Car Tuning,Car Finance,Auto Loans

Archive for August, 2008

A Few Considerations

When choosing an RC car there are a few considerations you need to take into account first. Do you have open land or a large parking lot that is flat where an RC car can be driven? RC cars can quickly get destroyed if you race over uneven land – one bump and you may be out a hefty price! If you live in the city are there any rules restricting these vehicles or neighbors that may complain about the noise gas powered RC cars make? If so you may need a muffler on your exhaust or a lower-powered engine.

Picking A Kit Or RTR RC Car

Gas powered RC cars run on a nitro methane fuel that you can refill for unlimited running time and 80+ mph isn’t out of the question! These cars or trucks are typically powered by a small two-stroke engine burning nitro methane, giving them the moniker of a NITRO car or truck. Different engines burn different mixtures of fuel, however, so that’s something you want to watch for when purchasing your car. Speaking of purchasing your RC vehicle there are two big questions you need to ask yourself. Do I want to build the car myself or do I want to purchase a RTR or “ready to run” vehicle? The DIY kits are a lot more expensive and unless you know what your doing then a RTR RC car is probably more inline with what your looking for.

The Little Engine That Could

Can gas powered RC cars really go 80+MPH? Yes! Most nitro methane burning cars have what is called a two-stroke “glow” engine. The two-stroke engine is equivalent to a weed-eater motor which can pump out up to 5HP which is a LOT considering the size of an RC car. The “glow” refers to how the engine gets its spark to ignite the fuel. A “glow starter” heats up a “glow plug” which in turn causes the fuel to ignite and WHAM, you get your breakneck speeds.

Not All Fuels Are The Same!

The next thing that you have to worry about is what kind of fuel mixture you are going to be using in your car. The type of engine that you choose will dictate what kind of mixture the manufacturer will recommend. Typically in gas powered RC cars the mixture is between 10-40%. Once you have your car up and running you can experiment with different mixtures in your engine to get the kind of performance that compliments how you race your car.

As pilots follow the best way to avoid the danger which may arise during the flight due to any mechanical problem, by checking the aircraft before every takeoff, car drivers should also make it a habit to get satisfied of all the mechanical aspects of the vehicle before they rush to the highway to begin with the journey. Tuning up your car for a road journey may take a considerable amount of time but once you are done with all tuning matter, chances of accidents could be reduced to its minimum level hence guaranteeing a safe and sound journey.

Following are the components and systems of your car that need to be examined before you start your journey by road:

Primary step to avoid an accident while traveling at high speed is to put brakes therefore in order to prevent skidding ensure that the brakes of your car are in proper order and work well. Apart from the casual checking of the brakes notice carefully if while breaking you hear an unusual squealing or grinding, or if your brake pedal is hard to press, do mention it to the mechanic, because for optimum performance of breaks repairs may be required.

Malfunctioning of the tires could cause you to lose control of your car therefore make sure that the tires of your car are not worn, bare or damaged. Keep the tire pressure up to the correct “PSI” level mentioned over the tire it self. Secondly examine the condition of the tires and the nature and duration of the journey accordingly to decide if the present tires can accompany you faithfully or is it the right time to replace them. If you are to travel over the snow preferably go for snow tires. Snow tires will improve your car handling while you are driving over the ice or snow. Be sure that you have installed four identical tires, same in size as well as tread and manufactured by a similar manufacturer.

Overheating of your car can cause complete breakdown. To avoid overheating you need to keep an eye on a number of components of your car’s cooling system to make sure that those components are up to the desired level and working in satisfactory condition. Reassure that all of your car belts and hoses are working smoothly; all fluid levels are up to the mark and anti-coolant is present with a proper concentration. Ask the mechanic to check the cooling fan, radiator as well as thermostat of your car to reduce a far-fetched risk of overheating.

When you are to travel in winters make sure that your car batteries are fully charged because you need to have completely charged battery while you are to start your car in a cold weather. Scrap away corrosion from posts and cables connections. Clean all the surfaces and also re-tight all the connection to and from the battery. Keep an eye on the fluid levels, the battery posts, voltage regulator as well as alternator or generator. Recharge all weak batteries and if a battery is worn-out completely it is better to replace it with a new one.

You may have to travel after sunsets if you are traveling at a long route so, don’t forget to check all the lights of your car. Make sure that all lights of your vehicle including front light as well as the backlight along with the indicators are in proper working order. Also assure that the headlights are aimed properly so that during the harsh weather conditions which happen to occur in winters, like snowstorm, tornadoes and freezing rain, it will be convenient for you to look at the road and drive carefully.