How to Make a Faster Race Car - Stock 13.5T & 17.5T Racing

How do stock r/c cars find an advantage on the track? Today we talk about it with weight examples, all while converting our B74.1 to be the ultimate stock racer. Let's do it.
Team Associated Aluminum CVA Cups: www.amainhobbies.com/team-ass...
Team Associated 6mm Titanium Ball Studs: www.amainhobbies.com/team-ass...
Team Associated 8mm Titanium Ball Studs: www.amainhobbies.com/team-ass...
Team Associated 10mm Titanium Ball Studs: www.amainhobbies.com/team-ass...
Whitz HyperGlide B74.1 Ceramic Bearing Kit: www.amainhobbies.com/whitz-ra...
175RC Titanium Lower Stud Kit: www.amainhobbies.com/175rc-ti...
175RC 4mm Aluminum Serrated Wheel Nuts: www.amainhobbies.com/175rc-al...
175RC B74 Aluminum Nut Kit: www.amainhobbies.com/175rc-rc...
175RC M3 Ball Stud Washer Kit: www.amainhobbies.com/175rc-m3...
ProTek Carbon Fiber B74.1 Side Guards: www.amainhobbies.com/protek-r...
Aluminum Flanged Nuts (used with side guards): www.amainhobbies.com/175rc-li...
3x8mm Titanium Screws (used with side guards): www.amainhobbies.com/mugen-se...
Low Profile Servo: www.amainhobbies.com/protek-r...
6100mAh 2S LiPo: www.amainhobbies.com/protek-r...
Trinity Ultra Lightweight 48P Pinion Gears: www.amainhobbies.com/trinity-...
JK Products Plastic Pinion Gears: www.amainhobbies.com/jk-produ...
Team Associated Pocket Scale: www.amainhobbies.com/team-ass...
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[@MegaDieseldriver]

“Ouch” said my wallet , and “no” said my wife

[@uber_na_d3r]

and then you gonna say "F*ck yees"

[@miriamferrel1897]

If walley says no and wife says no. And you say yes thats all that matters, one yes cancels outs the 2 no's

[@ethanboslem2448]

Thats why you just buy little by little

[@AMain_Hobbies]

"Fast" said the transponder -Brett

[@hinsie4268]

Don't let your partner control your hobbies. That's a tell sign of a toxic relationship.

[@creamyhummus]

Making videos like this about completely kitting out an RC car is my dream job.

[@creamyhummus]

@@wesmiller504 Thanks man, I actually really appreciate that.

[@chimonoki2868]

@@creamyhummusyou will achieve it one day if you try hard enough

[@gunsandcommissions]

Brett is at his best when he's talking racing buggies

[@modelnutty6503]

yup, its his zone like mine was decades ago :)

[@TastierBackInThe80s]

That expression when those bearings don't stop.

[@modelnutty6503]

yup, full car and hub bearing both!

[@extec101]

only is that he shows before and after the bearing change with the pinion on the motor on the before...

[@andrewsumner5388]

Wow that’s amazing the more I keep getting into the hobby the more I appreciate these videos!… thanks for the help

[@dynasty4851]

Been waiting for this particular video!

[@joeycarlson9589]

Love the awesome content and video work as usual!! Keep ‘em coming!

[@nimblybimbly4002]

My takeaway: Money is best spent on carbon side guards for weight and ceramic bearings for rolling efficiency. Do more if you're going for a championship.

[@tylerbates8198]

Yeah the turnbuckles are quite an expensive weight loss

[@Smokeyr67]

Just keep your buggy clean and you’ll be way ahead of most

[@mattyf1492]

I thought this was a really well done video. Speaks really well and really clearly ! Great information 👍

[@jefftroendle247]

Dude. I like your vids keep it. I know it is all about sales and upgrades but the content is really informative. THX

[@andrewmacdougal670]

Really enjoyed the ideas/tips in this video and the new synthwave music is pretty rad.

[@loum7008]

Great video Brett and very informative 👍. As you know, these same concepts apply to track car performance. Adding lightness is key! I'd like to see more technical videos like these. Thank you!

