Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

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whodathunkit
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by whodathunkit »

Okay.. I did not write the rules.. However they do read!

Body specifications for Mid America class b big rig.

You can use any kit.

Waite there is no kit that I know of for this type of big rig class b .. maybe use some parts out of the 18 wheeler kits.

Or you can make your own as long as it meets the body specifications.
Bodies can be made out of Pine, Balsa, Basswood, Aspen, to name a few
any material can be used that does not interfere with the equipment or other rigs.

So Speedster..
All's i can say about this class of semi truck racing that has took place at Mid America for the past 5 years.
Is that it is a live and learn type of class for big rig racing.. So thank you for your tip about the Basswood chassis.
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Speedster »

I apologize. I did not make myself clear. I didn't mean to refer to the rules. The rules are fine. I was suggesting someone talk about all the mistakes a person can make while building a truck (I think I made them all). Too much wood either in front of or behind the truck wheels so it does not clear the Best track curve, putting raised wheels in the wrong place so they are dragged into the guide strip and the brakes go on, putting too much weight in the front so it's impossible to get a decent COM, and yes, don't use Basswood for the chassis and then break it in half when cutting out weight pockets. If I didn't have a Best track my truck would never have made it past the curve. My only excuse could have been, "The engine blew up". I might have gotten an award for "Most Entertaining".

You're idea of extending the raised wheels out is a good one.
All suggestions Welcome.
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by whodathunkit »

Speedster wrote: Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:11 am I apologize. I did not make myself clear. I didn't mean to refer to the rules. The rules are fine. I was suggesting someone talk about all the mistakes a person can make while building a truck (I think I made them all). Too much wood either in front of or behind the truck wheels so it does not clear the Best track curve, putting raised wheels in the wrong place so they are dragged into the guide strip and the brakes go on, putting too much weight in the front so it's impossible to get a decent COM, and yes, don't use Basswood for the chassis and then break it in half when cutting out weight pockets. If I didn't have a Best track my truck would never have made it past the curve.
Okay I'm with you.. we all make mistakes in Building chassis that don't hold up or brake .
Or using wheel bases.. that are not close to the ends so the long frame hits front or drags the back.. and can not make the curve of the track.
Even to raised wheels that can rub the track rails. . And to the painting detail problems I had on this truck for that matter.

Building these truck's are different because there longer then the 7 in cars .. and making them with out a kit and from scratch woods is a challenge in design itself.
So that's why I said it's a live and learn class!
And because there must also be 8 wheels total on the truck & that all wheels don't need to touch the track.. plus with out any wheel base restrictions.
It's wide open for creativity and for the problems and mistakes one can run into in design.

For the past 4 years that I have raced 18 wheeler's and in the class b from time to time boy have I had my problems and mistakes as well.
You're lucky to have a track speedster.. I wish I had one!

But you know something Speedster.. Have you ever goggled pinewood derby big rig racing tips?
Not much there in the way for speed tips or on building semi trucks is there..
most every thing about building and racing the semi trucks is here in a lot of topics on Derby Talk.

You know how you can also find books about building pinewood derby cars In Barns & Noble or Hastings book stores.

Well in those same isles on woodworking for building wooden cars .. you'll also sometime's find books that not only have wooden cars they also have wooden semi trucks.
Take this Book.. Making Toys heirloom cars and trucks in wood by Sam Martin & Roger Schroeder.
Image
The very first two 18 wheeler pinewood derby semi trucks i made for my self
from scratch woods were made using the patterns seen in this book.. however I scaled them down for pinewood derby rigs.
Some more of these books that have semi truck patterns in them are.. Tremendous toy trucks by Les Neufeld.
Then for making larger scale wooden semi trucks there is Toys & Joys
Image
Where you can also find all types of woodworking patterns for making semi trucks.. that will need scaled down for pinewood derby semi trucks.
A lot of the build style that I use for building semi trucks from scratch woods is what I have learned about making large scale semi trucks from these books and patterns.
Last edited by whodathunkit on Sat Mar 30, 2019 5:41 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Speedster »

In your pictures, did I not see your truck sitting on a section of a Best track?
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by whodathunkit »

Different views for you!
Image

Not the best pic at showing why i moved the raised wheels out
Image
You may also note how i cut the rear fenders out to clear the track rail while in the curve also. Sure don't want those dragging the track as well.
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Eagle »

Speedster

What's wrong with basswood?
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by whodathunkit »

Eagle,
Speedster wrote: Sat Mar 30, 2019 9:11 am don't use Basswood for the chassis and then break it in half when cutting out weight pockets.
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Speedster »

Eagle, that's exactly what happened. Basswood is a beautiful wood and great for many things but what happened would never have happened with Pinewood. I started over with Pinewood.
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Eagle »

You're lucky to have a track speedster.. I wish I had one!

AGREED!!!!

