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favorite wet-weather model?

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Well, the weather is atrocious, so I'm curious what people like to drive in the rain. What's your favorite model for wet-weather use (rain, more than snow) and why?

I never thought I'd say this, but wet weather might be a good reason to favor those plastic bushings over bearings... less to clean and maintain.

Also: what preparation to undertake for wet weather driving, and what maintenance do you perform afterwards?

Note: my ideal maintenance requirement is "leave it in the trunk ('boot', I guess) of the car for 24 hours" but I know that's not realistic ;)

 

 

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This photo shows what I like to drive in rain.  

 

I think rubber sealed bearings do fine in rain and mud.  The problem with bushings is that dust get in, and it eats up the shafts, creating more gap.  Even after you replace the bushings with bearings, there could be some gap remaining. 

Rubber sealed bearings are like 20 cents a piece.  Once I thought of them as disposable, I found out that they are actually quite good at keeping out the water.  

 

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Oh boy, the truck-to-water ratio in that video can't be outdone, not even in a tropical rainstorm. Now I have visions of a Bullhead-based submarine. They'll kick me out of the local pool over this, just wait for it. 

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30 minutes ago, Juggular said:

 

This photo shows what I like to drive in rain.  

 

I think rubber sealed bearings do fine in rain and mud.  The problem with bushings is that dust get in, and it eats up the shafts, creating more gap.  Even after you replace the bushings with bearings, there could be some gap remaining. 

Rubber sealed bearings are like 20 cents a piece.  Once I thought of them as disposable, I found out that they are actually quite good at keeping out the water.  

 

I don't see a pic.... Unless you mean to say you don't like driving anything at all in the rain.

 

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22 minutes ago, smirk-racing said:

I don't see a pic.... Unless you mean to say you don't like driving anything at all in the rain.

 

lol, sorry, I couldn't find the video I saw. There were some awesome shots in it, but this would do.   

I would prefer simpler cars like the Lunchbox than GF01 chassis (though it could be made watertight by using faucet grease and rubber sealed bearings).  But this guy sure makes it look fun! 

The transmitters won't like getting wet, so I'd be more worried about that.  

 

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I used to enjoy driving my Lancia Rally in the rain - besides being fully waterproof, the treaded tires gave some sense of handling.

Once I finish the new bodywork for it, I look forward to doing it all again :)

I would be interested in making my upcoming Ferrari 312T3 a wet-weather runner, especially since Gilles Villeneuve was well-known for his driving in the rain...

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I run pretty much all of my RCs in snow and mud.  I look at bearings as disposable, they usually last a season out on the trails.  I usually tear down most of the trucks once per year and clean everything out and replace the motors (if brushed) and bearings.  Electronics are waterproof so no issues there, mostly just cleaning and replacing disposables.

Running in snow and water is a lot easier on the equipment than mud.  Just ran one of my Clods and a TA02T in snow last week and simple oiled the motors afterwards, everything else is fine.

In my opinion running in mud/snow/water is the most fun you can have with an RC, especially mudding with a trail truck.  Definitely makes a mess, but there's just something about it that brings me joy.  I do cringe every time I take a new build out on the trails for the first time, but once they go in there's no turning back...

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I wonder if anybody uses the rain to drift? 

I wish Tamiya released something that floats.  Like the schwimmwagen or LAV 25, so we can play not just in rain, but in water proper.  

 bLhz7XS.jpg

 O8oiD7D.jpg

 

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I know its fun to drive in water and mud, but I don't do that anymore because its killing for bearings, and I do not like  to tear down my cars every few runs.

I drove a fresh rebuild car with new bearings once in muddy water, all the muddy water gets in the bearings and gearcase, then I have to rebuild it agian with new bearings, because al the bearings get stuck.

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I don't really drive in the rain, but during the winter I run a lot on wet grass which is water and mud. All of my cars are fine with it up to a point, especially if you make sure to scoop the worst of the mud and grass off things like the driveshafts straight away and give the shell a quick rinse. Having somewhere indoor and warm to store them so they dry out helps too. My main issue is electronics. I thought my new Short Course Truck would be an amazing all condition runner, but in the wet it gets spray off the wheels inside the body and simply rains it onto the electrics. Already fritzed a receiver. I am looking for a chassis cover. Same with my hardbody buggies with open cockpits. Not quite as bad, but still need to be careful. Ironically my race buggies (TRF201 and TRF211) are best because their tight fitting velcro'd on bodies keep the muck and water out really well. If you have something like one of the TT range of vehicles where even the motor ends up under the shell then that would be a great wet runner. Just get a waterproof servo to make that's happy and you should be fine. 

