How Does Weight Affect RC Performance?

Question: How Does Weight Affect RC Performance?

Is your RC heavy or is it a light-weight? Weight has a part in overall performance of an RC vehicle. To improve performance you could add bigger, more powerful motors, alloy metal parts, big tires, even larger gas tanks are nice to have for a nitro RC. However, some RC racers forget that bigger is not always better. Those shiny, colorful parts look cool but they can sometimes cause a drop in optimal performance because they change the weight of the RC.

Answer: If you are racing on-road RCs, you generally want them to be lightweight and low to the ground. If it's off-road that you're craving then you need some weight to keep it from flying off into space on that bumpy terrain. Of course you don't want so much weight that you can't make those cool jumps. And the more weight the vehicle has the more powerful motor or engine you'll need to get it moving and keep it moving fast (and a bigger motor could, in turn, add more weight).

Having the heavier than plastic metal alloy upgrades on your off-road RC would help out with the hard landings and rough terrain. A show car built for pure looks alone can be an almighty billboard for aftermarket parts and you can make it as shiny (and heavy) as possible. If you aren't racing it, that extra weight won't matter so much.

The weight of your RC is generally a matter of personal preference balanced with performance and durability. However, in certain types of situations such as major racing events, your RC must meet or exceed specific weight limits. If needed, small lead weights can be added to the RC to bring it up to the required weight standards.

RC Weight vs. Speed

In general, less weight means your RC can go faster. But with too little weight, it can become unstable and flip faster too. More weight can mean more stability but also requires a more powerful motor/engine to move that weight around.

RC Weight Distribution

The performance of your RC is also affected by the distribution of the weight. Too much weight up high (high center of gravity) may result in a top heavy RC that is harder to control and may flip more easily at high speeds. Too much weight to one side or the other can cause instability too. In addition to the right weight for whatever type of driving you're doing, you want to make sure the weight is evenly distributed and generally as low to the ground as possible for the type of RC you're driving. When building an RC from scratch, consider where you are going to put the heaviest components including battery pack and motor or engine and fuel tank.

Heavy Metal vs. Pretty Heavy

Metal alloy parts might not be super-heavy in your hand, but in an RC vehicle, this can be a substantial weight gain over carbon-fiber plastics. Before you go and upgrade your RC with all those nice, shiny alloy parts be sure that you're ready to make some sacrifices to the RC's overall performance. You might want to take a strategic approach instead of going all out. Upgrade just a few weight-changing parts then test performance. Did the extra weight slow it down? Did the extra weight make it harder to turn? Of course, some of the parts that are made by aftermarket companies are a better quality and can vary in weight than others so take that into consideration as well.

Now when it comes to the drivetrain this is a very hard decision -- for me at least. Some of my own RCs have all metal gears and then there are the ones that don't. It all comes down to what is the RC going to be used for. An all metal gear drivetrain might be more durable but this can be where you can lose performance if you're not careful simply because of that added weight.

For some types of off-road use, such as rock-crawling, you might consider adding weight to the tires to improve performance.

Some modifications and upgrades you might do to an RC are done purely for aesthetics. Things like adding lights, a spoiler, chrome trim, etc. may or may not affect overall performance but with enough mods and add-ons the weight can add up. One bit of trim may not make a difference but do be aware that the more you add, the heavier that RC will get.

Be Smart About Your Weight

You should always ask yourself is it a must have upgrade or is it an I want upgrade? An I want upgrade is the upgrade you don't really need, but you think would look cool on your RC. A "must have" RC upgrade is an upgrade that would actually improve the overall performance of the RC.

The final decision is one that has to be thought out. You just can't go out and load your car up with upgrades and modifications. Well, you can, but it's not always the best choice. Be smart about it and take the time to look at your RC to find out what areas need upgrades and which areas don't. Think of the weight you're adding (or taking away) and where you're putting that weight as well as what you're hoping to gain in performance or looks (or both).