32p Vs 48p: Finding the Right Gear Size!

One of the very important components of RC devices is their gears. So it’s necessary to use gears with the correct pitch number.

The 32p and 48p gears are very popular in the RC market with different pitches. But which one should you get between 32p vs 48p?

The 32p gear is bigger than the 48p. So it generates more noise. However, the torque production of the 32p is high. But the 48p gear wins in producing more speed. The efficiency of 48p is also more than the other one. Because of the efficiency, the 32p is relatively slower than the 48p gears.

Both of the gears have positive and negative aspects. Below I have discussed these gears in detail. Kindly have a look at it!

Short Comparison 

Gears play a vital role in transferring motion and torque. However, the function and other attributes of gears highly depend on their pitch. Below I have compared the basic differences between 32p and 48p gear. Check the table!

From this table you can easily understand how 32p differs from 48p gears. If you want to know more details, I have got you! In the next sections, I have discussed these differences in great detail. 

Extended Comparison 

Just like best drift tires, the pitch of gears is also very significant. So you must know all the details before making a decision. I have discussed every tiny detail here to make your work easy.

Size:

The size of the gear depends on its pitch. The gear pitch shows the distance between two teeth of the gear. You might think that a bigger pitch number means bigger gear. But that’s not true. A bigger pitch number means the gear is smaller.

Now, what is the size difference between 32p and 48p gears?

32p gears have bigger teeth than the 48p gear. So, the overall size is also larger than its counterpart. However, the teeth per inch ratio are completely the opposite.

This is because the pitch specifically shows the number of teeth per inch gear diameter. So 48p has more teeth per inch. As a result, the size of the teeth reduces with the increasing pitch. 

Noise:

The noise of RC gearing is highly dependent on the gear’s pitch. It has been observed that the noise increases with a bigger pitch number. That means smaller gear teeth cause less noise while functioning. This is a very significant factor.

By this principle, the noise of 32p gear is more than the noise of 48p gear. If you use 32p gear in RC cars, it will generate lots of sounds. 

This can be annoying for many users. On the other hand, 48p gears will generate less annoying sound. So, if you’re looking for a less noisy experience, 48p is the way to go.

However, don’t just get yourself cheap ones. There are plenty of great 48p gears that many RC users put their trust in. Here are some of them-

Now let’s take a peek at the next turning point of these gears!

Torque:

One of the primary reasons for using gears is to transmit torque from the motor to props. Torque is the force that helps the wheels rotate. So more torque is better for the RC device. The relation of torque with the pitch number is inversely proportional.

That means a higher pitch transmits less torque. So the torque transmitted by the 48p gear will be less than that of 32p. From this, we can say that 32p gear torque is more helpful for the rotation of the props. 

Even some custom 3D printed ones can give more torque than store-bought ones.

Wanna explore some durable 32p gears? Here are our top recommendations-

• AMOGOT Metal Steel 32P Pinion Gear Sets is the first one on the list. This set is the ideal choice for any brushless motor RC.
• Have a 1/8 RC? Try out MakerDoIt 32P Hardened Pinion Gear Set. The whole gear set is pretty affordable and durable at the same time.

Anyway, there are many other important factors besides the torque that decides the propeller and wheel function. So we have to check other factors too.

Speed:

Speed is a very important aspect of RC devices. Without enough speed, the user will not get the best out of the RC cars. So care should be given to getting the optimum speed. RC gear ratio chart must be followed for this reason.

However, to increase RC speed, the pitch should be increased. That means gears with smaller teeth can provide more speed. So which pinion gear is faster? The 48p gear is much faster than the 32p gear. This can be found in the RC rpm calculator.

This happens due to the smaller teeth of the 48p gears. These teeth can handle faster rotation than bigger teeth gears. If your preference is speed, the 48p gears will be the best choice for your remote control car setup. 

Efficiency: 

Besides torque and speed, the efficiency of the gears is another very important and significant aspect. Higher efficiency of the gear is better for the RC car performance. 

The efficiency of the gear is directly proportional to the pitch number. So higher pitch number means more efficient gears. According to this principle, the 48p gears will have more efficiency. However, the RC crawler gear ratio must be maintained. 

These are all the basic differences between the 48p and 32p gears. We think that now you can easily make your call. If you are still in doubt, kindly see the next section.

Choosing Your Ideal RC Gear 

Choosing the gear pitch can be as confusing as choosing between JB weld and Gorilla Glue. Yet we will try to deliver a conclusive statement on what to choose.

The 32p gears are better for a bigger size and more torque. But the speed of this one is less. Also, it will create more noise than its opponent. The efficiency of the 32p gear is also quite less.

For more speed, the 48p gears are better. It has a high speed, but with less torque. Moreover, the efficiency of these gears is also high. The noise produced by the 48p gears is also minimal. 

So before making your call, be sure about your preferences. Only then you will be able to get the best gear pitch between 48p vs 32p gears.

Also, don’t forget to look at some tricks about making your RC car faster! That will definitely make your RC experience more fun.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How is the RC gear ratio calculated?

The RC gear ratio is calculated from the number of teeth of the gear and mating gear. Both the gear and mating gear have teeth on them. The gear teeth number is divided by the mating teeth number to get the gear ratio. This ratio is significant because a wrong ratio won’t deliver proper results. 

What is the best gear ratio for an RC car?

The best gear ratio for an RC car is 1:1.6 or 1.8. This ratio is followed by most RC cars for optimum performance. It is important to gain acceleration from the beginning. And this gear ratio allows the car to get the required acceleration. Also, high top speed is achieved from the ratio.

What does MOD mean in gears?

MOD in gears stands for Module. It’s a unit used to indicate the size of the gear. It is a metric unit. That means, we can know how big or small a gear is from its MOD number. It is a substitute for the pitch number. Anyway, the MOD and pitch numbers are interchangeable. For example, 32p is 0.8 MOD.

Conclusion 

This is all I have on the 32p vs 48p comparison. I hope that now you can easily differentiate between these two gears.

Always make sure that the pitch of the spur and pinion matches each other. Or else the gear mechanism won’t work and can break during the action.