A good hobby that combines indoors and outdoors gaming is the RC car hobby. There are hundreds of companies making amazing RC cars. But a dedicated RC gamer will always want to personalize their car according to his/her requirements. Here we have listed the 8 best RC car motors that you can use for optimum performance of different types of RC cars.
Best RC Car Motors You Can Get Online
1. Globact RC Car Brushed Motor 550 12T
For improving the performance of your RC car, here is one of the most budget but efficient RC car motor by Globact. It has a 3.175 mm shaft and the motor size is 550. It is compatible with 1/10 scale RC cars of various brands like TRAXXAS, Redcat, Wltoys, etc. You can use this brushed motor for upgrading your short course trucks as well. The motor weighs around 232 grams.
Once installed, you don’t have to put any effort into its maintenance and its lifespan is also pretty decent. The motor has some heat resistance that allows it to race for a longer duration. Its heat resistance also helps in enhanced speed and long motor life. The rotor in the motor is precision balanced and very smooth that can provide up to 22500 RPM.
2. RCRunning 4076 2000KV Brushless Motor
If you are looking for a powerful motor for your powerful remote-controlled vehicles like RC trucks, RC crawlers, etc, here is a good option for you. This one is a slightly expensive brushless motor that is compatible with bigger 1/8 scale RC vehicles. This motor has 12 slots with a Hi-torque design with a billet aluminum heat-sink can.
Inside this RC running motor, highly efficient copper windings offer smooth working of the motor and are very durable. It is a powerful 2800W motor that can provide RPM of up to 50,000 i.e. better than most of the RC car motors on this list. For its powerful performance, this RC motor has an average rating of 4.5 on Amazon. This motor also features a multi-mounting system for different sized screws i.e. M3 or M4.
3. Axial AM27 27T 540 Electric Motor
Axial has a small 540 sized brushed motor at a very decent price. This motor will prove to be most suitable for 1/10 scale Axial rock crawlers, RC race cars, and trucks. But it can be used with other brands’ 1/10 scale vehicles as well.
The motor offers 27 turns which makes it very stand out in this price range. The shaft diameter is 3 mm and it is 12.45 mm long. If you are not looking for speed but some power upgrades, this motor is one of the best options available.
4. GoolRC 3650 3930KV 4P Sensorless Brushless Motor
Here is another 12-slot brushless motor like the RCRunning Hi-torque motor we discussed earlier. But it is much cheaper than that motor, but performance is a little compromised as it offers only 820W power.
This GoolRC motor has a multi-mounting system for M3 screws which makes it compatible with almost all 1/10 scale RC cars. The bearings are oversized ABEC5 for providing greater RPM i.e. around 3930 KV. The rotor featured in the RC car motor is precision balanced to set the path for the higher RPM with great smoothness.
5. Innovateking 3650 Brushless Motor With Electronic Speed Controller and Programming Card
Innovateking has a great combo to offer for boosting the performance of your remote-controlled car. Now you do not need to find a perfect electronic speed controller (ESC) to match with the motor. This RC car brushless motor comes with a 120A ESC and a programming card. Additionally, this is a dust-proof and water-proof motor perfect for racing in any weather conditions. But yes you need to dry the ESC after usage in the water to avoid rusting.
Innovateking brushless motor can be used with 1/10 scale RC cars and trucks. The start-up and acceleration of the motor are quite up to the mark. It also features a great heat-dissipation system for longer rides. The company has provided many protection features in the motor like low-voltage cut-off protection, over-heat protection, and motor blockage protection. The programming card in this combo pack is easy to use with your high-speed RC car.
6. Tamiya 54611 10.5T Brushless RC Car Motor
Tamiya is a Japanese RC car battery and car maker company that offers very long-lasting RC car motors as well. If there is no bar on your budget, this brushless motor would be a great replacement to any motor you have in your 1/10 scale vehicles.
It is a motor that provides 10.5 turns compatible with 2S batteries. The offered voltage ratings are 3,700 KV which in our opinion is low for this price range. What sets it apart from other best RC car motors is that it comes with in-built sensors for very smooth acceleration.
