apart, and that’s when I discovered that some of
the aluminum hop-up parts do not include machine
screws to install them. Am I supposed to use the
self-tapping screws that came with the kit to install
these parts? I thought you should never use self-
tapping screws to thread into aluminum.
Michael Bailey
Santa Monica, CA
Track talk
I love the articles on racing. I want to try it, but I live in a rural area and
there are no race tracks. How do I build a track? [email]
Tom Stevens
I’m glad you like racing. The best thing abut racing—besides the fun—is that
it will keep you interested in the hobby longer. The first thing you should do is
check out our online Track Directory at rccaraction.com. You didn’t mention if
you’re an aspiring on- or off-road racer, but building either type is pretty simi-
lar. First, find a location. If your yard is big enough for an off-road track, just
make sure the whole family is onboard. If you don’t have a lot of space, con-
sider a track for minis. You can see how this is done in our Mini Action 2007
special issue; in fact, that article is full of great tips for building tracks of any
size. Basically, all you need to build a track is a location, simple tools and
track barriers. For an on-road track, don’t be afraid to ask some of the local
churches or similar institutions if you could use their parking lot. For an off-
road track, ask the town. Towns will often provide space for family friendly
activities like RC. You can find ready-made track barriers at roaddome.com.
I’ve used the RoadRail system, and it works great for on-road. For off-road,
drainage piping found at home hardware stores is the preferred method. For
tools, forget the heavy equipment; all you really need is a few shovels, rakes
and some friends. Good luck, Tom. Check out the article in Mini Action, and
let us know how you make out.
—Matt
I ran into the same problem, Michael. I wasn’t sure if I
should use the truck’s original self-tapping screws to
mount the front shock tower on the aluminum front
bulkhead or the steering links on the aluminum steer-
ing blocks. I noticed that the aluminum parts are not
threaded, so I went ahead and used the self-tapping
screws. The screws will thread into the aluminum parts
the first time you tighten them down. As a precaution,
you might want to apply a little thread-lock on the
screws before threading them into the part. I haven’t
had a screw come loose yet, and I’ve been driving the
truck pretty hard.
—George
Editors’ rides
I bet you guys are asked all the time, “Which vehi-
cle should I get; or, which is better; or, if you could
get either this or that, what would you choose?” I
don’t need any help picking out my next RC, but I
am curious to know how the editors decide what to
run, bash or race. [email]
Matt Staller
Matt, you’re right; we get emails all the time about
which vehicle is best; or, if I can spend X amount of
dollars, what should I buy? When it comes to running
our own stuff, we usually bash or race the vehicles
we’ve tested. There are several cars and trucks
I’d love to run, but if I’ve never reviewed them in
RC Car Action, it’s unlikely that I own any of them.
Most editors own what they’ve tested, and we all
have a little bit of everything.
—Jason
TALK TO THE EDITORS ANYTIME!
We can't publish all the letters and emails we get here in
Backfire, but you can reach the editors anytime on our blog
pages. Just visit rccaraction.com and click on
"Editors' Blogs." See what we're up to, check out the latest
goings-on at RC Car Action, and drop us a line. See you in
cyberspace.
WE WANT Email us at backfire@airage.com, or put the postman
TO HEA FROM YOU! R to work by mailing your letter to Backfire, 20 Westport Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Please include your city and state, and let us know if we may publish your email address. We can’t reply to every letter and email,
but we read ’em all!
