[Born again Sloter]

As my previous Topic asked 12 questions which were obviously to demanding for slot car racers. Tuning cars and racing them is undoubtedly the real priority.

So are here are 3 questions which we should all have simple answers for. Maybe slot car manufacturer will take notice too.

What are the three things that annoy you most with new slot cars.

Here are mine -

1) Rear wings that break at first contact with a feather

2) Mirrors that fall off as the car is removed from its box or packaging.

3) Excess free play in the rear axle

& Just to add one more - The wife realising I have purchased another slot car.

 

[GDSLOT]

As my previous Topic asked 12 questions which were obviously to demanding for slot car racers. Tuning cars and racing them is undoubtedly the real priority.

So are here are 3 questions which we should all have simple answers for. Maybe slot car manufacturer will take notice too.

What are the three things that annoy you most with new slot cars.
Here are mine -

1) Rear wings that break at first contact with a feather
2) Mirrors that fall off as the car is removed from its box or packaging.
3) Excess free play in the rear axle

& Just to add one more - The wife realising I have purchased another slot car.

That would be:

1) Tires(rear) so bad and cheap that they lack a propper grip.They should be minimum like the Slot it or Scaleauto stock tires.

2) Magnet so well secured that you need to torn apart almost all the mechanics to remove it.

3) Wires too stiff that you must replace it asap.

Cheers

 

[Mr Modifier]

As my previous Topic asked 12 questions which were obviously to demanding for slot car racers.

Not too demanding - but those of us who have spent years acquiring the requested knowledge probably didn't feel inclined to spend the hour or so required to compose a decent answer to a dozen questions that are best served with lengthy answers. Please don't take offence - it's just how it is.

I like this new approach of focused questioning and am willing to answer because I am happy to give a fellow enthusiast 5 minutes:

1) Poor quality tyres that offer inadequate grip and/or don't fit the rims properly

2) Rear axle slop due to holes in bushes being too large (this fundamentally affects grip, traction and acceleration)

3) Poor guide setup (guide depth inadequate [5.5mm depth minimum please] and/or guide that moves side to side causing deslots)

For me these are fundamentals to making a magless car go fast (magnets hide a multitude of design sins that are exposed as soon as the magnet is removed). A run-in motor is also key but I am happy to do that myself. I am also happy to glue and true the tyres but this still won't compensate for poor compound or poor fit.

 

[Trisha]

Being defeated by slot cars is inevitable. Giving up on them is optional.

 

[Wankel Ickx]

Heh! There were twelve?? I saw them. I read them. I didn't count them because after the first couple I just thought, best of luck with this epic, chap.😬

Here's the thing... And this? This is the thing. Our models are 1:32. Wing pylons, mirror pylons, pylon pylons at 1:32 are going to be frail. You best get used to that. A famous orange man once said, it is what it is.

And it is.

Yes. It's annoying when a model disintegrates early doors but the speed-crazed morons amongst us want them ever faster, apparently, so terminal velocity can be just that.

The only gripe I can quickly lay my thoughts on now is all those screws done up so b****y tight I'm amazed the plastic didn't shatter. 😡

 

[Kevan]

I only have one annoyance with slot cars...the price compared to other model cars you can also race.
I sold all my rc cars and the prices compared to slot cars are similar for a lot more engineering.
A slot car: a bit of plastic for a chassis, cheap Chinese motor, cheap plastic wheels, cheap no grip tyres, nice looking bodyshell.
An rc car: suspension, gearbox, better quality motor, tyres that work but a flimsy blob for a bodyshell.
...and don't even mention the controllers!

 

[RichD]

I see that you realized that your original questions would have required a VERY lengthy reply. I thought about replying, but I decided that I did not want to spend a day or two on it.

You are obviously looking for cars that run well right out if the box. I race my cars and my club does not allow traction magnets, so I am not upset if the cars require certain modifications. Usually by the time I get done with a $40 RTR car the cost has gone up to $120.

Looking at your list of gripes I would say that a car should be able to take a reasonable amount of abuse without breaking or shedding parts like mirrors and wings. That might be a tall order. A few makers have sold cars with rubber mirrors or have supplied a second more durable wing. If you run cars with traction magnets your crashes are going to be much more severe.

Excess play in the rear axle bearings is unavoidable if the car has plastic wheels and the ends of the axle are knurled. Some cars use plain axles, the wheels will fall off sooner or later. There is a quick, inexpensive fix for the problem that does not require replacing the entire rear axle assembly. I call it the Superglue fix and it is included in this rather long article: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qBiTFf2XQWHzTGh3xyqnhl30_ixis4rX/view?usp=sharing

 

[arthur64]

poor tyres,wheels that are not round

 

[300SLR]

Not too demanding - but those of us who have spent years acquiring the requested knowledge probably didn't feel inclined to spend the hour or so required to compose a decent answer to a dozen questions that are best served with lengthy answers. Please don't take offence - it's just how it is.

I like this new approach of focused questioning and am willing to answer because I am happy to give a fellow enthusiast 5 minute

A good point well made

A slot car: a bit of plastic for a chassis, cheap Chinese motor, cheap plastic wheels, cheap no grip tyres, nice looking bodyshell.

