Things that don't make you faster
 

I often see racers buy all sorts of stuff thinking they will go faster or to make things look Pro. It's funny to me. here are my top pics.

Special aftermarket pistons. This has the be the top pic. :lol:

Special clutches. Usually more problems than they are worth.

special chassis. Another waste of money. especially with ebay discounts on the stock ones.

Radio and starter box wraps, and putting your name everywhere like on T shirts pit mats just like the pros. :lol: It looks dumb if ur not Tebo or whoever.

The springs of the week. That's funny too.

Insanely expensive radios. I could let that one slide. No biggie. I would rather buy an expensive engine.

Please add anything you like to the list. I left a bunch out so game on.

Lol..that would be nice to run a low end radio system on a 400.00 motor? run-a-way would wipe out your new 400.00 motor OR wreck your car to pieces..:weird:

You know
 

There are lots of great radios for well under 500 dollars. I use the 4pl. Great radio.

Totally agree with your list.. Super expensive engines for low to mid-level guys is also huge IMO...

I'm not the most experienced racer in the world, but I have always wondered at guys doing all this surgical disassembly between heats. I've never understood how you can do a seven-minute qualifier, then feel the need to disassemble half your car to put in some new diff oil or bearings or whatever, without having the time to get used to the car as is. I've always walked around in between heats and wondered at this, and felt like I should be doing something. And I SWEAR, the few times I've gone and changed tires or a clutch or whatever just because I felt guilty for not changing anything, it has almost always screwed things up. Anyway, the last couple races I went to I mentioned this to some older guys, and they agreed - a lot of exaggerated and unnecessary wrenching. Do some decent preparation before the race, and maybe a tire, droop or whatever other simple change, and adapt your driving first before going and taking your whole car apart.. So that would be mine - excessive wrenching for wrenching's sake...

Of course a really BIG one too is getting all obsessed with the pros' set-up sheets...

All the things you listed matter. If you have sponsors or just wana get your name out there you put it on everything. you buy a good clutch I race 2wd mod I know what a clutch does to a car, a good radio so you have all the good adjustments I agree the 4pl is great for more than most of the racers but some want more! Is a Porsche needed? No. do you want one? Probably. I buy most mid price stuff I still run a Losi 2.0 I run a nova p5 but I buy all aka tires i run hitec hi voltage servos. I run Lipo and all brand name stuff I race 2-3 times a month and do very well I also know what I'm doing with my tuning and adjustments so my p5 is plenty fast

Most racers do make to many changes! Sometimes you have to let the track come to you instead of chasing it all day

Umm I'm going to have to say that basically everything on your list will pertain to people of different skill levels.

- Different pistons - hugely wrong, even for lower skill level racers, having the correct shock oil, piston, spring setup will make a huge difference for how easily the car jumps, lands and settle. The higher the skill level the more important this becomes.

- Special clutches - are you talking about like the 4 shoe systems? If so, are you nuts? These allow for much higher starting rpms, and also slightly lower and much more tunability. Plus they aren't that complicated to setup for basics, just throw it together based on your traction level and it is 200% better than any of those stock 3 shoe setups. Honestly this was my best investment I have made on my car.

- Chassis - basically only for better wear, and with really high skill levels, some may be able to feel a difference.

- Wraps - purely for looks

- insanely expensive radios - for mid to high skill level racers, the response rate of the radio can make a huge difference for controlability, just being in tune with what the car is actually doing. I have a M11X with the faster receiver, making it second only to the m12. But I am a decent amount smoother and more consistent with a buddy's M12 I have ran for a few races.

These all also depend on the track being ran, for most local small tracks, you really will not see differences, but with higher end tracks (fear farm, thunder alley, CVRC) with alot of traction, there is definitely much more of a difference.

prices of radios is crazy..


i laugh a guys buying radios for 500 bucks when it cost 40 bucks to make them in china:lol:

Making a radio is not only put the pieces together. Most of the cost coming from designing, software and testing !? it not just that simple !

This thread is laughable! We all spend thousands on effing toys!:weird: I guess my point is, WHATS YOUR POINT?

I love this thread. :cool:

Amen! My pet gripe, especially when you read about some people's routines on here..."I change 'x' every 'x' number of times, yada yada"

If it ain't broke don't touch it :nod:

Nice thread some good points brought up.

Maybe the ones I dislike the most is chasing Pro's setups and modded engines.

Everybody will do what they want. If a $500 modded engine is what it takes or a $500+ radio or a kyosho:lol:, if it makes you happy and puts a smile on your face, what of it? Guys that rebuild there cars every ten minutes are on a mission. Who cares? Do what you do and let others do what they do. If your not having fun doing it, quit, its not for you. Instead of everybody worrying about how others run there program, simply run your own.

:nod: