Where Do You Drill The Axle On A Pinewood Derby Car?

Drilling a raised wheel for your pinewood derby car is easy. Just align and secure the PRO Driller™ Tool so the raised wheel hole is above the left (or right) front axle hole. Then drill into the bottom, center guide hole.

Do you need to pre drill pine?

With pine, drilling pilot holes isn’t as important, because it can handle the expansion a bit better than oak can. However, that’s not to say that you don’t need to drill pilot holes into pine, but it’s a bit more forgiving when it comes to this.

Do you glue Pinewood Derby axles?

Create Glue Holes: Glue the axles firmly in their holes to ensure that they stay perfectly placed, but make sure you don’t get glue on your wheels. 8. Add Weight: Remember to make your Pinewood Derby car as heavy as the rules allow.

Where should I place my axle?

When positioning a trailer axle or adding an additional axle, the key is to make sure that the axles are located in just the right position so that roughly 10 to 15 percent of the total trailer weight is placed on the tongue.

How do I know what axle position to use?

How to Determine Axle Position When Building Single Axle Utility Trailer The general rule when building a trailer is there should be a 60/40 percent split in weight when centering the axle. Sixty percent of the trailer weight should be placed forward of the axle for proper tongue weight.

Where should an axle stand be placed?

Although they are designed to support vehicle axles, they can be placed under any solid part of the vehicle’s underside to provide firm support for safe working. They are positioned after the vehicle has been lifted and are safest when used on flat ground.

What angle do you bend a Pinewood Derby axle?

We recommend installing axles with a 1.5° bend for the front of the car and 2.5° bend for the rear. The axles heads are marked in the direction of the bend. Install the axles with the mark straight up.

What does flipping an axle do?

The main reason that spring axles are flipped is to create additional ground clearance. Most trailers come with the springs mounted under the axles and lower to the ground. Axles are generally underslung from the factory, offering a lower center of gravity, more stability, and better aerodynamics.

Should you grease through an axle?

Although it is not required, it is recommended that you apply a light amount of grease to your Mountain Bike axles. You can apply it to the threads, and also on the base of the axles themselves. This not only makes them easier to install and remove, it also helps prevent rust and corrosion.

Which axle do you align first?

rear axle
All four wheels are aligned to the center of the vehicle. First, the rear axle angles are measured and adjusted, then the front. This is the best, most accurate, manufacturer-recommended alignment for vehicles with adjustable rear suspension.

Is it better to have more weight in front or back of pinewood derby?

PUT MOST OF THE WEIGHT IN THE BACK
Science says the heaviest part of your car should be about 1 inch in front of the rear axle. The idea is that the farther back the weight is, the more potential energy you have because your center of mass is higher up on the track.

Does a longer wheelbase make a pinewood derby car faster?

The longer the wheel base, the greater the turning distance (a short car turns much more quickly than a long car). A pinewood derby car should go as straight as possible, so a longer wheel base is an advantage.

How deep should I drill a pilot hole?

Drill until your pilot hole is the same depth as the length of your screw or nail. Many experienced do-it-yourselfers can eyeball the depth, but if you aren’t yet that experienced, you can use a drill stop to mark the appropriate depth.

Do you drill wood fast or slow?

The best speed for drilling wood depends on the diameter of the bit and the material drilled. Larger diameter bits require a slower speed, as do hardwoods. Drilling into softwood with a twist drill bit up to 3/8″ in diameter requires a speed of 3000 RPM, while the same bit with hardwood requires 1500 RPM.

Do you drill into the stud?

Now you may be thinking, why do I even need to drill into a stud in the first place — and the answer is simple. The stud is what provides support for the item you’re trying to hang. If you drill straight into drywall, odds are your item is going to end up broken on the floor.

Should I sand the wheels on a pinewood derby car?

In the past, pinewood derby wheels had a mold mark on the wheel tread that had to be removed by sanding. The new wheels no longer have a mold mark. Sanding can still help by removing variations in the wheel circumference making the wheel rounder but sanding is no longer as necessary as it was.

Should you bake your pinewood derby car?

Per the Pinewood Derby rules, the weight of the car shouldn’t exceed 5 ounces. One way to ensure your car doesn’t go over the weight limit is to bake the block! Naturally, wood holds water, and water adds weight. You’ll want to help your Scout by baking the block in an oven at 250 degrees for one hour.

What is the fastest pinewood derby Shape?

But aerodynamics rule the day, and the best shape is a simple wedge. Just like a spoiler on the rear of a sports car, the wedge shape allows as much air to flow over the top of the car without hinderance while keeping the car pinned to the track.

Should axle be over or under leaf springs?

You can mount trailer axles above or below the leaf springs. The difference is just the amount of ground clearance that the trailer would end up having. The biggest advantage with the spring below the axle (trailer will be lower) is that you would have a lower center of gravity.

Should leaf springs be above or below axle?

For a trailer it makes no difference if they are above or below. The only thing it will affect is the loading height. Unless with under axle your tires are really close to the bed. In that case under a heavy load you could get some tire rubbing.

What is the axle spacing?

Axle Spacing means the measurement between the centers of the axles as measured from center-to-center of wheel hubs.