Ask Tony: Maintaining My SC10 4×4

Tony Phalen September 5, 2012 Ask Tony

You got questions, I have answers. Feel free to ask any RC related questions; questions on tuning, on article cars, on racing or just to ask how I’m doing! I’ll do my best to answer all of them.

QUESTION:

Hey Tony-
I’m new to RC and I just took my Team Associated SC10 4×4 our for the first time last night to my local track. I have looked around for additional information but my main question is about maintenance. How much, what kind and how often do I need to perform maintenance on my truck.

Thank you for your assistance!
Bryan Klingele

ANSWER:

Hey Bryan.
The Team Associated SC10 4×4 has some features that not only help it perform but also make maintaining it much easier. The typical things you might want to keep an eye on are the shocks, differentials, belts and wheels/tires.

The shocks on the SC10 4×4 come with rubber boots that help protect the shafts and o-rings. This greatly reduces the time between rebuilds. It is a good idea to make sure the boots are not ripped.

Team Associated has hooked up the SC10 4×4 with gear diffs. This makes them virtually bulletproof. The only thing you’ll ever need to change is the fluid, maybe ever couple of race nights. You’ll probably change the fluid more often for tuning purposes than maintenance.

The belts are protected by a plastic cover. This also helps keep dirt and debris out of them. I would pull this cover off after ever race and check the belt pulleys. Small debris can get ‘pressed’ into the pulley teeth from the rotating belt, possibly causing the belt to skip. Use a hobby knife to pick the debris out.

Finally, wheels and tires. Even though you may glue them on well, high rotating speeds (and a soft tire carcass) can easily cause the tires to pull from the wheels. If you do notice the tires separating, clean the area EXTREMELY well and touch up with some CA glue. Let it dry completely before heading back out.

The SC10 4×4 shouldn’t require much more maintenance than that. Good luck!