentials are critical to a car’s handling, they are often misunderstood. What does a diff do? How does it work? Which type is best? We have the answers.   […]
Is One Big Battery Best? [Tech Center]

Is One Big Battery Best? [Tech Center]

I’ve got an Arrma Typhon, and I want to run it on 4S LiPo. Should I get one 4S LiPo pack, or two 2S packs? Will the car perform better with one or the other?   Whether you get one 4S pack or two 2S packs, the voltage is the same: you’ve got four 3.7-volt […]

Street Suspension [TECH CENTER]

Street Suspension [TECH CENTER]

I drive my short-course truck mostly on the street. How can I make it harder to flip over? If I take a corner any faster than about half throttle, it usually flips and really tears up the body. As you’ve discovered, the soft, long-travel suspension that helps your truck in off -road conditions is a […]
Water You Doing? [Tech Center]

Water You Doing? [Tech Center]

I just got an trail truck. Do I need to break in the motor? ­ The old-timer at the hobby store said that I should dip it in water.   You can go directly to the trail without worrying about break-in. If you want to get the longest possible life from your motor, you can run the […]

Tech Center: Is there any way to increase my car’s radio range?

Tech Center: Is there any way to increase my car’s radio range?

Q : Is there any way to increase my car’s radio range? I lose control after about 100 feet. A: ­ There’s no practical way to increase the range of a radio system beyond what it was designed to provide, but there are certainly things you can do to make sure you are getting all […]
Time to Tap Out [Tech Center]

Time to Tap Out [Tech Center]

When I removed a screw from my car’s aluminum bulkhead, all the threads came out with it. Is there any way to re-thread it? There are two fixes for a stripped screw hole. One is to simply run a longer screw all the way through the part, then use a nut to hold it. When […]

Them’s the Brakes [Tech Center]

Them’s the Brakes [Tech Center]

I have a nitro truck and the engine runs great but shuts down every time I stop. It fires right back up with no problem, but it’s really frustrating. How do I keep it running? The problem here is the idle setting on your engine’s carburetor.  e carburetor’s idle screw sets how much the […]
Balancing Act [Tech Center]

Balancing Act [Tech Center]

Does tire balancing make a difference? How do I do it? Balancing a race car’s tires helps it produce consistent traction (and more of it) and allows the car to operate more efficiently—important when you’re chasing hundredths of a second. For play-around driving, balancing tires isn’t important, but it’s not hard to do and you’ll […]

how to tune large scale gas engine

Going Big for Gas Power [Tech Center]

I’d like to make the move to 1/5-scale gas, but I was never very handy with nitro models. Is it true that gasoline engines don’t require tuning?   It is true that the large-displacement (23cc and up) gasoline engines used in 1/5-scale cars don’t require tuning on every run like a nitro engine does. If […]
Tune the Radio or Tune the Speed Control? [Tech Center]

Tune the Radio or Tune the Speed Control? [Tech Center]

I’m using a Hitec Lynx 4S with a Tekin RX8 speed control. Some throttle settings are duplicated on the radio and the speed control. Which unit should I be making adjustments to?   Making the setting changes at the speed control or transmitter will be equally effective. The benefit to making adjustments at the transmitter […]
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