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My son and me race in a hobbycup with brushed 23T motors. Normally we run TA-07 and TA-05, but when there is a wet race we use our trusty TT01E's with a rain cover and water tight esc's. And not to forget those  Schumacher XG-RAIN - Pit Shimizu D01J tires, they have an amazing grip in the wet, almost more grip than the tires we use in the dry (when it is dry). Maintenance after the race is to dry the car and looking for seized bearings and change them and a very light coat of WD40 for steel parts.

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But if it gets really wet we use willy's boat ;)

amphi1.thumb.jpg.e2e342697a7258106d2d7143236396c3.jpg

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I have same thoughts... I need a car to run as a rally and waterproof rain car.

 

My first thoughts were a TT01/02 or a DF02 or even the old TB series had those nice rain shells.

I found a rain shell for my M03, I think that one will be used for rainy wheater.

 

I used my DT01 and CW01 in rain. the CW01 ocday esc, got burned out.the dt01 still drives. (brushed)

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I don't like being out in the rain, but I love running my XV-01 in a light coating of snow on tarmac, or my CC-01 or TRX-4 in deeper snow.  Rain depresses me.  :)

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95% of my cars have a quicrun 1060 and brushed motors so most of them are quite waterproof. WR, GF, WT, CR, DF Chassis and even SRB but prefer using the big wheels. 

Ah and don't forget a rubber around your receiver. Then it's all safe to take a dip.

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I like running VLB in the rain, on wet tarmac it's a hoot to drift and slide about.

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As even waterproof recievers usually leave the servo and ESC connectors exposed, I think waterproof reciever boxes are a neat idea. I use water-repellent industrial grade semi-liquid teflon grease in the bearings, keeps them basically maintenance free even after being completely submerged. 

DSC_2467.JPG

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I use plumber's faucet grease on gearboxes.  It's plastic safe, and it's designed to keep water out.  After all, this grease is the reason why your faucets are not spewing water from the moving parts for years.  This won't make an RC car entirely waterproof, but it will do a reasonable job keeping muddy water out of gearboxes.  

e0fuARQ.jpg

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My wet weather car of choice is my rally-modified TT-01 with its rubber-sealed bearings, waterproof electrics and breathable fabric chassis cover. It sends up very realistic vortices of spray when driven at speed across wet surfaces, and cleanup afterwards is easy as the chassis cover keeps most of the gubbins clean. A quick spray afterwards with a low-pressure shower to remove any mud or road salt from the chassis, followed by a thorough drying out in front of a radiator and a drop or two of GT85 on the hinge pins, and it remains rust-free to this day.

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Thanks for all the great vids pics and tips!! Fun stuff. I need to give my lunchbox a wet weather treatment like some of you have done. 

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I make my vote for a nice wet race with an M-chassis. Mine is waterproof with the Carson spec brushless combo. (Dragster 3 16t set). With my waterproof Sanwa Receiver, my beetle can nearly drive under water. I neglected maintenance afterwards, so I had to replace 2 bearings on the outside wheel axles. But it were no rubber shielded ones, kit spec.. No problem the whole weekend, and the Motor is also quite nice, as it has a fully closed design without airvents. Should be good for a buggy on the beach, too.

 

KU1A3799_small.jpg

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31 minutes ago, ruebiracer said:

I make my vote for a nice wet race with an M-chassis. Mine is waterproof with the Carson spec brushless combo. (Dragster 3 16t set). With my waterproof Sanwa Receiver, my beetle can nearly drive under water. I neglected maintenance afterwards, so I had to replace 2 bearings on the outside wheel axles. But it were no rubber shielded ones, kit spec.. No problem the whole weekend, and the Motor is also quite nice, as it has a fully closed design without airvents. Should be good for a buggy on the beach, too.

 

KU1A3799_small.jpg

If I my ask... what kind of carson dragster combo you have, I have the blue 10T with 3800kV.

