Why is the suspension so bouncy? Why did my engine wear out so quickly? The answer to these questions and others can be linked to an inexpensive product you should have used or purchased for your car. Do you know about all the types of lubricants used on an RC vehicle? There are quite a few. We though we’d take up a little space here to refresh your memory on the types of lubricants there are and what they are used for.

SHOCK OIL

What is it? It is typically a synthetic oil that is available in a variety of weights. The weights refer to the thickness of the oil and they range from thin like water to very thick.

What does it do? By using or altering the oil in your shocks, it alters the damping of the vehicle. Thin oils react quickly and thick oils make the shock react slowly.

DIFFERENTIAL OIL

What is it? - This oil is thicker than shock oil and is typically used in most gear differentials that are sealed with o-rings and gaskets. These oils are also available in different weights.

What does it do? Besides lubricating the moving gears, differential oil also controls the differential action. Thicker oils slow down the differential action causing the wheels to spin more equally, while thin oils allow one wheel to spin quicker when differential action occurs.

AIR FILTER OIL

What is it? A medium viscosity oil used on the air filters foam elements.

What does it do? This oil should be spread equally and liberally throughout a the air filter foam. It collects dust and dirt and prevents it from going through the foam and entering the engine which can cause premature engine wear.

AFTER RUN OIL

What is it? When storing your engine/ vehicle for extended periods, use this thin oil inside the engine.

What does it do? It’s a good idea to squirt some after run oil down the carb and in through the glow plug hole in the head and turn the engine over a couple of times. This will give the parts good coverage and prevent any fuel left inside from gumming up and also prevents rust.

BEARING OIL

What is it? A thin oil usually found in a needle dropper tube.

What does it do? Inside ball bearings are many tiny balls that spin inside a ball race. These balls need lubricant to spin free and prevent premature wear and bearing failure.

BALL DIFFERENTIAL GREASE

What is it? Usually a medium viscosity grease that feels very slick.

What does it do? This grease is spread on the diff ring and differential balls inside of a ball differential action. This causes the diff to act smoothly during operation.

THRUST BEARING GREASE

What is it? A thick heavy grease.

What does it do? Thust bearings take a lot of abuse during differential action, a thicker thrust bearing grease aids the thrust bearing in working smoothly and properly.

GEAR DIFFERENTIAL GREASE

What is it? A thick heavy grease.

What does it do? This grease is typically used in non sealed gear differentials or as a base grease in ready to run gear differentials. This lubricates the gears, but tends to spread out over time and doesn’t coat the gears as efficiently as differential oil.

GEAR GREASE

What is it? A medium grease.

What does it do? The teeth of the gears inside the transmission should be coated with a light layer of gear grease to prevent wear and reduce friction.

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