[@FullOnRC]

Nice one Bret, very helpful. I just bought myself a Schumacher Cougar LD2.

[@vivos71]

Good ol' stock class, started out as a cheaper class for beginners, now it's a class where those who have the deepest pockets get the fastest cars.

[@modelnutty6503]

yup, and it gave birth to the "entry level" class, a long time ago.

[@andreashaussinger7463]

all those upgrades bring you nothing if you cant drive consistant and smooth that is the key to win races, this upgrades are only for champion level drivers to make them from a very good driver to a almost perfect driver. and a good or really good driver wont need those upgrades anyways because they compensate it with skill ^^

[@nobsnospam2368]

@@andreashaussinger7463 It also helps getting longer run times while keeping the motor cooler.

[@kylelanning5856]

yep. modified is unironically cheaper often times because skill comes most into play.

[@vivos71]

@@kylelanning5856 Mod motors have plenty enough power, so you don't have to buy a bunch of 13.5/17.5's and bench test them all until you find one one that's 3% better than the rest, less money spent on making the thing as light as possible for that same reason.

[@zonegamma8197]

nice videos , as always, very fun to watch all that proteck gear and tools are awsome

[@samcourtrc6767]

Brett love the video bro I love watching this stuff

[@gregrandolph]

Really informative video, Brett, and as you said, a lot of these tips can be applied to other types of vehicles. Great job and thanks for sharing this!

[@thephantom3516]

i'm so glad to have subscribed to you AMain

[@wheelie642]

Been in this hobby since 1984. Always been sick of the people that care how fast can it go. My answer never changes. A million miles per hour.

[@MufarowasheMadzimure]

Thank you for this video!

[@moss2309]

9:58 Damn, these super smooth jumps :O!

[@Angrykat420]

I had no idea ceramic bearings rolled so nice. Another 80 bucks spent but at least I can roll to the finish line if my battery dies. Thanks Brett!

[@nitrojunkie2675]

Love it. Keep ‘em coming

[@superchargerone]

6:06-6:09... that was exactly how I felt listening to the list of upgrades.... dizzy and eyes glazed out lol. Impressive how free the gear train became with new ceramic bearings plus light weight drive gears and shimming etc.

[@extec101]

the before drivetrain had pinion on the motor and after bearings had it without pinion, sort of scamy...

[@rcbustanut2057]

Thanks bro 👍 Excellent info! I don't race on tracks.....yet, but I do have a couple of high speed run setups, a Traxxas Rustler 2WD & a Arrma Typhon 6S. I'm gona see where I can drop some weight, yet without affecting the high speed movement part. And ceramic bearings, HOLY difference, they're sooo freaking smooth!! I had to switch over to them on both cars because once you pass that 80+mph, regular bearings get "Destroyed" quickly lol. Thanks again for the great info 👍👍

[@geoffreyanderson2285]

it is a good day when I can hear Brett talk RC.

[@djlex2007]

thanks Brett!! you are the man!

[@baggszilla]

I love the orange and blue AMain theme!

[@alphawlff]

Now I remember what soured me on racing back in the day. $$$!!!

[@z50king29]

that was a pretty good video. I haven't done this in years but makes me want to go back to the track

[@Kurtooo]

awesome vid keep up the good work!

[@jt5261]

Excellent video 👍

[@TonysRcTechboom]

Awesome information and Tips 👍 excellent video and thank you for sharing 👍😎👍

[@modelnutty6503]

heya Tony :)

[@airguns_rc]

Nice video and tons of good information.

[@mwjcyberfly]

Just the kind of content I've been looking for. Great job!

[@philthyco1]

Great info bro!!!!!!

[@erikb5658]

Right on , been Tellin fools lighter car is better mabie now they will listen great video🤟🏻💪🏻

[@daveshank1921]

Light isnt always faster. Traction is a huge factor in 2wd. Not gonna start a flame war but you gotta find the weight that feels right for you and your track

[@spinrushrc]

LOSI MINI-B video coming??? You guys gotta talk about it! I hit the LIKE button.

[@lawn_experiments7288]

Love the video...more of the b74.1 please

[@RCFPVSTL]

Great Video.