7. Traxxas 3350R Velineon VXL-3s Brushless Power System
This is another great combo for improving the performance of your RC car. This Velineon 3500 4-pole motor comes with a speed control mounting plate and a waterproof ESC to upgrade your vehicle to an all-weather monster. This motor is designed for high-speed racers and it contains high-temperature neodymium magnets and high-speed ball bearings for uninterrupted rides. The ball bearings ensure that there is less friction, so no extra heat is generated. You need not wait for the motor to get cooler for the next race.
Once you assemble this motor in your car, you won’t have to worry about the maintenance of the motor as well. Another good thing about the motor is that it is compatible with high-power Li-Polymer batteries from 7.4 Volt to 11.1Volt, 3 –cell batteries. The waterproof VXL-3s Electronic speed controller (ESC ) completes your wish to play in the rain, muddy tracks, snow, etc.
It has 2 stages of low voltage detection for the harmless use of the batteries mentioned above. There are 3 drive profiles in this ESC i.e. sport, race, and training mode. This motor is best suitable for brushless ready Traxxas 1/10 scale RC vehicles.
8. GoolRC 2435 4P Brushless Motor with 25A ESC
A little cheaper RC motor and ESC combo are available for you by GoolRC. Here is a 2435 sized 4 poles brushless motor that has a 12-slot Hi-torque motor design. Like the GoolRC motor discussed above this motor too features a billet aluminum heat sink can for extended races. But this one is for smaller-sized RC vehicles of 1/16 and 1/18 scale. It has oversized bearings to ensure impressive RPM which is around 4800 KV and also supported by a good precision balanced rotor.
Conclusion
So these were some best RC car motors for enhancing the speed of your car. Not just for assembling and making a car but these motors are also used for upgrading your car or if the old motor gets damaged. We hope you found some useful motors for RC cars here and prepare the best car for your RC racing.
Things To Look For In A RC Car Motor
For a perfect racing experience, you need to get all the parts of the RC car right. We told you about the best RC car motors but if you still can’t determine a suitable one for your car, here is a short buying guide for the same. These are the factors you should consider before buying an RC car motor.
- Power– The power is denoted in the RC cars with W. The more the power of your RC car motor, the more speed that RC car will be able to achieve subjected to the weight of your RC car.
- Scale Size– It is very important to look for compatibility with the size of the RC car. It is mentioned in a fraction that ranges from 1/8 which is mostly the largest size of an RC to a 1/24 scale. If you are a pro racer, you can also look for the number mentioned in front of the motor name which is usually in thousands. That too signifies the specific size of the motor.
- RPM – RPM stands for revolutions per minute which refers to the speed of the shaft. The more the RPM, the more it can rotate the wheels of the car and the faster it will run. It is denoted by KV.
- Heat Resistance – Some motors offer heat resistance and low voltage resistance. These are mostly brushless motors. If there is a good amount of heat dissipation, you will not have to stop a ride after every few minutes to let the motor cool down and you will have rides with a long duration. The high-speed ball bearings too are a good way to ensure that not much heat is being generated in the first place.
- Shaft Size – The shaft size has to be compatible with the propellor in your RC car. But if you find a good motor with smaller shafts, you can go for shaft adapters for placing it perfectly.
- Warranty – Though it is important for every electronic product you buy, there are very high chances of an RC car motor getting corrupted. It can overheat at any ride and there were instances where even the branded motors and batteries have exploded. So, it is advised to ensure the warranty period of the RC car motor.
Difference: Brushed Motor Vs Brushless Motor
Brushed motors are less expensive and they have simple 2 wires connected to DC power mostly with just an On/Off switch. They are also less efficient than brushless motors. Brushed motors have commutators and brushes that create electromagnetic noise. These parts also wear out after some time because of the friction with the shaft.
Brushless motors are costlier than the brushed motor and they have a much longer lifespan as their parts have no chances of friction. That means you won’t have to change or fix them often. They are also more efficient than the brushed motor as they have a higher conversion rate. Here the energy is not wasted in the form of heat but used in rotational force. The cost of a brushless motor is also increased due to the requirement of speed controllers and programming drives.
