Speed is a crucial factor that decides your experience with an RC car. As an RC enthusiast, learning and experimenting to improve the car’s speed and capacity bring so much fun and excitement.
So, how to make an RC car faster? What can you do to improve the capacity of an RC car? If you are wondering about these questions, don’t skip this post.
I will provide a step-by-step introduction to improving your RC car speed. Keep following the post, and you will learn that it’s only a piece of cake!
12 Ways To Make An RC Car Faster
Most RC car models allow modifications, and you can adjust their motors and components to achieve different results.
Basically, you can modify the car components, change its parts, or install new items to increase the speed.
Here are some easy tips to help you get the job done. Follow each step carefully, and you’ll be amazed at what your little RC car can do.
Adjust The Gear Ratio
Adjusting the gear ratio is one of the simplest and pocket-friendly ways to improve the RC car’s speed. There are two gear ratios on your RC car: the spur gear and pinion gear.
You can upgrade one of those gears and make the RC car faster and enhance its accelerating speed. Here’s how to do it:
Pinion gear
The pinion gear is attached directly to the motor, which comes with premium materials like aluminum, titanium, or steel. You can remove the pinion gear using a hex driver.
A pinion gear with a higher teeth count gives the RC car faster top speed.
You can swap your current pinion gear with another one that has a higher teeth count, but don’t make too significant changes.
Around one to two teeth increase is sufficient to avoid damaging the car’s motor.
Remember to monitor the car’s temperature in case it gets too hot. You can install smaller pinion gear to get better acceleration.
However, the car’s top speed will decrease. If you play the RC car in small spaces, acceleration should be prioritized over top speed and vice versa.
Spur gear
The spur gear is larger and made of plastic. Adjusting this component does the same effects as changing the pinion gear, but the difference is less noticeable.
If you want better acceleration, use a smaller spur gear. If your priority is acceleration, install a larger spur gear, but the top speed will be compromised.
You can adjust both gears on the car to achieve the best result.
Change The Car’s Tires
Not all RC tires are made the same. The material of the tire and its design will significantly affect the RC car’s speed and performance.
For example, a car with a rubber tire will perform better on rough and unbalanced surfaces.
Meanwhile, a light plastic tire brings higher top speed on the balanced and hard road tracks. So if you play on the tarmac surfaces, change from rubber to slick.
If you use your RC car on soft and off-road terrains mainly, consider getting a full-spike or mini-pin tire. They provide better traction and grip, helping the car accelerate and maintain its top speed easier.
Also, be willing to spend more money on the tires and use high-quality materials.
The cheap tires not only perform poorly but also wear down very fast and end up costing you more money.
With a high-quality tire, the car can accelerate better, handle more precisely, and maintain a high speed on rough terrains.
However, don’t go for too big or too heavy tires for the car, which will strain its motor and lead to overheating.
Reduce The Car’s Weight
Another efficient way to improve your car’s movability and speed is by reducing its overall weight.
The easiest way to do this is to replace heavy and large components with a lighter and more efficient one.
Reducing one or two hundred grams in weight can significantly increase the speed of a car with weak to medium motors.
When choosing light components, you should prioritize materials like carbon, steel, and aluminum.
Some replaceable parts of the RC car are screws, motors, and wheels, but the car’s shell is the most significant.
You can replace the plastic shell with more durable and lighter materials, thus reducing its overall weight.
If you make the car too light, it will easily flip when performing the fast cornering. Also, lightweight cars are more prone to the strong wind when playing outdoors, which will affect their steering precision.
To tackle this problem, you can add more weight to the front part of the RC car.
Install a small component to make the car slightly heavier on the front to increase its traction and lower the risk of flipping.
Read more: How Fast Can a RC Car Go?
Upgrade The Rc Car’s Motor
There are many types of RC car motors with different prices and performances.
The most common is a brushed motor, which is suitable for beginners. However, this type won’t bring the high speed and good acceleration you desire.
For a more upscale performance, consider getting a brushless motor, which can reach a higher top speed and efficiency.
They also minimize energy loss due to friction, allowing the vehicle to travel at a faster top speed.
Meanwhile, the brushed motors will convert energy into power, causing significant energy loss.
However, the unbrushed motors are slightly harder to control, so they are not the best option for beginners.
