R/C Glossary

Lost in the R/C lingo? Here's some help...

in alpha order: Description:
Air filter Nitro car engines need clean air to keep them running properly. Clean or change the oil-filled foam filter regularly for top performance.
Aluminum Lightweight metal commonly used for Nitro car chassis and optional suspension parts (if you don't like the look of standard plastic). May be 'anodised' to add colour.

However Aluminum is softer a softer metal than steel or titanium so take care when screwing aluminum screws. Aluminum suspension parts can bend on accident impact and will not bend back themselves unlike plastic parts.
Ball bearings Plastic bearings and metal bushings commonly come as standard in R/C car drivetrains. These can be replaced with BALL BEARINGS (aka BALL RACES) which reduces friction thus giving higher top speed and better acceleration.

Different cars need different numbers of bearings. Wombat can supply ball bearing kits to suit most popular R/C makes and models - call us today!
Band R/C transmitters use certain RADIO FREQUENCIES or BANDS to send signals to the R/C vehicle. Channels are numbered for convenience eg. Band 1-6, 10-36.

Two transmitters must not use the same BAND in the same area otherwise INTERFERENCE will result. This will cause one or both vehicles to go OUT OF CONTROL!

To change your FREQUENCY, just replace the CRYSTALS in your Transmitter (handset) and Receiver (in the car) with a matching pair of a different Band.

Bodyshell R/C cars consist of (1) a chassis and (2) the BODYSHELL which is a scale model of a real-size vehicle.

Bodyshells usually come in clear Lexan (polycarbonate) which is painted from the inside - this best protects the paintwork from crash damage etc.

Bodyshells of most popular full-size vehicles are available eg. V8 touring cars, Italian & German Supercars etc.

Body clips The bodyshell is mounted on bodyposts and BODY CLIPS are needed to secure the shell to the post.
Camber (positive or negative) the position and degree of the wheel not being perpendicular to a flat surface   (front view: positive   /  \ or negative \   /  )

adjusted accordingly to help stabilize the car cornering
Castor Steering 
2-Channel R/C cars need a 2-channel radio set - one channel for the steering and another for the throttle/speed controller.
Charger For charging the NiCad racing pack batteries.

Chargers range from simple "charge leads" (charge off a motorcar's 12V battery) to fully automatic peak-detection chargers.

Take care NEVER TO OVERCHARGE your racing packs. Overcharging will destroy your NiCads and may even cause fire.
Chassis All of model's components are built upon a chassis plate or "tub". When completed, the car's chassis includes the suspension, wheels/tyres, transmission, motor, batteries and radio gear.
Clutch bell Nitro - Centrifugal clutch shoes are mounted on engine's flywheel make contact with clutch bell at above-idle engine speed thus providing drive to the transmission.
Crystals Pairs of Crystals determine the FREQUENCY at which the radio gear communicates. Two radios cannot use the same frequency in the same area without interference - see FREQUENCY/BAND.
Dampers Also called shock-absorbers; they work just like in real cars to stop your suspension from continued bouncing after hitting a bump.
Differentials Turning corners is easier with DIFFERENTIALS on each drive axle. When the car is turning a corner, the Outer wheel travels a greater distance than the Inner wheel; Differentials allow wheels on the same axle to travel at different speeds without 'scrubbing' (or "skid-steering") the tyres.

Gear differentials are the usual standard - they are easy to maintain and bulletproof. Pro racers may prefer Ball differentials which have adjustable limit to the differential action - however ball diffs need constant maintenance.
Disc brake Nitro cars are equipped with a disc brake to help them slow and stop.

Electric cars do not need a disc brake as the electric motor acts as an electronic brake (controlled via the speed controller).
Frequency (see "Band")
Glow plugs Nitro engines work on the Diesel principal. They require pre-warming of the glow plug in order to start; simply connect a 1.5V battery to the plug to warm it before turning the engine over. 

Once started, the heat from the engine's combustion keeps the plug hot enough to ignite the next cycle.
Heat sink To better radiate heat from motors, speed controllers and transmissions.
Hop-Ups Itching to improve your car?

Some hop-ups will improve your horsepower, some will improve the handling whilst others simply make it look Cool... Take your pick!
NIcad Nickel cadmium - what rechargeable batteries are made of.
Polycarbonate Paint Polycarbonate ("Lexan") bodyshells need special flexible paint which does not flake off when the bodyshell bends and flexes. 

Paint is available in all popular colours including metallics, pearls and candy. You can buy paint in handy spraycans or in bottles suitable for application with a brush or airbrush.

Never use enamel, automotive or household paints on a Lexan bodyshell.
Pinion gear The gear mounted directly on the motor. Optional pinions can be bought in different sizes; a larger pinion will allow you to "gear Up" for higher top speed, a smaller pinion to "gear Down" gives better acceleration.
Receiver Electronic receiver receives the transmitter's signal and activates the SERVOS in direct proportion to the transmitter's control. 

Receivers need a source of electrical power, usually 4.8-6.0V.
Scale a proportionate size-down of the real car. Most RC models are 1/10th, 1/8th or 1/5th of the full-sized vehicle.
Servos Little black boxes slaved to the Receiver which move in accordance to the Transmitter's commands. You need one servo for each Channel - R/C cars only need 2-channels.
Shocks to absorb those nasty bumps and pot-holes; springs or oil-filled, front and rear, various lengths
Speed controller This controls the amount of electrical power the motor receives from the battery. Speedcontrollers can either be mechanical "MSC" (activated by the radio's servo) or totally electronic "ESC" (no need for a servo). 

ESCs are more efficient and give better control for racing but are not as robust as the simpler MSC in a beginner's hands. ESCs may or may not have Reverse - depends on the model; reversing your car is not allowed on race tracks!
Spur gear The gear driven by the motor's Pinion gear.
Starter boxes Nitro engines need a way of turning them over to start. Some engines have an on-board Pull-start mechanism (like your lawnmower), others might not. Starter boxes takes the effort out of pull starting nitro engines. 
Titanium Space-age metal that is very stiff and super lightweight. Titanium parts and screws may replace standard components to reduce chassis weight - if you can afford it. Not cheap!
Toe-in when the wheels (front or rear set) are not parallel to each other, but facing inwards   (top view: /    \ ); for adjusting the car's handling.
Toe-out when the wheels (front or rear set) are not parallel to each other, but facing outwards  (top view: \    / ); for adjusting the car's handling.
Tyres Rubber tyres are available in treaded and slicks for different track conditions; foam tyres may give the best traction but are expensive, hard to maintain and best kept for pro racing.
Voltmeter A digital voltmeter is useful for keeping an eye on voltage of your batteries in your car and transmitter.
Wing Wings (aka Aerofoil) improve straight-line stability by generating downforce at speed. This presses down on the car's tyres to give better grip on the straights.
Wombat's Workshop your best bet!