HorizonHobby.com How-To: Understanding RC Gearing

[@krowe33]

Referring to the math classes I thought I would never use, my very first thought when you said that was going to be using it here today was "I bet you're not". Because for me, that was Algebra lol. I worked for 25 years as a CNC programmer and machinist, and I never used Algebra one time after high school. But this was a great video that really breaks things down. Good job, and thanks for sharing!

[@MyHeap]

To determine the pitch of any spur gear use the following formula: P = (T+2)/D P = Pitch, T = number of teeth in gear and D = the measured outside diameter of the gear. The resulting calculation will give you a whole number with a decimal. Disregard the decimal value on the end. The whole number is the pitch of the gear. Example: I have a pinion gear with 18 teeth. The measured diameter with a pair of calipers yields 0.415 inch. Using the above formula, P = (T+2)/D = (18+2)/.415 = 48.193, the pitch of the gear is 48 I hope that helps. Joe

[@Isthatchicken01]

7:20 is what I came here for

[@ericwade2678]

thanks

[@rcgarageph7228]

Same

[@danny1ft1]

Cheers, should be at start of video as introduction into gearing then all the more complicated stuff later in the video.

[@thaverex]

Yeah same here. I just need to get a new gearing to make it faster, and now I know how. I was ready to look for this timestamp myself.

[@craignorris8798]

I appreciate this type of refresher knowledge. Helps when you can “build and UN-build it in your head and logically”

[@RCTogether]

Ahh the nostalgia. Classic video. ❤

[@horizonhobby]

Generally speaking 48P gives you the best combination of durability and efficiency. What sort of car are you running?

[@horizonhobby]

As a general rule of thumb when you increase the RPMs of the motor you decrease the size of the pinion. So if you have a 13T motor you would gear it with a smaller pinion than say a 17T motor.

[@clashybashy9540]

I know this is an old video but this helped so much! Thank you horizon hobby

[@horizonhobby]

The lower the ratio will yield the faster top-speed but lower acceleration. The 32T pinion will give you more top speed. Cogging is caused by a number of reasons but the biggest is the motor/ESC themselves. The more you load a sensorless motor, however, can magnify that problem.

[@horizonhobby]

@fieryguns Absolutely! Many people have learned on the Super Cub! And it's gotten even better in recent years with a battery upgrade to LiPo and a transmitter/receiver upgrade to Spektrum DSM2 radio gear. You may also want to check out the new HobbyZone Stratos as well.

[@horizonhobby]

They are all relations. For the larger gear to turn once, for example, how many times will the smaller gear have to turn. So for your first example, 7.35... The pinion gear will turn 7 full rotations and .35 of an 8th rotation. In this same time the spur gear will turn a total of one time. Hence 7.35(rotations):1(rotation)

[@3starRC]

It was like a math lesson, but very informative thanks :)

[@gonzodetroitify]

This is awesome for a new person to hobby, now because of you I now know what type of pinion I'll ever need just by looking, and also taking into account the application I'll be using💎💎💎💎❤️👊🏿

[@Anthonylopez-rd7nr]

Cool video, it can't get any better than this.

[@horizonhobby]

With the M05 you have an interesting challenge due to the fixed nature of the motor mounting system. For a brushless I am assuming you're running a 17.5? I think most people are running the largest pinion you can fit in there, so a 5.8:1. The fact that it is front vs rear wheel drive won't affect anything.

[@rokstar21375]

Thanks for the info I'm new to RC and bought a Losi Muggy and for now it's a little to fast for me so I'm trying to slow it down a little bit until I get use to it not to mention I'm hoping to get more torque for wheelies

[@horizonhobby]

It all depends on where you're running, the size of the straight away, the battery configuration and more. It's really unique to each track.

[@horizonhobby]

That is the overall desire, to have the best balance between top speed, acceleration and runtime.

[@jonathanjhl]

great video!! i finally feel like i have the basics of gearing down pat.

[@Rcd872]

Nice job explaining gearing. Can you recommend a short read that reinforces what you just demoed. I find it sinks in better. Thanx

[@horizonhobby]

The FDR (Final Drive Ratio) of the Rustler transmission is 2.72:1. So for that transmission you would divide your spur gear tooth count by the pinion gear tooth count and multiply that by 2.72 to get your overall gear ratio. So for wha you have now, 32 / 32 x 2.72= 2.72 for your gear ratio.

