Curious about this rule in this series:

Front axle lower adjustment caps allowed

I’ve been searching for these, without any luck.

And it would suggest that if one was to apply lower adjustment caps, they’d just make the front suspension floppy, since we are not allowed to change the tops of the front suspension (I have the Lancia and Mercedes, and neither have screw holes on the top of the suspension bearings as are shown in the “how to” videos). Can someone enlighten me here before I have to tech anyone? 🙂

I have Martini Lancia LC2 #5 – was anyone else running this livery? Want to know if I need to figure out a number swap…

Nice choice.  The Lancia’s have been very fast on our track.

[quote=13189]Curious about this rule in this series: Front axle lower adjustment caps allowed I’ve been searching for these, without any luck. And it would suggest that if one was to apply lower adjustment caps, they’d just make the front suspension floppy, since we are not allowed to change the tops of the front suspension (I have the Lancia and Mercedes, and neither have screw holes on the top of the suspension bearings as are shown in the “how to” videos). Can someone enlighten me here before I have to tech anyone? [/quote]

Erik,

Slot.it’s first generation chassis did not include the front axle screw adjustment – in fact, there was no way to properly adjust the height.

In the first gen chassis the max height of the front axle was fixed – determined by the height of the front axle support arches. The lower height limit could be adjusted by the removal of a plastic cap that was mounted in a fixed height support in the chassis – which in turn dictated the lower limit.

I have attached a PDF review of the Lancia LC2 84 created by David Kennedy for Slot Car Illustrated where you can see the first gen chassis and the “axle adjustment. Note that although he does not mention it, removing the plastic cap would introduce a massive amount of vertical play in the front axle.

My honest suggestion, given that your chassis do not have top adjustment, would be to simply buy the latest iteration of chassis for that specific model – it will have the top and bottom adjustments.

Erik – see if any replacement chassis are available. I have had poor luck consistently finding them in stock.  I think this upgrade chassis fits your Lancia model (SICA-08)
#Slot.it SICS08T-60B Lancia LC2-Chassis EVO6 for SICA08 & SICA21
https://www.professormotor.com/product-p/sics08t-60b.htm
…
If not – there are at least 2 other ways you can set basic axle height. Once you have created a stable axle height you fine tune the tire height with guide spacers.

Thanks all for the info. I thought I had the latest chassis, but I can see now the EVO6 chassis is necessary to have the screw holes already there. Interestingly, I have 2 different non-EVO6 chassis, which is why I thought I had the updated one. Onward and upward!!

Newbie question. Do we have to sign up in advance of the series, or do we show up on race day?

Hi Datto,

Just come on out! I believe that if you happen to have a car that has the same livery/number as someone who is already running, we’ll make you change the number – but that’s about it. If you don’t have numbers to slap on it, I’m sure someone will have something you can use.

Mark (“not_spyder”) – for most race series we do not require advance-declaration, you can show up on the first day or any following weekend. The only condition is that you Have prepp’ed your car to comply with the published rules. For example, for the Group-C you cannot enter a GP-C Carrera or Fly even if the livery, body, etc. match the real Group-C era. But, for more ‘open’ spec series as long as you avoid anything ‘Prohibited’ you can enter.

As Erick said, if you have a duplicate livery, many of us have spare numbers or decals to make your car unique. A strip of black or colored electrical tape on the wing may be good enough.

**Naturally, Do Not Avoid Practice and show up Sat at 1:10pm expecting to do decent-get some practice time in Thurs nights (6-9p) and Sat morning (10a-12:45p)**

If you have submitted your member application and first-years dues, all you need is $5 (and some patience)! Our $300 DeFalco controllers, $200 tire-truers, $70 pinion presses etc are yours to borrow for free! It is recommended you race at least 5 rounds of a series, but you can race one weekend or all six; and you can start whatever weekend you are ready.

