A beginner's guide to starting RC Drifting (Ver. 2024)
So you wanna start RC drifting?
RC drifting has become increasingly popular over the last decade and with new tracks and shops popping up all over the country almost every day now it seems, it's a great time to get into the hobby and we're here to make sure you get all the proper information to get started right. Before you make any decisions on picking up your first car or chassis kit, read through this blog post because there will be plenty of valuable information for you and if you have any other questions after feel free to hit up our social medias. We're here to help!
The first debate..... All Wheel Drive vs. Rear Wheel Drive
Back in the day the RC "drifting" scene used to be about buying any AWD touring car you could get your hands on, throwing plastic tires on it and calling it a day but these days RC drifting has progressed to RWD only for ultra drifting realism scaled down from their real life drifting counterparts. Most serious tracks, including ours, won't even let you on with an AWD car these days so the clear choice to start your RC drifting journey will definitely be a RWD chassis as most people don’t even consider AWD drifting “drifting” anymore.
Now there are RWD conversions for some AWD cars. Most notably the Yeah Racing conversions for the HPI Sprint 2 and the Tamiya TT-02 come to mind but from our personal observations these conversions can be very finicky and difficult for beginners to set up as well as limited parts availability left these days for these chassis. That's not to say that you can't have a successful performing RWD converted AWD chassis and I have also seen a lot of well-driving frankenstein conversions but this is not something easily tackled by a beginner RC drifter.
If you are just starting out, I would highly suggest starting out with something RWD specific. The AWD conversions are something you can venture into after you have your bearings with RWD RC drifting, setting up and tuning your own car and have collected some spare parts to use along the way. So with all that said we can start talking about where you need to start.
The Basic Components of an RC Drift Car
- Chassis
- Electronic Speed Controller (or more commonly known as "ESC")
- Motor
- Servo
- Gyro
- Transmitter / Receiver
- Batteries and Charger
Chassis
This is the rolling frame that all your electronic components will be installed into in order to make a running RC car. Chassis kits are sold without any electronic components and you must buy all of those separately to add to your chassis in order to make it a working RC car.
Your chassis typically consists of:
- A lower chassis plate (usually plastic on the entry-level kits or carbon fiber on the higher end kits but also aluminum on some current chassis kits)
- Sometimes an upper chassis plate (typically plastic or carbon fiber)
- Control arms (front and rear)
- A gearbox (houses the drive gears, differential and rear axles)
- A steering system in the front and
- Shocks (can be plastic on the entry-level kits or aluminum high grade shocks on the high end kits)
ESC
Your ESC is like the ECU on your car. It controls the motor functions forward and reverse as well as power output to the motor. There are brushed, brushless and sensored brushless ESCs that will need to have the correct motor matched with it. I will get into motors in a second but for RC drifting we are typically using Sensored Brushless ESCs.
On the lower end ESCs you may have some tunable settings such as braking force and punch which will give you some more power as soon as you hit the throttle but your higher end Sensored Brushless ESCs will have more settings like Timing, Boost and Turbo just like a real car that will give you even more tunable power to use that you can dial in where and when you want it as well as many other adjustable features that will help you set your car up exactly how you want it. ESCs can be tuned through program cards but some can be adjusted through WiFi or Bluetooth modules that connect to apps on your phone.
The Acuvance and Sanwa stuff can even be tuned directly on your remote as well as display live telemetry data such as RPMs, temperatures (ESC and/or motor) and battery voltage right on your screen. They can get really advanced and convenient to tune depending on what you decide to get.
Motor
Just like a real car, your motor is the lifeblood to making your car GO and there are many options from brushed to brushless and sensored brushless motors so carefully pick a motor based on your needs and driving preferences.
Brushed motors are very affordable and are a popular choice included with many ready-to-run cars. They can be easily identified by the two power wires on them and include two electrical brushes that make contact with a rotor in the center, causing it to spin. Over time, these brushes wear down. Some brushed motors have replacement brushes available but most brushed motors included with ready-to-runs are as good as garbage once their brushes wear out. A replacement brushed motor can be very cheap but most would take this opportunity to upgrade to a brushless setup.
Brushless motors are just that. They don't feature the brushes that brushed motors have, making them last much longer with less maintenance required. They can be identified by the three wires or terminals labeled A, B, and C and typically have more power than brushed motors coupled with a brushless ESC. There are sensored and non-sensored brushless motors.
Sensored brushless motors have sensors that detect the position of the rotor that spins inside whereas non-sensored motors do not. At low speeds, non-sensored motors can feel notchy or do what’s known as “cogging” as the magnets in the rotor line up with the stator and struggle to move to the next position. Sensored motors typically experience less cogging as they have sensors to detect the position of the rotor and stator which is important for drifting as it is mostly done in the low throttle areas.
A lot of sensored brushless motors have adjustable timing on the back of the motor so just like your ESC, you can use it to adjust the overall power of the motor even if you can't adjust it on the ESC. However just like a real car, more power equals more RPMS, more heat and more wear and tear on the motor and ESC so tune responsibly.
