Homemade Slot Car Tires
Understanding Urethane
It's the main part of the slot car that delivers the power out on rails… the tyres! In terms of slot auto tyre selection at that place are four choices available safety, urethane, silicone and sponge. These compounds have been developed over the years to suit all different track surfaces and just like real motorsport slot car clubs often tend to race with prophylactic tyres. It may come every bit a surprise then to know that at the London Scalextric Club we decided to make the switch to urethane tyres. In this post we explore the distinctive properties of urethane and what benefits this delivers out on track.
Urethane is a man-made chemical compound that utilises the principles of rubber in that information technology is both flexible and durable. Technically, it's an elastomer and has the distinctive properties of elasticity and viscosity – making it an ideal compound to make slot motorcar tyres. As rubber is biodegradable it tends to breakdown over time but urethane can be formulated to outlast safe – having a college chafe resistance. It also has an excellent load bearing which resists deformation which is ultimately why when racing urethane tyres they are more consistent when compared to softer safety compounds.
When Pirelli came back into F1 they before long hit the headlines at the 2013 British K Prix when seven of their safety tyres failed leading to dramatic scenes out on track. Furthermore, F1 drivers often became frustrated as the softer tyre compounds could not exist pushed to the limit. Why is this relevant? Well the same applies to slot car racing – racers often want a consistent tyre that can pushed to find the limit of the slot machine over an unabridged race night. In terms compound hardness, manufacturers tend to target a Shore rating of A-40 when measured on a durometer.
A durometer hardness scale ranges from 0 to 100 and an rubberband band has a Shore rating of A-25 whilst skateboard wheels tape A-78 – interestingly urethane tyres record around A-40
Did yous know?
With slot car tyre product – urethane is distributed by various suppliers for 1/32 scale racing and compounds range from A-thirty to A-50 Shore ratings. Originally adult by Stepan Wiesel for 1/43 calibration racing, urethane tyres are a well know product from Slotracing – based in Germany. In that location are a few alternative suppliers too not to mention Paul Gage, Michael Ortmann and Wayne Allen.
Tyre comparing
So permit's have a closer look now and compare three tyres produced for the Slot.information technology Ø fifteen.viii x 8.2mm aluminium wheels commonly used by their Grouping C slot cars: Paul Gage – XPG-20125, Michael Ortmann – 51G and Wasp Slot – WS03.
XPG-20125 has the smallest diameter of the three tyres and its surface is noticeably glossier, perhaps from the release amanuensis, and has the more grip to the bear upon out of the packet. The outer tyre wall is very round in contour and the inner tyre wall is uneven. The depth of the internal tread is even and well divers. When trued the tyre surface appears to remain the softest of the iii compounds whilst adopting a slight grain with a somewhat opaque appearance.
51G has a diameter in the middle of these three tyres and its surface is very smooth giving less grip to the touch on out of the packet. The outer tyre wall is the flattest of the 3 tyres and the inner tyre wall is also flat. The depth of the internal tread is wide and well defined. When trued the tyre surface is hardest of the three compounds maintaining a smoothen even appearance.
WS03 has the largest diameter of the iii tyres and its surface is smooth with noticeable stripes running along information technology. The grip to the touch on is in the eye of these three tyres out of the parcel. The outer tyre wall is round and the inner tyre wall is flat, if a fiddling pitted. The depth of the internal tread is not well divers or fifty-fifty and noticeably the tyre creates an egg shape when turned outside. When trued the tyres retain their grip with slight graining.
Only how do they perform out on track? Well at the London Scalextric Lodge nosotros race on plastic Scalextric Sports rail which provides a smooth surface coated in polythene paint which is ideal for urethane tyres. That existence said, even though thousands of laps have been done and with a articulate racing line laid down there appears to be a slight difference in functioning between the tyres. During our hot-lap examination the tyres were trued simply not glued and treated between tests with a simple degreaser to remove surface residue. The Paul Gage – XPG-20125 was on par with the Michael Ortmann – 51G tyre just benefited from the softer compound which translated into instant grip on track.
However, the 51G tyre was more consistent than the XPG-20125, required less handling between tests and being a harder chemical compound it was easier to true beforehand. The Wasp Slot – WS03 was the slowest tyre and surprisingly could not interpret its softness into grip on rail. Equally highlighted, perhaps its structure is the weakest of the iii tyres and might well benefit from being glued equally well as trued earlier testing.
Overall, the benefits of urethane slot car tyres are clear to see – they are more consistent to race, easier to truthful, require less treatment between heats and ultimately are more than durable when compared to rubber tyres. On residuum, they do however require a smooth track surface to exist truly effective and that procedure involves laying downward a racing line which can adversely touch the use of other tyre compounds, specially silicone. There is evidence to suggest though that this process in the long term rewards clubs equally slot cars enjoy better grip levels.
Why non fit a pair to your slot car and come across united states on track? Run into yous soon!
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Source: https://londonslotcarclub.com/2017/10/08/getting-to-grips-with-urethane-tyres/
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