TESTED!! Does Wheel Weight Matter in RC Drifting??
Shoutout to MedicBilly for getting me to go down this rabbit hole!!! :)
If you follow the channel, you know I am a fan of weight reduction in my rc drift cars. Typically, that looks at carbon fiber chassis and removing unnecessary weight through screws, etc.
BUT - MedicBilly started looking at the wheels themselves - and found that some wheels are noticeably lighter weight!
In this video, I take various wheels to see what the weight difference is and test them on my track to see if I can tell a difference.
Wheels used:
- DS Racing Feathery: www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...
- ReveD DP5: www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...
- Yokomo racing performer: amzn.to/3NRLJoq
- MST Adjustable wheels: www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...
- DS Racing Adjustable wheels: www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...
- Aluminum wheels: amzn.to/42XdGzb
Video timeline:
0:00 Wheels
0:58 Weights
3:18 Testing
11:28 Results
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Very detailed tire review Troy another very informative video!! Im loving the garage drift track!!
Thank you!
Excellent video. This channel is so informative. Thank you Troy
Thanks for the kind words!
Excellent video! Love this kind of content. Keep it slideways!🤙
Thanks! Will do!
Great video. You got some skills driving man. 👍
Thank you!
Nice test, it was very interesting👍
Thank you!
All great info Troy. To Be honest, it kinda makes sense. Specially when you refer to the times, going around the figure 8 and stuff. Great info though bud. Thanks for sharing
Thanks! Agree - makes sense at a basic physics level.
I love those ds rims..i use them on all my wheelset for diff tyres..i had other brands like yokomo snd mst but i preffered the ds ones so i bought many of them to keep things consistent
Nice! Great idea!
That fit issue was my exact experience with the Al wheels too. I have not got to use them because the offset is not right. I did get an adjustable set, but then never mounted because of the concern for weight and the effect of rotating mass. Thank you for your data and scientific approach, this proved my suspicions. YOU ROCK TROY!
Also this gives me an idea. I do not have a local drift track. Closest track is an hour and 15-minutes away, so I run in my two car garage. I find that I am getting better but sometimes I try to be too fast instead of being smooth. The heavier Al wheels may slow me down enough so that I can be smooth, thus getting faster, by a physical force, forcing myself to slow down. It would be better if I could train myself-by myself-to be slower so this is not ideal, but now I may go and grab those adjustable Al wheels and give it a shot. Might be a good training tool, but we know that "training wheels," pun intended, are a hinderance to the personal-learning/performance curve. Training wheels sometimes get in the way of getting over the hump because you rely on them and connot cope quickly when they are gone because you "learned" bad habits while having them.
Glad to help!!!
Instead of using the heavier wheels - why not just go with a harder tire?
@@RoadsideRC That is a great suggestion. And now to expose my ignorance and the difficulty in understanding tire compounds and how different manufacturers present them. I am running the DS Finix HF5. I think that is a hard tire is that correct? It is what the DS scale showed as good for asphalt and concrete (the only things I run on). The MST scales are much easier to understand, and I try to avoid buying things just to buy them, so I followed the DS scale, and bought one set. Based on your tire video, I went with the DS. I wish I could just buy 1 set of all and spend hours poking around with the different compounds. I am too frugal to justify. Not sure, but maybe this would be an idea for a new video. I don't know, you know more than I do. I may just be overthinking this.
@PhilMillerJustice You are correct! The tire compounds are not clear, especially when comparing brands. I try to provide guidance on which tire to use...but unfortunately every surface is different, so it is hard to say with 100% certainty what would be best for you. Maybe as your current tires wear down, you can try a different spec to see the difference.
I have to ask, I went to my local RC shop (New Sun Racing) and found some Drag tires, They look like the size I run on my YD2Z and i am wondering how well they would work on a drift car. If you get a chance, Can you try it. I dont know if they are 1/10 scale or 1/16. But they looked perfect for the Cuda body I am running.
If they are drag tires, they would be a sticky rubber - correct? Not a drift tire at all?
Hi thats a really cool lil track. Can you tell me where you got your red and white strips.
Here you go: kzhead.info/sun/jb2ypLl5jZiOiaM/bejne.html
Very interesting test.
Thanks!
Really glade u tried those light weight wheels i live mine lol
Yes sir!
I cant find those mst chrome wheels anywhere! Any advise on where I can find them? 🙏🙏🙏
Looks like that exact spec is backordered, but this one is very similar: www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=el&merchant_id=4b85b2b7-558e-4304-89fc-54958c8f47f0&website_id=caf4cba5-8e5f-43be-93b7-934f1a36d50d&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amainhobbies.com%2Fmst-ssbk-21-offset-changeable-wheel-set-4-mxs-832105sbk%2Fp1051696
Awesome testing 👍🏻, which of the plastic wheels consistently manufactured better balance, when you spin the front free wheel which is free wheel better or less wobbly? I have several mst and ds racing adjustable, they are not so great, most often they wobbles, out of the 4 wheels set 2 are not so great [MST fix offset), I am curious of the reved, yokomo, overload and other Japanese competitive wheel are more balanced and consistent in production.