Note for the Group-C – a Quarterly race, we generally race two weekends each month, usually the first and third Sat. The 2nd Sat is when we have the half-year series and a team meeting. The 4th week is used for -events at COTA, -extra build and practice for current or upcoming series, -fun events (HO, Drags, vintage, ad-hoc), -or hangout with your family :O

EXPECTATIONS – you may do Great or Bad in your first race. No Big Deal – everyone will help you tune your car and driving techniques, as much as you want and accept. We All have good and bad races; but we come back for the fun and camaraderie! It often takes a few series before you get the “feel” of the track and how much tuning is needed for being competitive. We will help you develop both your driving and engineering skills, as well as sharing what vendors are good sources and what parts are interchangeable among series.  Likewise most members will lend you whatever tools you need or sell/trade a part you need (but have not received in the mail yet).

If you don’t think your car is ready – you can still race! Many members have ‘spares’ in their livery that you can borrow for free (on race day), and of course you can use the DeFalco or PARMA controllers for free. If you are a member you pay $5, if not yet $10. You do Not have to pay for all races in the future of a series; just pay as you play.

If you choose to sit out-you can learn alot by Marshaling; *after watching experienced members marshal. Pay close attention to lane colors, don’t look away from your corner, don’t think too-much and take too much time to re-slot a car.

Group-C prep is real EASY. Buy a Porsche 962 or 956; or Lancia. Add Slot.It Zero-grip tires up front, Slot.It F30s in the rear. Replace the stock guide with a Slot.It “deep wood” guide and GO! After the first race or some practice you *may want to add one Slot.It “magnet shaped tungsten weight” in front of the motor, and maybe replace the OEM black crown gear with a hotter Blue or Orange crown. There is not much more you are Allowed to do and in most cases not much you really Want to do to the car! The next trick is learn the “feel” of the track and how to drive it (e.g. where and how long to brake). It is typical to take three or more races to get the feel of the track under the pressure of racing – but it is all fun and if you stick it out you will love it!

Mark, thank you for all the advice and information. I did not know about the Saturday morning practice time (Thursday nights will be difficult for me)

I did make the plunge and by the Lancia LC2 in a green and red livery, wearing #6. Seems to have shipped with the yellow (28 tooth?) Crown.

Glad to know I can use the club controller, mine just send cars into the wall (Profesor Motor Carerra)

i have been looking at slot car corner and Prof motor for the tires. Zero grip seem available, but I’m not finding F30 for the rears.

AS far as expectations, for starters, I aim not to make the marshalls hate me 🙂

Erick – Last time I checked Kings had some F30’s in stock.  If they don’t, 132slotcar.us has them in stock.

Chassis – I don’t know if your new car comes with the adjustable chassis but if it does not it is well worth the $10 to get one.  The other thing you would want to do is “bake” the chassis to make it as flat as possible.  I can do it for you if you are not set up for it.

Looking forward to running with you.

[quote=13497]Erick – Last time I checked Kings had some F30’s in stock. If they don’t, 132slotcar.us has them in stock.

Chassis – I don’t know if your new car comes with the adjustable chassis but if it does not it is well worth the $10 to get one. The other thing you would want to do is “bake” the chassis to make it as flat as possible. I can do it for you if you are not set up for it.

Looking forward to running with you.

[/quote]

i think mine is the adjustable chassis (new to RTR stuff) There are little inserts with the front axle bushings (plastic) and little removable caps on the axle lower limit spacers.

I watched your video on truing the chassis, but the only semi dependably flat piece of iron I have is the band saw table, and that’s maybe a bit big, and attached to the band saw 😉

The adjustable front axle chassis have holes in the top of the axle hoop and the bottom of the chassis that will accept grub screws.  The lower holes are somewhat inboard of the axle hoops.

The adjustment screws are the same diameter as wheel grub screws.  Wheel grub screws can be used for the top screw but longer ones are required for the bottom.  The best screws to use are the ones from Slot Car Corner; they have an oval head.  The available Slot.it screws will work fine, though.  With these screws, the axle height can be precisely adjusted to get the front tires just barely off the track surface.

This setup is one of the minor tweaks that will produce smoother running and slightly faster lap times but will still not result in as much difference as familiarity with the track and getting in more practice laps.

Good Luck!

Russell – thanks so much for posting the pics and making this so much easier to understand.