Both brushed and brushless motors are rated in Kv (RPMs per volt) or more commonly by turns or T (ex. 10.5T or 10.5 turns). The higher the Kv and lower the turns, the faster the motor will spin on average. The lower the Kv and higher the turns, the more torque the motor will make and will usually have a bit more controllable throttle range at the cost of total RPMs.
On top of turn count there are also torque and RPM specialized motors such as the Yokomo DX1 Type-R for RPMS, Type-T for torque and the optional Acuvance and Hobby Wing torque and RPM rotors for their motors so you can adjust the motor feeling to your personal preference. For RC drifting, the usual preference is Sensored Brushless motors for that low throttle smoothness with 10.5 turns to 13.5 turns although some people use motors outside of these turn ratings. It all comes down to personal preference.
Servo
The servo is what physically connects to your chassis in order to steer the front wheels. There are super high speed servos, slow servos, plastic body servos, full aluminum servos, anodized colored servos you name it. Servo choice is wide and far. In drifting, the servos we're using are typically a bit on the slower side in order to keep the drift smooth and steady.
Most drift specific servos are also programmable which means just like the ESC, there are settings such as speed and torque on the servo that you can adjust with program cards, PC programs or again, directly through your remote with the Futaba and Sanwa servos, that will change how it performs and reacts. All those settings can be overwhelming to adjust for beginners so it's usually best to keep the settings stock until you get a hold of what everything does and how it changes the feeling of the car before you start changing anything. Your servo will plug into a gyro which I will explain next.
Gyro
The gyro aids in countersteering the car during a drift and is what makes RWD RC drifting possible. Even if you aren't new to RC cars you may be new to gyros. Without a gyro on a RWD drift car it would be almost humanly impossible to countersteer correctly to keep a smooth drift going so gyros are required for our RWD drift cars to keep the car going on the right path. If you swing the back of the car out with your hand, you’ll see the front wheels automatically steer the opposite way. This is how the gyro works by detecting the movement of the car and automatically steering the wheels in order to keep the drift going while still allowing for some driver input so don’t think the gyro is just doing all the driving for you.
Each gyro has an adjustable amount of sensitivity called Gain. The higher the gain, the smoother your drift becomes but the less responsive your steering inputs become and the car can start to feel heavy and slow to react at super high gain levels. Higher gain can also cause some wobbling and shaking in the front wheels as you drive with some servo/gyro combos known as Hunting. The lower your gain is, the faster you can steer and the more responsive your car will feel but set it too low and you won't be able to control your car and it will spin out a lot. Finding the perfect gain is something that you will figure out yourself after playing with it in order to find a gain percentage you like best. Most gyros will have a physical on-board dial to adjust gain as well as a plug that goes to your receiver that allows you to control the gain directly through your remote if your remote is capable. Some gyros even have different modes and settings that can be adjusted to further refine the gyro feel to your own personal liking.
Your best gyros will also have endpoint settings. By setting your endpoints on your gyro, your gyro will know the physical limits of your steering system and won’t try to steer over the points that you set. Without endpoints, your gyro is capable of steering past what your servo and remote endpoints are set to while you drift and can damage your servo or chassis so finding a gyro with settable endpoints is an important factor when choosing a gyro.
Transmitter
The remote or “transmitter” is your connection to your car. You want your car to do what you want, when you want it to and your transmitter is the first link you have to your car. A low end remote with slow response and a tacky feeling can make you feel separated from your car and ruin the driving experience for you. Not only do you want a remote with good response but you want something that’s gonna be comfortable in your hands because you’ll probably be holding this remote for hours on end. The higher end remotes usually have multiple grip sizes to fit all size hands and adjustable steering wheels and triggers that put everything right where you want it to be so you can drive your car for hours on end without getting fatigued. The top tier remotes even have reversible wheel positions for all you lefties. Also like I previously mentioned, a transmitter that is capable of assigning your channel 3 to a switch or dial will be able to control your gyro gain remotely which will be a vital part in getting your car dialed into how you want it to drive.
Most new transmitters will come with a pre-bound Receiver. The receiver is what stays on the car and “receives” the signal from the remote to send to the ESC, servo and gyro that plug into it. Any extra open ports after that can be used to power light kits or fans. Another great feature about upgrading past your basic ready-to-run remote is that if you decide to get another drift car or if you have previous RC cars already, you can buy spare receivers for those cars to use them all on the same remote as most higher end remotes have multiple model memory that you can assign each car to and switch between all on one remote.
Batteries and Chargers
Batteries
I will try to briefly go over batteries and chargers. Your basic ready-to-run cars like the Yokomo Rookie RTR will come with a basic Nickel Metal chemistry battery but most high performace RC drift cars will be using a battery chemistry of Lithium Polymer or more commonly known as LiPo in the RC industry. You may see LiHV batteries but they are also considered Lithium Polymer that can just be charged to a slightly higher voltage than a regular LiPo. Each single battery will have one or more individual battery cells within it. Single cell batteries considered 1S, two cell batteries considered 2S, three cell as 3S and so on. Most of our drift ESCs will only be compatible with 1-3S batteries with most of us using 2S for optimal power and controllability.
