How to Maintain Your RC Car Properly (So It Lasts Years) and what to use/avoid!
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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 or a small blower
How to do it:
- Remove battery.
- Blow or brush loose dirt off the chassis.
- Spray Waterless Wash on cloth (not directly on electronics).
- Wipe arms, chassis, shock bodies and wheels.
- 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), Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner diluted 10:1, soft detailing brush set, microfibre towels.
Steps: Remove shell, battery, and wheels. Lightly spray, avoiding motor/ESC directly. Agitate with a soft brush. Rinse with a light mist (never pressure wash). Dry thoroughly and leave 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
Bearings: GT85 (with PTFE), WD-40 Specialist Dry PTFE Lube, or Tri-Flow PTFE Lubricant.
Drivetrains: Moly grease (Halfords), Tamiya Ceramic Grease, or Lucas Red 'N' Tacky #2.
Shocks: Silicone shock oil - 25wt–40wt for MJX bashers, 10wt–20wt for FMS crawlers.
The Big UK No-No List (Avoid These Completely)
❌ Standard WD-40 (blue can) - swells plastics and rubber
❌ 3-in-1 Oil - too thick, attracts dirt
❌ Bike chain lube - sticky, picks up grit
❌ Silicone household spray - contaminates shock seals
❌ Solvents like acetone or brake cleaner - will melt plastics
❌ Pressure washers - destroy bearings
❌ Washing-up liquid - corrosive to metals and bearing grease
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. A dab of blue threadlock (Loctite 243) on metal-to-metal screws works wonders.
5. Battery Care
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. Proper care makes a LiPo last 150–300 cycles instead of 30–50. For more on this, read our full LiPo battery guide.
6. Keep Electronics Dry and Happy
After wet runs, remove the shell and let the car dry overnight. Check servo gears for grit. Ensure ESC fan spins freely. Inspect connectors for corrosion. Never store the car wet - that's how bearings seize.
7. Replace Worn Parts Early
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.
The cars worth maintaining: MJX Hyper Go 16208 | MJX Hyper Go 16207 | FMS FCX24M Crawlers | Full MJX Hyper Go range
Related Reading
- LiPo Batteries Explained: S Numbers, C Ratings, Charging, Storage & Best Practice
- Brushed vs Brushless RC Motors: What's the Real Difference?
- RC Motor Sizes Explained: What Size Numbers like 3650 and KV Ratings Really Mean