Great question! I do notice the adjustable offset wheels tend to be wobbly - as you mentioned. I didn't really pay attention to the others.
@@RoadsideRC I have several different design mst fix offsets wheels either one or two wheels wobbles, tires not even installed yet, I think getting a well balance wheel will make a difference in handling and consistency more for competitive drifting, or maybe doesn’t make any difference at all for basic drifting.
Troy, do u think that the tt02 with yeah racing rwd conversion is a good drifter? Ofc i will do more upgrades to it and solve many issues it has. If would be very nice if you could do a video about it, but mainly i would like ur toughts about that kit.
I 100% do not recommend going down that path. Even once converted, it is not as good as a proper RWD chassis.
@@RoadsideRC you sure, because i already have a tt02 and other rwd Chassis and i definitely will do more on it that just the conversion: ride height, weight Balance, weight on the rear, shock tower holes and proper gear ratio. And so far as i know, there Arent more Problems, so with all these Problems solved i think it can run against yokomos and other rwd drifters. Do you think that the tt02 with these Problems solved will be alot better? Because i do
@@RoadsideRC the only issue i would see there would be the price, but i already have that covered
@@lionbaghdasarian3145 The price is an issue, yes. But the performance never latches a proper drift chassis. The design is just wrong.
@@lionbaghdasarian3145 If you are set on doing this - then good luck! I hope it works well for you.
I noticed that with the yokomo flexible wheels that you started with (and were probably already accustomed to) your drifting was cleaner than with the heavy and light wheels. If judged with FD rules as a qualifying lap (line, angle, style, or new rules: decudtions and x factor), they would get TQ in my opinion. I noticed the lighter wheels made you faster but you had a tendency to nose in and correct for a shallower entry. I'm still wondering if mainly the fact that your yokomos were flexible made the biggest difference overall
That is an interesting observation! Another person suggested I take the exact same wheels and add weight to them. See if adding weight to the exact same design has the same results.
@@RoadsideRC that's a good experiment right there! I'd watch it!
certainly interesting to see if wheel weight has any effect on drifting *thumbs up👍Au👀full view always💯*
Thank you 👍
I'd be curious to see how some proper fitting aluminum wheels may affect weight transfer characteristics, like how motor and battery placement affects things.
I'm interested to hear more. What do you expect may happen?
@@RoadsideRC I'm wondering most how or even if it would affect transitions, like making them big and snappy and quick to max angle. Secondly wondering if those affects are more pronounced or effective with high vs low motors/batteries.
@@1sickgsx Adding weight would slow transitions down. Just like shown here.
Before future Troy showed up, I was already thinking those Feathery wheels were looking faster around your garage. I tried some Topline high traction wheels today instead of my usual MST adjustable offset wheels. Once the new tires wore in a bit, I felt like the traction wheels were a little more forgiving on deep angle slides and I didn't spin out as much. I should try my other tires again to see if that's true and it makes the car feel more loose. Might be fun to compare something like the chrome MST to more and more flexible (high traction) wheels. I've heard the chrome plated wheels tend to run more rigid, which I could see being the case potentially
Yes! Good idea. I have wondered about the flex as well. Part of me really thinks it is just marketing BS - but I also trust that these drift companies know what they are talking about. Not sure exactly how to test it, besides a similar speed test like I did here.
@@RoadsideRC I think it's a tough one to test because it also impacts feel. I suppose that would manifest in time around your track too. The experienced guys at my local track are all pretty firm in their feelings about them. Two of the local guys do a youtube livestream (RC Drift talk with Adam and John) and it has come up from time to time. Next time I'm at the track I'm going to switch back to see if I notice a difference
awesome video
Thanks!
Hey Troy! A HUGE favor.., can you do a video on how to really drift..I know it's all time behind the sticks, I know that would be a lengthy video but I think it would be a huge help to a lot of us like when to throttle in our out of a corner, how to get the car sideways, things like that.. tire compound and the differences.. things like that.. that would be awesome..I know you have videos like what tire is best on carpet or concrete but really going into depth on hardness vs soft ..I dunno just an idea.. you are talky good at putting that car wherever you want. ! Thanks for all your hard work and time
That is a good idea! I do appreciate the feedback!
@@RoadsideRC I am with fellers1983, would love if you could provide some basic (or in-depth) does and don't. The few instructional videos I have seen here on KZhead are only OK. Instructions consist of "do this and it will drift," but do not explaine the mechanics behind it. Knowing when to apply throttle, understanding how much assistance the Gyro provides, or how much to turn the stick are often omitted. IMO these are fundamentals and even if one has not mastered them, a basic understand would go a long way in helping improve ones drifting. Unfortunately, I don't have local drift track where I can pick the brains of fellow drift enthusiasts, so I am grateful for all your content. Enjoy the cup of coffee
@@omararocho3893 Thank you for the video suggestion - and for the coffee!
Sweet wheels 🛞
Quick question Which has been jr absolute favorite drift car?
Oh gosh - why not ask which of my kids is my favorite..?? :)
Couldn't you adjust your steering end points to make the aluminum rims work?
