| RC Glossory |  | | RC Terms | Here are some of the common terms explained for RC cars. Theseterms and abbreviations are commonly used by experts,manufacturers, message board users, old professionals, racers, clubmembers etc.
Ackerman refers to the angle between the two front (steering) wheelswhen turned to full lock. Altering this 'ackerman angle' will alter thesteering characteristics. A greater angle will give you smooth,predictable steering, whilst a smaller angle will give you moreaggressive steering.
The angle for the rear wish bone hinge-pins relative to the horizontalrefers to the term “Anti-Squat”. Increasing the angle gives more antisquat,meaning that the car is less likely to squat (drop at the rear)during acceleration.
Wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear axles of thecar.
Camber - The angle of the wheels (when looked at from the front orrear of the car) relative to the vertical is known as Camber. If thewheels lean inwards towards the car, the angle is said to be negative.If they lean out the angle is positive, however, positive camber isalmost never used. Basically, zero camber gives the maximum forwardtraction, whilst more negative camber gives more grip while cornering.Caster describes the angle (when looking at the front wheels from theside of the car) between the kingpin and the vertical. This is part of thecar's geometry which keeps it traveling in a straight line when nosteering force is applied. It is not adjustable on all cars.Final Drive Ratio - The relationship between the speed of the motorand of the driving wheels is known as the Final Drive Ratio. Forexample, a final drive ratio of 8.17:1 means that for every rotation ofthe wheel, the motor rotates 8.17 times. Lower the number on the leftof the colon, the higher is the ratio i.e. more top speed and lessacceleration.
Tweak is the difference between the heights of the wheels relative tothe ground (at the same end of the car). e.g. If the front left is lowerthan the front right the car is said to be 'tweaked' usually caused by adistorted or 'tweaked' chassis or unequal shock lengths
Toe-in is the relative angle between the two front wheels or rearwheels (when viewed from above). If the wheels point inwards(towards the front of the car) it is called toe-in, if they point outwards,it is called toe-out.
Body Roll - When people refer to body roll, they are talking about theway the car pitches, either from side-to-side (when cornering) orfront-to-back (when braking or accelerating).
Ball differential is a design of differential unique to model cars whichuse ball bearings instead of bevel gears to achieve differential speedsat both wheels. It has the effect of allowing one wheel to slip whilststill delivering power to the other. It is also known as 'limited slipdifferential'.
Belted Tires - Tires which have a flat ring of ridged material moldedinto the rubber to prevent 'growing' at high speeds, an effect thatreduces the tires contact area with the track, resulting in loss of grip.These tires are known as Belted Tires.
Commutator is also known as 'com' for short. It is the part of therotor (the part inside which turns) which has three copper contacts forthe brushes to run on. Keep clean and skim regularly for optimalefficiency and motor life.
Skimming - When a motor has been used several times, thecommutator can become deformed, thereby reducing the motor'sefficiency. Skimming refers to placing the motor's rotor on a smalllathe and turning-down the commutator so that the surface is smoothand round again.
Brushes are the two copper contacts that supply power to thecommutator of the motor. These should be replaced regularly foroptimal efficiency and motor life.
Frequency Clash - When two or more drivers in a race are using thesame frequency, causing interference to one, or both of the drivers itis known as Frequency Clash. All radio-controlled equipment usescrystals to set the frequency which they operate on. Crystals resonateat a set frequency when an electric current is passed through them.They are very delicate and should be stored and handled with greatcare. Crystals come in pairs, one for the transmitter which is marked'TX', and one for the receivers which is marked 'RX'. Make sure youuse the correct crystals, it DOES make a difference.
Squat - When heavy acceleration is applied to the car at relatively lowspeed, the forward force exerted by the motor is resisted by the inertiaof the car. The rear springs store some of this energy (temporarily) bycompressing, thus making the rear of the car drop. This is known asSquat.
Dive is the opposite of squat. A car dives when it is under heavybreaking. This is because of the momentum the car has built-up isbeing resisted by the breaking force of the motor. The front slingsstore some of that energy by compressing, this making the front of thecar drop.
Dampers absorb the excess energy stored by the springs when thecar goes over a bump. Without dampers the car would bounce up anddown uncontrollably.
Grip Roll - When you car has just has so much grip that the body rollis just too great, causing the car to completely roll over onto its side itis known as the Grip Roll.
Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) is the electronic box that takesthe throttle/brake signal from the receiver and feeds the appropriateamount of power to the motor.
Glitch - When your car makes a sudden twitch causing you to losecontrol, it is known as the Glitch. This is usually due to some sort ofelectrical interference
Transponder is a small electronic device which when fitted to yourcar, registers that you have completed a lap every time you go pastthe start/finish line. This is how your race result is recorded, so don'tforget to fit it or you won't register any laps!Trim is the setting on your transmitter which determines whether ornot the car runs in a straight line when the steering is in its neutralposition
Under Steer - If when making a turn the car fails to turn enough,instead preferring to go straight. This is called under steer. On theother hand if while making a turn the car turns to much, making therear-end slide it is known as the Oversteer
Rostrum is a raised platform for drivers to stand on whilst racing, sothey can get an elevated view of the track.
TQ or the Top Qualifier is the racer with the fastest qualifying timeoverall.BRCA stands for British radio car association. It is the governing bodyof the sport in Britain.Inserts are foam or rubber rings placed between the tire and the rimto help the tire keep its shape.Apex is the exact mid-point of any given corner. This is the pointwhere you should be closest to the inside of the corner.Kick-up is the angle of the front wishbones to the ground. | | | | |
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