Taking it to the next level

[Sowhatso]

My son and I participated in the Mid America race and sent in the car. This car was completely BSA stock including the wheels and axles. I would consider us as more intermediate skilled than pro and want to know what is the best way to get to the next level. We have done a lot of research and on this car we did
1. Riding on three wheels
2. COG is 3/4 inch in front of the rear axle, very thin flat profile, using tungsten
3. Expanded wheel base
4. Polished Axles
5. Lightly sanded wheels
6 Back wheels canted outward
7. Dominant front wheel axle was bent for steering into the rail
In the MidAmerica graphite youth we came in the middle range and posted an average of 3.0392, and the fastest car was 2.9292, I was shocked at how many broke the 3 sec barrier. So I guess what is the best way to make improvements? I think I could probably use better wheels? Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[Darkside]

Wheel prep, axle prep, and alignment is where I've found the most speed. And if you don't have one already, get a test track and test everything you can think of to test and then when you're done with that test some more.

Oh and another thing I found that works really well is throwing a bunch of money at it until the wife comes storming out into the garage with the credit card bill in hand and yells "YOU ARE CUT OFF! NO MORE PINEWOOD DERBY STUFF!" That's when you really know you're doing things right.

 

[Dldoug]

I have found the most speed gains in alignment and wheel prep.

 

[TRE]

Build build build and send into the leagues

 

[bracketracer]

If you were running stock wheels and axles, then switching to aftermarket axles and the special MA cut wheels would bump you up quite a bit. You'll be able to run a more aggressive COG as a result of better fit between the larger axles and wheel bores and you can likely tighten up the wheel gaps as well. Were you running full fenders and air shields?

 

[HurriCrane Racing]

BR is spot on. The difference between stock wheel and the MA cut is tremendous.

The MA race definitely draws out some of the best scout racers, so you will need every advantage you can gather to be competitive.

 

[tomb]

What would you say is the biggest cause of drag (a slow time) if the alignment is good and you are using MA wheels, good grooved axles, washers, and are prepping the wheels and axles with everything DD4H has to offer? I'm just starting out so I didn't use fenders or shields and the fastest time I had at MA was around 2.96. I didn't notice any wiggle when watching the video so the car seemed to be running pretty solid. The only thing I think is that I can try doing a better job prepping the washers and eliminating as much contact between them and the wheel as possible.

 

[TRE]

What would you say is the biggest cause of drag (a slow time) if the alignment is good and you are using MA wheels, good grooved axles, washers, and are prepping the wheels and axles with everything DD4H has to offer? I'm just starting out so I didn't use fenders or shields and the fastest time I had at MA was around 2.96. I didn't notice any wiggle when watching the video so the car seemed to be running pretty solid. The only thing I think is that I can try doing a better job prepping the washers and eliminating as much contact between them and the wheel as possible.

Practice..doing it better attn to detail

 

[Sowhatso]

Thank you all for the helpful responses. my wife has not yelled too much but I have not yet purchased a test track. Second, all of the parts are stock and the axles look good when reviewing under a jewelers loop, the wheels are probably the larger issue. What exactly is a MA cut wheel? Are they lathed to reduce thickness?

I also have not tried fenders but saw a cool video, and will definelty add some?

 

[bracketracer]

There's a world of difference between good BSA axles and aftermarket axles. No stock BSA's are anywhere near round but the aftermarket axle are. They are also typically larger in diameter which adds stability and speed. The wheel will spin better on a round axle. It's not unusual to pick up .01-.015 or more swapping axles.

The MA cut wheels are machined stock BSA wheels, cut specifically to take advantage of MA's rule allowing any weight wheel as long as the lettering is visible. Vendors will true the outside tread surface and edge, remove the tread bumps, and true and lighten the inside of the wheel which takes a stock 2.5 or 2.6 gram wheel down to around 1.2 or 1.3 grams. The lighter wheels accelerate quicker and will shave substantial time off a run. Downside is that they can be fragile and you can possibly break out the center of the wheel if you get too rough with them while prepping them.