First, the motor…LEAVE IT ALONE. The
chassis cannot handle any more power. Apart from oiling lightly,
BEFORE you use it, do nothing.
Now the important part.
Strip the chassis down to its basic
components.
You should have…
1) Motor and guide
2) Front axle
3) Rear axle
4) Lights and occasionally circuitry for
brake lights etc.
The most important thing to do first is to
check chassis flatness. When a chassis is mass-produced, it is
dropped hot into a parts bin and may cool and set at an angle
under other parts, causing a twist. If it is twisted you can
attempt to remove the twist as follows.
Place the chassis in very hot water, take
out (mind your fingers!) and place on a suitable flat surface.
Weight down to keep the chassis flat whilst it cools.
Now replace the rear axle and check the
bearings are a tight fit in the chassis. If not, there are 2
ways to go.
a) You can pinch the sides of the chassis
with pliers to narrow the gap
or
b) Take the easier route by using
superglue. (If so, make sure you don't superglue the bearings to
the axle. This has the adverse effect on performance!)
Replace the front axle. Do nothing to this.
Replace the slot guide.
Place the semi-assembled chassis on a flat
surface with a suitable slot cut out for guide (i.e. a flat
piece of scalextric track.)
Now look to see how the front wheels are
clear of the track. If you lift them up, you will usually see a
gap of at least ¼ inch (6mm). This gap must be reduced to
improve handling. I usually remove the guide and and file the
bottom of the chassis, in the guide area. You must make sure
that the file is kept flat and level. Check often that you
haven't taken out too much. When you are satisfied, replace the
guide and put the chassis back onto the flat area and check the
play again making sure you leave a little play but should be
aiming for less than 1/16 (1.5mm).
Replace the motor. Check that it is mounted
firmly, if not superglue or use a hot glue gun, around the
mountings. Lightly oil the motor bearings, the front axle and
guide pin. The lights, if fitted, should be replaced.
Fit the body back in place and the car is
ready to go. You should now have a car that is a lot more stable
on the corners and a lot smoother on the straights….. and if you
beat me it must be illegal……….
John Watts
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