Derby Talk

Have you seen issues with fixed axle location rules (Drilling holes allowed)? Cars that show up with extended wheelbase and or rear axles back too far? Seems like a headache at check in and also a bummer to DQ cars.

Here are some tips for going fast (Assuming the rules allow these tips) . 1) Place the rear axle as far back as the rules allow. This will increase the potential energy of your car. 2) An extended wheelbase works best in most cases. Leave an extra 1/4" from the front to protect the front wheels...

Your cars will turn out great. it is very possible to make the car a little thicker where the lead is an then bring it down to 5/16" for the hood.

Mabe go with larger cubes as well. Are the 3/16th cubes mini cubes?

I would go all the way through. use epoxy on the sides and top and duck tape or waterproof heat/vent tape (shiny silver) on the bottom. 1/4" for axle is great. You can go to 1/8" on the sides for the holes. I think this will make your design easier. If you are going more than 1/4" tal...

Just read through the other thread. I am in the camp of keeping all of the weight in the rear unless you have a track to tune on. I think that even the folks who add a bit of actual weight on the DFW and see a speedup are not at the optimal weight configuration. I would place it all in the rear...

pbt, regarding #2 above and your custom block. I'm guessing a piece that size weighs about 3 1/2 oz. Being one piece you either have to cut your axles or go over the top of the axles. I can't cut axles (rules) so I would have to go over the top. I am now higher in the air and I've got more wood in ...

PWT, Yes , thanks for the info. I do the same as Speedster but I bought a 1 1/8 tungsten round which slips nicely in a hole cut by a fornster bit. I made a test car of this but made it thick so the round was above the axels. Never though of cutting the axels. I am sad that I want to build a car wit...

Actually, I have close to your rectangle and another one too. OK, they're in 2 pieces but you already knew that. Are you going to go over the top of the rear axles? Wouldn't one on each side of the rear axles give you more of an adjustment? Side to side? With 2 pieces you could get them lower in th...

Sure, I always start out with a 5/16" slab of wood. You can weigh a full block and then measure its height and determine aprox. how much the 5/16" slab will weigh once it is cut. This is without axle slots. If you need to keep the axle slots you may need to go thicker??? Then I do one of t...

You can build a test car and then the final. You can also make about a 1/2" thick car and pour lead in front and in rear of the rear axle. of course the non lead portion of the car can be tapered smaller. Is the car extended wheel base or standard wheelbase? With standard wheelbase I like the p...

pbt, why wouldn't you put more than half the added weight behind the rear axle? If all you could add is 3.8 ounces, why wouldn't you place 2 ounces behind the rear axle? The car is going to weigh 5 ounces. How would you distribute 3.8 ounces? I think DT'ers who finished in the top 12 at the Mid Ame...

The two tracks in question are close enough. If a track were 100 feet or so (mostly flat) then a center weighted car "might" be optimal. Also at that point a 4 wheel car might out perform a 3 wheel car. Weird things happen. If you make a center weighted 3 wheel car you should offset the we...

I have thought about this a lot. My recommendation is to place at least 3.5 ounces of added weight into the car. With razor wheels I have even gone 4.2 ounces. And to concentrate this weight in as small of an area as possible. I also will not design a car where more than half the added weight is beh...

Thank You. That did indeed work. During the race we need to press ready each time and the portion of the screen goes yellow. Is it possible to go straight to ready when the gate is raised or after each heat finishes? You can turn on the Hands-Free Timing using the Options menu on the Racing screen.