There are two main sizes of LiPo batteries. Commonly used in the RC world are the long stick pack batteries known for their long length. These typically have longer runtimes and overall capacity but usually weigh a lot and aren't preferred for RC drifting performance-wise but will get you started if that's all you have. Most commonly used in RC drifting is the shorty size pack. These packs are smaller, light weight and higher performance typically than the stick packs at a cost of capacity and runtime.
LiPo batteries also have a C rating which is a rating for discharging and sometimes listed for charging the battery. The higher the C rating, the more power is available all at once to pull from the pack so you can never have too high of a C rating. Higher C rated batteries are great for those boost and turbo ESCs that require a lot of power to be pulled from the battery on demand. Some batteries will have a charging C rating. I have mostly seen 2C charge ratings if it is listed. This means the battery is rated to be able to charge at twice the "safe" 1C charging amperage for faster charging and more punch and power in the battery but do so at your own risk. Here at RG our preferred battery comes from our sponsor Gens Ace with their Redline 2.0 series 4200mah 140C LiHV shorty pack for its light weight, small size and high performance.
Chargers
Most available RC battery chargers are compatible with whatever battery chemistry you're using but you’ll typically be looking for a charger that will be compatible with NiMH and LiPo battery packs. Multi-cell batteries require a balance wire to be plugged in while charging in order to "balance charge" all the cells at the same rate and voltage safely so make sure you're getting a balance charger. A charger with an adjustable charging amperage can help you charge your batteries in a timely fashion but 1C is usually the most common "safe" charging rate. Ex. 4000mah battery @4 amps,, 6500mah battery @6.5 amps etc. 2C would be double this Ex. 4000mah @8 amps but again charge at 2C at your own risk.
Now that you understand all the components of an RC drift car, there are two paths that I want to discuss next when choosing your first RC drift car. Building your own chassis kit or buying a ready-to-run.
Should I build my own chassis or get an RTR?
The first thing you should consider before anything is what your starting budget for RC drifting will be. A basic builder's chassis kit can cost around $900-$1000 after electronics to get you going with the more advanced carbon/aluminum chassis kits and higher end electronics systems costing more. Ready-to-run kits start at around $360 so take this into consideration before buying. If your budget is any less than this then you will end up cutting costs in places that really aren't worth trying to save money in or buying used which I will discuss in a second so if your budget is any tighter than this, I would suggest you try to save a bit more to get into RC drifting the right way. It will save you hassles and headaches further down the road.
Chassis Kit
We usually recommend putting your own car together if you're mechanically inclined, are good at following instructions and can solder but I have even built cars for customers before for a fee and they still end up with an awesome car that is leaps and bounds better than any out of the box ready-to-run they could buy. Building your own car is a great way to get to know your machine and how everything goes together though. That way you know how to pull it apart and fix things if something happens to break later on or you need to perform some maintenance work.
If you've ever built a LEGO set then building your own chassis kit shouldn't be too bad. Each bag of parts is labeled and each step will have you go bag by bag, building each part of the car until you have a rolling frame ready for your electronics to be installed. There's a sense of accomplishment you get by taking a box of loose parts and building it into your very own working RC car that makes building your own car part of the fun of the hobby.
This route will cost more up front but in reality you're getting a much better car than an RTR by building your own chassis with your own choice of electronics and even saving some money in the long run compared to if you bought an RTR and upgraded all the electronics on it. Our most endorsed chassis kits to start with here at Rolling Garage are the Yokomo kits that are great on their own or can serve as a base to use for a chassis conversion kit to take your car from box stock to competition ready. Here is a blog post overviewing all the RWD Yokomo drift kits: Yokomo Drift Chassis Overview
Ready-To-Run
Although we do recommend building your own car, not everyone is savvy enough with a set of drivers and a soldering iron to be able to put together their own car correctly and a ready-to-run car out of the box straight from the manufacture can perform better than a car someone built themselves wrong as well as an RTR coming in at a much lower price point than building your own car so an RTR is not a bad choice for a complete beginner.
As you pick and choose parts to upgrade here and there there's still the satisfaction of taking your stock RTR and watching it grow into a hopped up drift beast. As I explained with the chassis kit route though if you do end up upgrading most parts on the car, which most who start off with an RTR and get serious into the hobby do, you would have saved a bit of money buying a high end chassis kit to build from the start as after upgrading an RTR, you'll have a lot of parts and electronics left over that you paid for that you aren't using anymore so your willingness to get serious about RC drifting is something to consider before deciding on building your own car and buying an RTR.
Should I buy new or used?
Starting new is obviously the best choice as you know you're getting new condition equipment which can be especially important when it comes to electronics which most of your RC drift car consists of but we know that's not always a viable option for everyone's budget. Now there's nothing wrong with buying used and sometimes you can find some screaming deals on some great high quality equipment on the used market as long as you know exactly what you're getting, the capabilities of the car you’re looking at and that most used cars are sold as is with no warranties on electronics that could potentially fail as soon as the car is yours.
