OK guys, my son Aaron has fielded three cars thus far in his career. All
sporting a Group 44 roundel, although not necessarily in Group 44 colors.
Over the past three years he (we) have built a TR3, a TR8 and a D-type Jag.
Last year's car, the Jag, took 2nd in the entire pack. It was wicked fast.
The following few paragraphs are a great guide for building these cars. The
only thing missing is that you need to make sure the car weighs as much as
possible. We set his cars up at 5.1 ounces, although 5 ounces is the limit.
At weigh-in, we take weights off until we just come in at 5 ounces. In
reality, it's 5.49 ounces; you get the picture. Also, aerodynamics have
very little to do with the speed of the car. It's basically all weight and
friction.
Have fun,
Jack
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Friction Is Your Enemy
1. Debur the wheels. Take off the flashing and seam that was produced when
the wheel was molded with a 600 grit or better sandpaper. Inside as well as
out. Sand any bumps off the wheel the sandpaper. Metal polish will restore
the gloss. Be careful not to break any rules your race has regarding wheel
modification. (Narrower wheels have less friction and are better, but often
disallowed). Don't sand too much or you'll create a flat spot. Sand by hand
not in the drill. Heat from the high speed of a drill will damage the
plastic wheel.
2. Polish the axles. First with a 400 grit if you have a really bad spot.
Then a 600 grit, and then a jewelers rouge. Finish off with a chrome/metal
polish.
3. Have only three wheels touching the track. Raise a front one slightly.
There is less friction with 3 wheels rolling than 4.
4. The head of the axle should be tapered about 15 degrees so it rubs
against the wheel less.
5. Wax the wheels with furniture polish. Make sure the polish does not
contain a solvent of any sort.
Lube Jobs
1. Use graphite only. Oil damages the paint and collects dust. I'm told that
the graphite works better than the new white teflon.
2. Break in the wheels by spinning them with lots of graphite.
3. Right before check-in, fill the wheels wells with graphite and cover with
stickers like a hub cap. You can paint the 1 inch stickers in a contrasting
color. It looks great!
4. Put a small drop of white glue where the axle goes into the car body and
put powdered graphite on it there. That causes less friction if the wheel
should rub against the car body.
5. Other than the good polishing of the axles, dump the axles and wheels in
a ziplock bag with somegraphite and shake them for a few days prior to the
race. That way the wheel and the axles are as slick as can be.
It's Time To Go Straight!
1. Put the axle in at a downward (5-10 degrees) angle. This provides two
benefits. The first is the only the inside edge of the wheel is in contact
with the track. This seems to make the car go straighter with less wobble.
The second benefit is that the wheel rides to the outside of the axle and
doesn't come in contact with the body. This tip is for experts only. First
timers have trouble getting this right. If you have to email me to ask
about it, you shouldn't do it.
2. Axles must be in straight front to back. That is square to the body. True
the axles, don't trust the slots! If you have one, use a drill press to
ensure all axles are straight. One of the front and two of the back should
be measured to be the same height.
3. After pressing in the axles, test the car for crooked wheels...roll it on
the floor. If the wheels are on straight, the car should roll 8-10 feet in a
fairly straight line. Should the car turn left or right, you need to tinker
with the axle placement without removing them from the car body, until it
rolls straight.
4. Do not put the axles in at the top of the groove. Put them in at the
middle. This lifts the car off the track a bit more and reduces the chance of
rubbing on the center strip.
5. Glue the axles in place. Nothing is worse than having the wheel fall off
as you cross the finish line.
6. Once you match a wheel and axle together with graphite, keep them
together. They wear into each other as a matched set.
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