Won the Districts - Thanks and Any Council tips?

Thanks to everyone on this forum over the last year that has helped our racing team. The knowledge in this site is so crucially helpful. Shout out to B_Legal and T-Bone racing for the quick replies and detailed explanations. We could not have done it without you, period.
On to Councils in May, any advice? The rules set is lax, like can use BSA aftermarket wheels (1.16" dia or greater) and aftermarket axles (just have to fit a certain thickness .88 to .91?), was thinking of some of the mid-level turbo derbys and some DDFH axles for a new build my scout and me as there is an Open race. Question, do I need the graphite treated DDFH axles or can I do this treatment myself with similar results? any tips on these or other Council race tips would be helpful thanks.

On the district race.. We ran a 42' best track(champ timer) which I think is 35' 3" (423") when you factor the 8inch start and the 11" lost at the finish line at 3.054 sec. Thinking with the lax rules we will get smoked unless a new build happens. Whaddayathink?

 

Definitely get the TX axles and polish them as little as possible because you don’t 2ant to make them smaller. They start at .093, so you’re not going to want to be anything less than .092 when all is said and done. Can you cone the hubs and do they need tread bumps?

Also, can you use oil, or is it graphite only?

 

Thanks T-Bone. I see those start at .093 looks like ill have to polish them down to .091 to stay within rules. Also grooves are allowed
"1. Axles may be polished and grooved, provided the part the wheel rides on meets the above diameter requirement"
Do you suggest getting them grooved in all three axles? And which wheels do you think are the best bet?

 

Thanks John! Ill be in touch with you on this.

 

I suggest getting the tuning groove in the head for all 3 axles. The grooves for where the wheel rides will only help you if that was what you’re referring to. Or if you meant the groove to bend the axle, in that case, I’d only groove the front axle.

 

I’m running BSA Elite axles on my outlaw car. I chucked them up in a drill & touched in a groove with a dremel grinding stone. They polish out so nice you don’t lose any size.

 

Ah ok, I was referring to the groove where the wheel sits, I had heard that that didn't matter over the years of us polishing axles, but makes sense... less contact less friction. OK maybe we order the 93s with grooves in the shaft. Any other recommendations on wheels? I might try John's option, but still have to be mindful of cost as we are building two cars.

 

Thanks! How wide did you groove it?

 

For wheels, is there a weight limit? Or anything about needing to keep the tread bumps? If not, then I’d go with Mid America wheels.

 

We removed an area about.080. However big the edge of an orange round stone disks are.
Remember to clean up that area, it will be rough

 

MA wheels probably would not fit the rule set. If John can make a set of lightweight wheels that are 1.16 (or a bit taller), take it if they can get to you in time for you to prep them. The TX axles really do polish up nicely. The outer wheel hub does not ride on the axle head but rather a journal, which is far easier to polish. If you can oil, do it. If you are unsure, drop us a PM. It is easy and much cleaner. Washers, air shields, and fenders will all help, but they take time (well, the fenders do). As many secrets are to be held close to the vest by the pros is false. There are none. It's all about being meticulous, but you do have to start with good parts. And remember, polish anything that touches, rubs, or rides against anything else, and keep the wheels clean.

 

Thank you! Looks like fluting needs to stay on and graphite only. Yes 1.16 min diam and tread surface at 7.5mm. We probably will have to up our prep/ polishing game too. We use Novus 1 and 2 and pledge once in a while for the inner hub. We are meticulous so this is great to hear!

 

Ok thanks yes i think we have those.

 

Graphite only, so I won't get prepolished as I need them no bigger than .091

 

Looks like we need the double step in the outer hub.

 

Also, had a question on distance from rear of car to back axle, should this be .625inch or is .8ish more normal? I didnt see that dimension explicitly detialed on the 5kids site. We can do whatever WB we want.

 

Actually i misread this looks like .093 axles will be fine.

 

Thanks!! And I assume 5" WB is a standard ? or should we go longer or shorter? I have the SBE so not a big deal but curious what would be our best option with the Rage wheels and 93TXs.