Gear Spacing Maintenance Tip 

Most RC products have motor gears that mesh with spur or transmission gears. At some point these may need to be adjusted to ensure that the gears are properly meshed. If the gears are too close together, there will be excessive friction which will reduce performance and may cause clutch or motor damage. If they are too far apart, you will encounter rapid gear wear or the gear teeth may break. Sometimes the vibration of the motor will loosen the motor mount screws resulting in the motor moving away from the spur or transmission gear ( sometimes even to the point where they are no longer meshed and you have no power to the wheels).
One of the simpler ways to ensure the gear spacing is correct, is to put 2 thin strips of paper between the motor gear and the spur/transmission gear, and then loosen the motor mount screws and push the motor hard against the spur /transmission gear, and then tighten the motor mount screws. You can then rotate the gear to remove the 2 strips of paper. If feasible, try to visually inspect the meshing to make sure the gears are fully meshed. You can also move the vehicle back and forth by hand – if you feel any significant increased resistance, you should move the motor slightly away from the spur/transmission gear. If you find motor screws are coming loose over time, you can try using some removable thread lock.

New RC Buying Guide on our website

At this time of year, you may be looking for some gift ideas for someone special in your life. RC Hobby Products are great gifts that are enjoyed by all ages from child to senior. For someone who is not that familiar with RC hobbies, it can be challenging to determine which RC hobby product might be best for the individual you are buying for. When we reviewed what was available on the internet, we did not find any good sources to help educate a prospective buyer. As a result, we have written a high level buying guide that answers many of the questions we have received from customers. We also offer gift certificates on our website for cases where you still cannot decide, or you want to gift a smaller amount that allows the individual to purchase accessories or upgrade components.
Please take a look at our new RC Buying guide This is still a work in progress, and we would appreciate your feedback on any questions you may have that we could address in the guide.