These 3D Printed RC Car Wheels Get Crazy Traction!!!

3D printing has become a way of life for many industries, as well as allowing hobbyists access to create items all their own. The perfect niche for 3D printing is the world of radio controlled cars, where the smaller scale of the cars and components lends itself perfectly to the printers, which tend to be somewhat slow, at least at the consumer level, meaning smaller items can be printed quicker. With the initial investment in the printer itself out of the way, the materials to print your own items are reasonably cheap, and the time you invest in designing the item is far cheaper than sourcing that to some design firm that may or may not get it right.

One ideal area to explore 3D printed RC parts is wheels and tires. While most RC tires are either soft rubber or hard foam, this guy decided to try printing his own paddle tires out of a softer plastic that has a little bit of flexibility to it and “mount” them onto his own printed wheels as well. The outer portion simply slides onto the wheel thanks to the accuracy of the printer and offers him the ability to swap out different designs if he wants to down the road.

The new paddle tires do amazingly well in the wet sand, digging in and grabbing far better than the stock rubber tires. The driver was hoping the paddles would do well across the water too, but that doesn’t go quite according to plan. We’d imagine the scoops on the tires grabbing water slowed the wheelspeed a little too much for the RC car to stay up on top of the water, causing it to lose speed and stop. Luckily he had the foresight to waterproof all of the electrical components to keep them safe in the water, meaning his little submarine exercise didn’t end his fun. We’re interested to see if he comes up with a design that does better in the water now!