TRAXXAS RC Car

RC Car 3D Printed Snow Tire

As part of a personal project, I took on the challenge of designing snow wheels for my Traxxas Slash RC car. To accomplish this, I followed the engineering process, which involved several key steps. Firstly, I used Solidworks to design the wheels. This software allowed me to create a detailed, 3D model of the wheels that could be easily modified and refined. Next, I utilized the Ultimaker Cura slicing program to prepare the design for 3D printing. Using a Prusa MK3 3D printer, I was able to create several prototypes of the wheels, using PLA filament. Through this iterative process, I was able to refine the design and create a testable product. The snow wheels ultimately performed well, providing improved traction and stability on snowy terrain. This project was a valuable learning experience, allowing me to apply my skills in engineering and design to real-world problems.

The tires have been designed to have an outward grooved tread to have traction and still push the snow out from underneath the tires.

These were printed with the hub as the top side of the object to allow the most precision on the important part of the design.

I used silk finish PLA and the design met specifications and fit onto the RC Car.

For the infill setting, I used gyroid to improve structural integrity, as well as limit the amount of room for water to be trapped internally.

Printing

To slice the model and get it ready for 3D printing, I used Cura Ultimaker. This slicer allows me to specify what type of infill, the density of the object, and what type of support I want. This program also gives me the option to change the temperature and speed of the extruder. The other very useful feature this program offers is the estimated time and amount of material that will be used. This video shows the preview from the slicer. This allows a good visual explanation of the gyroid infill. This setting prints layers in patterns that resemble a cosine wave and rotates them a few degrees with each layer. This method maximizes structural integrity and limits the negative space inside the wheels.

Testing

To slice the model and get it ready for 3D printing, I used Cura Ultimaker. This slicer allows me to specify what type of infill, the density of the object, and what type of support I want. This program also gives me the option to change the temperature and speed of the extruder. The other very useful feature this program offers is the estimated time and amount of material that will be used. This video shows the preview from the slicer. This allows a good visual explanation of the gyroid infill. This setting prints layers in patterns that resemble a cosine wave and rotates them a few degrees with each layer. This method maximizes structural integrity and limits the negative space inside the wheels.

The Silk PLA allowed the printer to get precise detail in the top surface and ensure that the print meets the specifications. This type of PLA also adds a glossy effect to the finished product.

Silk PLA is a little more sensitive than regular PLA, which caused a lot of stringing. This could be removed by using supports at the cost of time and additional material.

Unfortunately, the strength of the PLA was not able to withstand the torque and impacts caused by driving the RC car.

3D Printed Accessories

When my friends and I got interested in racing RC Cars, we would bash them in our backyards and neighborhoods. If you are not familiar with the TRAXXAS Slash, this car is a 4x4 Short Course Truck. It is easily customizable and has many upgrades. While we were saving up money to buy performance upgrades, I also took the time to make a few alterations with my 3D Printer. For example, I noticed that my car would often flip and roll over. I had repainted my body, so I wanted to preserve the paint. To provide an extra layer of protection, I designed and printed 2 roof rails. These would clip onto the top of my RC Car's body and gave 1/4 inch of padding between the floor and the roof. Another issue I noticed was that when I went off a ramp, the body of the RC car would catch air and parachute. This impacted how the car would land. I designed hood louvers and installed them on the front of the car. Having these vents drastically improved my landings. I was able to combine my passion for 3D design and utilize those skills to directly improve the performance of my RC Car. Now all I have to do is improve my driving skills!

This design may be simple and easy to install, but I have yet to replace it. To print both, it only took 35 minutes and required minimal clean-up. I designed these just to save the paint job I made for the roof. While these rails may get scuffed up, I personally think that adds to the off-road charm.

The hood louvers are essentially vents with a flange. I installed them from underneath and used glue on the flange. That secured the louver to the body. To keep them light, I made the vents thin. As a result, jumps, rolls, and impacts cause a lot of strain to the parts, and fins break off frequently.

Due to the high impacts while driving, parts often broke. Instead of waiting a week for delivery, I tried to print a replacement control arm. While it fit successfully, the PLA was too brittle to withstand shock, and broke on the first day of use.