How we research, test and correct these guides
Short answer
Every guide here follows four rules: numbers are traceable to a named source, tools publish their method, limits are stated out loud, and corrections are dated. This page explains the standard, what we refuse to do, and how to challenge a claim.
This is a store. That is a real conflict of interest, so the answer is disclosure rather than pretence, and a guide that tells you not to buy something is a working guide.
The four rules
- A source or a measurement, never a vibe. Alignment angles, gearing bands and cost figures cite a named publication, and where two sources disagree, both are named and the disagreement is described.
- Tools publish their method. The gear ratio calculator and the troubleshooting quiz list their inputs, formulas and assumptions, so you can disagree with the arithmetic rather than the conclusion.
- Limits are stated. The reference alignment and gearing figures here were developed for 1/10 RWD drift, and the pages say so wherever a smaller or different car is affected.
- Corrections are dated. When something substantive is fixed, the change and its date go on the page.
What we will not do
| Not this | Why not |
|---|---|
| Invent a statistic or attribute it vaguely | A claim with no source is worse than no claim, because a reader may act on it |
| Publish a calculator with a hidden preset | A tool that returns a fixed answer for a made-up car is decoration, not a tool |
| Hide that this is a shop | The guides exist to help you buy the right thing once. Pretending there is no shop would make every recommendation suspect |
| Tell you a part will fix a problem it cannot fix | Setup problems are the most common cause of bad drift driving, and sending you shopping costs money and time in that order |
| Present driving technique as testing data | Technique advice is our judgement and is labelled as such |
How a guide here gets written
- Start from the question as it is actually asked, including the ones that arrive as support messages after a first order.
- Collect the primary material: published chassis setup notes, manufacturer tyre listings by surface, ESC and motor documentation, and the reference figures used in the class.
- Where a decision depends on arithmetic, build a tool instead of describing the arithmetic in prose. The gear ratio page exists because the sum is easy to get wrong by hand.
- Write the shortest version that answers the question, then add the detail that stops a reader making an expensive mistake.
- Read it back looking for overclaiming. Any sentence asserting more than its source supports gets cut or softened before publishing.
Where the numbers come from
Prices in this store are read from the store product data, not estimated.
| Figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Front camber minus 4 to minus 8 degrees, caster plus 4 to plus 10, toe zero to 2 degrees out | The Marcus RWD RC Drift Blog front alignment reference, cross-checked against SLR Speed and So Dialed |
| FDR bands of 7 to 9 on carpet, 8 to 10 on asphalt, 10 to 13 on tiles and concrete | The Yokomo-derived reference figures on the Marcus RWD RC Drift Blog, with the motor turns the bands assume |
| Internal ratio of 2.6 and the FDR 10.92 example | The same source, which documents the ring gear and drive gear tooth counts behind the multiplier |
| A complete 1/24 setup at around $250 to $350 | ArkEdge RC, quoted as their figure and attributed as such |
| Rough concrete wearing plastic rear slicks in about 25 minutes | All About The Build, from their own running of a ready-to-run car on an outdoor concrete pad |
| Startup hesitation on sensorless systems and how to reduce it | RCexplained, plus CompetitionX on ESC sensor modes |
What is missingThere is no independent laboratory testing behind these guides. The setup figures are reference values from the drift community, not measurements we took on a rig, and the gearing bands were established for 1/10 RWD drift rather than for the small-scale cars this store sells. Where we have not tested something ourselves, the page says it came from a named source instead of implying first-hand verification.
Corrections and contact
If a page here is wrong, out of date, or cites a source that has since changed, tell us through the contact page and we will fix it and date the change.
Use these next
Sources
- Marcus RWD RC Drift Blog. Basic alignment, front — ameblo.jp/marcus38060/entry-12351833320.html
- Marcus RWD RC Drift Blog. Final drive ratio — ameblo.jp/marcus38060/entry-12350138594.html
- SLR Speed. Adjusting toe and Ackermann — slrspeed.com/blogs/news/adjusting-toe-and-ackermann-drift-steering-geometry-and-control
- So Dialed. Rollout, final drive ratio and transmission ratio — sodialed.com/rc-setup-tips/rollout-final-drive-ratio-fdr-transmission-ratio
- ArkEdge RC. 1/24 micro drift RC beginner setup guide — www.arkedgerc.com/blogs/articles/1-24-micro-drift-rc-complete-beginner-setup-guide
- All About The Build. What is the best surface for RC drifting? — www.allaboutthebuild.com/blog/2024/6/what-is-the-best-surface-for-rc-drifting
- RCexplained. How to improve cogging: ESC motor hesitation on startup — www.radiocontrolinfo.com/how-to-improve-cogging-esc-motor-hesitation-on-startup/
- CompetitionX. RC ESC sensor mode: sensored, sensorless and hybrid — www.competitionx.com/rc-esc-sensor-mode-sensored-sensorless-hybrid-explained/