[@MrXeforz]

Hi , i love the video ! Nice job , but i got a question . If i wanna make my car go faster what should i do ?

[@aidanspain9489]

how do you change a motor on an ECX roost without permanently screwing it up but make it faster at the same time?

[@horizonhobby]

On the RC8B2 yes, that would be good. On the Rascal are you converting that to brushless? If so I believe the spur gear is also Mod 1 so a 14-17T pinion should get you in the range there.

[@horizonhobby]

Sounds like your setscrew on the pinion gear backed off is all. Check and see if you can move the gear on the output shaft of the motor. If it moves you just need to tighten the little screw down. If that isn't it I would check to make sure the slipper clutch is tight.

[@matthewprior3762]

I swear these videos are gold for rc wannabe kidz like me.

[@horizonhobby]

There is only one spur gear for ECX, 87T. I would drop a few teeth on the pinion from stock, 2-3 would be a good starting place. If your gear mesh and slipper are properly set there should be no reason the gears get stripped just by changing motors.

[@horizonhobby]

Define "Really Hot". 150-170 is about where you should expect things. Also what motor are you using, how much timing in the endbell and is there any timing or boost in the ESC?

[@horizonhobby]

Anytime you increase RPM drop the pinion size. I'd say a 20T would be a good start from where you were at before.

[@tedsimington7654]

Thanks for sharing Sir👍👍👍

[@horizonhobby]

It's not a horrible idea but I don't know how necessary I'd consider it. I have never used a metal gear diff with brushless in any of my race vehicles.

[@horizonhobby]

@fieryguns Either the Stratos or Super Cub would be ideal for you. They are designed for the first-time pilot.

[@nathangaona162]

wow thanks this really helps i understand more how this works than before great video!!!

[@usmaanakram5537]

brilliant video love it

[@horizonhobby]

The problem is that you can get that size spur gear in a variety of pitches. Pitch and tooth count are completely independent from each other.

[@BigPitter]

Verry instructive video. I still have a question. If I want to go "in between", so more top speed and more acceleration. Is it possible using a spur gear with more teeth and a clutch bell with less teeth...??

[@calvinwolf7107]

Great video learned plenty do you cover direct drive?

[@rodneyhendrix93]

Very simplified thanks

[@horizonhobby]

@fieryguns It's pretty robust. Plus it's made out of Z-Foam which can be re-glued with any sort of CA, it doesn't need to be the foam-safe variety. If you happen to brake something there's also a full line of replacement parts for both planes.

[@anonymous-hq8eu]

Do u know anything about the hpi jumpshot sc v2

[@alfonsohudson7533]

So I am new to the hobby and I'm building different vehicles. How do I find out the maximum gear ratio for any particular motor? How do I find out how low and how high I can go on pinion and spur gears?

[@mainlyoctober]

That's exactly what it was!!! The slipper clutch I set to factory specs, but I may e too right because I just snapped the left driveshaft to the wheel now. It's not the part that goes to the motor but to the wheel, the whole thing slides off in 2 pieces. The little pin snapped on the end where the metal piece holds the wheel. I have no local hobby shop near me. Do you sell these? Thank you very much for your help sir!

[@jimmyv.9850]

hi mate thnks for video bt i would like to hv ur own advise abt my gearing..am converting a 1/5 scale harm to electric..am a bite out of fund due to expenses on esc,lipo n motor..i have the 730 kv and the 200 esc both trunigy trackstar..as my harm was petrol i was thinkin to keep my stock gearing which is 23 teeth pinion gear and 40 t spur gear.pinion gear r not so cheap and was thinking if these two pinion will be ok to use with this esc n motor,,what should i expect??top speed or acceleration?will it be safe aswell to use without overheating anythng or any other issue?if nt suitable what pinion gear do u reccomend?thnks

[@horizonhobby]

The plates should be but you'll need to get different slipper pads for what ever brand of spur you go with.

[@DanieleGrecoUK]

I put like before ending see the video cause I already know how he's good explaining things, helped me once though... :)

[@horizonhobby]

@fieryguns Well this is more for the surface crowd than the airplane or heli fans. What can we help you out with on planes?

[@charles1matt]

Great video! I'm going to brushless with an RS4mt and I'm thinking about my gearing and heat. Does too high a gearing cause more heat? And what's the best way to start working down the gear if heat is an issue?

