What makes the hobby of RC car racing truly enjoyable is the fact that it gives you the possibility to build or add components yourself. You can even add a special touch to it by building an entire RC car on your own.
Of course, you could just go out and buy one. But once you’ve built one from scratch, you’ll know everything there is to know about RC cars. Not to mention it will reflect and match your personality and driving style.
If you’re the one who built it, you’ll know how to fix it as fast as possible. And, of course, you’ll be twice as proud of your racing car, if you know you made it yourself.
Building your own RC car will save you a lot of money, as most ready to run models are very expensive. At first, it might sound difficult, but once you get the hang of it, building your own RC car will seem easy and fun. You don’t even need to get one of those big toolboxes. In fact, you might find that half the tools you own are sufficient.
Here’s a list of the essentials:
- A few screwdrivers of various sizes
- Hex drivers
- blade screwdrivers, including a smaller set (such as the ones used to tighten eyeglasses)
- pliers, including slip-joint and needle-nose
- knives, sharp blades (these are for cutting wires and lines), flush cutters
Ok, so here’s how you build your own RC car:
Carefully read the instructions in your RC kit’s manual! This way, you’ll learn a few things about the building process. Going through the instructions before you start building the car will save you a lot of time and hassle. When you come across something that looks like it’s going to be a challenge, make notes.
Assembling the shock-tower. Look at the position of the long screws holding the shocks and the ball studs for the camber links. They’re either on the same side of the tower or on opposite sides. Pay attention, or you might start out wrong and end up having to take the entire car apart to fix it.
Types of screws. Make sure you check the type and length of the screws, at every step. Look at the drawings you have in your manual and follow the dotted lines that show you where each screw goes.
Work area. The place where you’re working on assembling your car has to be well lit and offer you sufficient room to move around. Use an old or cheap towel and put your RC car parts on it, so that they don’t bounce or roll-off. It’s also useful if you happen to spill something.
Keep your parts and hardware trays at hand. If you don’t have trays for your car’s smaller parts, use container lids, tins, fishing-tackle boxes or any similar container. This will help you stay organized. Each bag containing specific parts should go into a specific container.
Careful with the thread-locking fluid! If you don’t want to end up squirting thread-lock onto your fingers or hands, try applying a drop on a bag first. Then, gently touch the threads of the screw to the fluid.
Soap helps with the installation. Yes, you can use soap to lube the screws. It will make them turn more easily and help keep off dirt particles.
Once you’ve assembled your car, it’s best if you center servos before the actual installation. Watch for the tread direction before you glue it on. Otherwise, you’ll be the laughing stock of every racer on the track.
Hope these tips will help you in the process of assembling your own RC car.
