Build Log: A Drift-Ready Brushless RC Car with Tuned Gearing and Traction Control
Build Log: A Drift-Ready Brushless RC Car with Tuned Gearing and Traction Control
I started this project to build an RC car that could reliably drift on flat surfaces while still being usable for quick laps, and the aim was to document every step of choosing components and tuning gearing, motor, drift setup and traction control for fellow hobbyists.
The chassis is a 1/10 scale rear-wheel-drive platform with an adjustable roll centre and a modular motor mount, and I chose a 4-pole brushless motor at 3800KV to balance low-end torque for controlled slides and enough top-end for short bursts of speed.
Gearing proved to be the most iterative part of the build because it directly alters the motor load and throttle feel, and I experimented with several pinion and spur combinations to find the sweet spot between torque and wheel speed.
My process for gearing was simple and repeatable, and I measured gear ratios by dividing the pinion tooth count by the spur tooth count and then testing acceleration and peak RPMs on the track to refine choices in real conditions.
Drift tuning required a combination of mechanical changes and small driving adjustments, and I focused on soft rear springs, negative front camber, slightly positive rear toe and low-profile tyres with a slick compound to achieve consistent breakaway and a controllable drift arc.
For traction control I used the ESC's built-in TC and throttle curve functions, and I set a gentle throttle ramp, moderate cutback on wheelspin and a subtle gyro assist to keep the car stable mid-drift; I logged each run and adjusted diff fluid, slipper tension and pinion size until the handling matched my driving style, and you can find the full parts list and photos in my detailed write-up at WatDaFeck.
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