[@horizonhobby]

@charles1matt Yes, if you're overgeared (too large of a pinion or too small of a spur gear) the motor will overheat. If that's the case just start taking teeth off of the pinion 1-2 at a time until you hit an acceptable temperature.

[@horizonhobby]

What vehicle do you have? A lot of time you just need to see it.

[@bdubq3653]

8 years ago! Not sure if you still work there, but can you elaborate more on the last bit? How is it that the wheel size impacts the gearing? If I gear up (larger pinion), should I be dropping the size of my wheels at the same time?

[@moneyoverbeef]

If your using a larger pinion then you should use a smaller spur gear in most cases.

[@horizonhobby]

It really all depends on the size of the track, along with how technical it is.

[@horizonhobby]

I can't post links on KZbin but I believe that TRA1951 is the part number you're looking for. If you check on our website you can see a photo to compare.

[@Hionimi]

I've actually waited with buying an engine yet as I know this model, and it seems most Tamiya models, don't seem to like Brushless and LiPo's very much. So I'm picking the engine based on what is possible with the gear ratio, I just want it to be rather swift, don't have to break speed records but neither do I want to get anywhere near toy-grade speeds. (Which in my book is 25 MPH/40 KPH.) So hoped to put something in that'll make it go around 30-40 MPH/48-64 KPH. Question is, how many Turns/kV?

[@superjoint57]

If I current have a 83 spur & 18 pinion on my Slash 2WD, what combination/change would be in my best interest to gain more speed on a small asphalt oval track? Thank you! 🤘🏻

[@sfc415rider]

D.P.T. Bump up the pinion to 23 you should be happy with that

[@Starkster50]

20-24t it's really in your best interest to but a 5 piece set starting with 20 and up and test to see what you like best, the Drag Slash comes with a 22t and 29t, I would say 20-22t to avoid heat problems.

[@aggelosvelissarakos599]

this was almost 10 years ago but with steel spur gears do they also get ate up as fast

[@jaxhero69]

thank you. nice presentation and good information

[@Hionimi]

Really helpful guide, thanks! :D I'm only still trying to figure out what to do with my Tamiya M-05M Pro chassis, I want to run it with a brushless system, and the standard gearing options it comes with are 5.8:1, 6.44:1 and 7.25:1. Now I could just look up recommended gear ratio specs of some motors, but since this car is a front wheel drive mini 1:10 scale, won't that also affect what ratio is needed?

[@philiplibby7536]

Very informative 👍

[@horizonhobby]

I think most are running 17.5T or 13.5T motors in the Minis.

[@B3dridd3nMidg3t]

Great information. This helped me out.

[@rcgamingmadness9169]

I am still trying to achieve the most out of my new motor so I am trying to gain that good acceleration I had with my stock motor.

[@W3BZSL1NG3R]

Very indepth vid great job... I'm running a 1 to 1 ratio on my 1/10 scale traxxas rustler and I have a 1/8 castle creations mamba monster 2200kv on 6s I use mod 1.. steel 32 spur and 32 pinon it goes 114mph and gets faster every time I put a larger pinon or a smaller spur and I love it I have about $1300.xx wrapped up in it please check it out ... My question is what's the final ratio of the traxxas rustler and what's the final ratio of the gears with that ratio please help and keep da gr8 job

[@jameswalker7279]

ive got a axial scx10 with a supershafty bomb proof transmission and a tekin roc412 500kv motor what is the best choice for a pinion gear ? 32 or 48 p

[@chromezeta]

This is a great video for us newbies! Q: If I'm using a 13T double motor, should I be using a specific size/ tooth number pinion? Or does the pinion have anything to do with motor turns?

[@horizonhobby]

@fieryguns What don't you get? What can we help you out with?

[@RCBLAZING]

I have an ECX Torment and I want to change out the drive shafts. My question is there any metal driveshafts out their I can use to swap out the plastic drive shafts on the Torment.

[@horizonhobby]

It could be .6 module, basically "Metric 48-pitch". I am not familiar with that car or company so I don't know what it uses, sorry.

[@jasoncaldon4208]

This was a really great video! Thanks so much for doing this. One question I have is how do you decide whether to change the spur gear or the pinion gear. So if putting in a smaller pinion or a higher spur gear will give you more acceleration, what decides which one you switch? Or is it just trial and error to fine tune it?

