The Ultimate Guide to Top RC Car 3D Printing Files: Design, Print and Conquer
The world of remote control (RC) cars is accelerating into an exciting new era, driven by 3D printing. Enthusiast designers around the world are sharing incredible open source designs that allow anyone with a printer to build unique, custom vehicles. Forget just building a kit – you can now design your ride from scratch! This guide explores some of the most popular and innovative remote control car 3D printing files, delving into their benefits, complexities, printing requirements and performance potential. We’ll also provide you with basic printing insights and answer pressing questions to keep your project on track.
Top RC Car 3D Printing Files to Speed Up Your Build:
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OpenRC project Truggy/Truck (e.g. "OpenRC Trugi"):
- concept: The flagship of the open source RC movement. Designed for off-road toughness and modularity, with interchangeable parts for different configurations.
- Design highlights: Independent suspension with spring shocks, sturdy chassis rails, versatile driveline mounting points, easily customizable suspension arms and mounts. Known for its resilience and ease of repair.
- Printing notes: Requires a lot of printing and patience. PETG or ABS are preferred for chassis components due to their impact and heat resistance. PLA can be used for stress-free decorative parts. Spiral or cube filling (20-30%) achieves strength/weight balance. Pay attention to interlayer adhesion – proper cooling (for PLA/PETG) and shell (for ABS/ASA/Nylon) is critical.
- Electronics and Performance: Requires standard 1/10 scale components (brushed or brushless motor/ESC, steering servo, radio, battery). Offers excellent off-road handling, jumping ability, and is highly adjustable. Its modularity promotes endless experimentation.
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Tarmo series (e.g. "Tamo 4"):
- concept: This is an ambitious, highly engineered project focused on creating a rugged, high-performance remote-controlled car printed primarily on an FDM printer. Known for complex assemblies requiring many complex parts.
- Design highlights: Advanced double wishbone suspension, planetary gear differential, rigid chassis structure and design optimized for the required print strength. Emphasis on durability under pressure.
- Printing Challenge: Very demanding! Small high-precision parts (gears, pins, suspension components) require optimal alignment, minimum layer heights (0.1-0.15 mm) and strong materials (minimum PETG, ABS/ASA/Nylon recommended). Extensive support is required; soluble supports (PVA) can simplify complex geometries. A well-tuned printer with good dimensional accuracy is non-negotiable.
- Electronics and Performance: Designed around a compact brushless system. Delivers advanced drivetrain power and handling characteristics that rival or exceed premium package cars. Its sophistication pays off with outstanding performance for the dedicated builder.
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Scorpio rock crawler:
- concept: Popular platform designed for the low-speed, high-torque world of rock crawling. Focus on joints, a low center of gravity and tackling extreme obstacles.
- Design highlights: Long-travel suspension features targeted flex points, optimized steering angles, portal axles (on some versions) and a design that maximizes tire-to-ground contact on irregular terrain. Typically have beadlock wheels or tough foam inserts designed specifically for printed tires.
- Printing notes: Articulated components (links, suspension) require flexibility and impact resistance. Consider using TPU (flexible filament) for critical connections and sometimes tires, combined with rigid PETG or ABS for chassis/wheels. Benefit from wider ply lines (0.2mm) in structural components without significantly compromising strength.
- Electronics and Performance: A high torque steering servo is required, usually a coggingless brushless sensing system or a powerful brushed motor, as well as a multi-channel radio for functions such as a 2-speed transmission or digger. Excellent on technical terrain with its excellent wheel articulation.
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DIY More Model B:
- concept: Minimalist yet powerful and surprisingly versatile design designed to simplify and speed up printing/assembly. Known for being relatively beginner-friendly while offering solid performance.
- Design highlights: Simplified chassis layout, basic suspension geometry (usually trailing arm front/solid axle rear or similar), large motor mounts, and parts printed in a strength-optimized orientation. Designed to reduce printed parts and build times compared to more complex rigs.
- Printing notes: An excellent entry point. It is highly recommended to always use PETG for durability. Larger parts enable faster print speeds (0.2-0.28 mm layer height, 40-50 mm/sec). Minimized intricate details reduce print failures.
- Electronics and Performance: Compatible with common components. Offers surprisingly stable handling, good speed potential and solid slamming durability. Its simplicity allows for easy customization and repair.
- OpenRC F1 Racing:
- concept: Bringing the aesthetics and dynamics of Formula 1 racing into the world of RC printing. Focused on lightweight, aerodynamics and precise, high-speed handling on smooth surfaces.
- Design highlights: Stylish aerodynamic contours (wings, body, diffuser), low-slung chassis, complex suspension links for geometric control. Printing suspension arms and pushrods requires high precision.
- Printing Challenge: Printing that requires attention to detail. Thin-walled aerodynamic parts require careful cooling to prevent deformation. Suspension components require high stiffness and dimensional accuracy – ABS, PETG-CF or Nylon-CF excel in this regard. Minimizing weight is critical – low fill settings (~15%) and strategic hollowing.
- Electronics and Performance: Lightweight, narrow electronics are required. The brushless system with sensor provides the smooth throttle you need. Delivers exciting cornering speeds and true F1-style driving dynamics on tarmac or slippery clay.
Key printing considerations for functional RC parts:
Making RC parts that can withstand jumps, bumps and high loads requires smart printing:
- Materials Science Questions:
- People’s Liberation Army: Economical but fragile. Avoid critical structural components that are susceptible to impact. Best suited for prototypes, body shells, low stress parts. Prone to thermal creep.
- Polyethylene glycol: Sweet spot. Excellent impact resistance, good durability, easier to print than ABS, and good heat resistance. Great for chassis panels, suspension arms, wheels.
- ABS/ASA: When printed correctly, the temperature resistance is higher and the adhesion between layers is stronger. Essential for high-heat areas (near motors in high-power cars) and complex functional parts that require annealing. Enclosed printers and ventilation are required to prevent fumes.
- Nylon (PA6, PA66)/nylon composite material: Superior toughness, flexibility under stress, wear resistance, heat resistance. Premium selection of gears, suspension links, and drivetrain components. Requires high printing temperatures, enclosed chamber, and dry filament.
- Thermoplastic polyurethane: Flexible filament. Crucial for tires, bumpers, suspension links that require articulation. Use a hardness grade suitable for the required load and flexibility (e.g. 95A).
- Printer optimization: For drivetrain gear and chassis components that lie flat, a flat bed, precise extrusion (calibration step E!), precise dimensional alignment and adequate heated bed adhesion cannot be ignored.
- Strength settings:
- filling: Not just percentages! Patterns matter. Helix, Cube, Adaptive Body provide excellent strength to weight ratio. Use higher fill (30-50%) around holes, bearing seats and stressed mounting points. step by step "fill transition" Staying close to a wall builds strength.
- perimeter: Increasing shell/wall thickness (3-4+) significantly improves resistance to bending and impact. For structural rigidity, perimeter width was prioritized over high infill.
- direction: Consider directional forces when printing parts. Parts subjected to tensile/compressive loads should have layers perpendicular to the load axis. Avoid layer lines parallel to stresses. Utilize directional adjustments to minimize critical supports
