How to Maintain Your RC Car Properly (So It Lasts Years) and what to use/avoid!

How to Maintain Your RC Car Properly (So It Lasts Years) and what to use/avoid!

A good RC car isn’t just about top speed - it’s about longevity.


Look after it properly, and a quality hobby-grade truck from MJX or FMS will run for years, not months.

Neglect it, and even the best model will start to feel slow, gritty, and fragile.

The good news is that proper maintenance is simple, inexpensive, and takes just a few minutes after each run. Here’s everything you need to know.

1. Clean Your RC Car After Every Run

Dust, grit, grass and mud are the biggest long-term killers of bearings, motors, and suspension.

Quick Cleaning (After Every Bash)

What to use (UK-available products):

  • Muc-Off Waterless Wash – safe on plastics, great for dust and light grime

  • Autoglym Fast Glass or Interior Cleaner – cheap, safe, non-silicone

  • AF Isoclene Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) – brilliant for metal and drivetrain parts

  • Compressed air canisters (Maplin/Toolstation) or a small blower

How to do it:

  1. Remove battery.

  2. Blow or brush loose dirt off the chassis.

  3. Spray Waterless Wash on cloth (not directly on electronics).

  4. Wipe arms, chassis, shock bodies and wheels.

  5. IPA for metal parts only — it evaporates instantly.

This takes 3–4 minutes and massively extends the life of bearings and joints.

2. Deep Cleaning (After Mud, Water, Grass, Wet Runs)

If you’ve been bashing in wet grass, puddles, or thick mud, do a deeper clean:

What to use (UK-available):

  • Muc-Off Bike Cleaner (pink stuff) – safe on plastics

  • Meguiar’s All Purpose Cleaner diluted 10:1

  • Soft detailing brush set (Amazon/Halfords)

  • Microfibre towels

Steps:

  1. Remove shell, battery, and wheels.

  2. Lightly spray the pink Muc-Off, avoiding motor/ESC directly.

  3. Agitate with a soft brush.

  4. Rinse with a light mist (never pressure wash).

  5. Dry thoroughly with a towel.

  6. Leave the car open to air-dry for at least an hour.

Do not submerge any part of the car — bearings and diffs will be ruined.

3. Lubrication: What to Use & What to Avoid

Proper lubrication keeps your car smooth, quiet and fast.
Use the right products — many household lubricants are disastrous for RC plastics.

Recommended (Safe for Hobby-Grade RC in the UK)

Bearings

  • GT85 (with PTFE) – brilliant for flushing and light lubrication

  • WD-40 Specialist Dry PTFE Lube – great clean-running option

  • Tri-Flow PTFE Lubricant – premium, long-lasting

Drivetrains (dogbones / driveshafts / CVD joints)

  • Moly grease (Halfords)

  • Tamiya Ceramic Grease

  • Lucas Red ‘N’ Tacky #2 (small amount only)

Shocks

  • Silicone shock oil (Team Associated, Core RC, or Tamiya)

    • 25wt–40wt for MJX bashers

    • 10wt–20wt for FMS crawlers

Diffs

  • Silicone diff oil

    • e.g. 5000cst for rear

    • 7000–10,000cst for centre

(Varies per model — I can give exact values for your specific MJX trucks.)

The Big UK No-No List (Avoid These Completely)

These products damage plastics, rubber, bearings or electronics:

❌ Standard WD-40 (blue can) – swells plastics and rubber, strips grease
❌ 3-in-1 Oil – too thick, attracts dirt
❌ Bike chain lube – sticky, picks up grit instantly
❌ Silicone household spray – contaminates shock seals
❌ Solvents like acetone or brake cleaner – will melt plastics
❌ Pressure washers – destroy bearings, force water into diffs
❌ Fairy Liquid / washing-up liquid – corrosive to metals and bearing grease

Stick to RC-safe cleaners and automotive products you know won’t attack plastics.

4. Check Screws & Hardware Regularly

After every few runs:

  • Tighten wheel nuts

  • Check suspension arm screws

  • Check the servo saver

  • Ensure pinion grub screws haven’t loosened

  • Verify motor mount screws are tight

MJX especially uses high-power brushless motors — vibrations loosen hardware over time, which is normal.

A dab of blue threadlock (Loctite 243) on metal-to-metal screws works wonders.

5. Battery Care (This Extends Life More Than Anything)

LiPo battery care is crucial:

  • Store at 3.8V per cell

  • Never leave batteries fully charged for days

  • Never run them completely flat

  • Use a LiPo-safe bag

  • Let them cool before recharging

  • Don’t charge above 1C unless the battery specifically supports it

Proper care makes a LiPo last 150–300 cycles instead of 30–50.

6. Keep Electronics Dry and Happy

Even “water-resistant” electronics don’t like prolonged moisture.

  • After wet runs, remove the shell and let the car dry overnight

  • Check servo gears for grit

  • Ensure ESC fan spins freely

  • Inspect connectors (Deans/XT60/PH2.0 etc.) for corrosion

  • Add CorrosionX (safe for electronics) if you bash in UK winter wetness

Never store the car wet — that’s how bearings seize.

7. Replace Worn Parts Early

Small issues lead to big issues:

  • Crunchy bearings → kill efficiency

  • Bent driveshafts → destroy diffs

  • Cracked arms → fail on the next jump

  • Worn tyres → ruin handling

MJX and FMS parts are cheap — replacing things early saves money long-term.

Final Thoughts: Look After It, and It’ll Last Years

Hobby-grade RC cars like the ones we stock at The Truck Monster are designed to be maintained, repaired and enjoyed for a long time. With the right cleaning, lubrication and battery care, an MJX or FMS truck can last years of hard UK bashing, not weeks.

A few minutes after each run is all it takes to keep performance sharp and prevent expensive wear.

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