Question on lubing chassis points

[Revo Rancher]

General question.

I have a T-Maxx 2.5 and a Revo. I note many pivot points for various items such as the upper and lower suspension arms, etc. If this was a real car they would either have bearing cups and zert fittings to allow them to be lubed, or require a scheduled timetable for lubing.

Do these various points in the R/C chassis require lubing? If so, what is best to use?

The Traxxas manual does not even mention a need or a schedule. The only regular maintainence I can find is the after run procedure.

 

[Got Nitro?]

I never lubed mine and i had no issue's, but i probablly should have once in a while, I didn't see anything about that either when i looked in my manual.

 

[Rolex]

When nylon bushings first came on the market, one of their major + points was that they needed no lube.
Most plastic composite components are the same way, however, I would recommend a dot of oil anywhere they come in contact with metal, such as a ball and socket linkage, or a pin through an A arm. It prevents any rust or oxidation on the metal part. The draw back on this is that oil hangs on to dust, so these parts need to be cleaned and re-oiled as part of regular checkups.

 

[Revo Rancher]

Most of the modern nylons and derivatives such as Delrin are low friction plastics, but they still can use some lube. I thought it odd that the owner's manual failed to mention any lubing procedures.

Anyhow, I think I will try a dry silicon spray first. That should attract the least amount of dust and drit buildup. It may not protect the best against rust or oxidation, but since I live in So Cal water or moisture is usually not the issue here, except for this year.

 

[HumboldtBlazer]

Buy a set of sealed bearing and never lube again! On diffs you can run lube or diff oil. Haven't torn into the REVOS yet but they do not need to much maintenance at all. You can play around with traction by adding more grease or heavier oils in the diffs.

 

[Revo Rancher]

Humboldt, maybe I mislead a little with my original post. They chassis points I am talking about are the same ones Rolex describes. It is those points such as where the a-arms pivot on the steel pins at the shock tower/frame, where the servos connect to steel rods, and other non-precision bearing surfaces that I am concerned about. Otherwise, yep, those sealed bearing areas should last without any mainainence. Revo and T-Maxx included.

 

[jetmechG550]

You may pull the pins out and polish them up but they shouldn't require lube. If you can find AeroShell 7870, that may not be bad for them either. It's a very light oil and doesn't attract to much dirt. We use it all over the airplanes I work in areas that get really dirty and it doesn't seem to attract and hold much. I can look through a catalog I have in my office and see how much the stuff costs, I've never really noticed, I just order it.

 

[HumboldtBlazer]

Humboldt, maybe I mislead a little with my original post. They chassis points I am talking about are the same ones Rolex describes. It is those points such as where the a-arms pivot on the steel pins at the shock tower/frame, where the servos connect to steel rods, and other non-precision bearing surfaces that I am concerned about. Otherwise, yep, those sealed bearing areas should last without any mainainence. Revo and T-Maxx included.

Yeah I got what you meant, none of that stuff needs lube. I gave you the stuff that needs to be lubed/greased/oiled. Well besides the motor. Other than that nothing will need lubricant. Just make sure to keep all that stuff you are worried about clean and free of debris and your good to go!

 

[Revo Rancher]

I can see myself now. I pull up to the repair hanger at LAX. " Can I have some of that there hi-tech lube stuff you guys use. I need it for an R/C truck."

Hey, Jetmech, any info you get let me know.

Humboldt; exactly waht I thought. The reason it is not mentioned in the manual is because it most likely is not an issue. They do ask that you keep it clean and dry, free of dirt, so that must be the answer.

 

[jetmechG550]

Will do man, I think you can buy it in quarts but I don't remember. Might be able to hook you up next time I head out there on one of our airplanes. We're in and out of LAX and LGB and SBA all the time, it's just whether or not I'm on the plane.

Unfortunately we don't use SNA like we used to Pilgrim. Gotta love them Newport woman!

 

[cbreaker]

Maybe it's not true on every buggy, but most of the places where the plastic tends to bind up on mine are on ball-cup type joints. While everything will be ultra smooth when I get to the track, by the time the mains come, sometimes I get squeaky ball joints. It's not always a problem but sometimes it slows movement. I'll generally hit the joint with a few squirts of WD-40 to clear it up until I can pull everything apart and clean it up proper, which I do after almost every day of using the buggy.

 

[Revo Rancher]

Thanks for all the replies. Answers the question; no regular lube service needed if all is kept clean.

Jet:

I will send you a PM. LGB is not too far from me.