How much work is to much?
06-03-2012, 10:02 PM
#1
How much work is to much?
Is it me or is there a new trend in the hobby of people not wanting to work on their cars? How much work/maintenance do you consider to much? More and more people do little to no work on there cars. Even something like cleaning tires off between rounds is starting to become rare. Racers complain about cars being to fragile and having to replace parts all the time. Is it the cars that are fragile, or the lack of skill and the drivers lack of interest to work on the car making them seem fragile?
SCT have spoiled a lot of newcomers in that you do not need to do anything but put a battery in the truck and go drive. The art of tuning is now just bolting on the right tires.
I myself have fallen victim of not wanting to work on a car to fix a recurring problem. For me though the lack of interest in the particular class also played a part, racing just a few people or having 1/10th and 1/8th buggies racing together. I really dislike fixing my 2wd SCT truck just because I hate driving SCT but it is the biggest class around here next to 4x4 sct and 1/8th scale buggy.
SCT have spoiled a lot of newcomers in that you do not need to do anything but put a battery in the truck and go drive. The art of tuning is now just bolting on the right tires.
I myself have fallen victim of not wanting to work on a car to fix a recurring problem. For me though the lack of interest in the particular class also played a part, racing just a few people or having 1/10th and 1/8th buggies racing together. I really dislike fixing my 2wd SCT truck just because I hate driving SCT but it is the biggest class around here next to 4x4 sct and 1/8th scale buggy.
06-04-2012, 03:06 AM
#2
I'm not sure which I like better. Working on them or driving. If I spent as much time driving them as I do working on them I would be a world champ. I guess that's why I got rid of my 2wd and run exclusively 4x4. The 2wd are mechanically boring compared to 4wd for me. My son seems to be the same way. I think he secretly wants them to break so we can fix them.
06-04-2012, 03:29 AM
#3
I found this to be true years ago when I ran onroad. I was the first to start running electic on road at the local track. when the guys saw that I could put down faster laps than the 2 speed nitros (just couldnt run in a 15 min main), they piced up a some electrics themselves. Problem came in when all they wanted to do to get better handling was put softer foam tires on the car intead of working the suspention. They would also complain theat hadleing got worse thoughout the day. well when your tire sidewall starts at 7 mm high and then is rubbing the rim by the main, yes it will handle different.
Its not the sct that are the promblem but they do come from the same line of the problem. READY TO RUN. its societies got to have it now mentality. I saw it start years ago when I worked in a hobby shop. One christmas eve I made mega $$$$ charging people to break in the t-maxx's so they could give them as presents to husbands/kids the next day. Then before new years I made even more money charging the same peole to repair broken arms, shocks, and burnt out motors. This is supposed to be a hooby (or so I thought). Not just higher priced tyco cars with replacable parts, but that is what it has become.
Traxxas did a good thiong in the beginning getting more people interested in the hobby, but to keep up, other companies such as Losi and AE had to get into the way entry level stuff and instead of helping there race teams with higher profits and more R&D it seams that all the extra profit went right back into the low level "toy" stuff that still ends up on the track. Whats it coming to when TLR the "racing" devision of losi has pre-assembled vehicles. Now I like Losi, its all I run, but if your going to race it, I think you should build it so that you know how to fix it when you need to.
Its not the sct that are the promblem but they do come from the same line of the problem. READY TO RUN. its societies got to have it now mentality. I saw it start years ago when I worked in a hobby shop. One christmas eve I made mega $$$$ charging people to break in the t-maxx's so they could give them as presents to husbands/kids the next day. Then before new years I made even more money charging the same peole to repair broken arms, shocks, and burnt out motors. This is supposed to be a hooby (or so I thought). Not just higher priced tyco cars with replacable parts, but that is what it has become.
Traxxas did a good thiong in the beginning getting more people interested in the hobby, but to keep up, other companies such as Losi and AE had to get into the way entry level stuff and instead of helping there race teams with higher profits and more R&D it seams that all the extra profit went right back into the low level "toy" stuff that still ends up on the track. Whats it coming to when TLR the "racing" devision of losi has pre-assembled vehicles. Now I like Losi, its all I run, but if your going to race it, I think you should build it so that you know how to fix it when you need to.
06-04-2012, 04:43 AM
#4
Ha, you should try working behind a hobby shop counter!
Nobody wants to glue tires or solder.
Nobody wants to glue tires or solder.
06-04-2012, 05:03 AM
#5
No different than it's always been...
06-04-2012, 05:20 AM
#6
06-04-2012, 05:33 AM
#7
J came from on road assfault/carpet racing so maintenance is key in those classes . We wrenched 3x more than we races to make sure every time our cars were on the track it was exactly the same car ( unless we made a change) as the last heat. So even tho I race sc 4x4 mod and I don't do as much wrenching between heats but between race days I go thru truck for about 3-5hours thru out the week checking it out
06-04-2012, 05:39 AM
#8
they are all slight chassis conversions. Nothing very substaintial. Serpent has a specific chassis, lays lay 2 7.4 volt for a better center of gravity. thats the kind of stuff I am talking about. The tekno is a thought out design as well. I like the narrow look.
Yes re-invent the wheel... as much as you can. If there was no reason to re-invent anything then we would all be driving model-t cars and have black and white tv's. Or in the rc world be using mechanical speed controls and hard as brick tires with 3 piece rims.
Yes re-invent the wheel... as much as you can. If there was no reason to re-invent anything then we would all be driving model-t cars and have black and white tv's. Or in the rc world be using mechanical speed controls and hard as brick tires with 3 piece rims.
