???Graphite???

Chief

Chief

0
Dec 20, 2011
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[font="times new roman, times, serif"]OK, I am not really a follow the rules type of guy, more the "Rebel" kind, which is strange as I somehow married a lady cop. Anyway, My son has his pack race coming up in a few weeks and I for darn sure do not want my son to be DQ'ed and they only allow the use of a dry lubricant. Is graphite the best to use and if not what is? and also would would be the recommended procedure for making a fast graphite car?[/font]
Thanx so much!!
[font="times new roman, times, serif"]I am not sure if this has be asked or talked about before and if so I missed it.[/font]
 
Even a graphite car? I placed an order with him just before Christmas but haven't received anything yet (busy time of year I am sure). But my order included the DVD and I am anxious to get it!
 
Chief said:
Even a graphite car? I placed an order with him just before Christmas but haven't received anything yet (busy time of year I am sure). But my order included the DVD and I am anxious to get it!
Click to expand...

We run graphite with my son's derby cars, and we win. They won't compete with my oil cars but they beat the pack.
 
Chief
First off I'm real surprised if you ordered from DD4H before x-mass you haven't received it yet. Call him he'll help you out. Second do use DD4H graphite that stuff is super fast. When I prep for graphite I polish the wheel bores same as I do for oil. but after that I burnish the graphite in with a cotton string. I put the string through the wheel bore then a small amount of graphite in the bore and on the string. Then I roll the wheel up and down on my leg while holding on to the string with both hands. I go back and forth about 25 times. I pull the wheel off the string and inspect it under magnification. You should see graphite "worked in" sticking to the bore. Then assemble and add graphite as usual.
 
[font="times new roman, times, serif"]I just called him tonight and had to leave a message. I used to own my own business, so I can truly relate to how busy he must be. thanx for all the help![/font]
I also use a cotton string but whats this burnishing? Is that like using a cotton stick and filling the bore with graphite and then rolling the wheel on the table back and forth a few times???
 
When you said "Even a graphite car" I had to chuckle. Everyone else has to use graphite too. I didn't have time to create a big response. We were headed to my son's basketball game. If you can, run grooved axles. If you have to use the axles in the kit, make them grooved.
 
Every time I try to use fancy words "burnish" it backfires on me. but I think it's right. Anyway I use the cotton string laced with graphite to work it into the wheel bore. Working it in would be rolling back and forth on my leg or I guess a table would work too. I would be Leary of a cotton stick though,, I wouldn't want to ream out the wheel bore I just want to "set" the graphite into the walls of the wheel bore. I,m bad at explaining things ,,I apologize..
hmmm
 
[font="times new roman, times, serif"]The rules are not very specific and I have ran grooved axles every year and no one has said anything or cried about it. I did find my own special way for grooving the axles so to speak. Not very common but it seems to work wonders. I groove them to where the wheels only ride in one spot. They will not touch the body of the car and the do not touch the axle head. My son and I sat and hand spun (for hours) the wheels and we counted the seconds of the spin and we got a 36 second free spin on the rears and 33 on the front DFW and the other did not touch, and that was with turned wheels. I dont know if that is the best way of doing things but he won and I am not one to argue with success...[/font]
Oh and I am glad I could give you a chuckle hahaha that is always good
 
I have a question about graphite on the outside of the wheels . We test on a aluminum track but race on a wooden one . Last year for district I tried to over-polish the outside of the wheels and then I burnished in graphite . Car was great for our District .(-new track record ) However , when I ran against the 'pros' here in Dallas ,I was about a 1/2 car length behind .... One of the really helpful fast guys suggested not over-polishing and adding graphite , especially to the rear wheels. He said only the DFW could be done this way . (He said it caused wobbles )
Our pack race runs short wheel based cars and the district cars the wheel base is free . I think the main lack of speed versus the fast guys ,was not enough negative camber in the rears. On a quick roll test ,at the hobby shop , our rear wheels were not running out to the axle heads . We are trying to fix that this year . We are going to test with positive camber in the DFW also .
I'm struggling with the short wheel base car . We are preparing the our wheels this weekend . How smooth should we go ? Should we Graphite the outside ? Thanks for your help , from a 'slow' new guy ...
 
SoGone said:
Chief
First off I'm real surprised if you ordered from DD4H before x-mass you haven't received it yet. Call him he'll help you out. Second do use DD4H graphite that stuff is super fast. When I prep for graphite I polish the wheel bores same as I do for oil. but after that I burnish the graphite in with a cotton string. I put the string through the wheel bore then a small amount of graphite in the bore and on the string. Then I roll the wheel up and down on my leg while holding on to the string with both hands. I go back and forth about 25 times. I pull the wheel off the string and inspect it under magnification. You should see graphite "worked in" sticking to the bore. Then assemble and add graphite as usual.
Click to expand...

Do you use both DD4H products on the bores or just the first?
 
mike clem said:
I have a question about graphite on the outside of the wheels . We test on a aluminum track but race on a wooden one . Last year for district I tried to over-polish the outside of the wheels and then I burnished in graphite . Car was great for our District .(-new track record ) However , when I ran against the 'pros' here in Dallas ,I was about a 1/2 car length behind .... One of the really helpful fast guys suggested not over-polishing and adding graphite , especially to the rear wheels. He said only the DFW could be done this way . (He said it caused wobbles )
Our pack race runs short wheel based cars and the district cars the wheel base is free . I think the main lack of speed versus the fast guys ,was not enough negative camber in the rears. On a quick roll test ,at the hobby shop , our rear wheels were not running out to the axle heads . We are trying to fix that this year . We are going to test with positive camber in the DFW also .
I'm struggling with the short wheel base car . We are preparing the our wheels this weekend . How smooth should we go ? Should we Graphite the outside ? Thanks for your help , from a 'slow' new guy ...
Click to expand...

Novus 2 on treads.
 
Thanks Guys for the suggestions , I'll definitely use them . Hosted a PWD build session today for our Pack . Cut out a lot of cars . I 'm tired but had a blast ....
 
DerbyDad4Hire said:
To make a good graphite wheel use the polishes. After the 2nd one do not clean it out but instead dump some graphite in the bore and using a Q-tip shaft slowly burnish in the graphite. Rub graphite on the contact surfaces and blowout with compressed air and your wheel will rock! Do not polish treads of rear wheels.
Click to expand...

Thank You!!!
 
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