Aluminum upgrades, good idea?

[Hepher88]

So now that I have got back into the whole nitro cars I feel like it is worth replacing the very old parts on my car, I updated a few bits already just to get it going again but the next thing is to swap all the old plastic parts. Question really is, is it worth upgrading to aluminium parts over the plastic parts? Is there any real up/downside to it also? The 1st thing I plan to change is all the suspension arms

 

[tntpoof]

no aluminum parts will make more fragile parts break. Upgrade with rpm if you can...

 

[WickedFog]

Aluminum arms are a huge no no. As TNT said, RPM arms are the way to go.

 

[olds97_lss]

Depends on what you break a lot. Upgrading "core" parts can make your broken items be possibly easier to replace, but alloy arms/towers tend to just break whatever they are connected to.

In my t-maxx days, I'd get alloy chassis rails, bulkheads, diff cases, spring steel skids/bumpers, but I'd leave the arms RPM as well as the axle carriers. Towers would be RPM as well if I ran 8 shock setups, but they were too flimsy for 4 shock setups.

Just depends on what you break really. If your constantly breaking c-hubs or axle carriers, get RPM arms, may flex enough to help. If not, then get alloy c-hubs/axle carriers.

 

[Tunedfrog]

As mentioned above, unless you just want a nice shelf queen then I would shy away from them. I use aluminum on my 1/5 Baja 5b but I don't bash it hard at all. It's just a parking lot runner.

 

[Hepher88]

Ok, so will stay away from aluminium arms and will have a look into RPM. I don't bash it too hard it's more playing in fields and woods with it. Good shout on some core parts but I don't really know what I'm upgrading tbh, what parts would people suggest please? What about things like servo arms etc? It is a 1:10 HPS Lighting 2 just as an fyi

 

[WickedFog]

Ok, so will stay away from aluminium arms and will have a look into RPM. I don't bash it too hard it's more playing in fields and woods with it. Good shout on some core parts but I don't really know what I'm upgrading tbh, what parts would people suggest please? What about things like servo arms etc? It is a 1:10 HPS Lighting 2 just as an fyi

Basically, if the part is kinda boxy shaped, meaning not long and thin, and it's not going to be hanging out taking hits, it can be aluminum. It will add weight though, so hits will be more severe.

 

[Dan B.]

I got sick of replacing hub carriers and C-hubs, and went to aluminum for those parts on all my trucks. Aluminum shock towers are also a nice upgrade, along with chassis braces if you have them. Most better brands offer them as stock, like Arrma. As others mentioned, never do aluminum a-arms. In a crash they only transfer the shock to the bulkheads and break those, and they are a pain and expensive to fix. If your steering links, turnbuckles, and servo saver is properly set up with no slop, I’d leave them alone. I know my opinion of RPM arms differ from others, but I don’t like them. They sag over time and are too flexible for my liking. I prefer to keep the factory plastic a-arms and treat them as a sacrificial part in a crash. They’re cheap and easy to replace. I will agree with other comments above that suggest that too much aluminum is never a good thing, but the hub carriers and c-hubs are must-do items in aluminum in my book.

 

[Tunedfrog]

Ok, so will stay away from aluminium arms and will have a look into RPM. I don't bash it too hard it's more playing in fields and woods with it. Good shout on some core parts but I don't really know what I'm upgrading tbh, what parts would people suggest please? What about things like servo arms etc? It is a 1:10 HPS Lighting 2 just as an fyi

I don't upgrade parts until I break them for the most part. I do, however, always install RPM arms.
An easy way to think of it is the fact that aluminum bends and will transfer a hard shock or vibration to a weaker part. Plastic parts will bend but return to the original shape.

 

[rccar4life]

This is one serious Sensitive thing discuss.

If you have one slow Crawler. Then Aluminium or even brass almost everywhere is best thing to have.

If you Bash hard offroad or jumps you will mostly need RPM special plastic arms .

Anyways, there is couple fast offroad cars that RPM dont make parts to at all.
And the stock A arms are insanely weak.
These Cars you can buy Alu arms to.
After you change the A arms to Alu you will almost survive anything.
Sometimes you only bend the Hinge pin that is easy and cheap fix.

So yeas.
Dont say No to All Alu A arms.
They can be great in some Cars , and mostly what other parts is awaible , or how you drive it also.

There is Pros and Cons with everything to be True.

