Front Wheels

[Storm68]

Hey guys,

I just recently purchased the new V8 Supercars set with the 2 VB Commodores and have the same problem with both cars.

The front wheels do not touch the track.

I know its not going to alter performance it just doesnt look right.

I filed the guide down until it was flush with the track and that didnt work.

If I take the plate off with the braids the wheels touch.

It doesnt matter how much I try and flatten the braids out the front wheels still wont touch.

I asked a local retailer if there was a different thickness front tyre I could use and he said no there wasnt.

The only thing I can think off is to alter the guide tube that goes into the car frame but then it doesnt really matter how long that is it still wont bring the braid plate up any higher because the cars frame where the tube slots into still has its original thickness.

Unless theres a way to shave this down a little?

We're talking millimeters here its not a huge distance I have to drop the front.

Otherwise I have no idea how to make the front wheels touch.

It appears to be a design flaw.

[Andy P.]

Please contact Customer Care at the right. They should hear about this.

The quick change plate has an up and a down side. Try flipping the plate over.

Also a lot of racers unfold the braids so that both trail backwards as opposed to being folded.

There are thinner braids availably on the market. There are usually aftermarket tires available as well.

Most users coat their fron tires with nail polish or glossy paint so that the slide on the track.

Maybe you can add multiple layers for that.

It could be that the body is on too tight. Do the wheels touch when the body is off? If so, loosen the screws.

It could also be that the chassis warped. You can try to flatten/straigthen it (will void warranty)...:

I am not familiar with the Commodore. If you post a picture of the front end maybe there is a way to lower the front axle (using a round file for example).

Good luck!

[Storm68]

Thanks for the reply mate,

If the body is off the wheels still dont touch the track so its not a to tight body.

I played around with the braids like you mentioned and unfortunately no difference.

I cant source front tyres here only rears, I thought about maybe jacking the back up with thicker rear tyres but I'm not sure it'll work and its another expense.

The body seems straight enough, I didnt want to try and bend it in case it snapped.

The front wheel axles do look high compared to other cars, I'll post a pic of what I have to work with.

The only time the wheels touch the track and turn is when the braid plate is off.

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[gorp]

Slot cars are toys.

They are not real cars.

They run on the 2 rear tires and the front guide.

The front tires are there for appearance and corner tipping balance.

 

The guide keeps the slot car in the slot.

The depth helps on cornering and acceleration.

It is also used for lap counting.

 

The occasional complaint is a toy designed with the guide too high.

Then owners purchase deeper guides.

Believe you need to replace your now shallow filed guides.

 

 

 

[Storm68]

Gorp, sorry mate strongly disagree. 

I used the original guide, the shortened guide and a guide from another car that has the wheels touchig and none of those options work.

I have posted photos just waiting for admin to approve them with a previous post.

[Andy P.]

The lighting on the bottom picture isn't bright enough for me to see how much of an issue we are talking about. In the middle picture I can see that the tire is off the ground but not by how much.

I was talking about the chassis being warped, not the body.

You could try reaming the hole where the front axle is to lower the axle.

Some even argue having a wobbly front axle is better.. but you can then shim the top with something like the tip of a toothpick.

 

[Chadow]

Back on the forum after a long absence and with a new track!  I'm not that sure that you want the front wheels touching the track!  Front wheels generally have no steering and no independant suspension, so may well act as a fulcrum to flip the car off the track. 'Most' slot cars run as tripods, two rear wheels touching and resting on the slot guide only.  If the front tyres do touch, then, usually they are oiled or hairsprayed to give no grip, so can't dig-in on a bend or track joint and de-slot your car.

Agreed that visually, it can look odd and the Escorts are some of the worst for it. Not sure that helps very much

[Storm68]

I contacted Scalextric on the link provided here and totally useless was an understatement.

I provided the name of my set and the problem I had with details of what I had done so far in the email I sent, the reply was what set is it and change the guide plate.

Again, useless.

I then contacted the Australian importer who said basically its a cheaper car and thats what you get.

Really?

They didnt care at all thier just on the countdown to Xmas.

I took both cars to the retailer I purchased them from and he spent over an hour trying different things.

He took the same cars out of other sets and what do you know the same problem.

They rang the importer and was told the same thing, cheap cars equals less quality, live with it.

Most people here only bought the set for the cars as V8's are huge here.

Thier not a cheap car and at the very least I expect the front wheels to touch the track and turn.

Apparently no one else has had this problem according to the importer even after the retailer pulled 4 cars out from the same sets and had the same problem.

Basically no one cares, great service.

I'll attach much better pics from front on, you can see the problem a lot better.

 

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[Storm68]

Update and new pics on the way once admin approve.

[woodcote]

As Chadow said, you have an optimal racing car! If both your Commodores have the same problem, I suspect that is how those models are produced. Other Commodore owners can chip in with their observations.  If one had tyres on track & the other didn’t, then there would be an issue worth pursuing.

 

If unfolding the braids didn’t help enough (it would have helped a little), then Andy’s suggestion to ream out the front axle holders a little is your best bet to get the tyres on the track. I wouldn’t mess any more with the guide.