- is there supposed to be a way of adjusting the front height, which I haven't been smart-enough to find?
- Would I do better to get some normal/less-offset gears and accept mounting the Flat6 higher in the chassis?

On newer Slot.IT chassis' , there are top and bottom set screws to set axle height.

It not the offset gears that drop the motor, it's the motor mount.
Seems like you have a car that has been tuned for magless club racing and fitted with an offset pod.

Alan

 

What colour is the motor pod? White is the biggest off-set and lowers the pod by 1mm, grey is 0.5mm and black is 0mm. Personally, I would go for the grey 0.5mm off-set.

 

On newer Slot.IT chassis' , there are top and bottom set screws to set axle height.

It not the offset gears that drop the motor, it's the motor mount.
Seems like you have a car that has been tuned for magless club racing and fitted with an offset pod.

Alan

Thanks Alan.

'Tuned?" I don't think so.......

. Maybe on a track with long straights and banked corners? Yes, there's an adaptor in the motor mount to drop it lower. The problem as I understand it is that you need offset gears with the funny pointed teeth to work with this much offset and there aren't many options available : 24, 25 or. 26 teeth is all I could find for Slot.It, with an 11-tooth pinion. I don't think those ratios work with this motor and my track, with magnets. I can't easily tell if Avant gears would work better. Looks like I'm at a dead-end with developing this one!

Mike

 

Thanks Alan.
'Tuned?" I don't think so....... . Maybe on a track with long straights and banked corners? Yes, there's an adaptor in the motor mount to drop it lower. The problem as I understand it is that you need offset gears with the funny pointed teeth to work with this much offset and there aren't many options available : 24, 25 or. 26 teeth is all I could find for Slot.It, with an 11-tooth pinion. I don't think those ratios work with this motor and my track, with magnets. I can't easily tell if Avant gears would work better.
Mike

The adapter you mentioned is not intended for dropping the motor.
It is there so that slot it motor mounts can support boxer motors and flatsix motors which are different heights.
A triangular setup (front wheels don't touch) is preferred by some racers on some tracks.

Offset gears are only relevant for inline motor installations.
Sidewinder and anglewinder gearing is unaffected by the motor offset.

Beware of mixing manufacturer gears and motor mounts.
Manufacturers often make their gears in different diameters to each other.

 

I'm appreciating this continuing discussion!

longdog:

the pod is a sort of dirty white (it's not new) and the offset looks like 1mm as best I can see.

Alan:

I'm Im surprised that running with the front wheels off the track is allowed at clubs. It certainly isn't on my home circuit.

The adaptor I have has an offset hole so the bottom of the Flat6 motor sits level with the bottom of the motor mount - otherwise, it would be too high up. As a result, the motor shaft is offset about a millimetre below the axle centre-line.

Of course, you're right that it makes no difference to sidewinder gears if the axle and motor shaft are different heights from the track, so long as the motor and axle are parallel. I'm trying to visualise how the anglewinder is affected. Playing about with a motor and axle, I can feel the teeth begin to jam as I move the motor down, just the same as on an inline gear set. I think this is because the axle and the motor shaft aren't in the same plane any more so the pinion isn't quite square to the spur gear. Certainly the Slot.It spur gear teeth have an odd-looking profile, with straight sides and pointed teeth. Avant Slot anglewinder gears are similar, but less extreme, and their pinions have an undercut to achieve the same thing.

I'd still like to understand what the standard factory setup should be for this car; especially, what diameter should the wheels be? If smaller wheels have been fitted, this might explain the gearing problem and the front wheels being so far off the track, as well as the extreme bending of the chassis with the magnet fitted. There's definitely no place I can see to put adjusting screws for the front axle, unlike other Slot.It chassis.

The spur gear looks just like the pictures of the 25 tooth gear sold by Slot.It and the pinion is 11-teeth as Slot.It specify for this spur, so they're probably original. If anybody can recommend alternatives, I'd be interested.

Thanks again, Mike

 

is the anglewinder pod supposed to be compatible with the R8C chassis anyway, or should I consider converting it to inline?

I'd still like to understand what the standard factory setup should be for this car; especially, what diameter should the wheels be?

Slot.it's Audi R8C has been sold with both inline and anglewinder configurations. According to Slot.it's literature, CA01 isn't anglewinder compatible, but CA12 is.

Standard wheels are 17.3 / 8.2 / 2.5 front, 17.3 / 9.75 / 2.5 rear.

I own two R8Cs; CA12b and CA12c. Both as standard are inline, but they have different colour motor pods as shown in the photos below. The grey CA12b pod is unstamped, but looks like it has 0.5mm offset. The translucent CA12c pod is 1.0mm offset.

There were two series of Slot.it R8Cs; CA01 and CA12. Although I don't own one so can't confirm it, I believe that CA12d is an anglewinder.

CA12b

CA12c

Details from Slot.it's old website: http://slot.it/INGLESE/slotit_GB.php

CA01 - inline 0.5mm offset

CA12d - anglewinder Flat-6

CA01 spares

CA12 spares

 

I think I have a CA01 - I'll check tomorrow and report back with pics.

