Got any great tips and tricks for 1/8 buggies? Weather its hop-ups or tips on what to use or what 'not' to use, or just anything really! Post them here!

here i'll start:

-Loosing antenna caps?? Try putting a dab of shoe-goo on the tip then put on the cap, no more lost antenna caps!

-Ripping up your bodies?? Or to repair cracked bodies, try putting a piece of Tear-Aid on the inside of your bodies to repair cracks. And I use it around body post holes and edge of new bodies to prevent tears. This stuff sticks REALLY strong and is flexible and won't rip. Kind of expensive but one package will last a long time. This stuff have kept my bodies in like-new condition for the past 2 years I been using it. Here is a link: http://www.tear-aid.com/

Something I read about in these posts as well. To stop a crack from growing, drill or ream a small hole at the end of the crack and put a bead of CA glue along the crack. That and your tape trick could work quite well in conjunction.

Anyone have any good tips on how to keep the paint job from cracking and flaking off from the inside of the shell? I've seen thin silver tape used before. Any other ideas?

Thanks

I use the thin silver tape too. I think it works good for protecting paint AND works good for deflecting heat from your exhaust pipe. First body I did without silver tape there the heat from the exhaust kinda melted/wrinkled. So far, the tape has prevented that. I just put it on the inside of the body where it looks like it might rub (i.e. bottom edge, servo horns, body posts) Make sure you get the right kind of silver tape that sticks really good. Its kind of expensive, but then again, it will last you a looooong time, I use REAL aluminum duct tape. Not the kind you find next to the Red-neck grey duct tape, the kind you find at Lowes or Home Depo next to home vent ducting. Its like $7 a roll.

Use quality servos (7955) and radios. Buy once.

Don't buy more engine than your skill level can handle, or that your track needs.

Stick an extra body clip at the base of your antennae.

Those antennae caps are available in cheap 12 packs at napa. I think they are vaccuum line caps.

Your RX has room in its box, the least you can do for it is stuff some Rx foam around it.

Byrons or Sidewinder.

Green.

Use a steel dremel brush to rub the thread lock off of bolts if your going to reuse them.

TAG body spray and Simple Green tire treatment.

Need to change a glow plug but your cars filthy. Dirt might get in the engine. Hold the darn car upside down while changing the plug.

Nitroclean=Nonclorinated brakeclean

Let threadlock cure overnight if possible.

Engine teardowns and rebuilds are easy, learn it well.

Personal transponders while expensive, give you alot more time between heats to concentrate.

Old fuel line has a dozen uses. Stretch it over the ends of your fuel line for extra holding power, brake link springs, carb link overtravel protection, shock rod bump stops, etc.

Wear a hat and a cape.






Anyone have tips for using shoo goo inside your body to protect the paint? Do you thin it with alcohol or anything?

Wow! That is a very nice tip. A BIG money saver really. That Nitroclean stuff is awesome for cleaning nitro buggies, but very expensive!! Like $6+ and you can get a can of brake cleaner for dirt cheap. Probably about $3 a can

No don't delute ShoeGoo with anything. Just squirt it out on your finger and spread spread spread! All over the inside of your body. That along with the silver aluminum tape and you will be set!

wow! all great tips! I`ll use them. thanx guy`s. how often should you tear down the engine and chassis. I am putting away my RC8RS for the winter so I am doing this now. it has one gallon run threw it. I can finally afford to race next season so i`m going to need to learn about engine tear downs.

If its tear down for winter time, I do this every 3-4 races, except I dont do the engine tear down.:

Remove your radio tray, bearings, drives and cvd's, diffs, engine and pipe, and hinge pins. Soak the rest of the car in simple green. Rinse off with a hose. Spray down with WD.

Polish the hingpins with a cloth dremel wheel and polish.
Clean and lube or replace the bearings
Grease the cvd's
Regrease the output drives on the diffs. Refill diffs.

Plug the engine with those rubber plugs that often come with NR engines. Wash it by hand with Dawn and a toothbrush. Take it apart for inspection. Rub its guts down with RB afterrun oil (specificly RB ARO!)







And remember, Non-clorinated brake clean. The clorinated stuff melts plastic. Even the NC stuff hurts lexan so stay away from your body and radio. I use it sparingly.

cool thanx.

