Guides, etc.

[Perrotoro]

A few of my cars will click as they go around the track - most run smooth and do not click. The clicking locations on the track vary from car to car - so no certain spots on the track are the suspected cause. Is there a usual culprit for such - like the guides or other?

I noticed in HRW's email on trimming that Sloting Plus is noted as a "... better guide". What makes a guide a better guide? Trim-able? Smoothness? Does anyone sand the guides smooth?

Is the proper guide depth the depth that just misses the bottom of the slot?

I believe HRW noted that a tri-pod arrangement is a better guide configuration. I'm inferring that means the guide should be taking most of the car's front load with the front wheels taking as little as possible - but still roll???

Thanks for responses.

[HomeRacingWorld]

[Perrotoro]

Thanks!

[HomeRacingWorld]

You are welcome.

But keep an eye on this one.

Hopefully some of the folks that race competitively chime in. Some like the SCC/Cloverleaf gang who do the big enduros or the guys in the top seeds of the proxies.

These are the fast movers. I'm just a basement home racer.

[Perrotoro]

Thanks again Harry - I sent one of your named sponsors (don't know if acceptable to say which one - I do business with all of them) an order for Deep wood guides and some tires last night, so you got them some (more) business anyway with your trimming e-mail. Still trying to make my Ninco gulf McLaren a competitor in my HR group. Gonna sand the chassis, added smaller wheels and ordered smaller diameter tires to start sanding to get the closer track clearance. Still not sure I want to fool with truing other than by sandpaper glued to a flat wood strip - hmmmm? Had already glued the motor. Will add the deep guide if it will accept it - I feel sure it will. The tripod arrangement should be easy - I think most of my cars are tripod anyway - I just hadn't "coined" the concept in my mind yet.

I really like the looks of this Ninco car and have been trying t make it competitive "for quite some time" now. Guess I'll get the Scalextric version that's starting to appear if I these improvements don't get the Ninco within 5% of the better track times.

[RichD]

If you run cars with traction magnets the tripod setup is probably the best way to go. The magnet(s) effectively lower the center of gravity so the car does not want to tip in the corners. On plastic tracks the guide flag will make more noise with that setup as the car crosses the joints. If you run without traction magnets the front tires should touch and roll at all times so they actually support the car. If the tires don't touch in the corners the car will start to tip, when that happens the inside rear tire will lift off of the track and only the outside shoulder of the tire on the other side will be making contact causing the back of the car to snap around with little warning. I have attended many big endurance and proxy races for non-magnet cars and NEVER seen a car with a tripod setup.
If the front tires are holding up the front of the car the braids do not have to be bottomed out and the car may make less noise on a plastic track. The deeper the guide flag is in the slot the less likely it will be that the front end of the car will come out of the slot. You always want the back of the car to slide out before the car deslots, you can often catch a slide, you can't catch a deslot. If it is legal to do so I use a Slot.it wood track guide and trim that so that it is just short of bottoming out.

[HomeRacingWorld]

You can always mention your dealer. Not that strict around here :)

That is a nice car. Did you block the front axle? Those NINCO's had more of a "floating" axle so they could negotiate the uneven track surfaces, namely their own track.

On a flat, smoother surface, blocking that front axle helps keep the car from having excess tipping action up front.

Good Luck

[chappyman66]

The Ninco McLaren F1GTR is nice...I have 3 or 4 of them. They are quick on my short twisty home track because the short wheelbase turns quickly.
For no-mag, Harry is right....block the front axle (I use plastic tubing). I also glue the bearings into the uprights and true the rear wheels. You can put a deeper guide on as well. There is an integral rear panel on the chassis that needs to be cut from the chassis and glued to the body if you want chassis float, but I jus open up the screw holes in the chassis instead. Standard tuning.

The big deal is the motors. Ninco used to rate at 14V instead of 12V, so to be competitive with an 18k Scalextric motor you will need something faster than their NC1/NC2. I put an 18k motor in one once, and it was competitive....but took it out for my home track.

Also, get a good set of tires. The tires will help a lot.