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The process is simple. The first step is to brush off as much of the loose dirt from your car as possible with the old paint brush. If you have access to an air compressor this job is much quicker and easier. Once you have removed as much loose dirt as possible with the brush you are ready to use the WD-40 "trick". Lightly spray the old paint brush with WD-40 (it doesn't take much) and then brush your RC car with the damp brush ensuring that you don't touch any lexan (body and wing material) or electrical components (radio, speed control, servos, etc.) of the vehicle. You will notice that the dirty look to the car disappears and is replaced with a nice "new" shine. Look at the pictures below for an example of what I mean. The picture on the left was taken about one minute before the picture on the right. All I did was follow the steps outlined above.
Why does WD-40 clean so well? It is simple, once you have removed all the access dirt from your car, all that is left is the "caked on" dirt that can only be removed with scrubbing. By using the WD-40, the oily composition loosens the "caked on" dirt and removes it. Also, WD-40 leaves a silicone residue so there is a thin layer of silicone on your car after using it. This serves two purposes, first it gives your car the "new" shine and second, it leaves a non stick layer so that the next time you drive your car the dirt will not stick to the plastic components as easily (it acts like a Teflon cooking pan). This means that your next cleaning session will be even quicker. There are a few important things to keep in mind before you attempt this procedure. WD-40 and the silicone in it will damage some plastics. Make sure you don't touch any lexan (the material that RC car bodies and wings are made from) with the WD-40 as it will destroy it. Also, try a test piece before you apply WD-40 to the entire car to ensure that it will not damage the specific material used in your car (I haven't found a material used on RC cars to react yet but it is better to be safe). It is also important that you use the WD-40 in a well ventilated area to avoid dangerous fumes. It doesn't take much spray to do the job right so start small and don't overdo it. Good luck, I hope you enjoy spending more time racing instead of cleaning! This process works for both electric and nitro cars. Let's take off a few tenths per lap, "PRO" Contact us | Pro Racer Secrets | Racers Corner Copyright 1998 - 2000. Sirace Services, all rights reserved. |
I don't know about you guys but the
part I hate most about off-road racing is the cleaning of my car at the end of the race
day. There is a little trick that is used to make this tedious task much simpler.
All you need is an old paint brush, a can of WD-40 and the following article to
solve all of your long hours of radio control car cleaning problems.
