The hardware or screws on your nitro RC are what hold everything together and if they aren’t properly taken care of, they can cause you some headaches every time you need to take something apart on your vehicle.
The most important thing with screws is to use the highest quality screw drivers you can afford. Quality tools have more precise bits that will engage the screws more fully and prevent stripping. Low quality drivers will seem to work fine, but over time as you screw and unscrew with them, they will slowly round out the heads on your screws.
Different Kinds of Screws
Phillips/JIS
If your nitro RC has Phillips head screws, get some JIS screwdrivers. JIS stands for Japanese Industrial Standards and it is basically the Japanese version of the Phillips head screw. JIS screwdrivers will work great with both JIS and Phillips screws and will be less likely to strip either.
Models like the Traxxas Nitro Rustler, Traxxas Nitro Slash, and Kyosho FW-06 will require JIS screwdrivers.
Get quality JIS screwdrivers on Amazon
Hex
All other models of nitro RCs that are currently available on the market use hex screws. You can use that cheap set of Allen keys on these screws, but it is a good idea to get a quality set of hex drivers in the 1.5, 2.0, 2.5mm sizes. Sometimes you will need a 3.0mm, but it is less common and will be less likely to strip with a lower quality hex driver or Allen key.
If you want top quality hex drivers that will last a lifetime, get this MIP set from Amazon.
If you want something a little more affordable, but still quality, this Dynamite set on Amazon will get the job done.
Nut Drivers
Your nitro RC will also feature nuts that capture screws on various components of the vehicle, so you’ll need nut drivers to get those on and off.
This Dynamite set on Amazon has every size you need.
SAE vs Metric
All nitro RCs in production today come with metric screws, but some vintage models came with SAE (measured in fractions of an inch) screws or even a mix of SAE and metric screws. Know what kind of screws your model has before you purchase any tools.
Removing Stripped Screws
Eventually you will run into a stripped screw and it will interrupt your project and annoy the hell out of you. Don’t worry, there is always a way to remove a stripped screw.
Method #1 – Use a rotary tool to slot the head
A rotary tool (aka Dremel) can be used to cut a slot in the head of the screw so it can then be extracted with a flat head screwdriver.
Method #2 – Use an extractor set
An extractor set can be used to drill into a stripped screw and then thread in a bit that can be used to extract the screw. Sometimes this works better than a rotary tool if the screw is a hard to reach place.
Replacing Hardware
For any nitro RC models that are currently in production, there are available hardware kits you can buy that will replace all of the screws on the model. If you have a lot of damaged or stripped screws, a kit can be a great way to fix those issues while upgrading to both stainless steel and/or hex screws.
RC Screwz is a brand known for quality and has kits for just about every nitro RC model out there. You can find their kits on Amain Hobbies.
If you just need a few screws, a cheap kit like this HobbyPark kit on Amazon should have just about any size you need.