Before buying any used cars I would urge you to read completely through this post as you might find some identifying info on the car or electronics you're looking at and whether or not it's worth your time and hard earned money. Sometimes people put their cars up for sale because they couldn't figure it out themselves and you might not be able to either or it might cost more than it's worth to get it running right or maybe it's an outdated car. We have seen more than our fair share of cars come into the shop straight off Facebook marketplace with parts put on backwards, upside down, in the wrong place, broken, electronics that don't suit RC drifting at all or cars that just straight up aren't worth the time and money you'll have to put into them in order to start having some real fun with the hobby. I will leave out some electronics from this for the sake of article length and availability of them that are reputable and known to work well in the RC drift scene but if the car you're looking at has anything on it outside of what I've decided to list, it's probably not drift specific equipment and there's a chance that it's not gonna work well for drifting. With all that said, there are definitely some things to consider before starting with the used path.
On the topic of used stuff, you may be tempted to build your drift car with spare electronics from your crawlers or bashers and I will tell you that this is usually a bad idea. RC drift cars use fairly specific electronics and servos from other cars may be too fast or jittery and ESCs and motors may not be smooth or may only be set to forward and reverse or forward and brake with no reverse. It will definitely be worth building your drift car with drifting-specific electronics instead of using what you have left over from your other RC cars. Same goes with buying a used car. Watch out for those cars built with non-drift electronics.
If you are set on buying everything new, make sure you consider the cost of everything as most of this stuff can be quite a bit more pricey than finding something used and factor that into your total budget for buying your first drift car. We do usually recommend you try to get the best that you can right from the start. "Buy Once, Cry Once" is what we always say. That way you don't end up double spending if you decide that you need to upgrade later on but that's not always the best choice especially for someone just starting out and everyone has their limits as far as budget goes so start wherever you can and I'll list some stuff in the entry level, mid-level and top of the line areas that we can recommend as well as prices so that you can get an idea of what your budget will have to be.
Ready-To-Run
Based off the Rookie Drift RD1.0 chassis kit. Comes with brushed motor/ESC, basic gyro, analog servo, transmitter, NiMh battery and charger and pre-painted A90 Supra or GR86 body with body posts included. Throw 4 AA batteries in your remote, charge up the included battery and go making this a true Ready-To-Run package! Based off the YD-2 platform with wide aftermarket support, good parts availability which offers a lot of room to grow with the chassis and a great put of the box alignment. Features plastic non-oil filled shocks and an open oil filled gear differential.
MST RMX 2.0/2.5 RTR - $400
RMX 2.5 RTR
This highly successful RTR, comes with a wide variety of high quality pre-painted Tamiya/MST body shells without pre-drilled body post holes that are ready for stealth body mounting systems, comes in brushed/brushless motor variants, analog servo and basic transmitter, newer RTR kits feature the MGX gyro (better than older LSDX), 2.5 features updated better transmission gears over the 2.0s along with inline servo and factory included rear ESC mount for more rear weight and more rear traction, oil-filled shocks, locked spool differential and a good out of the box alignment. RMX upgrades and replacements seem harder to find than Yokomo variants, battery and charger not included which leads to an added starting cost but leaves an opportunity to go with a quality LiPo right from the start.
Team Associated DC10 RTR - $430/$490
Team Associated’s entry into the RWD drift ready to run market. Based on the carbon/aluminum DC10 competition chassis kit with parts changed to FRP and plastic such as the chassis plates, oil filled shocks and knuckles. Brushless Reedy ESC and motor, servo and gyro. Lacking some of the included spare parts to covert to high motor/rear battery layout, out of the box alignment leaves a bit to be desired. Comes with pre-painted blue Hoonicorn body and either no battery/charger or included Lipo and Lipo charger bundle.
Redcat RDS RTR - $400
One of the first U.S. based RC brands to step into the RWD RC drifting market. Comes with one of two different color Nissan-inspired unlicensed bodies with a proprietary stealth mounting system, brushless motor, digital servo, drift specific gyro and basic transmitter. Battery and charger not included which leads to an added starting cost but leaves an opportunity to go with a quality LiPo right from the start. Some Yokomo/Reve D compatibility but limited Redcat aftermarket part support can lead users to some retrofitting which can cause issues in chassis performance.