Nope 1) they hit the turnbuckles at straight 2) then the car would be much less driftable.
Would it come down to the more momentum that goes into it,more power to the mass moving as more room to the more mass to stop
I think it is just basic physics - more mass means more effort to accelerate, slow, or turn...
The guys I drift with swear by yokomo light versions for more grip as they one weighs less but also gives grip
Makes sense to me! You should get a set of these DS wheels and compare vs those Yokomo wheels. Maybe change some minds! :)
How many circles have you drove around in that garage...? Lol I've watched a couple.
A LOT!!! :)
Did the heavier wheels have any effect to having to give the car more throttle to drive or didnit seam to stress anything with the added weight while drifting
It was hard to tell 100%, but clearly it takes more weight longer to spin up.
@RoadsideRC true I like the idea of using the metal wheels cause of the looks. I was asking around if there was a plastic drift wheel that adjusted the offset by changing the center hub that you could change out like on vanquish wheels, but everything I heard there isn't any
I appreciate the more scientific approach but I was hoping for more insight on which ones were easier to control. My intuition tells me that the lighter setup would be more responsive and agile and require less throttle and steering input. What are your thoughts about this? Did you feel the weight differences and what sort of adjustments did you have to make? 🤓
My assumption is that the heavier wheel will slow all reactions, making it generally more stable and easier to drive, albeit slower, but I see your point. Hopefully, he'll chime in with more info on the driving experience.
I really tend to avoid giving my opinion on things like this in videos. If I can show perforce with a stopwatch, then I typically leave out subjective things. But - since you asked here: the lighter wight system being more responsive helps make the car more drivable. It goes where you want it, not overshooting the corner. Light weight for the win!!!
@@RoadsideRC Thank you for confirming my suspicion. I appreciate your videos, keep up the good work! 🤓
@@RoadsideRCI think I would have had a note in the end explaining what you think, as an addition to the data conclusion, for while the data may tell one thing, ultimately how it feels may be more important in some instances. Not everything can be measured with a ruler or stopwatch. Nice videos btw
Could u send the build on this drift truck? And is this ur redcat?
can you retestet the aluminium wheels?
What would you like me to test on them?
It can be very interesting test to put heavier wheels on front to give it more innertion and put light wheels on back of the car
Interesting - what would the goal of that be?
@@RoadsideRC I think try to make car faster by using spining of front wheels(some kind of awd parody)
All drifterst try to get weight on rear axle. How about set heavy wheels on the back and light weights to the front?
I think there is key difference there. We don't tend to *add unnecessary weight, we tend to *move weight to the rear.
Don't add weights to spinning components, it takes way longer for your motor to change the speed of it. If you want more weight to the rear, add weights to the knuckles, or move weight of components to the rear. It's less to do with the wheel weight but rather the wheel hardness. Our team has tried almost every wheel available out there on the market, the softer the wheels are, the better traction we get. And we drift at 3 different drift tracks with 3 different floor conditions: P-tile, polished concrete, and non-polished concrete. Best are Top Line super soft wheels.
I guess you never DID try those aluminum wheels since I don't see anymore videos on your channel about them.
Nope - never did. Feedback from other folks is that they found the same expected result. Heavier wheel = worse performance.
@@RoadsideRC But what about feel, y'know? It might perform worse on paper, but what if it feels better on the stick?
@@Drunken_Hamster It isn't performance on paper - it is real-world performance. Just like I showed in this video.
@@RoadsideRC That's beside the point. It was only somewhat marginally better with the lighter weight wheels, but how did they feel between them, disregarding the measured results? What looked more scale and what drove in a way you'd prefer?
@@Drunken_Hamster You seem to genuinely not want to accept my answer here. The lighter wheels are better in every aspect. There is nothing positive about adding more mass out at that point, and nothing positive about the aluminum wheel. The folks who take this stuff really seriously look for ways to reduce the weight even more, and even look at ways to make the wheels flex to induce more traction.
I run metal at the front and plastics at the back
That's odd. Why do you do that?
Lightweight wheels also stress the drivetrain less and make the car perform better imo because if i have my car with a light body and small lipos i can drift way better
I agree 100%
I had one of those DS adjustables but then i tried the high traction ones from the MST and it felt really different. I think mostly about the twisting than weight. I was really interested to see the hard aluminium ones. You need to get some offset hexes to test those beautiful babies. For science, of course :)
It is all FOR SCIENCE! (in my best Bill Nye voice). :)
All about unsprung weight 👍🏻
You know I agree!!!
Personally i used to use and love some aluminum in the rear and plastic in the front so i can swing and it carried the momentum and looked nice and smooth
My aluminum wheels messed up so i use all plastic right now but i made a bracket to hold weights behind the rear wheels to kinda make it similar to the weight throw of the aluminum wheels
Interesting, thanks for sharing.
Aluminum wheels are horrible for drifting The softer the wheel is the more traction you tend to get just my experiences
I agree!!!
@@RoadsideRC aluminum wheels still look great on display chassis!
@@dylansowder6617 For sure!