2wd Vs 4wd

[Power Surge]

So... I've pretty much always been a 4WD R/C kind of guy, even though I've had plenty of 2WD cars. I never had any FAST 2WD cars like all my 4WDs were. I recently rebuilt my old vintage Kyosho Raider 2WD. Nothing spectacular, just full bearings, ESC, gold shocks all around, and a 15 turn vintage Trinity motor.

The first issue I had was it spinning the rims in the tires. Both being original, the tires are a bit worn (not much nubs left) and there wasn't much grip between the rim and tire. So it was spinning the rim inside the tire a lot. I fixed that by gluing the tires on with silicone. Now they don't budge on the rims.

However, now the car pretty much just blows the tires off and does donuts and such on command. I can also make the car spin 180 degrees at a will with a quick throw of the controller. And it's pretty much useless on terrain as it just spins through grass and dirt, but I am sure that's the worn out tires.

Now I do recall a video here of someone's Dyna Storm, and they were pretty much doing all the same things. So my question is - is this normal from a high power 2WD car? If so, that's fine. I can have fun with it like this. But if it's not, then I'd like to see what I need to do to put some power down.

[irenL]

it's quite normal, especially when you don't have a slipper clutch fitted and feeling a tad trigger happy

[TA-Mark]

2WD requires a bit more finess on the throttle to maintain control. It's not point and shoot like a 4WD. Makes them a bit more interesting to drive. Doesn't take long to get bored with the 'point and shoot' of a 4WD. You can still go fast, just not nail it off the mark. Infact it's probably faster in a straight line once it gets mobile as there is less drag in the 2WD driveline and you can overgear it slightly compared to a 4WD.

Good tyres always make a huge difference to control of a 2WD chassis. As well as the right tyre for the right surface.

[Miggers]

I raced 4WD buggies back in the day and as TA-Mark says they are very point and squirt.

My recently rebuilt LWB Meteor is a whole lot more fun though.Like you,I've filled it full of bearings,the gearbox is now fully ballraced including

the "factory" red spurgear mod(bored through to clear the shaft and then bored to take bearings),the axle ends are done too and a rebuilt

and carefully run-in Parma Cyclone Superstock 27t period motor fitted with a 12 tooth 32DP pinion.

I thought of putting more motor in it,but once I'd retuned the ESC it soon showed itself to have plenty of urge.

It runs the standard Meteor rear wheels with Schumacher mini-spikes siliconed on.

It'll light up the tyres with ease,hang the back end out, does big donuts(owing to the LWB chassis),it's generally a good fun hooligan machine.

Straight line speed is pretty good due to there being no front gearbox to rob the horse power.

But and this is the big but,it takes far more skill and care to keep it under control than the Optima Mid Custom 4WD I used to race.

Drive it like you'd drive a good RWD car(like the old 60's-70's Ford Escorts or big inch BMW),

be gentle on the go and you'll soon learn to handle it like the old school rally drivers.

Mark

[GGtrialer]

i wanna say your getting expected results. my F-150 Rally truck will not go in a strait line at all, even on tarmac most of the time, if i convert it to RWD and it only got a 17T in there. i have to say that the lack on control is fun!

[igbandy]

I love running 2wd buggies, I have recently rebuilt one of my Schumacher Cougars for a spot of vintage racing. And its a blast running on a stock silver can, and we are not far of the pace of far more modern 2wd`s running modifieds.

My point is*, with a 2wd you have to respect the amount of power that you can put down thru the wheels. And yes a 2wd can be a tad faster than a 4wd.

* ah yes but, I have a brand new Associated SC10 2wd short course truck and with the kit 17 turn reedy modified in it, it has got far too much power from a standing start. But thats part of the fun of these Short course trucks

[nakedsv]

I'm from the other side. I've never had anything other than 2WD, and the control offered by 4WD is tempting for me.

2WD requires a LOT of finesse, especially on loose surfaces. One simply has to slow down, get the entrance speed right and learn how to drift.

[hedge]

... running on a stock silver can, and we are not far of the pace of far more modern 2wd`s running modifieds.

Something up there silver can vs mod should be absolutely no comparison

[Chutneypundit]

I have two 4x4's (F150 truck with Nosram 17x2 & Dirt Thrasher with Clash 15) and two RWD's (re-'Horn-hopper' with Sport Tuned & Out-of-the-box Bear Hawk)

I run them on my homemade track in the garden - very bumpy, because it used to be over-groan woodland.

The Grasshopper is insane - still battling to get the rear end to stay down - but even though it barely makes a lap before flipping into the nettles, it is terrific fun and has taught me so much about how to drive these cars. Having the ability to increase turn-in by flooring the throttle, then counter-steering into the slide is at once rewarding and also very useful when racing your mates.

The next car I got was the F150 (now fully GPM'd at the front) - it was a revelation: simply being able to achieve lap after lap without having to run out and retrieve it from the undergrowth makes your battery time worthwhile. The F150 isn't widened, so it will roll if you go too hard into a tight corner, meaning you still have to drive it through corners - slow in, thump the throttle, bit of counter-steer (which seems to hint that torque split has a rear bias?) and rips back out of the corner in style.

The Dirt Thrasher was an eBay spontaneous (i.e. drunken) buy. Great car, but a little dull handling-wise.

So I decided to get a RWD with independent rear suspension (as opposed to the Horn-hopper's mess of a rear end). Another eBay purchase, the Bear Hawk arrived three days ago and I have fallen in love with it Not only does it look fantastic, but I so much prefer the handling of RWD - it's so much more fun. And when you get a perfect drift, clip the apex and undercut your opponent, so rewarding. The Bear Hawk is going to get hopped as soon as figure out what parts will fit it!

[Singapore_959]

Sliding is fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!

2WD is more fun, always!

[94eg!]

It really depends on car setup and grip. I have a losi JRX-T that has no problem with over-steer, even with a high-power 12T. That is until the rear tires wear down!!! Losi was more of an understeer setup (out of the box), while associated was more towards over-steer (from what I've been told)...

BTW: My box-stock Dyna Storm has no trouble with rear traction until the rear tires wear down (or I'm in dusty dirt). With fresh kit tires, over-steer is not a problem...

[igbandy]

Something up there silver can vs mod should be absolutely no comparison

Not when you concider that the "modern" 2wd`s where running silly modified`s and brushless, and they where far too fast for the drivers..

[FoxMcCloud]

currently i have a 20+ year old Boomerang 4WD (my dads) and i love it. it can go anywhere thats the fun thing about it. its true if u want a fast car go with 2WD u have less moving parts. the downside to this u cant move in grass or do realy dumb things in it. however i do have a 2WD Tamiya Nissan King Cab and that thing fly's. it also turns on a dime. but that's how it was made. it all depends on what u want to do. if u like going off-roading then get a 4WD if u want street racing the go with a 2WD. there's no right or wrong answer to your question. its all preference. i like to be able to go anywhere so that's why i ordered a Keen Hawk. but i am going to order a 2WD Truck the Subaru Brat or a 4WD Tamiya Schnitzer BMW M3 Sport Evo for road use.