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How to Drift With a Nitro RC Car

Drifting is as popular with RC car enthusiasts as it is with actual car racers, thanks to its millions of fans worldwide. Much like actual car drifting, drifting a nitro model car requires both skill and technique, as well as specifically designed cars. With practice, the right car, and the proper technique, you can learn to drift an RC car expertly, running the car sideways down a track with ease.

Things You'll Need

4WD RC model car
High RPM RC nitro engine
Solid-shaft drive transmission
RC car drifting tires
Asphalt roadway

Instructions

- 1
  Modify your car model to prepare it for drifting. Change out the engine, opting for a high RPM nitro engine capable of giving your car a quick acceleration rate, such as the HPI Nitro Star G3.0 engine. Also, modify the transmission used in your car, switching it to a shaft drive rather than using a belt drive transmission, to avoid any difficulties from backlash when changing speeds rapidly.
- 2
  Change the car tires to a set specifically created for drifting. One option to consider is a set made by Yokomo, a Japanese manufacturer. Drifting tires must be smooth and low friction to be effective. Buy specially made drifting tires online from larger RC hobby retailers, like EHobbies; you can also make your own drifting tires from cut PVC pipe, and RC car wheels.
- 3
  Locate a long stretch of asphalt on which to drift. Drifting can only be done at high speeds, so you'll need a stretch of asphalt long enough to get up to top speed without having to turn. Empty parking lots are good places for drifting nitro RC cars.
- 4
  Run your car at top speed and then turn suddenly. Your car will immediately begin to skid as it goes into a spin. With the turn, the rear wheels will start losing traction, so steer your car opposite the spin. The RC should begin to move again in the forward direction, except it will do so going sideways, entering the drift.
- 5
  Counter steer the car to keep it from entering fully into the spin. Counter steer by turning the wheels in the opposite direction as before. Make minute adjustments to keep the car moving forward without the front end taking the lead again. When the car begins to pull out of the drift, steer so that the front and rear ends remain even; if it begins to enter into a spin, steer in the direction opposite the spin. If you counter steer too much, the car will lose the sideways momentum and continue onward, losing the drift.
- 6
  Pull out of the drift. Do so by steering the car, so that the front end takes the lead again. Then, apply the throttle once you've lost the speed necessary to continue the drift. Continue to recover speed in order to enter into another drift.

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