I think the new Capri is gorgeous, and can't wait for the Lancia, but I'm confused about the tuning options. I found the car, out of the box, way too loose on my Scalextric sport track, so I tried adding magnet and Slot.it silicones; even though I don't like the idea of two magnets, that setup seemed to work rather well. Then, being slow-witted, I discovered the extra bits for lowering the suspension, and tried both the 0.5 and 1.0, but both dropped the car so much that it barely would move. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, but I don't get the point - maybe you deploy those suspensions when running without a magnet? So I've gone back to the two-magnets and silicones set-up, and would enjoy any advice about what I'm doing wrong.
It's not that you're doing anything wrong, you simply have to learn how to tune anything new for your particular situation.
Magnetic downforce will increase exponentially to the reduction in distance between magnet and magnetic material, so it may be that 0.5mm axle lift with one magnet will be a better option than 2 magnets, no axle lift. and so on.
But the car is primarily designed with a non-magnet market in mind, as most European countries hobby markets are focused on racing without traction magnets (although one might say with the current obsession with high magnetic downforce motors, that they are pretending a bit)
I suspect half this forum race non magent on wood, and some non-magnet on plastic, so you are in a [sizable] minority, and you may be one of the first to work out the balancing act between height and amount of man et for optimal handling v. straight-line speed.
Yoou will possibly find you'll need some weight, or a tiny trim magnet in front once you get close to balanced. These cars have a rearward weight bias that is more than ideal.
For non magnet running I hae nearly 10 grams well forward to keep it from lifting the front clean out of the slot under acceleration.
I found that last line pretty astonishing. And thanks very much for the observations, but I remain puzzled by the optional suspension bits, unless they are intended to enhance the motor's magnetic downforce - as you point out, that's something that would be desirable in Europe. It might be interesting to pull the magnets altogether and install the option pieces - as well as a brick for the front end! I understand that most people run sans magnets on routed tracks; as it happens, I race once a week with a friend who has what has to be the largest plastic track in Ct. - originally a store track that he expanded - and we've run no magnets but it just isn't as satisfying without the extra downforce on this layout. And on my own tiny, twisty little dogbone of a track, it's almost impossible.
I am not sure why you'd find it so astonishing to add weight at the front of a car. 10grams isn't a huge amount if a car has say 28 grams front axle weight and 45 grams read axle weight out of the box.
Any really light sidewinders I have - especially short ones like the Slot.it ferrari 312PB and Alfa 33/3 need weight at front or the initial burst of voltage out of a corner just lifts the front like a pendulum. By the time the power from even dead flat braids is broken by the front lifting, the "lift" is in progress, and the car peels off down the straight more or less parallel to the slots.
Likewise any more powerful motors like Flat-6 have a greater tendancy. I have a Nissan RAW with the Flat-6R in it, and it needed front weight.
Of course that depends upon tyre grip, and our gloss tracks with soft tyres like N22 or NSR ultra-grips just grab onto that paint like a cat with it's claws locked into a chunk of carpet when you try and pick it up.
Forward weight also balances up a car. When tuning, do you push a car till it deslots, then decide where it next needs weight according to the type of de-slot.
Ideally you want it to almost barrel roll - but maybe just let the back go out first- for predictability, but you don't want it "taily" in corners.
Getting a front to rear weight balance of around 40: front axle weight, 60% rear axle weight is a good place to start.
Again, it is all about the grip levels you are acheving.
Here's a quick video from our local club racing on my track a couple of weeks back.
Most of the cars were Slot.it classics, plus one NSR P68 driven by a 3 title National champion, who just has the edge in this heat - but overall, very similar cars once set up.
Length is 63 feet, 8 turns, longest straight is just over 12 feet. A typical good lap about 5.5 seconds - =11.5 fps average lap speed.
The Slot.it GT40s would run 6 to 10 grams weight at front of the pod, (1/4 to 1/3rd ounce) or right up the nose of the chassis, depending upon driver preference.
I meant that I was astonished the car would pop its guide out of the slot - you don't see that with magnets, of course (I also know nothing about the relative weights of components, or what would constitute "a lot" of weight). Thanks for the video - what a beautiful track, and I was very impressed by the speeds and the cars' ability to stick to the track (well, most of the time), as I have no experience with routed tracks. Who makes the tires you described? Oh, I see you did mention them.
Last edited by Thirty; 08-19-2012 at 08:52 AM.
Reason: correction
Capri tuning question
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