I thought about putting it in my M03 with 3racing speed gears. Whats your M class chassis you run the carso dragster combo?

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One of the reasons I love scale crawling is it's just as much fun in the rain as it is in the dry.  Living in southwest England, rain is never far away at any time of year and it's very easy for a weekend of racing to be ruined by the last-minute arrival of a 3-day downpour.  Case in point - last summer we had a 30+ degree heatwave that lasted several weeks.  On the day of the Iconic Revival, I put up my awning in 30 degree temperatures.  A few minutes after the awning went up the clouds came over, temps plummeted and a storm blew in that lasted for the entirety of the event.  We raced anyway and we had a laugh, but the track got sodden, we lost racing time due to having to brush the water away and wait for the worst of the rain to pass.

My Top Force and Bear Hawk survived the worst of the weather, no electrics were harmed and an afternoon in front of the sink got the worst of the dirt off.  The astro track we raced on has sand as a substrate and it gets into everything when it rains.  I think the same was taken from the shore because when it rains at that track it smells like the sea.  The sand leaves a greasy green residue on the cars which takes ages to get off, and steel goes rusty pretty quick.  It's a good idea to clean up the cars and put on some 3-in-1 oil as soon as possible after racing.

Last autumn we had a local crawler meet in a disused quarry.  I invited two mates and let them borrow my spare rigs.  It poured solid all day.  Three of us fit nicely in my camper awning for servicing and repairs on the rigs, but the only way to enjoy the trails was to button up and get out in the wet.  An hour into the first course our sleeves were soaked through.  It rained so hard the water was running into my waterproof jacket's pockets and down into my jeans.  I had rising damp in my waterproof overtrousers and my boots let the water in after 2 hours.  My Turnigy 6ch transmitter let the water in and gave up around midday, so we opened it up and left it to dry while I cooked bacon and egg rolls in the camper.  After lunch it had dried out enough to work again, although the Turnigy receiver switch attached to the LED lights has shorted and is now on all the time.

At the end of it all, it was one of the best days out I've had in as long as I can remember.  All three of us got soaked through and covered in mud, the rigs were so filthy I hosed them down in the yard rather than take them to the house, and we rounded off the day with a swift drink by the fire in a local pub.  At heart I'm an English Summer Man - I don't really like winter, I don't like the cold and I don't like the rain, I like blue skies and soft breezes and dusty roads and hot days that fade slowly into long, balmy evenings - but I always think you never appreciate a pint of ale in a warm comfortable chair as much as you do when you've come in a long day outside in the cold and the wet.

Once I went to a bash on an outdoor tarmac track and as usual the heavens opened shortly after I got there.  One corner got totally submerged but we carried on bashing anyway.  I was running my TT02D and I lost control and went right into the drink.  The car was submerged up to the windows.  It ran fine for the rest of the day but the following time I switched it on the Nosram Evil brushless ESC wouldn't work.  Since they were known for being utter garbage and I only paid £15 for it second-hand a few years previous I wasn't too upset to see it go :D

My pre-wet preparation:

Blue-tac around the receiver plugs keeps the worst of the water out.  I've submerged ORX receivers like this and they've not absorbed a drop of moisture and worked perfectly fine after despite not being waterproof.

My post-wet routine:

Partial strip-and-clean in the kitchen sink if it's really muddy or a race car, spray body and chassis off with cold water if it's a scale rig.

Oil any external moving parts with 3-in-1 oil to prevent rust.  I avoid WD-40 as it's a solvent and can dissolve the grease inside sealed bearings.

If any electrics were submerged or show signs of water or moisture inside (or have stopped working), remove them and place them somewhere warm and dry.

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I had a lot of fun driving a Bush Devil in the rain in a skate park recently. It was dark and the truck had lights on which was also a first for me, it was a lot of fun. The electronics (servo & esc) are waterproof but eventually the thing stopped running. Later it worked fine after drying out though. 

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21 minutes ago, Mad Ax said:

One of the reasons I love scale crawling is it's just as much fun in the rain as it is in the dry. 

 

That's my goal.  In my area, we get rain, snow, etc...  I'm looking to grab a scale crawler for the rainy and winter months.

 

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