Pinewood Derby Anyone?

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Great, just when I was getting the hang of the Jr Dragster thing.... I feel like I'm starting over. I'll find out if my little guy is going to compete, if so - I'll be full of questions!

[Big Block Bill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RPOLS3</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> So, if you have any tips/tricks, I'm all ears. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img] </div></div>

Took 4 years of trying to finally get 1st place but my son did back in 2011, his final year. It's all about the kids learning and having fun (not Dad building the car for them) but the secret to going fast is in the wheels/axles and getting the weight right at 5 ounces (the weight limit).

Jake </div></div>

I agree with the 5 ounces and wheels. Both my sons won first place in our local Pinewood Derby &amp; my oldest Son Billy went to the Midwest Nationals held in Schaumburg Illinois back in 1992? The meet included 1st. place winners from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, &amp; Indiana. He finished 11th out of 295? cars. I remember being there from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The key is to put the wheels in a cordless drill by the hub, and sand them to a point with a sanding block removing all the square tread molded in the flat part. Then put the nails (axles) in the drill chuck and polish them with emery cloth. before installing the wheels into the car with the nails, fill the center where the axle rides with powdered graphite used by Locksmiths. The final thing to do is make SURE it weighs 4.99 ounces! We had a dad that was a printer (we used his ink scale to weigh the cars), another that was a Plumber (he had sheet lead used in sweating pipes) we hollowed out the underside and drilled the weight into the bottom of the car with counter sunk wood screws. We offered everyone in our local Derby a chance to &quot;Tune Up&quot; there cars before checking them in to make it a closer race, but did and some didn't.

Being the Mechanic in the group and my son coming in 1st. (by a large margin) I was accused of cheating by some fathers. So we offered to race anyone again with our car backwards. We did and beat them all! It's all about the weight &amp; wheels, there are no aerodynamics in play.

I hated the father who showed up with a polished Bat Mobile or Star Wars car. You knew the son never made them, it was sad for the kid. Our's were both Chevy Orange cut with a hand coping saw and looked like it. I hope this helps. Have a great time with your Son, he will always remember it.

Bill

[jbr69gto]

My son had his first ever Pinewood Derby last year. We did research before the build and determined the wheels and axles are the key to speed.

My son was able to design his own car and paint scheme while I handled the rolling stock.

The axles were polished with emery cloth to almost a mirror finish. I then made sure all four tires were true round and without and burrs. I used some pop rivet spacer washers on the axles between the tires and body. Furniture polish was used on the axles and inside the wheel hubs. NO GRAPHITE! if mixed with the furniture polish it will become sticky.

Final test is to make sure the axles are installed square so the car will roll straight on a flat surface. Any pull will rub off speed on the track divider.

Nothing ultra high tech with our setup at all. We ended up with the 3rd fastest car out of 39 cars. I discovered the first place car was running special order axles and probably some other tricks as well. The second place car was overweight at the weigh in after the final. SoOO technically we were the fastest legal car there. But it was a friendly Church Derby so we took our third place award ($10 Gift Certificate) and were happy to just make the final four.

The topper was my son's car won the design award in a unanimous vote which garnered him another gift certificate and the only kid who won two awards at the event. He could not have been more pleased with our results!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Taking notes.....

[PxTx]

I would say the #1 step worth doing is making sure your axle alignment is right. You want the rear axles at a 3 degree cant so they run away from the body. The front dominant axle can be straight drilled (usually the passenger side front). If you also put a 3 degree cant on the driver's side front axle is should just be a hair from touching.



So 3 wheels touching = less friction than 4 wheels touching. Check to see if you rules specifically require 4 wheels touching.

If you have a good axle alignment, simply prepping the wheel bores, polishing the axles and running some decent lubrication should get you past 95% of the field. When is your event?

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

4 wheels touching what - the body?

[RPOLS3]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">4 wheels touching what - the body? </div></div>

The track.

Many rules state that all 4 wheels must touch the track - the 4th can touch a little but has to touch.

In our tech inspection we had a box that the car had to fit inside (to make sure it was within spec for overall length and width), and then a section of track that the car had to fit on with all 4 wheels touching.

All depends on how tecnhical your group wants to get.

[PxTx]

Three wheels touching the track. Most of the weight is at the back of the car, so they run great on 3 wheels.

[RPOLS3]

Here is a picture of our tech inspection from 2009 and the wooden &quot;template box&quot; and track along with a weigh-in scale



Here is the winning car my son made in 2011 (the green one), simple wedge with the weight in the back - drilled in - cool thing is that he was old enough that year he did the entire car with little assistance from me.

[PeteLeathersac]

Good fun!
So they go faster w/ more of the total weight at the rear of the vehicle?
Are the wheels a spec item and can you modify them?
If yes can you achieve the max weight by loading wheels and lightening the body?
Do they roll any better/worse with 1 or 2 o-rings added to the outside of the wheels?
Think like Smokey, if it's not illegal it must be legal!
[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete