How do you clean your off road basher?

[TommyC]

I recently acquired an Arrma outcast 4s. Took it for its first proper bash today and think I now have a new favourite! But after half hour sending over jumps at the dirt track it’s now covered in mud and clay. I’ve scrapped the worst off and am waiting for it to dry before I get the rest. Just wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks to make life easier? Because this car will be getting dirty often!

 

[Nitroholic]

Wipe it down to get the worst off, clean all the nooks and crannies with a small stiff bristled brush (old toothbrushes work well). Then dry it off. Moisture left will promote corosion. Last thing, give it a shot of WD40 or GT85..but DO NOT spray it into bearings. It will wash out grease.

If they are wet...take off the wheels and leave them somewhere warm to dry out.

[Partydaz]

Air blower all over it get big chucks off then use a big hand brush to get into the nooks then air blower again job done .

 

If it's super bad take the wheels off and hose set to sprinkler, lightly wash it off but I stay away from the diff housings and away from inside the hubs then air blow all the water off followed by quick misting of wd-40 wiping the excess off. 

 

One thing I've found that helps running in winter and slows down water getting into gear housings is using marine grease on the gears and putting it in-between the gear housing like a cheapo grease gasket. 

Edited September 8, 2024 by Partydaz

[wolfie1]

When mine is muddy i give it a blow down with the compressor, then give it a hose down then give it a dry off with the compressor, then spray some high pressure grease onto the bearings via an aerosol can and then leave the car some where warm so any remaining moisture evaporates, probably takes 15-20 mins and then leave it overnight somewhere warm

[Gaz!]

We always clean ours with the hosepipe, gets rid of most of it, then let it sit to dry off overnight near the radiator. once dried brush the rest off and give it a coat of gt85 wiping off the excess, rc will look like new again.

 

thats for us personally, you would have to check just how waterproof the electrics are beforehand, dread to think how many hours id spent cleaning them after use, now i just wipe off the dust as they sit there unused lmao…. But the method we use now is the quickest way and gives us the best results.

[SimplyChunk]

if you don't have GT85, 3 in 1 oil works just as well.  I put a little on the end of a 2" brush and apply it then buff the whole thing with another clean 2" brush.

 

Here's my cleaning regime:

 

Edited September 8, 2024 by SimplyChunk

[Lone-wolf]

Cleaning bashers and rally cars is always a pain when i had a Senton it infuriated me the leaves trigs cig butts dog poo mud, sweet wrappers grass and general muck that ended up in chassis, but i now have an air blower to help, but as i near exclusive run crawlers they dont get so bad, i wont run the Tacoma in muddy or bad area`s so its mainly dust that needs blowing out of that 

[steephill]

There's a little waterfall near my house, great for rinsing of all the mud and grit. 

I then dry them in the house, usually get the burner going. 

I use acf50 or brunox turbo spray on metal parts such as driveshafts. They both have anti corrosive properties. Great for anodised parts and won't damage seals. 

[Redback]

People use a dog blower (big hair dryer) i use a shop vac that has a blow function, same idea tho.
Wash in shower or pressure washer. Blow all the water off till dry.
Recivers should be dipped in corrosion x once then be water proofed for life.
Brush corrosion x over the metal parts and screws, blow it down again to spread the goodness into the nooks and holes.

Yet to have a rusty car even those used on the beach will be salvagable if washed and brushed within a day.

[TommyC]

Thanks everyone. I do use the air compressor already but it’s not so great with the stubborn clay. I’ve been in the market for a quiet one as I live in flats and my current one is 97db!

 

I do have loads of gt85 as I use it on the mountain bikes. The outcast 4s is almost entirely plastic though. Is the gt85 just as useful on plastic as metal? Is it necessary to protect the plastic?

 

Think I’ll get a few different brushes to help in future.

[wolfie1]

Its best to clean the clay stuff off whilst its still damp, once it dries as you know it turns into something like concrete. Another really good tip for cleaning your car as long as you havent broken it, drive it in some quite long grass and that really helps 

[Partydaz]

As Wolfie1 says try find some grass that always helps, I try find a cleanish puddle on the way back to the car and drive through it a few times then give it a good mash in the grass seems to do most the cleaning job for you 😄 unless poo be hiding in the grass then its no bueno 🤮

[ad456m]

Much like others, run through grass as it’s weirdly awesome at getting a good head start, turn the hose on it and then shake out the water, onto a newspaper in the house to dry, 3in1 on the bearings afterwards.

 

Like @Redback I swear by CorrosionX, every 24months I redo all my connectors and Rx’s(doubt it needs it but it’s just for my own mind), that stuff has saved me a fortune in electronics! I’ve even floated across a massive salt water beach puddle with my Clod😈. It certainly got inside but all was good.

 

It can apparently be used on bearings as lube and waterproofing but I’ve never remembered to try it. Either way that stuff is like a magic bullet for waterproofing. 

[TommyC]

I did have a look at the corrosion x. Am I best off buying the spray bottle so I can decant it and dip things in it, rather than the aerosol spray?

[ad456m]

 I’ve got a bottle style they don’t sell anymore it seems but yeah, trigger bottle. I have a jam jar I use for dipping in and old clothes pegs to hang the stuff for excess to drip off and then a wee wipe with a rag and back in the plastic case. I do much the same with the servo boards, esc/servo/light connectors that go to the Rx as well.

Edited September 10, 2024 by ad456m

[Redback]

20 hours ago, TommyC said:

I did have a look at the corrosion x. Am I best off buying the spray bottle so I can decant it and dip things in it, rather than the aerosol spray?

the bottle (non spray) has lasted me years, even with loosing half over the floor, a little paintbrush has worked well for application, soak bearings in it stops them rusting.
the cost may be high but the mileage is well worth it in the long run, savings on replacing things too...

[ad456m]

2 hours ago, Redback said:

even with loosing half over the floor

Hehe, I somehow did the same a couple of years back😂

 

@Redback do you clean the grease out of the bearings before you soak them or just chuck em in? Feel I maybe missing a trick not doing this on the cars I take to the beach. 

[Redback]

On 11/09/2024 at 18:04, ad456m said:

Hehe, I somehow did the same a couple of years back😂

 

@Redback do you clean the grease out of the bearings before you soak them or just chuck em in? Feel I maybe missing a trick not doing this on the cars I take to the beach. 

Yes bearing blaster to clean them out. But not often. Just when fresh ones go in or when its being serviced / deep cleaned. I also stick the axle shafts in marine grease this stops water ingressing into the diff housings. Yet to replace any diff bearings on any model.

[TommyC]

So I final got my corrosion x through after they missed my order and I forgot about it for weeks. I want to waterproof a 10bl60 and some receivers for now. Do I need to strip them down and just do the electrical bit? Or can I just dip the whole thing? Will it leave a residue on plastic? I’m not using the esc with a sensored motor but if I wanted to, would the plug still work if it’s been coated?

 

how about other things like fans and switches? Can I just dip these things too?

Edited October 16, 2024 by TommyC

[ad456m]

I have always stripped them down as I don’t expect the plastic to stick to double sided tape afterwards, could be wrong but not game for finding out.  
 

For switches etc I don’t pull them apart or dip them, I just kinda cover any openings etc. As @Redback suggests, a paintbrush is likely the best weapon of choice. I’ve been using cocktail sticks and the like to drip a wee bit in but the paintbrush seems better sense. 

[wombat]

Muc Off , usually used for mountain bikes is good stuff

[SimplyChunk]

just used the 3 in 1 oil technique on Sam and I's 16889A-Pros