Traxxas 4-Tec Drift RWD RTR - $330
Traxxas' first venture into RWD RC drifting. Based on the 4-Tec AWD chassis with RWD specific front end components, comes with licensed Ford Mustang bodies in 6 different colors with a proprietary clipless body mounting system, brushed motor, digital servo and a basic transmitter. Controlled through the Traxxas Stability Management system which can provide assistance to beginner drivers. No battery or charger included (Reccommend Traxxas-specific 2-cell battery and charger) Limited 60 degree steering angle out of the box compared to most other RWD drift chassis. Traxxas' limited knowledge of RWD drifting may be the car's downfall
Chassis Kits
Entry Level
Yokomo Rookie Drift RD1.0 - $258
Essentially the Yokomo YD-2Z, the YD-2 platform is great to start with, tons of room to grow as everything is plastic with a huge aftermarket support, lots of adjustability out of the box
Yokomo Rookie Drift RD2.0 - $218
Successor to the Yokomo Rookie Drift 1.0. Competitively priced, great performing out of the box, tons of room to grow as everything is plastic with a huge aftermarket support, lots of adjustability out of the box, competitive rear biased weight distribution layout with included rear ESC mount and capable of rear mounted servo with parts sold separately
Reve D’s offering for a beginner chassis, solid spool differential and fixed suspension links makes the build quick and easy but leaves little room for personal adjustments, rear ESC and rear servo gives competitive rear-biased weight distribution, long term list of Reve D upgrade parts planned and growing aftermarket support from many different companies
MST RMX 2.0/2.5 Chassis Kit - $120 Classic kit / $210 S Chassis kit
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| RMX 2.5 |
Great quality all plastic chassis kit, classic chassis kits offer a budget friendly RTR-spec chassis with an opportunity to use quality electronics from the start, limited adjustability with the classic chassis kit that has fixed links that leaves little room for error in suspension alignment which makes it great for beginner builders, classic kits feature locked spools while the S chassis kits feature included ball differentials, 2.0 bevel style gear system can often fail under lots of boost and turbo, 2.5 has better revised gear system, upgrade parts and even stock replacement parts can be increasingly hard to find without looking overseas, limited aftermarket support.
MST FXX 2.0 S - $200
Front motor chassis that usually isn't as competitively performing as the mid-motor rear weight biased chassis without wide tuning and setup knowledge, lack of available replacement and upgrade parts currently available
3Racing Sakura D5RR/D5MR - $130
Budget fiberglass chassis, rear motor (RR) or mid motor (MR) layout, can be decent performing with some tuning, low quality parts that can have lots of play and slop, most replacement and upgrade parts will have to be shipped from overseas.
Redcat RDS Chassis Kit - $200
Decent bang for your buck carbon chassis with aluminum bodied shocks. Compatible with a few YD-2 style parts. Few Redcat branded upgrades and limited aftermarket support that leaves many looking to Yokomo/Reve D for upgrade parts to retrofit. Very low quality ball cups and studs resulting in a need to upgrade right out of the box. Very easy for beginners with little knowledge of gyro endpoints to strip factory plastic servo horn, resulting in a need to upgrade to Redcat specific aluminum servo horn.
Mid-Level
Based on the SD 1.0 chassis, a high mounted battery and motor helps transfer the load and shift its weight like a real car. Included plastic oil shocks, aluminum front and rear hubs and revised front suspension geometry for weight shift drifting
Yokomo SD2.0 - $698
Carbon fiber chassis, rear servo with lots of rear biased weight for a current competitive chassis layout, aluminum big bore shocks, adjustable aluminum front axle included, utilizes YD-2 hop up parts.
Yokomo SD3.0 - $750
Yokomo’s new mid-level competition chassis. Carbon fiber chassis, mid servo for rear grip and balance, aluminum big bore shocks, adjustable aluminum front axle included, utilizes YD-2 hop up parts.
MST RMX EX GT - $450
Newest competition grade RMX. Carbon fiber chassis, aluminum shocks, still room left for hop up parts, rearward battery for more rear weight bias.
Usukani NGE - $360
Carbon fiber chassis, direct steering system for reduced slop in the steering, aluminum shocks, some replacement parts and upgrades often get sourced from Yokomo.
D-Like LP-86 - $140
Newly designed chassis meant to mimic the driving and handling characteristics of the Toyota AE86 on a budget. Basic chassis with limited tuning and features. Certain build aspects may be overlooked by beginners looking for the desired driving effects, putting this in a mid-level chassis tier. Illegal for use in some competition so just meant as a novelty chassis.
Team Associated DC10 - $300
Top Tier
Yokomo MD1.0 - $990
Top tier carbon fiber chassis kit from Yokomo, aluminum big bore shocks, carbon fiber lower arms, few parts left to upgrade to full hop up, optional 4 gear gearbox and inline battery conversions available to further tune chassis to personal driving style, only compatible with low profile Yokomo sized servos
Yokomo MD1.0 LTS - $1,060
MD1.0 LTS (Master Drift1.0 Load Transfer Special) $1,060: A high center of gravity twist on a Yokomo top tier chassis. Full carbon fiber chassis and lower arms, big bore shocks, lightweight slide rack steering system and includes 3 gear quick change differential case with optional 4 gear gearbox conversion available. Includes LTS-specific high front upper arm mount, high mount aluminum front knuckles and high battery mount. Compatible with short Li-Po battery packs only.
Yokomo MD2.0 - $1,150
Current top tier carbon fiber chassis kit from Yokomo, aluminum big bore shocks, aluminum front upper arms, carbon fiber lower arms, very little parts left to upgrade to full hop up. 3/4 gear quick change gearbox and rear mounted servo for a competitive layout.
