Drift cars are cool, but they’re also expensive. If you don’t have money for endless tires, fuel, and engine rebuilds, you might like to get involved at the RC scale instead. [Max Imagination] has just the build to get you started.
The design uses 3D printing for the majority of the chassis. Rigidity is front of mind, as is creating the right steering and suspension geometry for smooth, controllable drifts. The drivetrain is 3D-printed too, using plastic gears and universal-joint axles combined with off-the-shelf bearings. Steering is controlled via an off-the-shelf servo, with a brushless motor putting power down to all four wheels. While drifting at full scale is best achieved with rear-wheel-drive, it’s easier to control at the small scale with four driven wheels.
True to the DIY ethos, an Arduino-based RC system is used to drive the steering servo and motor speed controller, with a home-built pistol-grip controller. It also activates a small power supply which runs little humidifier modules, which turn water into a visible vapor for a fun smoke effect. It doesn’t really imitate tire smoke, since it disappears nearly the instant the car moves, but it’s still a neat effect.
It’s a neat build that makes a great starting point for your dive into RC. Meanwhile, if you’re more about speed than getting sideways, we’ve seen a homebrew RC car designed to that end as well. Video after the break.
Is this an ad? Because that guy wants me to *buy* his 3d models.
Not open source hardware… and that makes it substantially less interesting as an HAD article.
“Not open source hardware… and that makes it substantially less interesting as an HAD article”
Seriously? Let’s be honest, how many times did you replicate a project (like this) based upon the info given by the maker? And if you did, I’m sure modifications in the design were made.
Why does it need to be “open” in the smallest detail, it is shown how it is made, you know all the secrets (the video actually spoils all the fun of doing the research yourself). The fun of making things, is making them, finding parts in parts bins, hunting websites etc.
I’m sure that this project isn’t to be compared with a 3D print yourself a Revell or Airfix project.
in my area for these types of cad and cnc skills, they want to pay 1/3 less than a living wage. Of course he is capitalizing on his work. When the offer is “work and still starve and be homeless” the option is only to make money where you can.
Smoke? Thats not a normal feature? Mine does that all the time, really uses up the batteries thou. /j
Maybe something like those smoke generators that use sewing machine oil that are used on old model trains would make for better smoke?
Loved the odor of that stuff when I was a kid, brings back great memories like the painful shock you’d get when you touched the ungrounded tracks.
Thank you for sharing my project, Lewin!
Well described 👏🏻