Replacing the braid for Carrera guide

[Giddyup]

Hi guys,

Starting to work on my first ever Carrera club class car, a pink DTM :D

We will be racing these DTMs as a class; we're not permitted to change out the guide and use an adapter in with say a slot.it guide....so one of the things I'm toying with is using softer Slot.it copper braid (as well as resetting the front axle ride height after I true and glue the front tires) to bury the stock guide in the slot as deep as possible for stability.

We race no-mag on routed tracks, with urethane tires running at 10v for context.

So, I've unclipped the braids out the guide. Has anyone replaced or pulled out and replaced the stock braid with the softer braid to refit back in the stock guide? I swear I saw a post a while ago around resetting the braid to help let the car sit deeper, but after a few hours of searching I can't find it :cry:

Any help would be appreciated, thanks eh!
Tom

[Dangermouse]

Easy enough to do - a thin screw driver or dull blade to lift the tabs then slide the braid out - replace and use a small pair of pliers to close it all up.
Someone also posted about making the braid long on one end and short on the other so the braid resembles braid on standard cars. My results with this have been a bit hit and miss so I have gone back to the twin braid setup

[WB2]

Ooh...it's on the other site.
http://slotcarillustrated.com/portal/fo ... hp?t=94690

I remember another post, possibly by Bruce from Cincy Slots.

[WB2]

This is just the braid replacement: http://original.cincyslots.com/Z_helpfu ... arrera.htm .

[Brumos RSR]

I've done it using Slot It braid in the Carrera brush holder. A small screw driver to pry open the holder and needle nose pliers to close it back up and my several checks to make sure it was near flat as the original and I was good to go.

[Giddyup]

Awesome, thanks for the quick replies boys! :text-thankyouyellow:

I wasn't sue about prying it apart, but this gives me to courage to do so.

Dangermouse - I remember seeing that thread somewhere too...maybe one of Dave K's? Curious, why do you think you've had mixed results? Not enough weight on the nose, or maybe the guide isn't being pushed down into the slot? Or maybe a bumpy track?

[Billy boy]

I Messed around with the braids as well and have gone back to stock also. I brush them with one of those small brass bushes and that seems to help clean and flatten them out as well. Sanding the wheels then tires and. Adding a little lead up front has worked well for me. I also run on wood with copper tape at ten volts.

[Dangermouse]

I think it was bumpy Ninco track that prompted the change - most of our tracks are wood but one chap has a NInco track. I don't think it went as well on that track so I switched back to stock braid.

[RichD]

We run our Carrera cars with the modification to the braids shown in the first link, that works well on all of the Shoreline Model Raceways tracks. Ninco track has raised rails and that could cause a problem.

[Giddyup]

So I took the plunge and gently pried open the metallic braid holders, inserting new braid and recrimping....











The soft copper braids lay completely flat with the guide deep in the slot :music-rockout:

Started work In on how the body and its clamshell to enable some body float while truing all 4 rims, then gluing a truing originals back on front and then coating with clear nail polish and retruing. Then did the rears with Paul Gage XPGTs (20125 LMXD I believe).

I've been truing with 600 grit the last few years, but moved to 1000 for the first sanding, then 3000 (each with wet sands before moving to next stage) to finish off. Pleased so far with the way the body sits and the wheel appearance in the wheel arches.



Up next is swapping out the E200 motor for a Pirahna, as that's what our club is doing to give these some oomph

[Cincyslots]

[Giddyup]

Too late Bruce.... :angry-cussingblack:

It may be worth it though, after rubbering in my track (which hasn't been used since the season ending race back in April), got the best time down to a 6.139. Normally I shoot for a low 5.8 range, but at 20-25% heavier than most of my club class cars, it'll do as at least she's very smooth now...not a lot of brakes though .... then again we'lll be running the stock gearing and same motor (Pirahna).

We'll likely do a club test'n'tune session / shakedown before their season debut...cautiously hopeful.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Something to keep in mind... The E200 motor is rated at 14.8 volts, so your lack of oomph at 10 volts is understandable. The Pirahna is a standard 12 volts and you should get better braking as well as perkier speed at the same 10 volts.

[Giddyup]

So an update on this car, I,have it all running...very smooth runner. But...even with the piranha which gives it more much needed oomph -- no, brakes.

I never had to run in / bed the stock gears as I usually do with tooth paste because they were perfectly smooth (well done Carrera!).

The only thing I can think of is when I replaced the E200 it had some do-dad capacitor thingies on it which I never resoldered in to its piranha replacement. Any idea if that (the lack of a capacitor) could be causing a lack of braking??

[Giddyup]

So does anyone have any ideas on why the loss of brakes? Should I be soldering capacitors back onto the replacement motor?