[avdbank]

I am new to slot racing and got hold of the Scalextric F1 set.
My one car is a BMW Williams.
There is a spring keeping the plastic part that slides in the track slot centred.(I think it is called the guide spring). The spring is wound around a plastic centre part and at the top it has a straight piece of wire that sorts of fit into a little slot at the top of the plastic brush holder/slot-slider-plastic-thingy.
This spring seems to slide up after a crash or a few rides which means that it does keep the slider-thingie straight. The result is that the car does not stay so well on the track around corners.

Any advice on how I can fix this or how I can keep this spring in position? My other car, a McClaren, does not do this.

Thanks!

 

[Intergrali]

best that it is left that way I found that they go better like this.

otherise simply superglue it!

Rob

 

[Coopdevil]

To work properly you have to get right on that fine line between loosening the body slightly in the interests of dampening out vibration without loosening so much that the bodywork no longer pushes down in on the spring and keeps it in place! If you want to keep the spring try tightening the front screws if they are loose.

It's my opinion (and not just mine as I was told this many times and evantually came to agree) that these springs are actually detrimental and when they work they are trying to straighten the blade while the car is cornering and can cause understeer, when the car just goes straight on. Also if the spring slips from it's mount centreing the guide after a deslot is harder because there is a highly tensile spring wedged in the mechanism! Without the spring the guide is free to move and conforms to the slot as the car is slid into it, with a misplaced spring it tends to lock in position and you loose valuable seconds while the marshal realises, then has to fiddle with it to reslot.

Best to chuck them IMO

Coop

 

[BEEJAY7]

I always junk any form of self-centering guides, for exactly the reasons stated in previous posts.

Regards

Alan

 

[avdbank]

Thanks for the advice!

One thing I did found when the guide spring was not in place is that the car rolled easier around the corners or that the backside swings out.
Maybe I got used to the spring and need to practice more without it to get the better performance you guys wrote about???

Thanks for the help!

 

[Tropi]

I'll just add my agreement to the other members.
My experience is that the self centering is not a problem in itself.
But the spring can displace very easily and then it is a real nuisance. It is also difficult to replace it properly and I now do not bother to even try to do so, but throw it away.

 

[jonny s]

Ditto on Tropi`s comments. The springs tend to fall off so bin them from the start and you know where you are mate.

 

[McLaren]

I think that the SCX self centring method is great.
It's not to forceful, so the car doesn't deslot round sharp bends, but it returns the guide to dead centre for easy marshalling. The spring doesn't fall out, when the guide is changed or if you end up in the gravel.
I think all cars should be fitted with this system, whats wrong with it?

Lotus

 

[jonny s]

I`m having nitemares with those on the club track at the mo as many just seem to fall apart!

 

[Robert Davies]

QUOTE I think that the SCX self centring method is great.....
.....whats wrong with it?

Spontaneous and catastrophic disassembly of the guide location mechanism at the most inopportune moments

Final bend, final lap usually....

-Rob

ps OR... the spring disengages and gets trapped in the guide locking it out completely....