All – if you don’t have one of these chassis in your car you should get one.  It makes all the difference in the world to get your car set up correctly.

To all – I wanted to make one clarification to the Group C rules related to this item:

> Traction compounds prohibited <

Nail polish on the front tires will be allowed. Stephen tells me that this is commonly allowed with the club. And anyway – it is an ANTI-traction compound…but semantics-wise, it IS a traction compound so I wanted to make this clear. 🙂

Looking forward to this event next weekend, though I am woefully prepared…

Yes, thanks, Russell! Turns out I do have the adjustable chassis. Grub screws and deep wood guide are on order, but looks like I will miss the first race. Caretaker duty with my Father-in-law.

I expect a full report 😉

Tires, Tires and more Tires

The first race in the Austin Slot Car Clubs 2019 calendar is this coming Saturday and although there is a limited number of things you can do to improve the handling of your Group C contender the one item that can have a huge effect are your car’s tires.  

Just like 1 to 1 racing, the tires you run can be the difference between finishing first or finishing somewhere else, and no one wants to finish somewhere else.  The catch to the tires is that there are multiple choices you can run.  Unlike the races held in the warmer months, the races in January and February can be down right frigid.  The unconditioned club room can have an ambient temperature of 40 degrees with track temps not much warmer.  This is a 50-degree swing from the temperatures in July and August.  These colder temps mean the tried and true Slot It F30 tires do not have the same grip they would have in the summer.  So the question is: what tires should I run?  How about some F22’s?  They have a lot more grip in the colder temps but don’t push them too hard accelerating out of the turns or they might start to blister.  If that is the case, how about some N22’s?  These have better durability than the F22’s but really need to be glued to the rim to hold them in place otherwise they can chatter during hard cornering.  Then you could just go with standard F30’s and hope everyone’s personal heaters warm up the room to a temperature they will find some grip.  What about some little tire warmers?  

The forecast for the start of the race on Saturday is 60 degrees.  Three choices of tires – F30’s, F22’s or N22’s.  What will your choice be for the first race of the season?  Let’s see who has chosen wisely. 

To see just how competitive the series has been I quickly put together some numbers and here is what the past three years of this series has looked like.

N22s -these are similar to some of the softer NSR tires in that gluing can be tricky. CA, even the rubber-infused type, can easily split the tread, esp. near the molding nipple and seam.

Mark/DATTO
1. If you do Not have the adjustable chassis the replacement is: Slot.it SICS08T-60B Lancia LC2 Chassis EVO6, https://www.professormotor.com/product-p/sics08t-60b.htm

2. F30s are easy to find and *if needed* buy some from a club member (I have some spares as do most members). In lieu of cash, trade them the ones you ordered when they arrive, no need to wait on the shipment. Ditto for other common parts such as the deep wood guide Slot.it SICH07 and braid.

[quote=13551]Mark/DATTO
1. If you do Not have the adjustable chassis the replacement is: Slot.it SICS08T-60B Lancia LC2 Chassis EVO6, https://www.professormotor.com/product-p/sics08t-60b.htm<span class=”wpel-icon wpel-image wpel-icon-9″></span><span class=”wpel-icon wpel-image wpel-icon-9″></span>

2. F30s are easy to find and *if needed* buy some from a club member (I have some spares as do most members). In lieu of cash, trade them the ones you ordered when they arrive, no need to wait on the shipment. Ditto for other common parts such as the deep wood guide Slot.it SICH07 and braid.

[/quote]

Adjustable chassis: Check. Set screws: Check

Tires and guide have not shown up yet. Ordered from Scaleracing
http://132slotcar.us/store/

Feedback Desired. I was planning on running the Mazda 787B for Group C. I just got the EVO6 chassis, and it doesn’t fit the body. The body has two radiator pods that create triangular indents on the original chassis that don’t exist on the EVO6 chassis. See attachment…the original chassis is pictured with the triangular yellow indentations, and the EVO6 lying on top of it to show no indentation (just a screw hole). Is it an acceptable modification of the chassis to allow for the body?

