Bashers Basics Quick Tip — How To Mesh A Spur Gear

Welcome to Bashers Basics, and today’s quick tip, how to mesh your spur gear. This can be one tricky task for beginners who don’t do it right, but there are 2 main things that make the difference between a fun run, and another trip to your local hobby shop.

Firstly, make sure that your motor mount screws are secured in as tight as you dare, possibly with lock-tight if conditions demand for it. Secondly, remember that spacing is key. You need to get that sweet spot so the teeth of the pinion and spur gears have enough contact to transfer the energy from the motor, but far enough apart that the teeth don’t wear down abnormally.

The first point is relatively straight forward, and it is the second point where most people’s problems are. However, there is a dead simple way to make sure you get consistently well meshed gears every time!

You need to take some paper (note paper is ideal), and cut a piece off, approximately 1/2” x 3”. Then you insert that paper between the pinion and spur gears, and put around 1 lb of force on the motor, making sure that the gear’s teeth mesh properly. After tightening down the motor mount screws (refer to point #1) and removing the paper, you should be ready to run all day!