[@PopalongRC]

Nice vid here bro!!

[@tamiya_hotshot_club]

Wow!!! Cool course!!!I want to run!

[@88davidw]

Brett is just the best. I want to adopt him 😍

[@modelnutty6503]

no hate (not trolling) BUT.. reducing weight to find more top speed with a taller pinion isn't always the way to go. a) the lower weight CAN reduce some "stiction" when you're cornering, and getting through corners keeping the speed up is very important. (there's such thing as TOO light) b) higher top speed won't do you much good when the straight sections aren't long enough to reach that top speed, what you WANT is reaching your top speed at about 80% the length of the longest straightaway, aka QUICK.. because you're instantly going to need to slow down some to get through the next corner. a+b = shorter lap times, if you're good and driving consistently. (practice is key too) you do want your car as close to balanced left+ right, with front+rear weight distribution correct for your driving style through corners and jumps. note: decades ago in Tamiya Hornet entry level racing class I did it with cutting top of battery tray to strap 3x2 saddle pack at the rear instead of running a 3x2 typical stick pack. its a little higher CG that'd transfer weight to the outside wheels cornering in dirt, with a little more weight at the rear for traction and slight under steer. power up and induce a little drift instead of fronts digging in to spin ya.. exiting corners quicker, nicer jumping+landing too. it was better for accelerating instead of breaking loose, still having enough weight on the fronts to enter corners decelerating (the momentary weight transfer when). its different setups for carpet vs dirt, but the principles are still similar. (brushed or brushless) at 9:20 to 10:30 (the track segment) I can see he's aware of things I'm mentioning, gearing for the longest straight AND still geared low enough to be really snappy everywhere else.. with whatever type car you're running. also.. if there is only one long straight, often you're better off hitting top speed at 65-70% of its length to have more torque+snap through all the short stuff of everything else that's 90% of each lap. your lap times can shorten with motor+ESC staying cooler.. but hey, when you're racing you get VERY familiar with your car, you can just about look at a track and know what pinion to slip in. I've still got the nice collection of pinions and spurs for my good OLD Associated RC10. ditching your slipper is a great way to twist or break your drive shafts, you DO want the drive train to have just a little bit of slip. in the air you have some control of the vehicles pitch by using the throttle to help you land it more level, wheel speed vs ground speed differences can be like slamming everything with a hammer. you can be a great driver, but one mishap like that can take you out of the running.. there are many types of mishaps that can take you out, why wouldn't you want to eliminate at least one of the sources? this can be more an issue on carpet than it is dirt, carpet can be a LOT more traction. at the end he's mentioning it, plastic diff gears on carpet and no slipper = shred! I'd rather keep it metal and tighten the slipper a little, regardless of dirt vs carpet. lowering rotating mass and mechanical drag definitely helps acceleration a bunch, the tires and rims are for sure the first place you want weight loss and balance both. wheels out of balance can slow your roll a lot. after ALL THAT.. hey guys (at A-main), do you remember "the dominator" dirt/clay oval (or pavement!) car.. with no diffs, belt driven, minimalist suspension (weight), and the battery pack on the "wrong" side of the car? it was LTO for sure and took some getting used to because you HAD to run fast through corners to unweight the inside tires for its lack of diffs. battery was right side to make the outer's grip harder turning. I'd love to see it revived, it was a car that a lot of tracks deemed "cheating" because it was such a BEAST early-mid 90's. even if it was patented then, its possible a very similar concept could be produced now. this video.. hey I get it you sell stuff, and are showing a lot of cool aftermarket items you have available for sale.. that's cool and thanks too! I just went long typing stuff lol.

[@mikeymike3240]

Hi Brett, another fantastic video full to the brim with super helpful hints and tips, i wish I could loose weight that easily, lol 😂

[@carlbModels]

regardless of the expense, a great article 👍🍻.