Buy a couple easy outs for the screws in your chassis .They wont fit right off. Now take the size screws you have a spare or stripped and strip it. Ground the tip off the easy out"keep it cool or loose hardening" until you have to tap it in firmly. The best 3 bucks a piece I have ever spent, loaned them out a track more times than I have used them. You might still have to drill screws a little deeper some times. Left hand bits work well also but break too often.
Read some where to rub bar soap or candle wax into the underside chassis screw heads to keep the mud/clay out.
After run,after run ,after run ,after run, through the carb slowly , don't wash dirt into motor at the glow plug.
A bit of fuel tubing in some plug wrenches will hold the plug tip for easy install.

4 zip ties around the engine head will protect it from battle scars. ALWAYS use and TEST the fail safe before starting the engine. specter auto filter oil makes good r/c filter oil and it comes with solvent! big bottles for $10

always pay attention to your receiver battery power, and use plastic lockers or electrical tape on connections to prevent losing power or servos.

If you are looking to race, make sure you at least have your basic tools to set up your ride. This doesn't mean you have to go out and get a HUDY setup staton, but a ride height gauge, castor/camber gauge, and digital micrometer calipers are all pretty inexpensive and can help you dial your ride pretty good, and also prevent you from wearing out tires from improper setups to "eyeballing" caster/camber/toe/droop settings. If you need an idea as to how toset these up, there are a TON of tutorials on you tube

All great tips guys!! Lets keep this thread going!!

Here is just a personal tip I learned from my first race. Along with what djzachtyler said, if you are going to race, along with tools, its not a bad idea to have some spare parts/ screws with you. After some practice laps I had some nuts to loosen and one even came off!! Luckily another racer lended me one.

I usually keep an extra a arm set, hinge pins, nuts/screws, wing mount, etc.

Now this dont mean bring a whole another parts buggy!! Just the main things that will probably break is not a bad idea....

I'll add a few..

When you get a new body, keep all the extra lexan you trim off. Lots of uses for it and you can heat it and mold into almost any shape. I usually ream a post hole in a flat section and then cut a diamond shape or even some flames around the hole and ca glue it on top of the new body to reinforce the post holes. It stays clear and looks cool. You can also take an old tired body and cut any piece you need and shoe goo it on the inside of your new body to reinforce any section you wish.

You can also use an old body as a template for your new body when cutting post holes, engine and fuel cutouts (assuming body styles are the same or fairly similar). I never trust those pre-marked guides. Put the old body inside the new body before painting and trace your outlines with a sharpie.

If you've got crud around your plug, a quick pit fix is to turn it upside down and squirt fuel up in there to flush it out.

Get some velcro tape and put about a 3" strip up front between the body and chassis on both sides. This keeps a lot of dirt from kicking up inside your ride, and most times you won't even need a front body clip to hold the body on.

Fuel line on a zip tie makes a great cap puller for your fuel tank.

Get a small leather hole punch and make 2 or 3 evenly spaced holes in in the center line of your tires to let dirt escape.

In a pinch, you can wash your air filters with mild/diluted dish soap and then oil them (lightly) with vegetable oil.

When replacing broken parts, go ahead and buy two so you have an extra on hand for next time. Stock up on "perishable" items when your budget permits.

Never use threadlock on plastic.

If you strip a screw, you can file or dremel a notch in the head for a flathead screwdriver.

You can bring brake discs back to life by rubbing them on sandpaper. Lay the paper on a flat surface and run the disc over it a few times.

Never wash your wheels/tires under running water. Water + tire foam is bad.

Make sure all your nuts/bolts/screws are tight before you run.

Never wear a cape. You ever seen the Incredibles?

yeah, about thread lock on plastic, it turns into super glue, so be careful around bearings and turnbuckles, turnbuckles will freeze up with lock-tite.

as for stripped screws, the best dang tool i bought in a long time was a Grabbit Pro from ACE hardwear, it drills then pulls screws out with a drill, worked wonders with my engine mount bolts! not bad for $15

For ages I'd been looking for an "at the track" heat gun that didn't need to be plugged into anything. Well here's my alternative...

You can get this from high end cooking / kitchen supply shops. This is what chefs use to form a nice sugar crackling on a Crème Brule or when they want to color something nicely. It uses normal gas lighter fluid.

it's winter time, only tip I've got for you all is put your reciever and battery packs into balloons and keep your hands warm.[&:]Just because its snowing dont meen you have to stop racing, same as in the rainy season.
Have a happy christmas and a fast n furius new year.