Eric,

You are allowed to make that modification.  The Mazda has only been tried once but it, like the other models with wings hanging off the back – Jaguar, Sauber Mercedes and the Nissan – don’t seem to work well on our track.  I would love to see you get the Mazda working as you did with the Sauber Mercedes.  Good luck.

Posting here in 2019 for now…

Anyone have a part number handy fo the slot it group c rear wheels? Would like to have an extra set with wheels mounted, if possible.
-Marc DATTO.

Marc – I have everything you need.  Everything is in my box that is at the club.  Help yourself and let me know what you took.

Marc – I sent you a reference list of Slot.IT tires and wheels – check your email – maybe in your Deleted or Trash folder.

FOR VIEWERS OF OUR FORUMS – here are common upgrade or spares for Slot.IT Series, esp. Group-C

SOFT REAR TIRES – SIPT28 > F30 … “normal” Shore-30 rear tires for 15mmD x 10mmW wheels (aka PT28)
No-Prep – we are a “dry” track
ZERO GRIP FRONT TIRES – SIPT07 > ZO // 10×18.8 (aka PT07) Nail polish is allowed in some series, prohibited in others. Truing the Zero-grips seems to work better than ‘glazing’. Front tires are flown 0.25 to 1mm off the track as measured on a setup block with a 0.10-15in braid recess.

‘WOOD’ GUIDE SICH-07 Routed-track Pickup-Shoe with fixing screw; 7mm Deep vs. OEM 5mm depth (aka CH07)
Eyelets/cups are used instead of OEM 2mm grubs to fix the motor wires to the pickup braids.

WHEELS (fit the F30s) // fixed to axle by 2mm Grub screws (uses 0.91~.95mm Allen wrench)
W17309715A **stock on many cars** – 17.3D x 9.75W mm rear Wheels; solid center nub/nib
W15810215AF 15.8D x 10.2W mm rear Wheels; double shoulder (open center nub), lightweight
*F30s fit wheels from 15 to 17mm Dia, 8 to 10mm Width wheels of any brand (common sizes 15.8×8, 16.5×8.2, 15.8×10, 17×8, 17×10) 14d x 11w are only allowed in Formula series.

CROWN DRIVE GEARS (for In-line pods usually with small-can Mabuchi FA130 aka S-Can motors)
SIGI23 .. Pink – 23 teeth aka 23z – fastest and hardest to tune
SIGI24 .. Green – 24z – very fast
SIGI25 .. Orange – 25z – fast – often a good choice for GP-C and other inline cars
SIGI26 .. Blue – 26z – faster than the stock OEM Black 27z
SIGI28 .. Yellow – 28z – slower than OEM black; use for a motor that is “too hot” (~ tached at over 20k RPM at 11 v)

COMMON SPEC MOTOR
SI MX-16 – 23k rpm 170g-TQ  FA130 aka S-Can (Short-can) Mabuchi style ‘D’ motor with plastic non-adjustable end-bell.  Smaller in size and less powerful than ‘long-can’  FK-180 ‘boxer’ style motors such as Hawk-7, Falcon, Phoenix, Eagle. These require a low-voltage burn-in (45min – 2 hrs @4-6v) and last 2-3 years as compared to a few months for the 1/24 motors.  Considered ‘sealed’ – magnets, brushes, armatures, bushings are not allowed to be upgraded, modified, or repaired.

PINIONS
For our track, often the best performance is from the OEM 9z pinion (Inline) and 11z (sidewinder and anglewinder)

VOLTAGE & Rear Wheel RPM
For our 55-foot lazy-8, mild hill-climb, most of our 1/32 RTR series handle best at 11 volts. For the larger 1/24 BRM and Scaleauto series, 12v is often used. In some 1/32 series with heavy cars or low-torque motors we may also use 12v.
RPM- best performance on our track seems to occur with tach’ed rear-wheel RPMs of 7,500 – 7,800; for some cars and some drivers up to 8k – 8.2k is manageable, but this is NOT common.
*These results are for plastic-chassis, ‘scale’ 1/32 ready-to-race (RTR) cars weighing on average between 60-80 grams.