Is it necessary to lubricate the comm?

[dingusman]

This might be a dumb question but is it necessary to lubricate the comm of my motor with comm drops or some other kind of lubricant? Will it help extend the life of my motor?

[Grizzbob]

This is another of those questions that'll bring in a number of different opinions on, but for me, I don't bother with any kind of lube on the comm anymore, in most cases they only make it easier for the comm to attract dirt, dust, bits of rubber from the track, etc., & will mainly just gum up the comm. As long as you set up your motor correctly & gear it right, the material within the brushes should do enough to lubricate the comm & do so without attracting dirt(unless you're using brushes with an extreme amount of silver, like those brushes that are only good for a run or two & then you have to replace them & cut the comm, those don't have much of any lubricating materials in them).... :cool:

[highroller]

With a majority of the different types I tried, some didn't seem to give the consistant results, those that did require more attention to properly cleaning and maintaining motors. I get more consistant runs out of a motor by running the right brush compound, finding the right gearing without the other hassles.
In most cases if you get involved in a collison any performance edge gets eliminated.

[rocknbil]

The thing about comm drops is they burn off in the first few seconds of the run. I use them but to be honest, it's more of a ritual than anything, it probably doesn't contribute any real help. You would probably get the same results by shaking a sprig of sage over your RC and chanting "humma-yadda-tooba-humma" before a race.


There used to be an article on rcvehicles.about.com that had a formula for them, but that site has become so commercialized it's pretty much worthless. As I recall, it was a mixture of oil, mineral spirits, and some other solvent (I think.)

[Neveo]

Nice ritual :rolleyes lol


You would probably get the same results by shaking a sprig of sage over your RC and chanting "humma-yadda-tooba-humma" before a race.

Does it work ?/ any1 tried it ? :cool:

[Grizzbob]

It's just a good thing he didn't give out the REAL mantra to say, or else we would've had ta hurt 'im...lol(j/k) :p

[highroller]

Big Jim suggested Prolong (oil additive) and Tribotech lube for lube (straight) and a comm drop mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits. He later posted not to use Prolong as pitting (in comm and bearing surfaces) had been noticed when used, and some guys posted they noticed a film buildup after thorough cleaning and retruing comm. Remember the Turbo Pack or boost bottle made by Paragon that you filled with motor cleaner or comm drops, didn't help much after a bad collison, some feel off during the race.

[dingusman]

Well i don't think i'm going to bother with using comm drops if they don't really do anything.

[RH Customs]

For me there is only one sue for comm drops, and that is the lube it right before I cut it. Other than that no.

[Revival]

Comms drop acts as a dirt magnet (as Grizzbob pointed out) during runs and unless you tear down after every race or practice run, I guess its fine. It also tends to burn up within seconds (as Rocknbil pointed out) and you would probably have a very marginal advantage on the first few seconds of the race.

I think lubing the motor bearings are more important than the comms.

[Grant Tokumi]

This may not be relevant or accurate, but if I don't feel comfortable dropping a certain liquid into my Deans Ultra Plug female connector, then I don't feel comfortable using it anywhere near the comm of a motor. WD-40 comes to mind.

[Cain]

I am a different opinion than most who have posted, but I swear by my tribo drops. I get more power, and the motor runs cooler and the brushes last longer when I use them. The thing is tribo on stock motors doesn't work unless you use extremely little. On mod motors, this stuff is excellent. I mainly used it on my 19T and I could seriously gear up when I put it on and it lasted through the race.

Ultimately the decision is up to you, I just know what works for me.