cyclemoe
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Post by cyclemoe on May 9, 2010 6:14:03 GMT -7
I have a question that will hopefully help for next year. My son took 1st in Bear and 1st overall at our Pack race on a 42ft aluminum track then finished 5th at the District on a 42ft pvc track. He is running an extended wheelbase with 3 wheels down, rear canted 2.5 degrees, RF wheel 1.5 degrees. He avg. 3.12 on our track and 3.36 on the district track. Everything we are using is out of the box. Watching the video, he hit the bottom of the track 1st every time in all his heats (4 wins & 2 2nd) but ended up with 5th best time. Would this be an issue with weight placement? His com is at 1.5. His car ran straight with no wobble.
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Post by psycaz on May 9, 2010 6:38:30 GMT -7
First and most important question - on that pvc track, was the guide in the center of the track or was it using the outside walls of the lanes? I hope that makes sense.
Simpler question is did your pack track looks exactly the same as the pvc or did you notice differences outside of the material?
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cyclemoe
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Post by cyclemoe on May 9, 2010 6:52:07 GMT -7
Yes it had a center guide rail. Very similar to our track.
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Post by psycaz on May 9, 2010 7:00:15 GMT -7
Any pictures from the district race.
I honestly expected it to be one of the SuperTracks that are wall-guided, not center-guided.
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cyclemoe
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Post by cyclemoe on May 9, 2010 7:28:06 GMT -7
No pic's, just some quick video of each of the heats. Will try to post one.
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Post by W Racing on May 10, 2010 5:06:31 GMT -7
Try the things in this post: In particular use the block to drill holes. pddr.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=2404You may need to go with diffrent axles and wheels based on rules. Edge PureStck Wheels with the step intact meet most all race requiments... However if you do go with raw wheels on scout car. You need straight axles and round wheels. Get a matching set of #8s for the rear. 3, 12 or 15 on the DFW and some diffrent number on the raised wheel... |
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Post by Beakerboys Racing on May 10, 2010 10:35:28 GMT -7
I have a question that will hopefully help for next year. My son took 1st in Bear and 1st overall at our Pack race on a 42ft aluminum track then finished 5th at the District on a 42ft pvc track. He is running an extended wheelbase with 3 wheels down, rear canted 2.5 degrees, RF wheel 1.5 degrees. He avg. 3.12 on our track and 3.36 on the district track. Everything we are using is out of the box. Watching the video, he hit the bottom of the track 1st every time in all his heats (4 wins & 2 2nd) but ended up with 5th best time. Would this be an issue with weight placement? His com is at 1.5. His car ran straight with no wobble. you have a friction problem. the other cars weren't speeding up, your son's car was slowing down. Shoot for 3/4 com, buy a BLOCK to drill your axle holes, 3 degrees on rear, bend your dominate front axles 3 to 4 degrees DOWN, steer car to run as straight as possible without shimmy, and don't forget to narrow the front end dominate side 1/16 of an inch. Gaphite-Hob-e-Lube only. Check www.jewkesengineering.com or www.MB4hire.com for speed products. This is not a paid advertisement. ;D |
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Post by W Racing on May 10, 2010 18:15:23 GMT -7
If you post the rules that might be helpful as well...  |
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cyclemoe
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Post by cyclemoe on May 10, 2010 21:51:39 GMT -7
Thanks for the responses. I was thinking that it could have friction issues. I was going to take the car apart to make sure everything was good to go but I didn't want to mess up a good thing. Live and learn.
As far as the rules, they are pretty laxed. Main points are that we have to use what is in the kit( official BSA items), and we can't change the shape of the wheels with the exception of making the surface flat. I had him polish the bores, I have lathed and polished the surface, cleaned up the hub. We do have some boys that have used the colored wheels though. Would the Jewkes BSA wheels be legal?
I'm considering getting the Block as I have painstakingly helped my son measure and drill the holes then after he has straightened and polished his axles bend them to the right angle. I don't have a drill press but I do have a dremel drill press. Kinda crude after seeing what people on the forum have, but will it work?
Thanks Again.
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Post by W Racing on May 10, 2010 22:07:05 GMT -7
The block is key to speed.
The dremmel is not likely going to cut it. You could have Glenn or ___ drill a block for you.
The proxxon is a great drill and worth it from an investment perspective.
Drilling the holes accurate is key...
If you live in NC or Utah you can vist Jewkes or ___ in person. That would be a great experience.
Another choice: Come and race with us and the speed will pick up dramatically by next years race...
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cyclemoe
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Post by cyclemoe on May 10, 2010 22:22:39 GMT -7
I live in Texas, but would love to come and check out the races. Finding this website has given me some really great ideas as well as sparked a big building and racing interest. I've won the parents and siblings class the past two years and my daughters car took 3rd this year, so I've caught the bug. I'm in the planning stage for next year and I want to go sub 3.
Thanks again and maybe we will get to race one day.
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cyclemoe
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Post by cyclemoe on May 11, 2010 16:57:58 GMT -7
I definitely got into it when I helped my son build his first car. This year he did the majority, I cut it out and lathed the wheels, he did the rest. I'm a Mercedes Tech by trade and the parents in my den told me they expected me to win, so I set the bar pretty high for myself. My goal next year is to go sub 3.
When some of the parents asked how my daughter took 3rd her first time out (she's 1) I told them she wanted a pink Elmo car so she came up with the concept. Was a big hit.
I'll check into a drill press, in the mean time my brother n law has one I can borrow, but I will definitely be getting a Block instead of bending the rear axles like I have been doing.
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Post by W Racing on May 11, 2010 22:22:32 GMT -7
Excellent! The block is the way to go. Way better than bending axles!!!
Be sure to ask lots of questions. there are no shortage of folks here to respond with great advice.
Best Wishes - W
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Post by Wood Butcher Racing on May 12, 2010 3:46:35 GMT -7
Cyclemoe
Send in your fastest car. See where it stacks up with the group here. It's a thrill to see your car in the races, and you just may suprise yourself. So far I've sent in one and it was faster than expected. Once you get that benchmark you can start building and trying some new things without the "one race a year" pressure.
W is right, the proxxon is real nice but $200 can get a bench top drill press and band saw. After that a belt sander is good to have as well. That's about all you need (as long as you already have the BLOCK). The key is setting up the machines to run good and knowing how they work. For example, my DP drills pretty strait for most work. Left to right is spot on. Front to back, however, is off just a little. As long as you know these little quirks, you can predict the outcome.
Send in your cars and get a baseline. Then as you race through the year you will know how fast the cars are before the big district race. Just don't beat them by too much ...
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cyclemoe
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Post by cyclemoe on May 12, 2010 19:34:37 GMT -7
Thanks All for the encouragement. I'm glad I found this website, I never built a derby car as a kid, but have had a lot of fun helping my son get started with his. I will get my cars out and give them a tune then send them in for a time comparison.
I really appreciate the input I have received and look forward to probing your brains on the car I'm working on now.
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