Top 5 Things to Know Before Buying an LC Racing EMB-1, EMB-TG, or EMB-

Top 5 Things to Know Before Buying an LC Racing EMB-1, EMB-TG, or EMB-SC

Tips from Scale Speed, a hobby store specializing in small scale off-road racing.

When you're looking to buy a new RC, you want to know what you're getting into. From maintenance to upgrades, this is what we've learned over the course of building, driving, and letting others borrow our fleet of LC Racing vehicles.

1. You'll want to upgrade your servo.

The included option uses plastic gears, so eventually it will yield - and hopefully not during your main! We do have one EMB-1 that's been raced (and crashed) on a weekly basis for 6 months that's still running the original Batan D115F servo, but...

When we first borrowed out vehicles to local racers (to help build our mini class), it was a busy day of replacing stock servos with the much stronger metal-gear Batan D135F, along with an aluminum servo horn.

The mounting hole pattern is unique to Batan, so options are limited as far as what you can use. We've begun production on CNC 7075-T6 aluminum mounts that will allow you to use any common micro servo, and will have a knowledge article detailing that soon (along with specs for servos and horns to make figuring out what to use simple).

2. Aluminum hubs/steering blocks are a must.

Depending on your driving skill (and that of those around you), you may be able to get away with the included plastic components for a while.

At some point, however, you're going to make unexpected contact with a pipe, wall, or another car - and that's where the aluminum option parts help ensure you stay in the race.

Since they're machined from billet aluminum, they're more rigid, durable, and precise than their molded counterparts, helping to maintain feel and consistency around the track.

3. Secure your shock caps.

Both the upper and lower caps tend to loosen up over time. This happens with any aluminum shock system, but these little platforms get thrown around a bit harder, which expedites things.

The last thing you want to see while you're about to podium is your shock oil dump all over the track and one corner of your car start flopping around.

Solution: Check them after every race. We also use a dab of blue Loctite 242 on the lower threads.

4. Don't lose power mid-race.

Often, the included double sided foam does not adhere well between the switch and servo, or the ESC and upper deck, for that matter.

The ESC or switch could shift around and bump things into the off position.

Solution: We take a fine grit sandpaper (such as 1,000 grit) to scuff up both surfaces, wipe them clean with a microfiber cloth, and then use Scotch Extreme mounting tape. They aren't falling off after that, even with rough tumbles.

5. Check your differentials.

With the release of the HD differential set (included in all RTRs and kits), the problem facing the center driveshaft pinion and ring gear wear has been resolved. Awesome!

Unfortunately, a new issue arose. The plastic housing that contains the sun and spider gears has been molded a hair too wide for the gears to properly mesh.

This results in an excessively notchy feel that can even lead to stuck or skipped gears as things tilt around inside the housing. We've seen a car whose rear wheels could turn when rolling them along the ground while holding the spur gear stationary because the sun gears were no longer acting on the spider gears.

Grab a differential and turn the outdrives back and forth while tugging outward on them. If it feels glitchy or becomes stuck, your gears aren't meshed close enough. When you push the outdrives inward and rotate them, you'll notice how much smoother things feel.

Solution: Wet sand your differential housing so that the width is between 12.6 - 12.8 mm. That's the sweet spot we've found across numerous diffs we've worked on, but it could vary.

Once things at the point where operation feels smooth even when you tug outward on the outdrives, you're golden. Reinstall and race!

The bottom line: Send it!

LC Racing continues to lead the 1/14 off-road market for good reason. Apart from keeping an eye on the above items, they're incredible platforms - competitive, durable, look great, and we at Scale Speed continue to pump out aftermarket products to take them to the next level.

If you're considering an LC Racing EMB platform, dive in!

If you need any advice or information, reach out to us and we'll do our best to help!