RC Center of Gravity Tuning (Simplified)

RC buggy with weight mounted high - high center of gravity - HGC

Weight High in car (High Center of Gravity) (HCG)

Transfers more weight (giving the ability to run less total weight, for there is more load on the transfer tire, but takes time for transfer to occur)
The car becomes less predictable
More likely to traction roll
Wheelie more
The transfer of weight is slower to react, making the car less responsive
(In short) Usually only good on low grip, slow speed tracks!!!

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RC buggy with weight mounted low - low center of gravity - LGC - low CG

Weight Low in car (Low Center of Gravity) (LCG)

Less weight transfer (helps equal weight on all tires)
The weight is more predictable to control
Stops traction roll
Stops wheelie
The car is more responsive.
(In short) Good on high grip, high-speed tracks. but at times can be just as good (if not better) on low grip, slow speed tracks if tuned right.

Note… These are some of the reasons, why many RC cars run aluminum chassis and bass parts at bottom of the chassis (low in the car) over carbon fiber. It lowers the Center of Gravity (LCG). Which can many times be more beneficial than just having a lightweight car. You can get similar benefits from just adding weight.

Tips… I find having weight as low as possible in the front, helps to keep the car more predictable and stable. The adjustment of moving weight higher on the car usually has fewer benefits. In the rear, you can get away with having weight a bit higher. This gives the benefit of running less total weight while getting transferred to the outside tire (this is better in lower grip conditions). Generally, it’s still better to get the weight as low as possible (even in low grip conditions) and generate the grip by tuning other parts of the car (even adding weight lower) keeping the car more predictable on the track.

Similar links to RC Center of Gravity Tuning…

murfdogg.com – Chassis Tuning 101

www.onallcylinders.com – Weight Training

rcdriver.com – Tune with Ride Height

www.rcformula1.com.au – Setup Explained (Detailed)

www.axialracing.com – Crawler Setup

This post might be useful for… lcg racing – rc crawler lcg chassis – rc belly dragger chassis – trx4 lcg chassis – rc car suspension tuning guide – slash 4×4 upgrades for racing – rc tuning – rc lcg tuning guide – rc car racing setup tips – rc touring car setup guide – rc short course truck suspension setup – off road rc car setup guide – rc dirt oval suspension setup – rc weight tuning guide – rc weight adjustment – where to place weight on rc car – rc weight – rc setup guide – how to set up an rc car – rc weight transfer tuning guide