complaisant

I am very new to R/C, thus the noob questions in the "rookie zone."

The TC3 I just bought came with a nylon(?) spur. What is better the plastic (whatever its made from), or the machined type?

BuddhaTech

comp,

Welcome to the hobby!

Gears...well...as far a the spur gears are conerned they are all "plastic type" but differ greatly in their construction.

Spur gears are usually made of nylon or a thermoplastic material. Some gears may also have carbon, glass or kevlar fibers added to them for strength and rigidity. Spur gears can be either molded or machined. Machined gears generally are more concentric and better balanced. They are also more expensive. The molded gears are still pretty good as far as concentricity and balance but are less expensive and can sometimes wear faster.

The use of a metal spur gear is almost always reserved for nitro and gas powered vehicles. This is because the metal gears are much heavier and much stronger. The extra weight is not as much of a drawback when you have a lot more power like the fuel powered cars have you need the strength of a metal (usually steel) gear.

Hope this helps and don't hesitate to ask any qquestion you might have!

seriousre

I run a plastic pur on my tc3 with a speed gem topaz "11 triple" and no problems.

Just get some metal pinions, not so much for strenth but because if you change motors alot or rebuild/clean your motor chances are a plastic pinion will get damage to the teeth.

I have only seen aftermarket metal pinion gears but I would say that theres not plastic ones out there, and if you find them and think your saving a buck thank again and get the metal ones.

complaisant

Thanks for the help guys. I associated "machined" with things made from metal I guess. Anyway, I ordered a couple machined spurs. My original became chewed up from little rocks at the local tennis court.

What about pinions? I picked up a bunch (Robinson Racing 19-29) for about $9-10 for a variety pack of 5 (odd or even). The pinions I used at that tennis court got kind of chewed up too. Does one need higher quality pinions, or just a cleaner surface to practice on?

TurnNBurn

If you're gonna bash around, I wouldn't get the Aluminum pinions, as there are designed for lower rotating mass, and not durability in harsh environments. Stick to the Robinson "Economy" pinions for that.

Kash

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