EDIT: Yes I do have one. Here's a pic. Tomorrow I'll post pics of the chassis.

 

Thanks, Dopamine and Dingleberry.

This is all very useful - I couldn't find the right Slot.It brochure myself. There's so much information there I'm still struggling, but it looks like my tyres are still a bit small at 19mm front and back when it looks like the rears should be 20mm. My gear ratio is wrong, too. I'm guessing my car has been converted from an inline by using the KK 14c anglewinder conversion kit, which has 11:25 gears rather than the 11:28 shown on the CA12d anglewinder spares sheet, which would explain why it seems sluggish. My chassis doesn't look like the chassis on the CA12c in-line picture - it doesn't have the little circular features ahead of the front wheels - so maybe it's some earlier version which was less stiff.

Dingleberry - a picture of your chassis would be appreciated.

Im not sure what to do next - it runs quite well now, but the shell is pretty rough, so maybe it's time to look for another, with maybe a better chassis.

Mike

 

42redcat

It does sound like your have purchased I car that has been "tuned" for non-magnet racing.

Just out of interest was this an eBay type purchase?

I actually look for these cars rather than new cars for club racing, especially from people who race in wooden tracks.

In terms of body shell - you can buy all the bits to repair. Indeed I have some as I had a few of these models. Full detail interior, side mirrors, wings i have those to sell. Send me a separate email using the forum if interested.

I'm not that keen on the model but I have the "extreme" version (orange colour, none livery, "RAW" is part of model ref) as I have the Mclaren F1 & Nissan 390, the Audi completes the set for me.

It's basically Slot It's own factory quickest set up versions of those models. 1mm off set AW mounts, Flat6-R (Red Label) motors, 11/27 gearing (black). 15" wheels, all come with vac-formed interiors in the box to replace detail one fitted.

I'll add some photos in a bit.

 

Photos of the Audi R8C and it's sisters in the "Raw" range.

Same wheels used so I can swap around if needed between cars.

I also have the "Good Wood" Orange McLaren with in-line NSR Evo King motor, & BMW Fina livery model, AW 1mm off set std flat-6 yellow label motor.

I also the "red road version" of the Nissan 390 model set up in AW with Std Flat-6 yellow label motor.

The quickest of my trio of "Raw" cars is the Nissan 360 GT1, I reckon it's the wider track on otherwise same spec. It gives the Moslers a run for their money.

All club racers, all low ride heights between 0.5mm & 1mm, all with front wheels just of the track, all have slick non-grip front tyres, all re-geared to some degree, all angle winder motor mounts, all sans-magnet, all with lead to balance.

If you want I'll try to add an open/chassis shot.

 

Here's my car in all its original glory!

 

Thanks, Dingleberry. It looks good in that livery. Mine is just plain orange. Your chassis is different, too - it says '1999' on it and obviously can't take an anglewinder pod like mine.

GeeMax - you're right; this was an eBay find. It was advertised as a RAW, but I didn't realise what that was until I saw your post. I found some info on Pendle's site that explains some of the features, including the 25T spur and the vac-formed interior. It seems it would have come with a choice of 3 different spur gears, which might have suited my short track better, but I don't have the others. I guess if it was intended for long, open wooden club tracks, it might not matter if it wouldn't run with a magnet and the front wheels couldn't be adjusted? Am I right that yours are set up with the fronts off the ground?

Thanks for your offer of detail bodyshell parts, but fixing this shell isn't very high on my list at the moment so long as it runs, so I'll pass on that - I need my funds for fixing the chassis problems!

Mike

 

Mike

No worries, if you ever need anything drop me message on this forum.

I am still trade but these only for people I've done business with previously and groups of home racers. i don't make a living from it but it keeps my hand in. I was one of the first people pushing Slot IT parts for Scalextric cars to home racers when they first hit the market, then stocking Slot IT cars back in the 90's? It was my hobby and only ever a sideline in my parents shop, Newsagent/convenience store in Derby.

I think the gearing on all these cars new was 11/27 & the box didn't have any spares other than vac formed interior. I know because my McLaren and Nissan were brand new purchased when first released from UK distributor (AB Gee LTD, from whom i still get all my Scalextric items, now Guagemaster). Mine didn't come with extra gears. The Audi came out a few years later (?) so maybe additional gears were part of package. My own Audi Raw was an eBay purchase in excellent order and set up for wooden track racing. Minor changes like guide flag, adding side mirrors aside it was perfect.

All my cars front wheels just touch the track or are 0.5mm above and have non-grip slick front tyres fitted, sometimes even those slick tyres have a fine layer of super glue painted lightly on their surface, so I'm setting up all my cars in that "tripod" fashion. It suits the club track & works for me at home too. 3 point of contact with the track, the front just balance and hold in the car with all control coming for the rear wheels.

A change in circumstances a few years ago meant I have the option of filling my home shelves with pretentious books, vinyl collection OR some great slot cars. I choose the cars and then found the Wood Green track only 10 mins away in the car from my home in Islington North London, PERFECT.