Of course not all slot cars fit that description, but assuming that's the sort of thing Born Again Slotter's is asking about:~

1) Poor quality tyres that offer inadequate grip partly because of the compund and partly because they are not properly round.

2) Poor guide setup

3) Bearings sloppy / misaligned causing handling and sometimes gear mesh problems

 

[Gripping Pneus]

Excess play in the rear axle bearings is unavoidable if the car has plastic wheels and the ends of the axle are knurled.

It is not beyond the wit of designers to use axles with a 1/8th inch or 3mm centre section with 3/32nd inch (2.38mm) knurled ends. Decent bearings could then be used.

 

[GDSLOT]

I only have one annoyance with slot cars...the price compared to other model cars you can also race.
I sold all my rc cars and the prices compared to slot cars are similar for a lot more engineering.
A slot car: a bit of plastic for a chassis, cheap Chinese motor, cheap plastic wheels, cheap no grip tyres, nice looking bodyshell.
An rc car: suspension, gearbox, better quality motor, tyres that work but a flimsy blob for a bodyshell.
...and don't even mention the controllers!

Yes Rc is a Different hobby, I tried and bought some entry level cars, after a bit tuning with aluminium spares(heat sinks, reinforced bars, etc), I realized that would requiere lots of money to have a second hobby, so I dropped inmediatly hehe.

Cheers

 

[300SLR]

Excess play in the rear axle bearings is unavoidable if the car has plastic wheels and the ends of the axle are knurled.

It could very easily be achieved with knurled.axles, but it would require an extra machining operation that would add some very tiny amount to the production costs.
I suspect the manufacturer's target market is mainly punters who don't care about sloppy bearings, so the accountants are unlikely to be interested in spending even a tiny amount more.

 

[matthew77]

I dont like radio aerials that easily break off,

Tyres with poor traction and poor usable life span.

Lack of availability of spare parts.

 

[Jeepster]

1. Rubbish tyres: Only passable in combination with the car's magnet. Remove the magnet and you are skating on ice, so replacement tyres are needed.

2. Rubbish wheels: One or more frequently buckled (front and/or rear) so either the back of car bounces down a straight or the front behaves like there are Mexican jumping beans under the bonnet.

3. Car design flaws (or simple laziness) in that without the fitted magnet the slot car is about as stable as a trapeze artist taking to the wire after sinking ten pints and a bottle of Scotch.

Can I have one more?

4. Fragile parts liable to come away when having to considerably mod cars to make them even function properly - slender wing mirrors, delicate windscreen wipers, etc.

But I still love 'em!

 

[Wobble]

3 questions? Far too many for me. 1 answer. Knurled axles. 'nuff said.

 

[42redcat]

It's much easier to fix axles and bearings than it is to rebuild wings or mirrors so they don't break. (Does anyone manage to make strong-enough overhung rear wings?)

For a home racer, it's much more cost-effective to leave the magnets in than to replace all the tyres and, probably, fit motor pods instead of OEM chassis. I've tried NSR and Slot.It cars with sticky tyres and without magnets on my short, twisty home track and they are easier to drive and 30% slower than magnet equivalents. With cheaper tyres, every car I've tried without magnets is undriveable. I understand clubs have good reasons for banning magnets to avoid an ever-stronger-magnet arms race, but I can ban excessive magnets in my fleet without banning all magnets.

Mike

 

[BARC 1]

Magnets tend to get a bad rap, and I am guilty as anyone as I am only interested in magless Racing,

However a well placed magnet with sensible magnetic force = $100 of magless tuning, tires and set up.

When I had my Carrera track I could adjust the magnetic force and position of the magnet to mimic a magless well tuned car that allowed some sliding and feedback. Was this so wrong? My wallet didn't think so, but for whatever reason magnets are frowned upon. Even though this fact was slapping me in the face I chose the magless route. I guess tuning and set up are what make this fun for some

Weird how we will spend a hundred more to get less actual performance.

 

[Mr Modifier]

Wow a hundred! I spend less than one - and thats only if you count a sheet of sandpaper to true the tyres and a dab of varnish to zero grip the front tyres.

And as to less actual performance - I prefer to think of it as lengthening laps.

 

[GRUNZ]

Personally I like the feeling of how a well-tuned magnless car lap around: when you can see that you can push the car around the corners and getting a good lap all based on mechanical adjustments and good tyres.

You can spend up to $100 dollars if you have to buy: 3d printed chassis, pod, motor, axle, wheels, tyres, guide and sometimes even decals.

All worth it if you are looking at improving the performance of a specific car made by a "toys" manufacturer (eg, Scalex Bentley).

As for the breakable parts, I usually get rubber versions of wings and mirrors if available. As an alternative I try to find 3d printed wings.

 

[GDSLOT]

Personally I like the feeling of how a well-tuned magnless car lap around: when you can see that you can push the car around the corners and getting a good lap all based on mechanical adjustments and good tyres.
You can spend up to $100 dollars if you have to buy: 3d printed chassis, pod, motor, axle, wheels, tyres, guide and sometimes even decals.
All worth it if you are looking at improving the performance of a specific car made by a "toys" manufacturer (eg, Scalex Bentley).

As for the breakable parts, I usually get rubber versions of wings and mirrors if available. As an alternative I try to find 3d printed wings.

Cant say it better mate!

Cheers