One of the things that many RC lovers are interested in is using their RC car to pull something. Many RC vehicles are equipped with sleds or trailers and hitches that can be used to pull all types of things.
But before using your RC car to pull something, you need to know how much weight can an RC car pull to avoid ruining your stuff.
Through this article, we will help you answer that question and give you a way to upgrade your RC car for pulling. Let’s read on!
How Much Weight Can an RC Car Pull?
There is no exact answer to this question. It depends on many factors, including the make and model of your RC car.
For example, some models are made for agility and speed, which usually cannot tow very much weight. On the other hand, many RC cars are produced with more powerful motors, allowing them to tow a bit more.
So before using your RC car for any towing purpose, it is essential to check the manufacturer’s specifications on your owner’s manual.
That way, you will have a good idea of how much weight your car can deal with.
We recommend following all recommendations from the manufacturer if you don’t want your RC car to get damaged.
What Impacts the Amount of Weight an RC Can Pull?
The amount of weight your RC vehicle can handle will depend on many factors, including:
The Size Of The RC Car
Average-sized RC cars can pull up something that weighs up to 30 pounds.
The smaller your RC car, the less weight it can pull, and vice versa. In many cases, an RC car can handle things around five to six times its weight.
The Kind Of RC Car
The RC Car is available in various types, and your RC vehicle type will also determine the potential weight it can pull.
For example, crawling cars always pull more weight than racing cars. The reason is that crawling cars are designed for off-road conditions, which require handling more weight.
On the flip side, the racing car is made for agility and speed. It is not designed to deal with as much weight, not to allow it to pull as much weight as a crawling one.
The Downward Force on the Your Car’s Wheels
Adding extra weight to your car will raise the downward force on its tires, increasing traction between the terrain and its tires.
In addition, it will result in your RC going slower and not pulling as much weight.
If your RC’s front wheels lift when trying to pull something, adding some weights to its front end is essential.
That way, its front wheels will bite onto the terrain, allowing it to pull additional weight together with its back tires.
You must incrementally add weights to the RC car and observe the result when testing it.
Whenever adding weights to the RC, do not forget to inspect the motor temperature using a temp gun after a few minutes of driving.
The Battery
The battery is also a factor that affects how much weight your RC car pulls.
If your RC car has a higher voltage battery, it can pull more weight. But if it has a lower voltage battery, it can only handle the lighter weight.
The reason is that the higher the battery voltage, the more power your car will get. As a result, a higher voltage battery will allow your RC to move forward with more force and handle more weight.
The Motor’s Power
A stronger, bigger motor usually allows an RC car to pull more than those with a smaller engine.
Although there are several exceptions to this rule, upgrading your motor to a stronger one will definitely give your car more pulling power in most cases.
Read more: How Do RC Cars Work?
The Kind Of Terrain
Dirt, grass, and pebbles will decrease your car’s pulling capacity as its tires will not have much grip on these surfaces. Asphalt is typically easier to tow as your car’s tires have a lot of grip on this surface.
Objects That Need to Be Pulled
Towing something that slides across snow and sand tends to be more challenging for your RC to handle than pulling something that comes with wheels.
Hence, if you want to maximize the pulling capabilities of your RC, you should use it to pull things with wheels.
The Kind of Your RC’s Tires
There will be more traction if there is more contact between your tire and the terrain.
It means slick tires will have a better grip on the flat paved surface. The larger they are, the better.
Regarding pulling weight across the dirt, we recommend a tread design to easily dig through it. It is similar to the V-tread design found in full-size tractors or a big wheel with a knobbly tread design.
The Amount of Your Tires’ Traction
One of the easiest ways to help your car pull more weight is to raise the traction of its tires.
In most circumstances, if you are attempting to pull something too heavy for your RC car to handle, its wheels will spin and hop up and down since the weight you are trying to pull overpowers its tires’ grip.
The Gearing of the RC Car
To pull heavy objects with the RC car, you should have it geared down. That way, it will be more potent at a lower speed.
Upgrading Your RC Car for Pulling
You might need to upgrade your RC car to improve its towing ability. Here are some inexpensive upgrades that can help you get the job done:
Add Traction to Your RC Tires
One of the great ways to put more traction to the tires of your RC without adding extra weight is to use WD-40.
Let’s start by soaking your tires in WD-40. Then, leave them overnight without rinsing them with water the following day. WD-40 will clean and soften the rubber, making it more grippy.
You can use this technique on all kinds of tires, whether off or on-road.
Upgrade Your Tires And Wheels
The most inexpensive and quick method to improve the towing ability of an RC car is to upgrade its tires and wheels.
We recommend opting for wheels with a broad base, which is designed for endurance and traction.
Regarding tires, you should choose a model with a deep tread, helping enhance the grip of the RC car.
Upgrade Mounts
When you run an RC car, especially with nitro, it will produce plenty of heat.
So if you upgrade to aluminum heads, it will pull heat away from your RC’s engine. In addition, it will make your car significantly lighter.
Motor Heat Sink
Installing one motor heat sink is another way to remove excess heat from the motor. Whenever you drop the temperature of the RC’s engine, your RC will also take a huge leap forward in speed.
In addition, controlling your monitor temperature will help you avoid minimizing engine damage, lowering the cost of the RC repairs.
Install an Auxiliary Fan
Adding an auxiliary fan will add an extra boost of cool air to the engine of your RC car. If you want to use your RC to pull often, using an auxiliary fan will be a great way to keep its engine running longer and more robust.
Pro Tips
The following tips will help your RC car pull more efficiently and keep it from damage:
- Slow and Low: Keeping the weight low will lower the traction potential of the wheels. Traction is also what you need to avoid slippage and spinout.
- Sled or Trailer: Trailers will let you pull more weight than sleds due to the decrease in counterweight and friction supported by the trailer’s tires.
- Hitch It Up: You should invest in a good hitch, which is easy to find at local hobby shops. If you hold several tools, it is possible to fabricate your own.
- Upgrade the Tires to Mud Tires: That way, the tread will be deeper, enabling more grip. It also increases the traction potential.
- Avoid Wet Or Grass Surfaces: Avoiding wet and grass surfaces will reduce the opportunity of spinout and slipping.
Read more: How To Clean an RC Car?
The Bottom Line
How much weight can an RC car pull? The answer depends on many factors, which we mentioned above. By following the advice given throughout our post, your RC will pull more weight than ever before.
In addition, always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to avoid severe damage that would lead to costly repairs.
Hopefully, this article will be helpful to you. Thanks for your time!