Micro Scalextric Car on sport track

[Richard001]

Hello All,

My question is, can a micro scalextric car run on a sport track?

Richard

[Andy P.]

Yes... but they will run in the opposite direction.

You have to flip the rear axle (and cut a hole in the bottom of the chassis) or swap the wires around if you want them to run in the same direction as regular Scalextric cars.

The braids have to be pushed towards the center and there is chance they will need adjusting...

I have even tested them on ARC ONE and ARC AIR and they worked (after making them go in the "correct" direction)

[woodcote]

Hi Richard. My answer is "sort of". The cars will need some tweaking. It's certainly worth giving it a go and seeing if you like it. You certainly get a more realistic lane spacing and won't need borders. However, I'll explain a few of my reservations...

 

The main difference between the Micro and Sport track (apart from being half the size) is that the gap between the rails is significantly wider on Micro Scalextric track. That means the braids are set too far apart to pick up electricity. The braids can be tweaked inwards, but that starts to run the risk of them short-circuiting if they get too close - there is no guide blade (like on a 1/32 car) to keep them apart. The braid plate can be modified by extending the slots the braid sits in, so they are nearer the centre-line of the car. Again, this increases the risk of shorting but gives better connectivity.

 

Another issue related to the rails is that Mico cars need magnetic downforce to work well. On Sport track, the traction magnets are further away from the rails and not directly over them. There is still some downforce and the back slides nicely. However, the car can be prone to the front lifting in corners ('understeer'). Some Blue Tac low down at the front of the car's body will help.

 

A final thing to consider... Micro track runs at nearer the HO standard of 18 volts than the 12-ish volts of Sport. That means they are underpowered, but given the reduced downforce that can feel okay. The tracs are also wired slightly differently, which means that HO cars will run in the opposite direction to 1/32 cars on the same track.

 

Let us know what you find if you decide to give it a try.

 

Incidentally, running HO cars on 1/32 (and 1/24) scale track was a bit of thing in the States a few years back. People used a special 1/32-style guide called a Slide Guide. The guide won't fit the Micro cars.

[Richard001]

Hi,

Thanks for the insite. I have always wondered how compatable the micro cars were.