[@Gilbertnba]

This is exactly what you needed to do 30 years ago on Modified cars because even if you could use big motor, the Ni-Cd then NiMh batteries have limited power. I remember having cleared almost 150g on a 1/10 4x4 electric car back in these days to get under the limit and then added weight where it was needed to balance it perfectly. Now, it's easy to get power to run Modified class with LiPo batteries, but you have to optimized more on Spec class which is definitely not an entry level as it costs more to compete for real. Note that you can finish easily the run with LiPo, but you will want the smallest and lightest batterie pack that can still give you enough power to keep your top speed for a full run.

[@shadow7796]

Great info.

[@Super1handed_rc]

Love seeing the tracks …. You should do more videos at the track

[@sm.offroad]

Awesome video, where are those tracks at?

[@johngrant1337]

Good Video thank-you

[@Lee.gRC27]

Excellent info again , I used to race the team associated rc8t championship edition nitro. ceramic bearings are a must when racing , best easy mod to do . 👍🏻👊🏻

[@SliverRc]

Ceramic bearing are the bees nees! Love them all around. Buy them by the size you need tho!

[@cowpker4life333]

Would of been cool to see laptimes for each change like avg of best 10 laps. Be interested see mip driveline in the car aswell and testing with lcg vs standard lipo for 6min. Poly pinions should hold up on 13.5 aswell.

[@strexttp]

Interesting video 🙂

[@rimfire2642]

It appeared to me the bearing before and after the motor had a pinion installed int he before and no pinion in the after. If there was no pinion installed in the before, then there was something wrong with that drive train.

[@extec101]

agree.

[@BlankofMaterial]

drill out the wheel hex's to reduce rotating weight. Vacuum form a new, thinner, polycarb body with the lightest paint job. I have also found that CF parts weigh more than their aluminium counterpart and often don't offer a strength increase worth the weight penalty. Those skirts could be polycarb as well.

[@andrec.136]

What I also find works is making sure your wheel alignment, in terms of toe-in, under acceleration is optimal. If you make any adjustments to your suspension recheck this. It's also a good idea to recheck the mesh between the spur and pinion with a ready to run model. I did this with mine and realized that it was too close. When I corrected these two issues the car was a different beast. More torque, top speed and run time.

[@alexs9302]

Moin, you also can shorten the cables as much as possible, that will reduce weight as well for no money.

[@The_RC_Dude]

And that reduces the voltage sag, keeps your car looking cleaner, more efficient, and less chance of wires getting into moving parts

[@modelnutty6503]

@@The_RC_Dude yupyup!

[@Sandra_RCs]

Looks like a nice Buggy

[@fredfredrc]

nice good job 👍

[@ratnakarmondal7824]

'Amain hobbies' it was a very helpful video for me and others who had rc cars😊 But I have a little question or request for you, please make a video about, will it harm rc car if I use more voltage(2s to 3s lipo) for my rc car?

[@dannycolverson6944]

This is a really cool video, but just shows the ridiculousness of stock classes. If everyone is spending this amount to lighten the buggy, isn't it just cheaper to enter the unlimited class in the first place?

[@daveshank1921]

I always replace steel locknuts with aluminim. Its a big chunk of weight on an 1/8 scale buggy.

[@RCPM18_4x4]

Great👍👍

[@joshchatwin8179]

Awesome

[@Blakktastikvision]

Brettology 101...... 👌🏽👍🏽

[@bboyhighdefinition]

Man all these upgrades sound expensive, maybe I’ll just bash in my backyard for a bit longer lol

[@BeefQueef101]

Don't feel like you need all the upgrades to be able to compete, they won't make a huge difference for you unless you are taking it super seriously. You don't need a really tricked out car to have fun at a track :)

[@jdsrcs8061]

Become a the best driver you can be before you get tons of parts.

[@ReneLopez-qc2vx]

all the upgrades in the world won't keep you from crashing.

[@modelnutty6503]

@@jdsrcs8061 absolutely! experience... sometimes 1 tooth smaller pinion will get you into shorter lap times than all the bells and whistles. what class/category you're running in is a big factor too.

