[woodcote]

The Dremel trick for the front tyres is one of the things I suggested in the opening post.

I’m not sure I agree that truing the back tyres is only half the job on a Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc car running on plastic track - although sorting out the front certainly helps, especially if the guide is being lifted at all. The guide needs to be deep in the slot. Re-profiling the braids is also important to get the guide nice and deep - something that’s in the SlotRacer’s manual here: https://slotracer.online/manual/basics.php

I have to say that using the Dremel on the opposite wheel is a bit of a palaver. Much easier to either…

• Grind the original tyres on the rig by putting them on the back wheels
  
• Find a pair of smaller diameter tyres from another Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc car
  
• Use a pair of NSR or Slot.it front tyres if wheels are standard Euro size.
  

My aim with Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc cars on plastic track is to get the front of the car resting on the guide - the front tyres no more than a couple of millimetres off the surface to act as stabilisers, ideally coated with varnish to reduce the grip.

I’ve used all three options and they certainly help with handling and lap times on a Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc cars on plastic track. Indeed, I mentioned this briefly in the opening post - and I hope it’s a useful tip for those exploring tuning Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc slot cars for the first time.

[Kevan]

I have always found cars handle better when the fronts touch the track, if they're up in the air the car tips in corners.

[woodcote]

Kevan - are you talking Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc cars on plastic sectional track? Because that is what this thread is about. We tend to find the effects of lumpy track joins are somewhat ameliorated by a tiny gap between front wheel and track surface - it gives a smoother ride. That gap also helps hide any design/manufacturing deficiencies of those Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc cars in terms of the front axle holders, axle, wheels etc. So there is method in my madness, considering the characteristics of the ‘toy’ cars and the plastic track.

If you’re talking about racing brands on a nice flat wood track, then I absolutely agree… but that’s not the subject of this thread 

[Kevan]

The only cars I use on plastic track are Rally cars on a stage we build on the night, cars I use for this are Scaley, SCX, Ninco, Scaleauto, NSR, 3D printed, metal...anything that has been a Rally car from box stock cars to specials.

Tiny gaps are OK but you said up to 2mm which is huge.

[Tibbs]

Oh my… I’m really not sure what raw nerves I’ve touched on here! The title of this thread is “Basic Tyre Truer for Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc” - nothing more.

Our hobby is broad and I truly don’t believe that most of us who have fun with Scalextric, Carrera, Fly etc will ever need anything more than the cheap & nasty rig that I have cheekily called a tyre ‘truer’… although, to be honest, that is what it is. Just not a very sophisticated one.

But it does a job - and the results thrill those who’ve never tried to improve their tyres before. Indeed the results are in the lap times (see post #9). 

I’ve been thrilled seeing guys getting back into the hobby during the pandemic using similar set-ups and getting excited about tuning their Scalextric cars in basic, but effective ways. What depresses me is if enthusiasts see tuning cars as something beyond them - put off by elitism, dense jargon and expensive tools. Improving the performance of a Scalextric, Carrera or Fly model is something everyone can do - very cheaply and easily. Our SlotRacer’s Manual has one such introduction: https://slotracer.online/manual/tuning.php

Of course, be careful sanding tyres with digital chips in place. Ideally remove them. Wherever I’ve written about using a rig like this, I’ve said it loud, clear and often - including in the opening post of this thread.

I also say to anyone wondering whether they should build a rig for nothing or buy a ‘proper’ truer for £150-200… build the rig, experience the benefits of improving tyres - and have fun. If, at some point, you’ve become a proficient car builder, successful club racer and you really need those extra hundredths of a second to get on the top step of the podium, borrow a big-time truer and see if it’s worth investing in your own.

In the meantime, I’m more than happy with what I’ve got and how I ‘do’ this hobby. I appreciate other people ‘do’ it differently. Chacun son truc…

Brilliant post Andy,
I was going to buy the Pendle's one but what you have just written is why I've started getting into this hobby, I find it more rewarding trying to make my own.
Thank you for sharing.