ptarp

For those who race their car/buggy/truck, etc off-road. Do you run on dusty tracks, or only after they've been watered down to keep dust to a minimum? I'm pretty new to racing, and have mostly bashed my vehicles on grass. This will be my first real racing season at a local off-road dirt track. I went out to practice last night and the track was very dry...very dusty. I really gave it no thought and practiced anyway. I stopped after 2 tanks because it was getting late. After the usual after-run check, I noticed an extreme amount of dust that seemed to make its way in every nook of the buggy. I spun the wheels and could hear the dust grinding inside the bearings...after only 2 runs at the track! The air filter was caked with a thick film of grimey dirt that I scraped off to get ready for the 2nd tank. I am going to completely break the buggy down to clean out all the dirt and free up the bearings. I know the buggy will get dirty, but this just seemed excessive. So, this leads me to think that most racers run only on tracks that have been watered (or is otherwise free of massive dust)? What do you think?

Checkpointracer

At the track I practiced once it was regularly watered down.

mattnin

Depends on the track. I have raced on tracks that were so clean that your truck looked new after the race. My home track is watered twice daily. I only get mud on the truck after a wreck or on the underbelly after the track has been refinished. I'd much rather get mud on the truck than dust.

Other tracks have never been watered and were so dusty. Personally, I try to avoid tracks that are not watered.

Hack u 2

Sounds like you have new car blues! Drop it six times, scratch the chassis with a sharp object, poor some mud on it and have fun. As long as you keep your intake clean you will be fine. Your bearings will not wear anytime soon. Make sure you are using filter oil to catch particals. Have a spare air filter to switch occasionally. Dust is ok. Clean your car with denatured alcohol. If this is to expensive go to the parts store and by electrical/carb cleaner. Ashes to Ashes dust to dust your car will not bust!!!!!

46u

My Feedback: (3)

This is why it is called off road racing and if you run it in dirt it will get dirty. I spend at least 2 to 3 hours after a day at the track cleaning and servicing. Good idea to run a dual stage filters and keep spare clean outers in your pit box. Then clean them when you get home. Some tracks water them but here in the south during the summer last about a minuet or the blow off the dust but only in-between the qualifying and mains. Really to do it properly you should blow off the track then water it. Unless you want to blue grove it then just blow it off.

One more thing what happens when you mix dirt and water? [X(]

ptarp

I know its off-road and its going to get dirty. But, I also know a properly prepared track will neither be muddy nor overly dusty. I just wondered how many will only run on a well-groomed track. As soon as a decent amount of dust gets in a bearing you'd be better off with bushings imo...they have to be free to be worth a darn.

blktransam

I race every week ,and with the midwest nitro cross going I will be all over the place but assume the tracks will be preped properly...I have ran on dusty tracks no big deal to me

crazy for rc

At the track that i race at it will get dusty but like what track wont its dirt what do you think will happen it will magicle stay wet the whole day keck no. but the track down here only gets dusty at the end of the day which is not bad when you think about it and its not like its not dusty for the whole day like how i have seen some tracks and besides this is off road racing there is going to be dust no matter what or they would not be racing out side its would be carpet raceingr or somthing like that and i would rathe be racing in dirt then in carpet so we all will halft to deal with it. they would not call it off road if we warnt racing off road any ways and these are what these trucks are made for i mean these are machines not some cheap ***** kmart junk[:@]

ptarp

Thanks guys, I think my question has been answered.