I've been club racing for 3 years now, sold off a load of cars and currently have 30 odd NSR and 50 odd slot it cars, 6 sideways among other brands and the many Scalextric/Fly/Ninco that I'll never sell, half of those converted for Club racing with 3D chassis and slot it/NSR running gear..... TMI?

I have also bought entire collections from a few club racers leaving the hobby. Some of those end up on eBay after a little TLC, where I use this same ID, indeed I've just sold some new cars and spares recently.

Kind regards

Max

 

Thanks to GeeMax, I now have 11:28 gearing. The car is slightly quicker over a lap but, more important, it feels much nicer and livelier to drive. I think it would even potentially pull a larger spur gear, although the Flat6 torque is beginning to be a handful accelerating onto the main straight.

I had one unexpected problem, though. The new yellow 28 tooth Slot.It spur meshed perfectly with the 11 tooth 6.75mm pinion already on the motor, but when I put the body back on it rubbed. After much head-scratching, I found the new spur was rubbing on the inboard side of the shell where the shell is a tunnel-shape, because the spur hub was shorter than before. Luckily, Max had sent me a smaller (6mm?) 11 tooth pinion with the new spur. This let me put a spacer between the spur and bearing and move the gears outboard to clear the body.

All good fun! Mike

 

I thought that all RAW cars were anglewinder set-up with the Flat 6 R motor and came with plain orange coloured shells?

The other thing is about 6-7 years ago I bought a Slot.it Lola and it came with a Flat 6 A/W chassis. The problem was that I was racing it in the LMP class which was inline! I changed the pod for an inline motor but I couldn't get the shell to sit properly. Then I discovered that the inline crown was rubbing on the side of the "tunnel" part of the shell. My next lesson was finding out that Slot.it had 2 different shells for the Lola, (I don't know about the Audi), one for inline with a little bulge to accommodate the inline crown and another without the bulge for A/W set-up!

 

I love all of the idiosyncrasies in slot racing.
Differring axle sizes, motor dimensions, guide shafts, crown and pinion sizes, wheel dimensions, etc etc.
.. and that is just the cars. The tracks are even crazier.

It keeps things fun. Working out how to make incompatible parts play well together.

AlanW

 

And here's some with differing set up for 2 classes at Wood Green North London.

Red Label Flat 6-R motored are all for an open "Sport Cars" which allows entry for the "full monty" Moslers - highly tuned, lowered, angle winders...

Orange Label Flat 6-S motored are for GT class - which means any GT so these car qualify, along with other GT3', even GT40's...

One can have any motor in-line, likewise sidewinder but angle-winder add motor restrictions in our GT class, also can't use air-rims.

The green gear is the 15mm diameter, matched to 6.75mm pinion - as seen on the Audi & McLaren F1 (fina livery).

Alan's quite right, a lot of the "fun part in this hobby" is working out combinations & car set-up, along with tyres for the best performance for a set track.

 

These modern '1/32' cars are seriously big. They're almost as big as a 1/24 sports car from the 1970s! Do the club rules have any size limit for GTs?

 

These modern '1/32' cars are seriously big. They're almost as big as a 1/24 sports car from the 1970s! Do the club rules have any size limit for GTs?

Modern Le Mans cars are much longer than their 70s counterparts, Some of the early 1970s can am cars were very wide, wider than the maximum width limits that have applied at Le Mans in recent years, The contrast with 50s Le Mans cars is even greater, some modern 1/32 cars are quite correctly larger than some1/24 50s cars .

Clubs can have very different rules. Some are based on a maximum size, some are based on the scale size of each car, some are based on only allowing specified makes and models of off the shelf slot cars.

 

Our club has a 64mm across the outside of the tyres limit (1/32) for the larger Sports/GT and Saloon/Gr5 cars.

 

64mm or the nearest inch equivalent of 2 1/2 inches has been a commonly used width limit for may years. It's close to 1/32 scale of the full size maximum width in current Le Mans rules.

 

Either that is a very small 70's sports or it's not 1/24th...more like 1/32

 

Generally at Wood Green North London size of cars is down to manufacturers 1/32 - so smaller looking Scalextric cars (bodies really) race along side NSR's larger interpretations. Just put a Renault Clio by Ninco next to the NSR Clio to illustrate difference.

As others have noted what even's things out is the axle widths, tyre sizes, motor configurations in each class.

 

Either that is a very small 70's sports or it's not 1/24th...more like 1/32

The yellow car is a Lola 280 in scale livery, the orange one is an Audi R8C (the real one was predominantly silver) The real Audi is about 32% longer than the real Lola, as near as can be measured from the photos the difference in the models is close to that. So the two are fairly close to the same scale.

 

The yellow car is a Lola 280 in scale livery, the orange one is an Audi R8C (the real one was predominantly silver) The real Audi is about 32% longer than the real Lola, as near as can be measured from the photos the difference in the models is close to that. So the two are fairly close to the same scale.

That's what I'm getting at