On this trip to the Fray I spent much more time poking around the pits and observing. The attention to detail and time these guys spend on their cars is incredible! They take these toy cars that were mass produced in the 1960s and turn them into precission racing machines. No detail is overlooked, and every part is reworked into a precission piece. I have to give these guys credit, they know what they are doing!
So here's a few things I picked up on. Things I think are a must if you want to have a competitive car.
MOTOR MAGNETS - Dash magnets seemed to be THE motor magnets of choice. In addition you NEED the strongest DASH magnets you can find! The fast guys use a gauss meter to check and match all their motor magnets!
WEIGHTED FRONT END ASSEMBLY - A good weighted front end assembly is also a must. A tungsten axle also helps out. Wizzard makes one that seemed popular http://www.dynamicarmatures.com/. I was using an RTHO front end setup on my cars, one with the "rocker" setup and one with the standard weighted front axle. They worked well but I think the Wizzard setup is superior.
REAR AXLE - A good straight rear axle, either stainless or tungsten.
ARMATURE - I felt I would be OK giving up a little speed for good handling in the tight curves. Well, I was wrong! The fast guys are fast in the curves and even faster down the straights! You NEED speed, which means a good armature. Armatures cannot be less than 16 ohms across each pole. With a factory stock Aurora armature you need to be sure each pole of the arm measures as close to 16 ohms as possible. Aftermarket and Dash 2 laminant armatures are allowed in the team race on Saturday. Balanced armatures are the way to go.
PICKUP SHOES - Wizzard pickup shoes seemed to be a good choice.
CROWN GEAR - With the extremely small diameter rear tires used on the Fray type tracks, the stock Aurora rear crown gear will touch the track. You need a smaller diameter 15 tooth crown gear. RTHO makes a good one http://rt-ho.com/gears.html
I also picked up a few tuning tips. For some of the tracks good brakes were a benefit. A little extra motor brush tension helps out there. When assembling your chassis work to eliminate every bit of friction you can. Even small improvements pay off! Be sure your front wheels rotate freely, very freely. Use spacers on the rear axle to ensure your crown gear and wheels maintain their position on the axle. The fast guys were running rear tire diameters of .322" to .326", front tire diameters were close to .300". Bodies should be mounted somewhat loosely, and the front guide pin should be glued in place.
I know there are many more tuning tricks, but these are just a few I picked up on. I'd like to thank Dave Smith for getting my chassis built for the race. Dave gave me four of the best running and handling Tjets I have ever owned! Even at that I was not competitive in the Fray. The level of performance these guys reach is just astonishing! I was definitely schooled!