Overdose Galm - $410:
Carbon fiber chassis kit offering from Japanese company, Overdose. Aluminum shocks, plastic suspension arms and slide rack steering system. Lots of upgrades needed to get to full option, upgrade parts can be hard to find in stock and considered a bit on the pricier side but quality is very high, very tunable after getting the Overdose option parts
MST RMX 3.0 KMW - $1,100:
Top tier RMX, fully hopped up carbon and aluminum chassis, utilizes MST's 2.5 straight cut differential gears, very limited 1/300 production and is not available brand new anymore so it is only available on the secondary market
ESC
Entry Level
Yokomo BL-SP4 - $155
Yokomo entry level sensored brushless ESC, has boost and turbo functions, no fan so power moderation is necessary to prevent overheating, tuneable through Yokomo’s WiFi module, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, phase swap A to C for clean wiring, pre-soldered wires with bullets connectors suitable for Yokomo Zero motors
Hobby Wing Quicrun Series 10BL60 G2/10BL120 G2 - $39/$50
Hobby Wing entry level sensored brushless ESC, low amperage output, has timing adjustment but no boost and turbo, limited adjustable settings through Hobbywing LED program card, pre-soldered wires with open end. *The latest G2 versions have been updated with adjustable BEC voltage and limited boost and turbo timing features, making it a great bang for your buck entry-level ESC to start drifting with*
Hobby Wing entry level sensored brushless ESC, no timing adjustment, limited adjustable settings through Hobbywing Bluetooth programmer, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, pre-soldered wires with open ends
Mid-Level
Yokomo mid-level sensored brushless ESC, has boost and turbo functions, optional cooling fan sold separately, tuneable through Yokomo’s WiFi module, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, phase swap A to C for clean wiring, pre-soldered wires with bullets connectors suitable for Yokomo Zero motors
Yokomo BL-RPXS - $200
Yokomo mid-level sensored brushless ESC, has boost and turbo functions, cooling fan included, tunable through Yokomo’s R26 program card, permanent 2.5 second reverse delay, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, phase swap A to C for clean wiring, pre-soldered wires with bullet connectors suitable for Yokomo Zero motors
Acuvance RAD - $250
Acuvance mid-level sensored brushless ESC, black, red and purple anodized colors, has boost and turbo functions, optional Rey Storm ESC cooling fan available separately, reverse polarity protection, adjustable torque feature with compatible Acuvance motors, tuneable through Tao III program card or through s.bus link on compatible Futaba remotes, live telemetry data through s.bus link and compatible Futaba remote, upgradable capacitor, pre-soldered wires with open ends ready to be direct soldered to motor or using included 3.5mm bullets to Acuvance
motors, includes 4mm battery bullets
Hobby Wing XR10 Stock Spec - $125
Hobby Wing mid-level sensored brushless ESC, has boost and turbo functions, included cooling fan, tunable through Hobbywing Bluetooth module, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, pre-soldered wires with open ends
Top Tier
Yokomo top tier sensored brushless ESC, has boost and turbo functions, included cooling fan, tuneable through Yokomo’s WiFi module, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, phase swap A to C for clean wiring, pre-soldered wires with bullets connectors suitable for Yokomo Zero motors and Tamiya battery connector
Yokomo BL-RPXII - $330
Yokomo top tier sensored brushless ESC, black, red and purple anodized colors, has boost and turbo functions, included cooling fan, tuneable through Yokomo’s WiFi module, slightly finer tuning than PRO4, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, phase swap A to C for clean wiring, wire included non-soldered
Yokomo RPX3 - $308
Yokomo’s current top tier sensored brushless ESC, has boost and turbo functions, included cooling fan, tuneable through Yokomo’s R26 program card, permanent 2.5 second reverse delay, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, phase swap A to C for clean wiring, wire included non-soldered
Reve D Breve - $348
Reve D sensored brushless ESC, black, red and purple anodized colors, has boost and turbo functions, included cooling fan, tuneable through Bluetooth Reve D IOS and Andoid app with no extra hardware needed, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, pre-soldered wires with open ends
Acuvance Xarvis XX - $300
Acuvance top tier sensored brushless ESC, black, red and purple anodized colors, has boost and turbo functions, optional Rey Storm ESC cooling fan available separately, reverse polarity protection, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, dual fan port for Acuvance Fledge w/ fan motors, adjustable torque feature with compatible Acuvance motors, tuneable through Tao III program card or through s.bus link on compatible Futaba remotes, live telemetry data through s.bus link and compatible Futaba remote, upgradable capacitor, pre-soldered wires with open ends ready to be direct soldered to motor or using included 3.5mm bullets to Acuvance motors, includes 4mm battery bullets
Hobby Wing Xerun XR10 Pro/XD10 Pro - $210/$220
Hobby Wing top tier sensored brushless ESC, black, red and purple anodized colors available with XD10 Pro, has boost and turbo functions, included cooling fan, adjustable BEC voltage for high voltage servos, reverse polarity protection, telemetry data available through Hobby Wing s.bus adapter on 10PX only, phase swap A to C for clean wiring with XD10 Pro, pre-soldered wires with open ends
