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543 Posts
which manufacturer is the track from? scalex/carrera/whatever?
how magnetic are the stainless rails?
if the magnet will be of no use then the car can use lots o' help. stock it will be near hopeless unless everyone else runs the same way. get aluminum wheels. the stock wheels are likely so far from true as to be useless. the stock tires aren't great but are workable with good wheels. there are several manufacturers of silcone tires that are much better than the stock tires espescially in a no magnet situation. rear axle/bearings/spur gear are probably ok. but if you decide to use aluminum wheels remember they need to fit your axle. sometimes it makes more sense to get all the parts at once as you can make sure they will work together.
weighting the car for a non magnetic track is largely a matter of testing and personal preference. suggest starting with just enough, mounted behind the guide, to keep the guide in the slot. then add weight farther back, keep records of where you put weight and where you've removed weight, until you find the combination that is both fast and easy to drive.
all seems like a lot but if the track rails are in fact magnetic then it's much easier. the magnet in these cars can, and will, move up and down just enough to give inconsistent handling. take the magnet out of its little pod. cut circles of tape/paper/whatever the same size as the magnet. i use tape 'cause it sticks to the magnet. use the circles to shim the magnet down into the small recess in the chassis where the magnet will set. not too much or it bows the chassis which will also cause odd handling. shimming the rear axle makes a huge difference. after that trueing of the rear tires should give the biggest improvement.
how magnetic are the stainless rails?
if the magnet will be of no use then the car can use lots o' help. stock it will be near hopeless unless everyone else runs the same way. get aluminum wheels. the stock wheels are likely so far from true as to be useless. the stock tires aren't great but are workable with good wheels. there are several manufacturers of silcone tires that are much better than the stock tires espescially in a no magnet situation. rear axle/bearings/spur gear are probably ok. but if you decide to use aluminum wheels remember they need to fit your axle. sometimes it makes more sense to get all the parts at once as you can make sure they will work together.
weighting the car for a non magnetic track is largely a matter of testing and personal preference. suggest starting with just enough, mounted behind the guide, to keep the guide in the slot. then add weight farther back, keep records of where you put weight and where you've removed weight, until you find the combination that is both fast and easy to drive.
all seems like a lot but if the track rails are in fact magnetic then it's much easier. the magnet in these cars can, and will, move up and down just enough to give inconsistent handling. take the magnet out of its little pod. cut circles of tape/paper/whatever the same size as the magnet. i use tape 'cause it sticks to the magnet. use the circles to shim the magnet down into the small recess in the chassis where the magnet will set. not too much or it bows the chassis which will also cause odd handling. shimming the rear axle makes a huge difference. after that trueing of the rear tires should give the biggest improvement.