[@jdsrcs8061]

@@modelnutty6503 Very true!!!👍👍👍

[@senna7811]

Great video,....but...at 9:09 you have to dismont pinion from spur....😉😊

[@TecraTube]

great video bro secret about stock class- you better have the newest stuff or you can't compete against most orhers

[@jasonkehoe7685]

at 9:08 the "before" rolling demo, the motor pinion is still connected makes the original bearings look a lot worse than the ceramics where theres no pinion and its not fighting the motor so it spins forever.... great video overall just with the comparison had been done fair

[@extec101]

saw that to the pinion is on in the before and off in the after ceramic.

[@nickjonesrc]

Man I need to get back out there!

[@billdelong]

Another massive weight savings to reduce rotating mass is to run 2WD Front wheels/tires on the 4WD buggy, this is ROAR legal because they only specify max wheel width, not a minimum ;)

[@tylerbates8198]

But a disadvantage in traction

[@billdelong]

@@tylerbates8198 true but this can be a tuning option to make a car less aggressive, especially on high grip conditions

[@jrbmxr2564]

You should make a video on the losi mini t 2.0 brushless edition

[@nimblybimbly4002]

11:41 "It's cold and wintery here." Hahaha! I guess it's all relative.

[@philthyco1]

It gets pretty cold in Chico..And just a few minutes up the mountain it snows a lot

[@newspaper199]

mild winter here in my town in ontario 1c today and -2c yesterday i think the coldest we got (for midday) was around -17c its definitely all relative

[@covermchone99]

You guys have to get the brand new arrma kraton 8s exb when you can but do soon I’m diying to see a good unboxing and review

[@pete3816]

And ultimately, it’s the ultimate penultimate that ultimately makes it the ultimate ultimate...ultimately!

[@iceberg_4o487]

Can you make a video of the landslide xte please?

[@cherandissanayake9530]

I want to ask you one question... When you do stadium truck racing 1/10 sale... Normally which pinion gear do they use Pacific for stadium truck racing is 16t or 18t ??? And the Skipper clutch is it 50T ? I just want to know normally what they use Sri?

[@SaucyBegger25]

I just took my truggy out and it’s standard. Took the shell off and put my fingers on the motor and I couldn’t hold my fingers on it 👀. Well things will get hotter when my 7.4 lipo turns up as it’s 1 volt higher 👀

[@tahustvedt]

It's interesting how stock racing is probably more expensive than modified racing now.

[@extec101]

it is more expensive most of the time as on a mod racer its just to put on more power and some drivers prefer to add weight down low on the chassie.

[@bldallas]

Interesting. I get the addictive nature of modding your RCs; heck, between my SCX10 Jeep and SCX24 Jeep, I’ve likely spent $600+ on upgraded parts. But when it comes to racing (which I admit I’ve never done), it seems like driver skill has a lot more to do with your average speed around the course, than what can be gained by reducing a car’s weight. Cool video, though, and should I ever spring for a racing buggy, you know I’ll revisit this for ideas. Thanks.

[@AMain_Hobbies]

You're right; skill is most important. Many people can't get make it through a race without a crash, but for those that can, skill is not enough. -Brett

[@modelnutty6503]

@@AMain_Hobbies absolutely! you have to practice a LOT to really boogie. when you're really feeling your car (IN IT, from the transmitter?! yeah that!) is when you start knowing setups and performance mods for racing. way back when had friends who'd CRINGE at my pan slapping, I set up pretty soft with right oil in the shocks that it wouldn't bounce landing. same friends got frustrated at my car always running away from them too lol, they didn't know faster motor doesn't always mean shorter lap times, or how articulation weight transfer etc etc would get them around corners faster than STIFF that doesn't pan slap landing jumps. its like BMX racing, the fast guys stay LOW because you can't accelerate when you're airborn. jumps aren't an invitation to launch.. doubles and triples have their rhythms, and on dirt it'll change before a race is done (faster on soft track).

[@demonicwolf69]

probably loose some more weight using the jcon titanium shock adapters up high i noticed a huge difference when i put them on my b74 from bone stock i almost never roll unless its because im being dumb.

[@RattrapRC]

cool vid

[@Joe_Jenkins404]

Damn that thing looked fast for stock

[@The_RC_Dude]

1:05 Does this mean if I get lighter wheels, will my buggy be more efficient and slightly faster (I'm thinking like 1-2mph faster)?