[@horizonhobby]

It really is trial and error. I try to run the largest spur gear that leaves the motor as close to the centerline as possible. If I need to change up or down more than 3-4 teeth on the pinion I'll generally change the spur too.

[@masterJODAz]

Great video! makes me think, i'm updating my maverick strada xb evo to brushless, its a 1/10 scale 4wd, so if I am aiming to get speeds at around 45mph, i just need to look at a higher KV motor esc combo and thats it? Or playing with gears is a must? Seems like leaving the stock gears is the safest option to prevent motor and ESC from overheating?

[@darksunridah]

Horizon Hobbies I have the Kyosho Inferno Gt 2 Demon. I’m running stock 4s 100c 9000 man battery. It comes with a 17T pinion but I bought a 20T pinion. Is that good? Will it put too much torque on the motor?

[@ASAPRR]

I want to upgrade my Stock Serpent S411 for pure parking lot top speed short to mid run time application. What Spur/Pinion combo would you recommend include pitch also please consider the belt drive gearing when responding. Would love to know your take on Motor, ESC, and battery recommendation to achieve all of this. Money no object. Looking forward to your reply. Thanks in advance !!!

[@horizonhobby]

There's nothing I'm aware of. Not only would you need to swap out the driveshafts but the differential outdrives too.

[@BASSstarlet]

In my 1/10 brushless truggy with 31 teeth pinion (25 stock) when it accelerates from standing position, i detect some hesitation like its going to switch gear up! The same symptoms goes even worst when i change the pinion gear, with bigger one. Im using 3s Lipo with 150Ah esc but the motor is stock (2400kv).

[@TheFringes.]

I don't think that's your gears, it may be the motor. If the brushless motor isn't sensored, then it can cause hesitation like that or start cogging.

[@morris4069]

You almost hit on why you might want to use larger gears with close to or same ratio. Giving the flywheel effect might be minimal, the larger gears will still roll easier off throttle and allow the car to coast faster, or not slowdown as quick, with the throttle at neutral. This is also true doing the opposite by using smaller gears, at a tighter track it could be advantageous to have the car slow easier with the throttle at neutral. You never hit on rollout?! You started to mention tire size and left it at bigger, higher ratio. You can get a better ratio and keeping that sweet spot by calculating your rollout, how far the car travels per motor rotation/s. Different tires with same rim sizes have different diameters and/or swell at high speeds depend on tread, design or compound. On road cars benefit more from rollout calculations and the use of larger or smaller gear sets of the same ratio for the simpler drivetrains and/or tire wear. Rollout calculations will use that math you never thought you’d use.

[@RhinoRider2006]

I did the adjustment and my car still slips, goes nowhere in forward but moves out in reverse. would the teeth on my gears be buggered?

[@leolux09]

Did you totally forget about the 1/16th scale? That would help a lot of Us who use them. The rules may generally apply across the board, but the specifics of that particular scale would be appreciated. I have a brushless 1/16 Traxxas mini e-revo VXL and want to make it top-out in speed. Which exact pair of gears would I need?

[@RoXolid]

No, I just didn't reference all scales in this video. Gear ratio calculations are the same regardless of scale. What MIGHT change is the pitch and number of teeth on the gears, but calculating the gear ratios are always the same. A larger pinion and/or smaller spur gear would give you more top speed but less acceleration. A smaller pinion and/or larger spur gear would give less top speed but more acceleration. - Gary

[@YesSir34]

My Arrma infraction came with a 46 tooth gear. I ordered a replacement that said it was for my car came 50 tooth, is that ok?

[@horizonhobby]

@fieryguns All our products are rated for ages 14 and up. I'm not saying that a 13 or 9-year old couldn't fly it its just not what we recommend.

[@TraxxasSlashDude24]

Also with the 3500 velineon system if I were to use two 8.4v 3000mah nimh batterys would I need a bigger capacitor or would it not be possible.

[@linerider4000]

Hi, I have a pretty old Losi XXX-t and I have mot seen any videos or pitures about the truck. I have only seen one other person who has had this particular truck. It is the XXX-T 1/10 scale competition rc truck kit. Now for the problem, I have net been able to find a good gearing guide besides this one but I am still confused. I have a castle sidewinder 3 5700kv setup. My friend built the truck for me way back when and I have just recently done a diff rebuild. That is besides the point though. My spur gear seems to be eating off my gear box! I have the original gear box and the original spur gear. The gear was brand new when I ran it. After 10 minutes of play the gear was basically gone! The gear mesh was correct. I know that the issue is either the gear or the motor plate but I don't know which and I don't want to go out spending money right and left. Any suggestions? If you need more information, just let me know :)

[@horizonhobby]

I haven't used that combo before but I know the X-11 and X-12 LRP motors I have run in the past did run a little hotter than others. I'd drop 2-teeth on the pinion and test it from there. If it's still too hot just keep taking teeth off of the pinion.

