Brushless Radio Controlled Cars
News, reviews, tuning and hop-ups
RC Glossary - The A to Z of Radio Control
T
Threaded Rod --A type of connecting rod that has threads facing the same direction.
As opposed to a turnbuckle, a threaded rod is harder to adjust because one or both
ends must be detached to make an adjustment. Also, the threaded rod forces large
adjustments to be made because of the nature of the threads. A turnbuckle can be
adjusted in small or large amounts.
Throttle -- Usually refers to the act of accelerating.
Throttle
Servo -- A servo that controls the linkage that connects to the engine carburetor
of a Nitro car. This same servo also connects to the brake.
Titanium -- An extremely
strong metal, titanium is a rare metal that is stronger than steel yet can be as
light as aluminum. Various alloy mixtures of titanium exist, with the strongest alloys
featuring the same weight as aircraft aluminum but a much higher rigidity.
Toe Angle
-- Refers to the direction the tires face when steering is straight ahead and the
car is seen from above. Applies to both the front and rear. Usually, most drivers
use one or two degrees of toe-in on their car's front wheels (fully adjustable by
turnbuckles on race kits). Most kits come with two or three degrees of toe-in standard
on the rear wheels (adjustable by the lower suspension mount or hub carriers on some
cars). Slight toe-in (one or two degrees) at either end helps to stabilize the car,
but too much (three or more degrees) scrubs off speed, offsetting the benefit of
stability. Toe-out on the front end will give increased steering, useful for quick
turn-ins, but sacrificing cornering speed and straight-line stability. Toe-out at
the rear gives twitchy handling, and it's definitely not recommended. Nearly all
Rc kits have rear toe-in.
Top Qualifier -- After each round of racing, the person
with the fastest time in each class is said to be the top qualifier, meaning they
sit on the pole position for the start of the main event. Usually good only for bragging
rights, because once the race starts all bets are off, as anything can happen in
the main event. Note that top qualifier refers only to the fastest qualifier in the
class, the person starting in first place for the B Main is NOT the top qualifier,
just the 11th fastest driver.
Touring Car -- In Rc racing, a Touring Car is a 1/10
scale version of a normal street car that has been converted to a race car. Most
Rc Touring Cars are four-wheel drive (4WD), meaning all four wheels drive the car.
This makes the car easier to drive for most people.
TQ -- see Top Qualifier
Track Width -- The width of the car, measured from the center of the front axis wheels
and the rear axis wheels. A wider stance is more stable and gives better cornering,
but with a wider frontal area the car experiences more drag, slowing it down on long
straights. See wheel offset for an additional explanation of different offset wheels,
and how to use them to get a wide stance with a narrow setup and body.
Transmitter--
The part of the radio system that sends signals to the receiver in the car. Separated
into two general categories: stick, which uses two sticks to control movement; and
wheel or pistol grip, which has one hand hold the radio with the index finger to
control throttle and brake and the other hand control a small steering wheel. Transmitters
are also divided into categories by complexity: AM radios are usually cheaper because
the parts are cheaper to make, while FM radios are available in simple dial- and
potentiometer-controlled versions or digital versions, or digital/computer radios.
Transponder
-- A small radio transmitter that fits in the car to help race directors count laps
during races. Many permanent tracks use transponders at their facilities. Most tracks
that are starting out cannot afford the high cost of a transponder setup, so they
will use a computer keyboard and fast finger-punching to record lap times.
Tuned Pipe
-- A highly modified muffler that substantially increases the power from a Nitro
car's engine.
Turnbuckle -- Similar to a threaded rod, except that the screw threads
face opposite directions so adjustments can be made without removing the rod.
Turn
Marshal -- At Rc racing events, drivers must turn marshal after their race, meaning
they must turn over cars that have flipped, and return cars to the racing surface
if they have crashed.
Tweak -- A condition at the front or rear of the car where one tire has more load
on it than the other. For example, if the right rear tire has more weight on it than
the left rear tire, the car is said to be tweaked. This can make the car behave unpredictably,
including spinning out in turns, turning more in one direction than the other, upsetting
the steering trim, and many other problems.
To check tweak (you should check between
each race):
A) Hobby Knife Method: Set the car on a flat, level surface. Using a hobby
knife, lift one end of the car at the center point. Watch closely which tire lifts
off the surface first. If both tires lift off at the same time, that end of the car
is not tweaked. If one tire lifts off before the other, adjust the tweak (see below),
turn the car around and check the other end. Adjusting the tweak using the "hobby
knife method" must be done by adjusting shock length.
B) Tweak Device Method: Devices
like this set one end of the car level, and puts the other end of the car on a pivoting
surface. This lets the device show the tweak at either end of the car, without being
affected by the opposite end. If the bubble is level, the car is not tweaked at that
end. If the bubble is not level, that end of the car is tweaked. Adjust the tweak
(see below), turn the car around and check the other end. Adjusting the tweak using
this type of device requires adjusting the shock preload using threaded shock bodies
or ride height clips. NOTE: before using a tweak device, use the adjustable legs
to make sure the device is completely level, and set the shock preloads to the same
amounts left and right at each end of your car.
To adjust tweak:
a) Using the Hobby
Knife Method above, if a tire lifts off the ground first, you must lengthen the shock
shaft that attaches to that tire's suspension arm. This requires removing the whole
shock from the car, taking off the spring perch and spring, holding the shaft with
a pair of needle nose pliers, and turning the shock shaft end so it makes the shaft
longer.
b) Using a tweak device, if the bubble is to one side of the level, add more
preload to the same side (by adding ride height clips or turning the threaded shock
collar towards the bottom of the shock) until the bubble is level.
Two Speed -- A
clutch and gear system that can be installed on most Nitro cars that increases top
speed substantially. In general terms, when the first gear ratio has the engine reach
a certain RPM range, the second gear is engaged and the car is then accelerated using
the second gear ratio.
