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What Is a Gyro Receiver? What Does It Do For RC Drift Cars?

What Is a Gyro Receiver? What Does It Do For RC Drift Cars?

If you have tried to drift with your RC car, you will realize how difficult it can be without having a steering aid. As a beginner trying to drift, the RC car will spin a lot, which can be difficult to control. So, what is the solution to stop an RC car from spinning when drifting?

A gyro receiver is a device that uses software algorithms and a gyro sensor to stabilize the steering, giving you a more balanced and controlled RC car driving experience. When you use a gyro receiver with an RC car when drifting, it keeps the car from spinning and makes it easier to control.

Every enthusiastic RC car owner owns a gyro receiver. However, owning a gyro receiver is not compulsory; it is not a necessary accessory if your RC car is not for aggressive riding.

gyro receiver from amazon

What Is a Gyro Receiver?

As stated earlier, a gyro receiver is a device that maintains the balance of your RC car. Controlling the steering of an RC car can be difficult when you are just starting; with a gyro receiver, you have better control of the car. Even expert RC car operators use gyro receivers to stabilize the car steering.

A gyro receiver controls the counter-steering of your RC car; that is what makes the car balanced and easy to control. When operating an RC car, you control the throttle and steering to move in the direction you want. However, it is not as easy as it looks.

It takes a lot of practice and runs to steer an RC car perfectly, and even with the skill, you may still need a gyro receiver if you want to run the RC car over rough terrains. Keeping the front and rear side of the RC car balanced during a run can be difficult, so the car spins while operating it.

A gyro receiver stops the RC car from spinning by making adjustments to its steering so it can move in the direction you want it to. The more throttle you give, the greater the disbalance between the front and rear of the car; the gyro receiver counter steers the RC car.

The gyro receiver keeps the RC car's tires aligned in the direction you choose; regardless of the track traction and external force, the gyro precisely maintains the direction you set the car to move in. With a gyro receiver, it is easier to maneuver the RC car in any direction you choose.

However, some people claim that using a gyro receiver does not improve your RC car driving skills.

How Do RC Drift Gyros Work?

Many people are unaware of the fact that RC cars can drift as well as full-size cars. There are drift RC cars manufactured to drift; however, an RC car can drift on a specific type of track. The good thing about RC cars is that they are designed with room for modifications and upgrades. So, if you feel a part of your RC car is underperforming, you can modify or upgrade it.

Drifting with an RC car is a lot of fun when you have the right settings and calibration, and the operator is experienced. Nevertheless, you still require a lot of practice to become good at RC car drifting.

Gyros were originally designed for RC helicopters to stabilize them during flight and keep them from spinning. However, some clever people discovered that a gyro receiver could also be used to make handling an RC car easy. So, a gyro receiver is used to keep the RC car from going left and right uncontrollably.

The drift gyro is set up between the electronic speed controller (ESC) and the steering servo of the RC car. And the drift gyro balances the steering of the car so it does not spin uncontrollably. The drift gyro sensors detect when the car's rear is going out of control and counter-steer it to stop it from spinning.

When you are operating an RC car, and you want to drift, if you steer the car to the right, the car's rear has to move towards the left. However, due res' traction makes it difficult for the car to control the turning. So, this is where you need a drift gyro to counter the steering.

How Do You Hook Up A Gyro To An RC Car?

If you want to use your RC car to drift, you should consider purchasing and installing a gyro. A gyro gives your RC car stability when in angles and controls your steering when drifting. Here is how you can hook up a gyro to your RC car.

Before hooking up the gyro to the RC car, you need to set and calibrate it. If you do not set the gyro first, your RC car will not perform the way you expect it to perform, and you would have a hard time controlling it. Ensure you purchase and use a gyro with three channels, channel #1 for the servo, channel #2 for the ESC, and channel #3 for power.

Different gyros have different connectors, but all gyros have three connectors. So, you would need to connect the three wires to the channels first. Ensure you align the wires correctly, match the wire colors accurately.

Some gyros have two switches for different modes. The left switch turns on the digital servo, and the right switch is for direction. Ensure you keep the delay knob at zero and set the limiter to 60.

graph on how to connect gyro

Depending on the type of transmitter you have, go to the EPA setting and set the aux channel to a minimum of 15 percent or 10 percent or 7 percent. Set it to Light Off for other transmitters, this is stability mode, and Light On is headlock mode. You need stability to drift.

After setting the gyro and the transmitter accurately, you can now hook it up to the RC car. First, you have to remove the upper part of the RC car and install the gyro in the best location. You must not hook the gyro to any location on the car; you need to hook it to a place with less vibration.

It could be at the front for some RC cars, and for uld be at the rear for others. The orientation of the gyro does not affect its performance, but you should hook it to a flat surface. Most gyros do not come with anything to hold it down, so you can use a zip tie or duct tape to hold it down securely. After hooking the gyro to the RC car, replace the upper part and go for a test run.

How To Turn An RC Car To A Drift Car

Many people have wondered if they can upgrade their regular RC car into a drift car without purchasing a new drift car. Yes, you can upgrade it. All you need to do is to purchase some modifications.

Body Parts

Drift cars are designed differently from regular RC cars so that they can drift well without difficulty. You need to purchase a modified drift body part for your RC car.

Tires And Wheels

Drift car tires are very different from regular RC car tires. RC car tires are mainly all-terrain tires, but drift car tires are specifically for drifting. Check for the best-fitting drift tires for your RC car.

Other important upgrades you need to make are chassis, motor, and suspension. If you can make these necessary upgrades and turn your RC car into a drift car, you would not need a gyro anymore.

Final Thoughts

If you have seen real cars drifting, you will know how good it feels to drift with an RC car. There are three options if you want to drift with an RC car; purchase a drift car, upgrade your regular RC car into a drift car, or use a gyro with the regular RC car.

The second option can be the most expensive because finding the right parts can be difficult. Regardless of the option you pick, you can still have a great time drifting with an RC car.