[@marrod2463]

i have a ecx amp mt electric car and whn i push the throttle foward or back it sound like it going fast but bearly moving

[@islandcitysledders1812]

I want to make my traxxas slash go faster what gearing should I use for speed runs?

[@dadon197922]

What is a good spur gear and pinion for a 1/8 scale for 132 ft drag racing

[@dadon197922]

What is a good spur gear and pinion gear for drag racing my 1:8th scale ...2900 tp motor

[@horizonhobby]

@fieryguns There's not a definitive range but it's easily as far as you can see.

[@rcgamingmadness9169]

I have an ECX Torment 2wd and I just put a 9T brushed motor in it but I want to achieve more speed, so am I able to go up a gear for tooth or keep my stock ones? I use my ECX as like a Short course truck so I run it on grass and sand.

[@gm7ls421]

In my 1/10 onroad colt rc car I built I run a dp32 15t pinion with a p2953 54t spur 120a esc and 5900kv motor and it gets 100+kmh on 2s Lipo best combo I reckon

[@JMSpeck]

Super information about the gears!! Peace racers

[@DakotaBusCaptures]

I’m driving my VW Camper ‘60 RC across Scotland. How efficient can I make it…

[@RodEvens]

Which ratio is beat for short course parking lot racing of a traxxas slash.

[@montesy]

Should I go with a metal diff gear if going brushless? I own a Duratrax Evader ST

[@aarenivar89]

what spur and pinion size should I run on the 22 sct for indoor dirt track I'm running a 86 and a 18 and it seems kinda slow I have the losi 13.5t motor?

[@TraxxasSlashDude24]

I have a Traxxas Slash 2wd with stock tires and transmission and right now I have an 86 tooth spur and a 23 tooth pinion which equals a ratio of 3.74 and my transmission ratio is 2.72 which equals a final ratio of 10.17. Now if I were to keep the same spur and use a 32 tooth pinion I would get a final ratio of 7.32. With that ratio would I have higher speed or faster acceleration? I am also using a Traxxas velineon system with an 8.4v 3000mah nimh battery, so would that gearing cause cogging?

[@bradendeal4482]

I have a new 12turn motor cominng for my vaterra awd mustang it cones with a 77 tooth spur should i use the 19tooth or 22 tooth i just want it to have a decent too speed and acceleration all together but mainly focusing on just hauling around sliding and drifting

[@nickwilliams6869]

If im running a rc on dirt concrete and grass what pionion is best 19t?

[@horizonhobby]

You shouldn't have to change any capacitors when increasing voltage UNLESS they are not rated to handle that voltage.

[@ehsansalem8697]

Great Video, thumbs up. Is there a way to determine the "pitch" of a random old spur? Want to convert an old 1/8 nitro buggy (Crono from 2001) to electric but can't figure out what pinion "pitch" to get. Again thanks for the educational video.

[@horizonhobby]

If it is an 1/8-scale buggy odds are you're looking at a Mod 1.0 gear.

[@ehsansalem8697]

Horizon Hobby Cheers.

[@collinhinkle7252]

Hey, I've got an ecx circuit and I put a Titan 12 turn 550 motor on it. Well the motor kept getting too hot so I loosened up the gears. Next thing I know the spur gear gets stripped so I was wondering what pinion and spur gears should I use to get the fastest result (without striping the gears)

[@barxkyRC]

what would u suggest on kraton 6s with max 6 1650kv and a lrager than the stock tire? what gearing should i use so it wont hurt the motor or wont over heat? ...use it for bashing also...thanks

[@broderickmedical]

i have an sakura d4 awd 1/10 i have a 4400 kv motor and i need to but a pinion gear to put onto the motor drife shaft but i dont know which one to buy. also the big gear is a 92t do i need a better one than that also?

[@horizonhobby]

That's a decent amount of motor. I'd start around an 86T-spur with an 18T pinion.