Jew1028

I am looking at getting a electric rc car. I am new to cars I am going to be racing with friends in parking lots and was wondering which would be better shaft drive or belt drive. I have noticed that there aren't very many shaft driven electric cars

WarWest

Shaft is better in dirty parking lots due to the debri

ToraKitsu

If you and your friends take the time to sweep the lot before running, there won't be anything to worry, regarding belt drives. Most of what I own are belt-drives, and I run parking lots, myself. I take the time to sweep first, and I haven't had a single problem in seven years.
Besides which, many belt drives are more efficient than any shaftie, make less noise, and batteries last marginally longer with some.

SyCo_VeNoM

What ToraKitsu said is completely true if you want to take the time to sweep the lot to get rid of all pebbles prior belt is better

But as War west said if you just want to be able to drive without a care shaft are way better for that.

I've owned a belt on-road in the past, and due to where I drive, and what its like around me I won't again as I went strictly to shaft drive RC's. So the choice is all dependant on how much prep time you want to take, and what the locations are like you want to drive in.
By me for example parking lots are pretty broken up (worst then the streets) so getting rid of pebbles, and debris is nigh impossible unless I take a shop vac out there and suck every single thing up from all the cracks.

R32GolfTA06

Shaft is good for off-road driving, belt is good for drifting and for set up choices, but like previous comments suggest, clean environments are better for belt as debris could cause damage

Foxy

Belts are superior in every way and offer some very important physical advantages (most notably that the whole drivetrain and the powerplant all rotate in the direction of travel rather than perpendicular to it).

The disadvantage, as mentioned, is durability and longevity. If you are going to bash around on public roads and car parks, you are limited to shaft. If you run on groomed surfaces, then absolutely go belt.

phmaximus

I just can't imagine sweeping a car park to be able to bash.... It would be ok if it was a smaller area and only took 5min

i guess the main advantage of belts it the rotating mass is lighter....

hey Foxy, do the belts act as a gyroscope?? I've always wondered that

one belt driven car I can think of that's the best of both worlds is the Tamiya XV-01. And there are the SC10 4x4, sc18 SCT.
they are belt driven but with in closed belts.

My brother is currently building us a XV01 pro for his daughter for Xmas... I can't wait to see how it performs