OldNick

I will post here because many of the vehicles are the same as my HSP, if that's OK.

I was wondering about lubrication of offroad RC vehicles. I do a bit of Mountain Bike riding, and I know that oils are deadly at picking up dust and grit and generally ruining chains and sprockets.

So I was wondering if I should be lubricating stuff, and whether the dry lubes that MTB riders use would be any good....or what else.

Thanks for any help

Nick

ehroof

I usually blow my car off with compressed air, spray down with wd40, wait a few minutes and blow that off. The wd dries, leaves it looking like new and a little film of oil on it, makes it easier to blow off the next time.

firebird78

+1

ehroof

another thing i used is this stuff from cow rc, the cleaner works good but the moo slick stuff is excellent, i sprayed down the trans and bearings on the wheel hubs, rims and diffs and you can actually feel a difference. I could see the difference on the front tires of my jato, i left one alone and sprayed the other with the lube and it spun longer so it really works.

http://cowrc.com/

Redharris

+1 on the Cow Lube......It really Does work Great!

Any Teflon or Silicone based Lube will work well on an RC....

Your Mountain Bike Lubes should work also as they are Probably Teflon Based......

OldNick

Thanks for all the replies. Good forums!

I have a compressor and can blow the gunk out. Thanks. I need to do that to prevent fire risk! I get a lot of dry grass up into the chassis at this time of year.

I will check out the teflon based ones.

I know WD40 is a good lube, I just know that for MTB, it's a no-no, because it does leave a slight oily film.

Actually the MTB ones are _wax_ based. Wax in some sort of hydrocarbon fluid (paint thinner? )....which makes me think...plastic car bits and thinners....

Nick

Redharris

Waxed Based huh?.....Thinner as a Solvent?[&:]
That doesn't sound good for RC....Lol

Personally.....I used the Cow Lube for my wheel bearings and the WD40 when I Clean it up After running all day.

Lets Face it....RC's get SO dirty SO fast, that you pretty much have to clean em up after every hard use....
So, since you are cleaning so Frequently, you can use pretty much any lube you like, as long as it doesnt damage the plastic.

OldNick

Oh OK. So it's not just mine! Good

That's a good point actually. You are going to be cleaning them after every few minutes' use. An MTB can go for hours (or longer if you just get home and collapse ).

Nick

rclynx

I'm to lazy to look for the web site but I have a gear lube called ICE and its great. Works well even in the sand [:-]

madmarty

i was at the nitro pit a couple of weeks ago, to see the offroad challenge. most of the pro's believe it or not, were using "pledge clean and shine" in the orange can. the pit guys say that it works better than wd40. I have not tried it yet so i don't know.

ehroof

it will clean good but I don't like to use anything water based on my stuff, all you need is a little of that to get into the servo's circuit board or the receiver and its history. Not to mention the way the wd makes the rc look after its all done. Fantastic will work great too but the same thing is its water based and you have to be careful to not get it on any electronics. WD stands for water displacement so it actually moves moisture away from the electronics.

Redharris

And Money is No Object for those Pro Guys Also........

The Top Pros get their stuff supplied to them (They work hard for it though with all their public relations jobs and appearances), so if something doesnt last very long or goes on the Fritz, they just replace it......

You should SEE how fast/how many TIRES those guys Go through over a 4 day event!!!!

I'm with EDDIE.....no water based cleaners are getting NEAR my electronics, (that I Paid through the Nose for).....

OldNick

hmmm...I was thinking about Armor All, and this conversation made me think...and it's water based.

Pity. It's a great dust repellent.

Nick

madmarty

i just received a e-mail from sc johnson, the maker of pledge, they have informed me that pledge clean&shine is solvent base. i have always used wd40, but i think i will give it a try. i always remove my electronics before i clean my rc's. better safe than sorry.

ehroof

Maybe let them know that they were not being truthful, here are the ingredients, its at least 60% water:
I got this info from their site: http://www.scjohnson.com/msds_us_ca/...ine_Orange.PDF

3. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Chemical Name CAS-No. Weight %
Deionized Water 7732-18-5 60.00 - 100.00
Naphtha, petroleum, light
alkylate
64741-66-8 5.00 - 10.00
Dimethicone 63148-62-9 5.00 - 10.00

OldNick

I would also be a bit worried about alkylate. Aluminium and alkaline stuffs do mot mix. They warn you about "orange" cleaners and bikes.