You have to deal with more complicated handling with less responsiveness and more suspension. In addition, the unbrushed motors are more expensive and require regular maintenance.
Upgrade The Car’s Batteries
The battery also contributes heavily to the vehicle’s overall weight.
In general, a Ni-Mh battery cell is much heavier than a Li-Po cell. If the car has a Ni-Mh cell, consider swapping it to Li-Po.
The Li-Po cells are more expensive, but with more premium features and higher capacity, they are still worth the money.
While reducing the car’s weight will increase speed, its resistance to the wind and traction will decrease.
The Li-Po batteries are simultaneously more power efficient and lighter, but they are not easy to use.
You should ask RC car sellers and professional fixers to choose a suitable Li-Po battery cell for your vehicle.
If your RC car already uses a Li-Po battery, consider adding one more cell. It will give your car more power and a longer usage time.
But ensure that the car’s motor can handle the increase in voltage and power.
Adjust The Car’s Motor Timing
This practice is usually applicable to a brushless car’s motor, which has small dial marks used for adjusting the timing.
Before carrying out the task, ensure that you turn off the car’s power and disconnect it from the power source.
This task requires skill, accuracy, and patience, so you may ask professional RC car fixers to get it done.
Also, be careful with the small tweaks and wires, which are very prone to damage and can make the RC car malfunction.
Change The Bearings
You can also upgrade the car’s ball bearings to increase its speed and acceleration. If you are using a low-budget RC car that has brass bearings, this task should be prioritized.
The ball bearings deliver less friction and better battery preservation, helping increase your car’s top speed and stability in the long run. However, ball bearings cannot perform well on heavy RC cars.
Therefore, you should consider reducing the car’s weight before installing this component. Due to the better materials and components used, ball bearings are also more expensive.
Use Oil To Substitute Grease
Most RC car models use oil in its engine, but some have grease. Many users also replace motor oil with grease as a more affordable lubricant, but this practice will do more harm than good.
Oil is a better lubricant for car motors with a less thick consistency. The motor oil will change its viscosity level according to the engine’s temperature.
It won’t burn when exposed to oxygen at high temperatures, making it much safer for the RC car motor. Meanwhile, an increase in temperature will cause the grease to degrade fast.
In addition, grease cannot flow up and down in the motor as swiftly as motor oil since it has a thicker consistency. Therefore it’s not advisable to replace motor oil with grease in your RC car.
Install An Aerodynamic Body Shell
As mentioned, big, heavy, and bulky RC car body shells will increase its overall weight and reduce the top speed. They make it slower for the car to accelerate.
You may purchase a separate Aerodynamic body shell made of premium materials like platinum, steel, or aluminum.
These categories are very lightweight and durable without compromising the car’s traction.
Check Your RC Car’s Suspension
Most beginners and regular RC car users don’t pay much attention to the car’s suspension.
You should frequently examine and check all of your car’s components for any damage or malfunctioning parts.
Also, regular maintenance is needed to ensure the car’s power and efficiency during the race. You should carefully turn off the car’s power before removing its body shell.
Then, use a clean and dry cloth to wipe out the dust on all components.
Also, check if the suspension’s oil has decreased in quality and have it replaced. Then, ensure that the shock shaft is perfectly positioned.
Check for any loose or broken parts and get them fixed immediately. If your RC car got slower after a long usage time, maintenance is very necessary.
You can change and adjust the car’s height to suit different riding conditions.
For example, the car body should be higher from the ground when racing on rough and off-road surfaces. Meanwhile, the height should be minimized on balanced and smooth road tracks.
Continue Practicing
Maybe it’s not the car’s slow speed but the limited controlling skills that make you lose the race. There are many ways to improve your RC driving skill, but they all require patience, effort, and regular practice.
You should record your time on a specific track and repeat the route. The driving time should decrease after many practices.
If you don’t want to spend too much money upgrading your RC car speed, this video will be of great help:
Final Thoughts
It’s not hard to modify the RC car, but please be cautious when dealing with its motor and electrical wires. A minor mistake can make the car malfunction and cost you a lot of money.
So, how to make an RC car faster? I hope that you know the answer by now. If you have any further questions, feel free to comment and let me know. Thank you for your precious time!