The RC Car Guide - RC Tech

Toe-in is the relative angle between the two front wheels or rearwheels (when viewed from above). If the wheels point inwards(towards the front of the car) it is called toe-in, if they point outwards,it is called toe-out.Body Roll - When people refer to body roll, they are talking about theway the car pitches, either from side-to-side (when cornering) orfront-to-back (when braking or accelerating).Ball differential is a design of differential unique to model cars whichuse ball bearings instead of bevel gears to achieve differential speedsat both wheels. It has the effect of allowing one wheel to slip whilststill delivering power to the other. It is also known as 'limited slipdifferential'.Belted Tires - Tires which have a flat ring of ridged material moldedinto the rubber to prevent 'growing' at high speeds, an effect thatreduces the tires contact area with the track, resulting in loss of grip.These tires are known as Belted Tires.Commutator is also known as 'com' for short. It is the part of therotor (the part inside which turns) which has three copper contacts forthe brushes to run on. Keep clean and skim regularly for optimalefficiency and motor life.Skimming - When a motor has been used several times, thecommutator can become deformed, thereby reducing the motor'sefficiency. Skimming refers to placing the motor's rotor on a smalllathe and turning-down the commutator so that the surface is smoothand round again.Brushes are the two copper contacts that supply power to thecommutator of the motor. These should be replaced regularly foroptimal efficiency and motor life.Frequency Clash - When two or more drivers in a race are using thesame frequency, causing interference to one, or both of the drivers itis known as Frequency Clash. All radio-controlled equipment usescrystals to set the frequency which they operate on. Crystals resonateat a set frequency when an electric current is passed through them.They are very delicate and should be stored and handled with greatcare. Crystals come in pairs, one for the transmitter which is marked'TX', and one for the receivers which is marked 'RX'. Make sure you