Sanwa SV-D2 - $250
Sanwa top tier drift spec sensored brushless ESC, has boost and turbo functions, included cooling fan, tunable through Sanwa program card or through Sanwa SSL link and compatible Sanwa remote, live telemetry data through Sanwa SSL link and compatible Sanwa remotes, wire included non-soldered
Motor
Entry Level
Yokomo Zero-S - $94
Entry level closed can sensored brushless motor with a few small cooling holes, pre-soldered wires with bullet connectors makes install easy on Yokomo ESCs with pre-soldered motor wires, no timing adjustment, available in black, red and purple anodized colors
Entry level stock spec closed can Hobby Wing sensored brushless motor, limited cooling holes, no timing adjustment, open wire terminals ready to direct soldering
Mid-Level
Yokomo Zero 3 - $114
Yokomo Zero 3 - $114
Mid-level closed can sensored brushless motor with bigger cooling holes, can be a bit "coggy" with strong magnet design for racing, pre-soldered wires with bullet connectors makes install easy on Yokomo ESCs with pre-soldered motor wires, has dual port sensor board for easy sensor wire tucking, adjustable timing
Hobbywing D10 - $120
Mid-level Hobbywing sensored brushless motor with large cooling cutouts, weak magnet rotor for smooth power delivery with optional strong rotors for more torque, special blades on rotor for extra cooling and appealing sound when using turbo, comes with pre-soldered 3.5mm bullet terminals, adjustable timing, available in black, red and purple anodized colors
Yokomo DX1 Type R/Type T - $150
Reve D Absolute1 - $225
Reve D sensored brushless motor with large cooling cutouts, adjustable timing, open wire terminals ready for direct soldering
Acuvance Luxon Agile - $133
Mid-level Acuvance sensored brushless motor, medium size cooling holes, dual sensor board for easy sensor wire tucking, available high RPM and high torque rotors, special blades on rotor for extra cooling and appealing sound when using turbo, comes with pre-soldered 3.5mm bullet terminals, adjustable timing
Top Tier
Acuvance Fledge - $198 non-fan-$230 w/ fan
Top tier Acuvance sensored brushless motor, large cooling cutouts, available with and without endbell fan for efficient sensor board cooling that plugs directly into Acuvance ESCs, available high RPM and high torque rotors, comes with 3.5mm bullet terminals, adjustable timing, available in black, red and purple anodized colors
Servo
Entry Level
Yokomo SP-02DV2 - $98
Digital brushless servo, half aluminum half plastic casing, comes in black, red and purple anodized colors, fully programmable through Yokomo’s program card or USB tuner with settings easy for beginners to understand
Reve D RS-ST - $98
Digital iron core brushless servo, great bang for your buck servo, high voltage 7.4V servo for increase in speed and torque, fully programmable through Reve D’s USB tuner with many different settings, high torque, slow servo speed makes for smooth drifts with less hunting
Mid-Level
Futaba HPS-CT501- $220
Digital brushless servo, half aluminum half plastic casing, high voltage 7.4V servo for increase in speed and torque, fully programmable through Futaba’s s.bus link through transmitter or USB tuner
Sanwa PGS-CL II - $93
Digital brushless servo, half plastic half aluminum casing, high voltage 7.4V servo for increase in speed and torque, fully programmable through Sanwa’s SSL link directly through transmitter or program card
Top Tier
Futaba HPS-CD700 - $270
Digital brushless servo, full aluminum casing, high voltage 7.4V servo for increase in speed and torque, fully programmable through Futaba’s s.bus link through transmitter or USB tuner. CD700 being Futaba's "drift specific" servo
Reve D RS-ST Pro - $198
Digital brushless servo, full aluminum case, comes in black, red and purple anodized colors, high voltage 7.4V servo for increase in speed and torque, fully programmable through Reve D’s USB tuner with many adjustable settings for the pro user
Digital brushless servo, full aluminum case, comes in black, red and purple anodized colors, high voltage 7.4V servo for increase in speed and torque, fully programmable through Yokomo’s program card or USB tuner
Gyro
Entry Level
Yokomo YG-302V2 - $68
Entry level Yokomo gyro, plastic case, compatible with analog stock RTR or digital servos, adjustable gain through dial and channel 3, no settable gyro endpoints
Comes with the older RMX RTR kits, plastic case, 3 different gyro modes with -100%/+100% gain that will affect how the gyro feels, adjustable gain through dial and channel 3, settable endpoints that must be set by turning left and right every time the car is turned on
Mid-Level
MST MGX - $68
Comes with the newer RMX RTR kits, plastic case, compatible with analog and digital servos, two gain modes (Normal/AVCS) with -100%/+100% gain, adjustable gain through dial and channel 3, settable endpoints
Yokomo DP-302V4 - $90.50
Go to upgrade for RTRs, aluminum case available in black, red and purple anodized colors, compatible with digital servos only, two gain modes (Normal/AVCS) through -100%/+100% gain and a Normal/Assist mode for beginner and advanced drivers, adjustable gain through dial and channel 3, settable endpoints
Reve D Revox - $138
Great pairing for the RS-ST servo, aluminum case available in 3 anodized colors, one button operation for easy setup, 6 preset gyro sensitivity curves for customization of gyro feel, adjustable gain through channel 3 only, settable endpoints.