06-04-2012, 05:48 AM
#9
I clean my cars after every race weekend and check for worn/broken parts. Diffs and shocks get refilled/rebuilt after 3 weekends of racing......w/ a good cleaning every week and a freshening of fluids i very rarely have any kind of failure on race day. Maintenance/upkeep does pay off w/ a few hrs work each week b4 race day
06-04-2012, 06:16 AM
#11
I love working on my cars more then driving. I think I have the cleanest and mechanically sound car at the track. This kid at a B4 and it was in terrible condition. Bald tires, bent turnbuckles and bog bones, screw loose on the bottom. He was looking at my T4.1 and asked why is it so clean...so it doesn't give me problems. lol
06-04-2012, 06:44 AM
#12
Tech Master
I've been waiting to reply to see if anyone would hit the nail on the head, the Professor came close with the "gotta have it now mentality." That's still not quite it.
It's all parenting if you ask me. No one values anything anymore. I see way WAY too many parents just handing over a credit card when their kid breaks a part on the car. They pay the guy behind a counter to fix the car/truck instead of making the kid that actually broke it take it apart and fix it himself or herself.
I keep my car clean, shiny, and in working order because it's the way I was raised.
I was taught to take care of my things at a very young age. I'm now a father and I see it more and more everyday with my son's little friends. Anytime one of them breaks a toy (not by accident, by playing with said toy like an animal), mommy or daddy run out and buy them a new one. Are you kidding me? If my father saw me torture test something he bought me with the money he bled and sweat for, he would break said item over my head and inform me to get a job if I wanted another one.
Everything in our society is treated as disposable, and it's being taught to our children. If it breaks, F' it, here's my Visa/MC/AMEX. That's the problem, and it will only get worse until we grow a pair as parents and teach our children to appreciate and take care of what's given to them...
It's all parenting if you ask me. No one values anything anymore. I see way WAY too many parents just handing over a credit card when their kid breaks a part on the car. They pay the guy behind a counter to fix the car/truck instead of making the kid that actually broke it take it apart and fix it himself or herself.
I keep my car clean, shiny, and in working order because it's the way I was raised.
I was taught to take care of my things at a very young age. I'm now a father and I see it more and more everyday with my son's little friends. Anytime one of them breaks a toy (not by accident, by playing with said toy like an animal), mommy or daddy run out and buy them a new one. Are you kidding me? If my father saw me torture test something he bought me with the money he bled and sweat for, he would break said item over my head and inform me to get a job if I wanted another one.
Everything in our society is treated as disposable, and it's being taught to our children. If it breaks, F' it, here's my Visa/MC/AMEX. That's the problem, and it will only get worse until we grow a pair as parents and teach our children to appreciate and take care of what's given to them...
06-04-2012, 06:49 AM
#13
That is not true at all. Sure, they are better out of the box now than cars used to be, but tuning is still VERY important if you want to run up front and win.
06-04-2012, 07:43 AM
#14
I've been waiting to reply to see if anyone would hit the nail on the head, the Professor came close with the "gotta have it now mentality." That's still not quite it.
It's all parenting if you ask me. No one values anything anymore. I see way WAY too many parents just handing over a credit card when their kid breaks a part on the car. They pay the guy behind a counter to fix the car/truck instead of making the kid that actually broke it take it apart and fix it himself or herself.
I keep my car clean, shiny, and in working order because it's the way I was raised.
I was taught to take care of my things at a very young age. I'm now a father and I see it more and more everyday with my son's little friends. Anytime one of them breaks a toy (not by accident, by playing with said toy like an animal), mommy or daddy run out and buy them a new one. Are you kidding me? If my father saw me torture test something he bought me with the money he bled and sweat for, he would break said item over my head and inform me to get a job if I wanted another one.
Everything in our society is treated as disposable, and it's being taught to our children. If it breaks, F' it, here's my Visa/MC/AMEX. That's the problem, and it will only get worse until we grow a pair as parents and teach our children to appreciate and take care of what's given to them...
It's all parenting if you ask me. No one values anything anymore. I see way WAY too many parents just handing over a credit card when their kid breaks a part on the car. They pay the guy behind a counter to fix the car/truck instead of making the kid that actually broke it take it apart and fix it himself or herself.
I keep my car clean, shiny, and in working order because it's the way I was raised.
I was taught to take care of my things at a very young age. I'm now a father and I see it more and more everyday with my son's little friends. Anytime one of them breaks a toy (not by accident, by playing with said toy like an animal), mommy or daddy run out and buy them a new one. Are you kidding me? If my father saw me torture test something he bought me with the money he bled and sweat for, he would break said item over my head and inform me to get a job if I wanted another one.
Everything in our society is treated as disposable, and it's being taught to our children. If it breaks, F' it, here's my Visa/MC/AMEX. That's the problem, and it will only get worse until we grow a pair as parents and teach our children to appreciate and take care of what's given to them...
06-04-2012, 07:58 AM
#15
I just recently got into this hobby at 29. I'm now up to 5 cars and I probably spend 25 hours a week working on them. I go over everything each week, change shock and diff oil, clean all bearings, clean tires and whatnot. I bought my 6 year old daughter a SCT and she knows after she gets done playing with it whether it be at a track or just outside she has to clean the tires, body and wipe down the car. I'm trying to teach her to take care of her stuff. Plus It's quality time spent in our "garage" (kitchen lol)