I have read about removing 1/4" of wood from the rear of the car and adding to the front of the car as to move the COM and weight to the rear and increase its drop distance. My son and I are doing a BSA race where we can't move the axle slots. Do we need to worry about "bottoming" the care out? Thanks.
Adding to front of car
- Thread starter davidhoy.pt
- Start date
No just moving the piece from the rear to the front will not cause you to bottom out on the track. By moving the rear this puts the rear axles closer to the back of the car allowing better weight placement for better com. Hope this helps.
You can't move the slots, or you have to use the slots, or the wheelbase must remain the same? All three mean very different things...
You can't move the slots: That says to me that the only way you could have the rear wheels closer to the back would be to have cut/sanded off part of the block, leaving you with a short block. That seems a rather doubtful rule to me.
You have to use the slots: What I have done in years past was to lop off an inch (or whatever the specific measurement is) off the front of the block, turning the ex-front into the back, and then glueing the lopped off piece to the old rear, making a new front. I was still using the slots, but had my wheels as far back as possible, and I had a larger piece of wood that I was handling and glueing.
You have to keep the same wheelbase: Best option, and the one I finally realized this year. You drill your own axle holes, right where you need them to be.
If you are worried about the nose being too long, so it would hit the track before the front wheels could lift the nose at the transition, don't be. Even on the fairly sudden transition of a Best Track, the curve spans four feet. If you are still gun-shy, you can add a curve up in the front of your car.
- Eric
You can't move the slots: That says to me that the only way you could have the rear wheels closer to the back would be to have cut/sanded off part of the block, leaving you with a short block. That seems a rather doubtful rule to me.
You have to use the slots: What I have done in years past was to lop off an inch (or whatever the specific measurement is) off the front of the block, turning the ex-front into the back, and then glueing the lopped off piece to the old rear, making a new front. I was still using the slots, but had my wheels as far back as possible, and I had a larger piece of wood that I was handling and glueing.
You have to keep the same wheelbase: Best option, and the one I finally realized this year. You drill your own axle holes, right where you need them to be.
If you are worried about the nose being too long, so it would hit the track before the front wheels could lift the nose at the transition, don't be. Even on the fairly sudden transition of a Best Track, the curve spans four feet. If you are still gun-shy, you can add a curve up in the front of your car.
- Eric
Eric, Thanks for the thoughts. Are rules state that the axle slots can not be moved. So we run the car "backwards" short distance behind rear axle. We have the car cut, weighed and preliminarily sanded. I didn't re-drill the axles slots yet...waiting for our investment in the silver bullet to arrive.
His car won the pack last year, but finished second in distracts after a "drop." Last year's car was our first attempt. I measured the COM to be 1 1/2", 3 wheeler, no axle bend or canting. Our success last year was based on meticulous axle and wheel prep.
This year is going to be COM around 7/8", 3 wheeler, rail rider, better wheel and axle prep. I hope this car does as well or better than last years!
Thanks for the help.
His car won the pack last year, but finished second in distracts after a "drop." Last year's car was our first attempt. I measured the COM to be 1 1/2", 3 wheeler, no axle bend or canting. Our success last year was based on meticulous axle and wheel prep.
This year is going to be COM around 7/8", 3 wheeler, rail rider, better wheel and axle prep. I hope this car does as well or better than last years!
Thanks for the help.
By cutting the rear of the car off and glueing to the front your not moving the original slot location they will still be in the exact spot they was when you took the block out of the box. My 2 cents!!!!
I agree that that is probably what they mean. /images/boards/smilies/smile.gif It's just not what they said.
Why not just remove the bottom of the block where the slots are, and put new slots in the upper part of the block that you saved, but with the same spacing?
New slots could be more exact.
Just wondering.
New slots could be more exact.
Just wondering.
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