3D Printed RC Car

I am a student at Collyer's, Horsham, West Sussex

I am passionate about designing and assembling various projects, and I'm excited to stretch my diesign and CAD skills while participating in this design challenge. My goal is to create a unique and intricate design that incorporates multiple components and harnesses the properties of different materials. I plan to leverage the capabilities of 3D printing in the majority of the fabrication process, making the project both innovative and complex in terms of design.

I chose an RC car because it offers a perfect canvas for implementing my design ideas and pushing the boundaries of my CAD design and fabrication skills skills. The world of remote-controlled vehicles provides an exciting platform for experimentation and combining mechanical and electrical elements. By designing an RC car I can explore the design ideas to design and construct as many parts of the car as possible, replacing off the shelf components such as suspension with my own 3D printed solution. This project will not only challenge my design skills but also allow me to delve deeper into the complexities of and various phases of creating a functional product.

Filament:

• PLA or PETG (or any other rigid material, these are the ones that I would suggest)
• TPU (Flexible filament for tyres and suspension parts)

Electronic components:

• Motor (457RE385)
• Speed controller (DumboRC 10A ESC)
• Battery (7.4v 650mA)
• Receiver and transmitter (X6FG)
• Servo (PS-1171MG)

Screws:

• Nearly all the screws are M3 screws so I will specify if it is not
• 4x 8mm
• 19x 10mm
• 12x 16mm
• 8x 22mm
• 2x 25mm
• 4x 30mm
• 4x 40mm
• 4x nylon locking nut
• 8x M2.5 5mm Grub screw
• 8x M2.5 nut

Other:

• 3mm Steel Rod (At least 50mm, 25mm each)
• 9x 623ZZ bearings

First attach the servo to the servo mount using two 10mm screws. You will need to edit/adjust the servo bracket to the size of the servo that you want to use unless you have the same size one as me (PS-1171MG). Next attached the servo arm to the servo, you can print your own one or use the one that comes with the servo, either way you will need to use the original screw to fix the arm securely to the servo itself.

First make sure that the arms can rotate around the screws freely on both ends of both arms, if not use a file to ensure free movement of the steering arms. Next screw the two arms to the centre arm but do not tighten, leave enough space for the arms to move freely around the 10mm M3 screws. Then attach the centre part to the servo arm using a 10mm screw, you might need to enlarge the hole in the middle a bit so it can move freely.

Start by putting the bearings into the holes and then put a 30mm screw through the middle, then put a washer on and screw the wheel on. After that you can screw on a nylon locking nut to stop the wheel from coming off.

Start by making sure all of the pieces fit together smoothly and do can move freely, if not you can sand them down until there is free movement of the wishbones. Then screw the both the top and bottom wishbone to the steering bracket using 22mm screws. When you have done that make sure the flexible suspension piece is in the correct orientation with the thickest part at the bottom then screw the suspension piece to the wishbone using 18mm screws.

Screw the wheel to the steering bracket to the wheel connector this should be able to move freely. Use 8mm screws for the top and bottom

First make sure that everything can move freely, if it there is some resistance sand or file the relevant parts until they are able to move with ease. Most of the rest of the stuff in this step it does not matter what order you do it in so just do it in the order that you find easiest. Screw the suspension to the front section using 16mm screws then screw on the top wishbones using 30mm screws. Screw the front section to the base using 22mm screws then screw the bottom wishbones to the base using the 40mm screws.

Screw the servo to the base using 10mm screws. Now screw the steering arms to the wheel connector using 10mm screws making sure that there is enough room for the arm to move up and down a little bit. Now you have finished the front!

Take one half of the drive shaft and push both halves of the pin through. Now do this for the other side, they should just stay in place because it is pretty tight.

Cut a 3mm steel rod to 23mm and push the gear on the end. Then put in the M2.5 nut in the gear and screw it in with the M2.5 5mm grub screw so it is tight and the gear doesn't go anywhere. After the gear put one washer, then the long washer, then two washers and finally a bearing. Position this in the gearbox so when you put on the gearbox connector it is not too tight. Now secure the gearbox connector to the rod in the same way as the first gear.

Put a bearing in the gear with the hole for the bearing, then screw the gear the gear arm using 8mm screws making sure that it can spin freely. Attach another one of the same gears to the same length rod and screw it down. then put a washer, then the large gear with a bearing in it then another washer and now do the same thing for the gearbox connector so it is not to tight. After the small gear is in the big gear you need to put the gear arm into the large gear making sure that the gears are lined up.

First push the gear onto the motor if it to hard you can hit the small part of the shaft that is sticking out the back of the motor so you don't damage the motor itself. If you are sing the same motor as me (457RE385) you can just screw down two corners to the motor mount using 10mm screws and then screw down the other two corners to the base using 16mm screws. If not you can edit the file to fit your motor.

Screw the bottom of the gearbox to the base with 10mm screws, put all the gears in then screw down the other two corners of the motor to the base using 16mm screws. When putting the gears in it is important that the gear that is not attached is lined up in the middle properly.

Screw the top back wishbone to the top of the gear box using an 18mm screw, then screw both ends of the suspension to the wishbone and top of the gearbox housing using 16mm screws. Then screw the bottom wishbone to the base using a 40mm screw and the wheel holder to the bottom wishbone using a 25mm screw. Put an 18mm screw through the wheel connector.

There are three things that you need to lubricate, I used lithium grease and it worked well.

You need to lubricate the drive shaft ends, wheel connector and all of gears inside of the gearbox.

I found the easiest way to do it was by spraying the grease in a pot and wiping it on the parts with a piece of card.

Put the wheel connector in the wheel holder and then put the wheel on the wheel connector and use a nylon locking nut to secure it, then put the drive shaft in place and screw the top wishbone to the wheel holder using a 16mm screw.

Because you are probably using different components to me I will do a short guide of how to secure the components.

All you need to do is measure the width of the component and add at least 3mm and that is the length of the line that is needed then you can screw in screws that are about the right height and put a rubber band over the top.

You can edit the sketch that says EDIT THIS... to change the placement of the holes.

Now you can drive you 3D printed RC car around and this is a video of the one that I made.