Mid-level Futaba gyro, plastic case, compatible with digital servos only, two gain modes (Normal/AVCS) through -100%/+100% gain, adjustable gain through dial and channel 3, settable endpoints
Top Tier
Futaba GYD550 - $130
Top tier Futaba drift gyro, aluminum case, compatible with digital servos only, two gain modes (Normal/AVCS) through -100%/+100% gain, adjustable gain through channel 3 only, highly customizable settings through Futaba’s s.bus link on compatible Futaba remote, settable endpoints
Sanwa SGS-02D - $114
Top tier Sanwa drift gyro, aluminum case, adjustable gain through channel 3 only, highly customizable settings through Sanwa’s SSL link on compatible Sanwa remotes and Sanwa program card, settable endpoints
Transmitter
Entry Level
Futaba 3PV - $150
Futaba entry level transmitter, 10 model memory for multiple cars, non-color non-backlit LCD display, 4 channel, compatible with multiple Futaba receivers, compatible with Futaba rechargeable LiFe battery and wall charger (sold separately)
Sanwa MX-6 - $110
Sanwa entry level remote, 10 model memory for multiple cars, non-color non-backlit LCD display, 3 channel, only compatible with RX-391W receiver
Mid-Level
Futaba 4PM Plus - $300 R304SBS receiver / $340 R334SBS receiver
Futaba mid-level transmitter, 40 model memory, non-color backlit LCD display, 4-axis jog button menu navigation, T-FHSS telemetry and SR super response protocols supported, 4 channel, adjustable trigger position and tension, adjustable wheel tension, ESC link function for tuning Futaba and Acuvance ESCs with telemetry data display, gyro link function to Futaba GYD550 gyro, S.Bus servo link for Futaba servo, compatible with Futaba rechargeable LiFe battery and wall charger (sold separately)
Sanwa MT-R - $300
Sanwa mid-level transmitter, 20 model memory, non-color backlit LCD display, 3 button menu navigation, Sanwa super response FH5 protocol, 4 channel, adjustable trigger position and tension, adjustable wheel tension, optional grip sizes, integrated carrying handle, SSL link function for tuning Sanwa ESC with telemetry data display, Sanwa gyro and servo tuning.
Sanwa MT-5 - $400
Sanwa mid-level transmitter, 20 model memory (250 models with SD card), non-color backlit LCD display, scroll wheel menu navigation, Sanwa super response FH5 protocol, 4 channel, adjustable trigger position and tension, adjustable wheel tension, optional grip sizes, integrated flip up carrying handle, SSL link function for tuning Sanwa ESC with telemetry data display, Sanwa gyro and servo tuning, able to charge through USB while using optional 1S LiPo
Top Tier
Futaba 10PX - $800
Futaba top tier transmitter, 40 model memory, color backlit touchscreen LCD display, Futaba super response F4G, T-FHSS telemetry and SR super response protocols supported, 10 channel, adjustable trigger position and tension, adjustable wheel tension, drop down and angle, optional trigger and steering spring sets, optional brake trigger sizes, optional grip sizes, left handed support, 3 assignable hotkey buttons, ESC link function for tuning Futaba and Acuvance ESCs with telemetry data display, gyro link function for Futaba GYD550 gyro, S.Bus servo link for Futaba servo, compatible with Futaba rechargeable LiFe battery and wall charger (sold separately), compatible with Futaba USB-C rechageable LiFe battery (sold separately)
Sanwa M17 - $600
Sanwa top tier transmitter, 250 model memory, color backlit LCD display, trackpad menu navigation, Sanwa super response FH5 protocol, adjustable trigger position and tension, adjustable wheel tension and angle, optional grip sizes, left handed support, integrated flip up carrying handle, Sanwa SSL link for Sanwa ESC, gyro and servo tuning with telemetry data display, micro USB rechargeable 1S LiPo included
Flysky Noble - NB4+ $300 / NB4 Pr0 + $520
Flysky top tier transmitter, 20 model memory, color backlit touchscreen LCD display, adjustable trigger tension, throw and size, unique 180 degree rotating wheel for right and left handed use, optional grip sizes, integrated battery in the grip and micro USB rechargeable LiPo battery in the base that can be disconnected and used as a separate power bank
Conclusion
I hope this post has well informed you about your options on getting into RC drifting if you have been thinking about getting into it. It can definitely be some real fun but what’s not fun is spending a lot of money on stuff that isn’t good or doesn’t work very well. It ruins your experience of the hobby and many people who get into those situations leave RC drifting and never come back so my goal with this was to inform and educate you on some of the aspects of your first RC drift car and what you should know and expect before biting the bullet on a setup. I try to be as thorough as I can with these things so as to leave as little questions as possible but if I did miss anything or you still have any questions about starting your RC drift journey please don’t hesitate to reach out to our social medias at Rolling Garage RC on Facebook, @rollinggaragerc on Instagram or shoot us an email at info@rollinggaragerc.com. Thanks for reading and hope to see you out on the track! - Mitch
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