[@genericgoogleaccount8907]

Yes

[@modelnutty6503]

quicker accelerating is the larger part of why to do it first. even if it doesn't add top speed, you can BE at top speed quicker. think of a circuit course as a bunch of short drag strips all separated by the corners. IN the corners the car transfers weight to the outside tires for traction, regardless the weight of the wheels themselves. lower weight (especially rotating weight!) is a positive shift in "horsepower to weight ratio". also be aware, very light wheels can detract from the counter-balance action (the lighter wheels on the inside not holding it down from rolling in a corner), similar to *raising* your center of gravity when cornering.. so you may find you want to drop the suspension a couple mm lower. slightly softer springs with o-rings as bumpers inside the shock bodies? going that route can be good, same time being a little less suspension travel that you'd want a little heavier shock oil for. a lot depends on the track(s) you're running and how dialed in you're wanting it. if you know your car, cool, if you're learning you can look into things/tips I'm mentioning.. and no I'm not an "expert" lol. (is anyone really?)

[@obord2]

Hi, Great info ! Where do you find the graphic of the comparaison of the 2 lipo shorty ? I search more info about it.

[@AMain_Hobbies]

That graph is from our own in-house testing. It's not public other than in this video. -Brett

[@teaganmorgan5016]

Nice video. Just wondering if you would be up for reviewing the Traxxas Bigfoot?

[@AMain_Hobbies]

I think we made a video on that in our early days on KZbin: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpnGkKCdoLGsh5Y -Brett

[@teaganmorgan5016]

@@AMain_Hobbies oh cool thanks 😃👍🏻

[@CristiNeagu]

But do you really need that rear wing? (I don't the regulations so i don't know if it's mandatory.)

[@alexpruneda2854]

Are those parts for the AE B74.1 compatible with the B7 2wd?

[@craigbeckwith258]

I have a traxxas slash drag not looking to go fast changing weight but can I go fast by changing gears or motor

[@sebastianjaromi3540]

are all the components listed available for the B6.4?

[@evanroethrc7386]

I've watched this 6 times lol

[@IntegraDIY]

Would’ve been cool to post a total cost of parts.. that was probably around $150 in hardware alone

[@ethanboslem2448]

I went ahead and added everything to the cart on the site. $248 before taxes and shipping 🥴

[@ethanboslem2448]

@Lockdown spinning i mean i do plan on getting the carbon fiber skirts and new wheel nuts, for my b74. But I rather spend the money else where since I'm not racing mine

[@cainlord52]

not sure if this is listed in another video, but was there any comparison done between the 4900mah shorty battery and that 6100mah shorty? if so you have a link somewhere showing the graph?

[@AMain_Hobbies]

It's in this video, at about 4:00 -Brett

[@jorgecuevas3949]

Great video, many thanks. Clarifying question on the battery comparison: if both batteries were LCGs, and one had 6000 mAh and the other 4600 mAh, would we still see the same voltage drop-off difference? Conversely, if both were regular shortys would we see the same voltage drop-off difference? In essence, is the main difference the mAh or the fact that one battery is LCG and the other is not? Thx

[@modelnutty6503]

answered another comment regarding C rating, it'll help, look for it.

[@rimfire2642]

From 2016-2019 I was a fairly competitive stock racer. I usually ran Reedy Zapper or Motiv batteries (both extremely high quality batteries). I tried LCG batteries for both 2wd and 4wd stock. I cannot say that I noticed any difference in track speed. What I would say, and other racers had a similar opinion was, basically you're not really gaining anything these days by using LCG as far as what it does for the car. IE, in most cases the full size battery and it's position is actually better for weight distribution and weight transfer. Or to say, you NEED some weight to transfer and using the LCG is actually detrimental to weight transfer.

[@graemeday9292]

Hello! Have a great day!

[@MufarowasheMadzimure]

You too!

[@Ultegra10SPD]

“Go mod or go home.” Its cheaper. -U10

[@YouSoundButtHurt]

The MOD puck system for the B74 would have been a worthy upgrade.

[@mikestranzl6873]

Not a racer, but great informational video.