I'm paranoid that the

[Guest]

DFW axle bent so that it barely fits through the wheel bore may bugger up my final wax polish even if I do smooth the cut radius. I've read time and again to drill the DFW hole straight otherwise it makes tuning a nightmare hence my question. If I drill the hole at say 3 degrees pos. cant then theoretically that's 3 degrees less that the axle needs bent making insertion that much safer. Seems it would be less sensitive to fine tuning as well. Trying to wrap my head around how an angled drill could be slower even after the car is tuned to its maximum potential.

 

[5KidsRacing]

Many of my cars, mostly bearing, eliminator & needle cars and some SS and SP have the DFW axle drilled at an angle into a Delrin axle body (I don't know what to call it so I will just use "axle body"... lol) That way I can drill a straight DFW axle hole in the car wood body that fits the axle body (larger than the axle of course).... I drill a angled axle hole into the axle body so my DFW axle is not bent.... I use the Silver Bullet to do this.... so I have about a 3 degree "bend"..... or I can make it more or less. I adjust the cars drift by turning the axle body from the hole on the underside of the car. I drill a hole at the end of the axle body perpendicular to the axle that I can stick the end of a small drill bit into and turn the axle body thus adjusting drift. This really works well with headless axles and needles, but I have done the same with DD4H 92 axles.....

I don't think it matters whether you bend or drill angled, but you have to have a way to adjust drift.... well unless you get a plug n play block and John has done that for you already/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif

clear as mud right?

 

[Guest]

Way to think outside of the box, no wonder you're cars are so quick! The "axle body", I would imagine is a round "plug" not very big since it's such a hard material. The enlargened hole behind it is that mainly to keep the axle full length since tuning is done by rotating the "axle body/plug" or maybe to aid in axle removal, possibly to shim that area to increase angle of cant? You got me thinking now.

 

[5KidsRacing]

Well the axle body has to be big enough to be able to drill the hole for the axle and not have the axle hole pop out of the side of the axle body.... That is the disadvantage here, the DFW hole is large which can make the front of your car thicker. I think I use a #22 or #25 drill for my DFW axle hole.... I don't think that extra car thickness matters much... I can also remove the DFW axle with out ever changing steer on headed axle cars.

 

[Guest]

Well the axle body has to be big enough to be able to drill the hole for the axle and not have the axle hole pop out of the side of the axle body.... That is the disadvantage here, the DFW hole is large which can make the front of your car thicker. I think I use a #22 or #25 drill for my DFW axle hole.... I don't think that extra car thickness matters much... I can also remove the DFW axle with out ever changing steer on headed axle cars.

Plus that delrin is slippyer then a painted body side. One more +

 

[5KidsRacing]

I usually still put a washer (Delrin or Teflon) on the axle against the Delrin axle body, but you are correct...... This method also allows me to move the DFW axle in or out to change the left right position of my DFW without changing the wheel gap. So I almost always cut back the DFW side of the car more than I need and then I adjust the axle body in or out to center the rears over the rail.... I can also change this to tune a car....

 

[Guest]

Many of my cars, mostly bearing, eliminator & needle cars and some SS and SP have the DFW axle drilled at an angle into a Delrin axle body (I don't know what to call it so I will just use "axle body"... lol) That way I can drill a straight DFW axle hole in the car wood body that fits the axle body (larger than the axle of course).... I drill a angled axle hole into the axle body so my DFW axle is not bent.... I use the Silver Bullet to do this.... so I have about a 3 degree "bend"..... or I can make it more or less. I adjust the cars drift by turning the axle body from the hole on the underside of the car. I drill a hole at the end of the axle body perpendicular to the axle that I can stick the end of a small drill bit into and turn the axle body thus adjusting drift. This really works well with headless axles and needles, but I have done the same with DD4H 92 axles.....

I don't think it matters whether you bend or drill angled, but you have to have a way to adjust drift.... well unless you get a plug n play block and John has done that for you already/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif

clear as mud right?

Whoa! That is super cool.
Do you ever fear the axle body will rotate after tuning?
Do you lock it in place using the adjustment hole?
Thanks,

 

[5KidsRacing]

Whoa! That is super cool. Do you ever fear the axle body will rotate after tuning? Do you lock it in place using the adjustment hole? Thanks,

No, I make the hole so the axle body is tight in the wood car body, the same way an axle fits in a drill hole in the body. If I screw up and the body is a little loose then I might put a little spot of epoxy in the hole under the car to hold the axle body to the car. No locking just light press fit on everything....

 

[GravityX]

Scott, you have a very ingenious way of doing some things that make building these cars a science. I like your way of thinking. So meticulously built, down to the finest of details. You are an asset to the pinewood derby world. Well done!

 

[bracketracer]

Scott, you have a very ingenious way of doing some things that make building these cars a science. I like your way of thinking. So meticulously built, down to the finest of details. You are an asset to the pinewood derby world. Well done!

+1!!

 

[Guest]

+2!!

 

[Guest]

Scott, you have a very ingenious way of doing some things that make building these cars a science. I like your way of thinking. So meticulously built, down to the finest of details. You are an asset to the pinewood derby world. Well done!

Right on GX.

 

[Guest]

I usually still put a washer (Delrin or Teflon) on the axle against the Delrin axle body, but you are correct...... This method also allows me to move the DFW axle in or out to change the left right position of my DFW without changing the wheel gap. So I almost always cut back the DFW side of the car more than I need and then I adjust the axle body in or out to center the rears over the rail.... I can also change this to tune a car....

Hey Scott,
Does this mean that if one were to build a car with a predrilled DFW already set for positive cant, and toe in:

Can a person uses spacers/ washers on the rears to steer for toe in when tuning?

Thanks so much,

Oops. That makes no sense. I think I have a question in here somewhere.
Please Let me rethink.

I that it could be good for aligning to keep the rears from dragging.
Right? or would the added space (on one side for instance) screw up all the work the Silver Bullet did?

 

[Guest]

 

[Kinser Racing]

Don't worry about it. The bend that hits the wheelbore and the outside edges of the wheel hits in a place that the axle doesn't ride on.

 

[Guest]

Never looked at it that way, thanks for putting my mind at ease/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif

 

[Kinser Racing]

Never looked at it that way, thanks for putting my mind at ease/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif

/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif No prob dog!

I've had axles that had the be "popped" through the wheel and they were some of my fastest cars.

 

[Guest]

It's amusing and intriguing that these cars don't always benefit from being babied, time and again I see examples of this such as the one you just shared.

Some of my fastest cars are slapped together and crush the cars I pour everything I got into. I'm procrastinating for the next race for this very reason. Besides, it's too hot in my shop right now.

 

[GravityX]

....I'm procrastinating for the next race for this very reason.

You've taken a page out of my book...

Besides, it's too hot in my shop right now.

Man I hear that, my garage is on the east side of the house (no sun this time of the day), and it still too hot and humid out there. But I've got to get some things done, weekdays are crazy.

 

[Guest]

GX,

For me, if I start too early on the cars I'm a bit burned out come prep/assembly time and I am less focused on the task at hand.

On the other hand, I should be out there right now testing some "secret sauce" I found online. If it works as well as I think it will, I'll be a happy camper. If not, I'm only out $8.99.