Rc sand riding

[Tevans618]

Would I need any special upgrades on my nitro rc cars to make them run in the sand other than different tires?

 

[wwit]

Other than some sort of paddles, power helps. But for prep, best advice I can give for a nitro would be using Outerwear prefilter if you don't already. Really should always be used for any conditions, but sand can stick to and clog an oiled air filter faster than most any other substance RC's typically run in.

 

[Tevans618]

Thanks, that's really helpful! But I'm new to rc, so what are paddles?

 

[hamz9561]

Here is a picture of some Proline paddles:

I would avoid running in loose sand if you can. It gets in everything and can cause premature failure of moving parts.

 

[Tevans618]

Ok. Thanks. 1 more question I own a beach house, and it's all loose sand so should I run my rcs there or not. Cause like I said, it's all loose sand.

 

[mrbones]

Buddy, the last time I ran my Tmaxx at the beach, the sand got between the clutch bell gear and the spur gear and completely removed the teeth on the clutch bell. And then, I took my Traxxas Revo to the beach and it did exactly the same thing to it. Unless I come up with some type of cover for my gears or a buggy or something that has enclosed gears, I won't be doing that again. And I was running in loose dry sand.

 

[Tevans618]

Thank you so much. That is very helpful info.

 

[griff7373]

I used to have an Ofna Monster Blazer which was a dream to run the one time I put it on the sand for several hopurs I burnt up the clutch shoes but that was all.

 

[Nitrotrout]

Buddy, the last time I ran my Tmaxx at the beach, the sand got between the clutch bell gear and the spur gear and completely removed the teeth on the clutch bell. And then, I took my Traxxas Revo to the beach and it did exactly the same thing to it. Unless I come up with some type of cover for my gears or a buggy or something that has enclosed gears, I won't be doing that again. And I was running in loose dry sand.

I also ran my Tmaxx once at the beach. It was fun but more trouble than it was worth. Sand is just brutal man. It took a long time to get the sand out of all the nooks and crannies :mustache:

This is what I suggest for running in sand:
block off all access holes in the chassis plate with duct tape the best you can without interfering with moving parts.
Outerwears shroud (for electrics)
Outerwears air filter cover (for nitros)
paddle tires in the rear, ribbed tires up front
ribbed tires tend to slice through the sand for better steering control and
wont shovel sand onto your rig like paddle tires do.
Canned air and long bristled paint brushes work well for field cleaning

 

[Nitro4910]

Most of the places I tun are sandy, it's not a big deal, I keep extra air filters on hand.
I also keep plenty of bearings on hand because the bearings & sand don't mix too well.
So the minute a bearing starts to feel rough I replace it.
I get all my bearings at AvidRC.com they are $1 each and well worth it, it's where my old LHS got their bearings from(then put a $4 markup on them!).

A MotoerSaver filter cover is a good idea too.
For the stock hi-flow filter
http://www.motorsaver.com/os1505.htm

If you still have the old button type filter, it's past time upgrade.
http://www.motorsaver.com/tmaxx.htm


Lastly, running in the sand just means a little faster maintenance schedule.
It also helps to have an air compressor to use to blow the sand out/off the truck in the small tight places.