Before you ask aluminium or something, Please tell what RC Rig you got, what powersystem, and how you handle it.
At many points Aluminium will be better than stock Plastic. There is also wrong ways to do it depents most what rig you have, and drive style.

We can talk about this for years.

There is pros and cons with everything,. this will be more about your rig and drive style , second place is choose right gear , hop-ups., parts to that need.

Mostly Alu will be good before stock plastics, anyways not all time.
You need Precise

1 What Rig ?
2 Your Driving style ?
3 Your Power system ?
4 Are you total Beginner/Noob RC Driver ?
5 Have you read the Manual ?

 

[Hepher88]

I got sick of replacing hub carriers and C-hubs, and went to aluminum for those parts on all my trucks. Aluminum shock towers are also a nice upgrade, along with chassis braces if you have them. Most better brands offer them as stock, like Arrma. As others mentioned, never do aluminum a-arms. In a crash they only transfer the shock to the bulkheads and break those, and they are a pain and expensive to fix. If your steering links, turnbuckles, and servo saver is properly set up with no slop, I’d leave them alone. I know my opinion of RPM arms differ from others, but I don’t like them. They sag over time and are too flexible for my liking. I prefer to keep the factory plastic a-arms and treat them as a sacrificial part in a crash. They’re cheap and easy to replace. I will agree with other comments above that suggest that too much aluminum is never a good thing, but the hub carriers and c-hubs are must-do items in aluminum in my book.

Just had a look for hub carriers and c hubs, are these the front and rear cups for the steering? The manuals calls them steering arms and rear wheel hubs, look like the same things but not too sure?

This is one serious Sensitive thing discuss.

If you have one slow Crawler. Then Aluminium or even brass almost everywhere is best thing to have.

If you Bash hard offroad or jumps you will mostly need RPM special plastic arms .

Anyways, there is couple fast offroad cars that RPM dont make parts to at all.
And the stock A arms are insanely weak.
These Cars you can buy Alu arms to.
After you change the A arms to Alu you will almost survive anything.
Sometimes you only bend the Hinge pin that is easy and cheap fix.

So yeas.
Dont say No to All Alu A arms.
They can be great in some Cars , and mostly what other parts is awaible , or how you drive it also.

There is Pros and Cons with everything to be True.

Before you ask aluminium or something, Please tell what RC Rig you got, what powersystem, and how you handle it.
At many points Aluminium will be better than stock Plastic. There is also wrong ways to do it depents most what rig you have, and drive style.

We can talk about this for years.

There is pros and cons with everything,. this will be more about your rig and drive style , second place is choose right gear , hop-ups., parts to that need.

Mostly Alu will be good before stock plastics, anyways not all time.
You need Precise

1 What Rig ?
2 Your Driving style ?
3 Your Power system ?
4 Are you total Beginner/Noob RC Driver ?
5 Have you read the Manual ?

You make some very good points and just goes to show really how new I still am to all of this. I have an old HB Lighting 2 RR and bar changing parts like for like (from the original manual) I havnt done too much, I have changed both sets of shocks and oil type for stiffer ones and raised the car about an 1" to go off road better. It has a .26 Nitro engine. I tend to only drive it at 75% (ristrict it with the controller) I do car parks, fields and woods with little jumps but I think I am fairly good at the driving part, not a pro by any means but can control it alright. When my son uses it in the car park I run it down to a walking speed for him

 

[STONER RC]

So now that I have got back into the whole nitro cars I feel like it is worth replacing the very old parts on my car, I updated a few bits already just to get it going again but the next thing is to swap all the old plastic parts. Question really is, is it worth upgrading to aluminium parts over the plastic parts? Is there any real up/downside to it also? The 1st thing I plan to change is all the suspension arms

All RC car/truck are designed with breaking point into them. If you start changing over to aluminum. You will be moving the break point to something that should be. Some things you can go with depending on what type of driver you are and what rc you have. Plus the price for aluminum and they also will break they aren't 100% bullet proof. And adds weight to the kit.. Today's plastic parts are nothing like they used to be. Soak them in WD-40 silacone for 24-48 hrs. Will give them a little more flex. Personally I only use aluminum if I can get the parts made from 7075. And nothing with the drive train or suspension..I only use it on covers that don't take impact. What Rc are thinking of upgrading?? Sorry haven't read all the above yet just getting off work..