sand run

[ReggieC]

hi guys i was wondering what i would need to run my rascal on the beach?

i know i will need sand tyres and a better air filter but can anyone point anything else out to me!

Thanks

Regan

[MaxHeadroom]

I would not take my car on the beach, sand gets into everything and will make a nice grinding paste.

[nitrorhys]

I would not take my car on the beach, sand gets into everything and will make a nice grinding paste.

Why not as long as you give it a good clean afterwards, a-x-l-e on here only runs on the beach with his jato your best off asking him about running sand

[Indie]

Why not as long as you give it a good clean afterwards, a-x-l-e on here only runs on the beach with his jato your best off asking him about running sand

I've got to agree here, You'll not have a problem with Sand at all if you give it a clean afterwards. I've ran on the beach and it's good fun, Large rooster tails under heavy accleration can't be beaten, Just make sure you clean your air filter every few tanks or so, Also that it's properly secured and once finished running you give your car a full strip down and good clean

[MaxHeadroom]

I used to ride MX and believe me sand gets everywhere, without stripping the car to clean it you are not going to get it all out, as i said I would not run my buggy on sand if the OP wants to that's his decision.

[danharrison]

we run our electric cars on sand all the time i get more grip on sand than i do anywhere else.

you will obviously need tyres (sand throwers on the rear if you can or nobbles as big as possible). you will need to sand proof everything make guards/shields, tape/velcro the sides of your shell on, then test it to see if any sand gets in. if it stays clean inside then you have done a good job. if any is still getting in then you need to stop it.

im not into nitro that much but i know a bit, i guess you will need to get a better air filter and make sure there is plenty of oil on it, try to stop any sand getting on any gears as it will shred them in minutes maybe put some thin mesh over the holes on your shell

you have probly guessed the theme here just stop the sand getting near the motor, gears and electrics and it will be fine

[a-x-l-e]

As long as you clean it very well afterwards you should be ok. Its worth water proofing the electrics as best you can, RX in a ballon and a failsafe if you don't have one, with the temps in the UK you won't want to go swimming if it heads off into the sea. Sand tyres will be a problem if you are using stock rims, a chunky spike or block tyre such as THESE should work. I tried some old Kyosho tyres which were similar to THESE on the beach and they were very good, only struggling in the very loose dune sand. As you don't have any drive on the front wheels you can either go with the same on all four wheels which means you can regulate the wear or go with a ribbed tyre up front. If THESE fit they may be worth considering. If you have the 12mm hex adapters and 2.2 truck wheels you can't really beat THESE and THESE.

The stock air filter is ok but it may be worth upgrading to the purple option. The one thing I would suggest checking is the bearing on the end of the layshaft. A small piece of plastic like a glow plug blister pack siliconed over it should give you good protection with the option to remove it very easily when you need to.

It may be worth getting a fuel filter if you don't have one already. Its probably not essential as the tank does have a built in filter but it will give you that extra bit of security if your tank lid was to pop open and pick up any sand/grit.

The stock body will not give you much protection as it has cut out windows and no real way of sealing it to the chassis unless you tape it down so sand getting inside will be inevitable. The good thing about the Rascal is, its very easy to clean. When I finish with mine on the beach the radio plate and gear get lifted out for a good brush down and clean, the engine comes out for a brushdown and clean and the remaining built chassis goes in the shower or under the hose. A good blast will get the sand off quickly and then all you have to do is make sure the bearing mentioned above is ok, the brake and spur are ok, apply some lubrication as and where needed. The engine cleaning is probably the fiddliest part. Check and clean the clutch bell making sure all the sand is out of the teeth, try to get as much sand out of the cooling head as possible and around the carb. Once you have it clean externally you can remove the air filter for cleaning. You will need to remove your glow plug and clean it up as it will collect sand. I usually put my piston to BDC and flush the engine through with nitro as a precaution.

Edited May 3, 2009 by a-x-l-e

[scara]

I used to ride MX and believe me sand gets everywhere, without stripping the car to clean it you are not going to get it all out, as i said I would not run my buggy on sand if the OP wants to that's his decision.

I have to agree with MaxHeadroom here, no matter how well you protect and clean your car it will suffer some form of "grinding paste effect".

I used to race motocross bikes on sand and I am anal when it comes to cleaning but in the long run the salt and the sand WILL take its effect, you will never get it all off or out of the tiny gaps hidden from view even if you wash it and use a high pressure air line on it, but it's your car so I guess its up to you