Where you can also find all types of woodworking patterns for making semi trucks.. that will need scaled down for pinewood derby semi trucks.
A lot of the build style that I use for building semi trucks from scratch woods is what I have learned about making large scale semi trucks from these books and patterns.

WAIT. THERE ARE BOOKS AND PATTERNS? TOO LATE FOR THIS YEAR. BUT< YOU HAVE PEAKED MY CURIOSITY AGAIN - THANKS!!
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Speedster »

Eagle, are you racing at Mid America with a truck this year?
Thank you for the information about building trucks.
My main interest is the same as in building 7" cars, "How do you make a block of wood go down a hill Fast?" Whoda is guiding me along and I will be forever grateful. He is setting his truck up with 1/2" drift this year. Circumstances suggest to me he's not doing it by accident. I have already learned building a Class "B" truck for speed needs to be a summer project. The rules are so lenient there are many things that need to be considered and tested.
Summer time is Right Around the Corner.
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by whodathunkit »

Eagle wrote: Sat Mar 30, 2019 8:51 pm WAIT. THERE ARE BOOKS AND PATTERNS? TOO LATE FOR THIS YEAR. BUT< YOU HAVE PEAKED MY CURIOSITY AGAIN - THANKS!!
Yes Eagle,
There are woodworking books and patterns for making large scale wooden semi trucks. ( Just not for the pinewood derby!)

Some links to patterns and or kits for building the larger scale wooden trucks:
https://www.bearwood.com/wood-working-p ... ailer.html
https://toysandjoys.com/
http://aschisworkshop.com/
https://www.toymakingplans.com/website/ ... +Toy+Plans

Eagle, as a hobby I started out doing scroll saw art and wood carvings.. from there I got into building the large scale wooden trucks also.

While at my local scout shop one day back when I first started helping kids build pinewood derby cars.
The owner showed me a pinewood derby big rig kit he had set back and put on display while in his shop.
At that time i never knew that there was a semi truck kit... later in 2009 the next big rig kit was offered.
Today these kits are hard to find in the states.. but are offered in Canada Scout Shops.
So that's the reason why i'm building the trucks I make from scratch lumbers today.
Speedster wrote: Sun Mar 31, 2019 4:13 am He is setting his truck up with 1/2" drift this year. Circumstances suggest to me he's not doing it by accident.
Speedster do you remember my first class b rig sonic blue?
What did Stan Pope tell me to do with my drift setting back then .. That wise ol bird told me to open it up !
Crazy how i can recall those words from 4 year ago! So with a lot less drift this year I'm going to see what happens. ;)
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Speedster »

That actually makes a lot of sense. With the possible high amount of weight up front there would be no good reason to force it into the rail hard. I'm curious to find out if setting it up as a straight runner on the test board might be an advantage. No matter when or why the wheels touch the guide the car still knows it wants to run straight. That may, or may not, reduce a lot of friction. If a car set up to run straight rides the rail anyhow there would be no reason to intentionally steer it into the rail.
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Eagle »

Mark - Super cool tribute to your Mom that you added for the race!!
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by whodathunkit »

Eagle ,

Thank you! It has been a little hard going since the loss of Mother .. She Passed on the 12th of April.
At that time I did not do any more work to the truck as far as getting it weighted up to 25 ounces.

You and Speedster were of big help to me as we talked threw email..
Thank you guy's ever so much for helping me keep my spirits up over the loss.

It was my Mothers wish that i went to the race this year!
So in her memory i did as she asked of me to do!
In the last days before the race there was not time to get the rig race ready for weight.. so i just raced it as i had left it for weight! ( 15.8 ounces total !)
I knew that i wanted to do something more to the truck .. so with some help from my wife we printed out a label in my Mom's Memory for the truck.
Image

I was so very shocked at the 2.9512 tie for 2nd place.. and then for having moved into 2nd place with Randy running the tiebreaker!
Every one that raced rigs this year had very cool looking rigs.. and I'm so very thankful to have raced this year in my Mom's Memory.

I was good to just set there from 8:00 in the morning and watch the all the pros racing all day and to have pick up on a few tips and tricks!
And to have also had a lot of them set at the same table with my wife and I while they worked on there cars.. Thank you Pro guy's ever so much!
And then to have raced the rigs at a little after 5:00 and then having talked to all the guys that were there racing rigs as well !

Gregg Dawes, works so very hard to make this a grate event for all .. and all's I can say if you have never been to the Mid America Derby!

You'll never forget the Memory's and all the New Friends you'll make there!

Speedster, I want to say to you.
Thank you for letting Randy & I put some new rear wheels on your truck to get you in the race.
( With a little help from your friends.. I hope you had fun watching your rig run as well !)
Seeing your truck Dura run meant far more to me then I can ever put down in words!
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Re: Stretched frame pusher axle Peterbilt.

Post by Speedster »

As Arnold would say, " I'LL BE BACK".
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