OZ HO Slot Cars

Tools, Tips & Tricks

New to HO Slot Car Racing?

In Australia there is only one manufacturer the newcomer to HO Slot Car Racing should be interested in: Tomy AFX. We favour the Tomy AFX brand for anyone new to the hobby/sport. You can find these products in any major retail outlet, and most toy and hobby shops stock any spare parts you may require. The reason Tomy AFX gets our nod is because of the excellent range of track sections and the excellent rail-to-rail connections. The Tomy AFX Super G+ is also a good, reliable car, that is very ‘forgiving’ to drive for the newcomer. The Tomy AFX Super G+ chassis has been re-released in a new Nylatron (grey) material (2007 on) that is excellent in quality. The temptation is to go out and buy the largest set possible but we recommend that you start with something smaller. You can always add track etc later, and if you find that the hobby/sport is not really to your liking then you haven’t lost that many $$$$$. If your starting out from scratch, please heed our warning and stick to the Tomy AFX Super G+ car. The Tomy Turbo ( with its ' can ' motor ) is a fast car in a straight line, but lacks the cornering adhesion of a Tomy AFX Super G+. In recent years the traction magnets used in the Tomy AFX Super G+ have been downgraded, and do not offer the same level of 'downforce' experienced in early versions of the car. All Tomy AFX Super G+ mass manufactured today come equipped with ' black ' traction magnets. Early versions had ' grey ' traction magnets ( with two 'dots' impregnated into the traction magnet ) that offered superior grip levels. In the USA the Tomy Turbo has been released as a Super Racing Turbo (SRT) featuring an improved traction magnet offering much better grip levels. The downside is that the modifications now make the SRT more expensive, meaning it has not as yet been imported into Australia.

For more information on Tomy AFX cars / track visit www.afxracing.com.au

Help! My Set / Cars won’t work!

So you’ve got your new Tomy AFX Set / Cars, you’ve put it away for a couple of weeks, and now you want to use it, but X!X?X!X? it doesn’t want to work? Don’t stress out, here’s a few tips to get you back on track. Metal track rails will oxidise when exposed to oxygen. Makes sense heh? You can’t see it, but its there. You need to clean the track rails, and in particular, the rail connection points. You can use the track eraser that comes with the set (looks like sandpaper: we don’t recommend it), or better still you can use an Ink Eraser to do the same thing. Just run the Ink Eraser along the track rails. Look at the mess you are making? Make sure you vacuum that up (ie: vacuum the track rails and slot) before you run a car. Still won’t work? Make sure that the power pack and controllers are plugged in properly, and most importantly, the powerpoint switch is on! Still no go? OK, time to check your cars are working properly. Are the pickup shoes clean? If not, polish them with the Ink Eraser. If the Tomy AFX Super G+ car has a design fault it is in the fact that there are a lot of electrical connections in the drivetrain. Check that the ‘Bus Bars’ are pressed firmly down, and back against the chassis bulkhead. That should ensure good electrical contact. Now, grab hold of a small 9 Volt Battery ( the type that goes in clock radios, toy radio control car transmitters etc ), snap the back axle out of the car, and press the pickup shoes against the battery terminals. If the armature rotates you know everything is OK.If there is no movement you either have a dead 9 Volt Battery, or you fibbed a little, and you have been running your cars into the ground racing for hour...after hour...after hour! They do wear out you know? The good news is it takes a long time to do so, but like anything electrical, you have to maintain it. You may have worn out the motor brushes which means you can either buy a new car over the counter, replace the brushes, or ( in the case of the Tomy AFX Super G+ ) replace the entire endbell ( a part which may have to be sourced from overseas ). Pulling a Tomy AFX Super G+ apart for the first time is not a lot of fun, but educational none-the-less. Don’t be afraid to do it.

Give me more power Captain!!!!!!

Aren’t those little Tomy AFX Controllers cute? Pity there not much good for adult hands, and when they break ( and they will! ) you have to throw them away! OK, so you have worn out your Controllers, so now you are faced with a choice. You have been using your Set a lot, and you intend to in the future. Now is a good time to purchase a better Controller. Go to your friendly model car raceway and see if they can order you a lovely orange Parma 45 ohm Econo Controller. Now you have it in your hands you can see it has three wires, not two like the Tomy cheapo! That third wire is for ‘dynamic braking’. Check the back of the Parma box for wiring instructions. ’Dynamic Braking’ gives you much better car control, trust me on this. Now you have better Controllers you should really invest in a better power supply from your friendly Dick Smith Electronics store. You are after a REGULATED power supply ( one that is variable is good ) that has plenty of amps. If your car has slowed to a crawl way over there on the far side of the track it may not be a car or track problem. The chances are that the small amount of Milliamps being put out by the standard Tomy AFX power pack mean that not much power is getting to that section of track. A better ( read more expensive! ) power supply will fix that problem. It also means that you can use the ‘Dynamic Braking’ feature of the Controllers much easier.

ABOVE: Pictured here is an example of a custom built power supply. Any decent electrician can build a unit similar to this however be aware that the more volts and amps you require can drive the price up considerably. The unit pictured is in use at 'Mad Max Motorplex' (Kempsey NSW) and can run anywhere from 12 - 23 volts at 24 amps (don't let the 13.8v fool you, its just the case).

I want to go faster mister?

Simple! Turn the volts up on that new Power Supply! Of course the faster you go, the faster you come off the track! You may now start looking at ‘after-market’ goodies, but you won’t find these in your local Toy or Hobby Shop. You will have to look overseas for these ( check out the HO OZ Links page ). You can purchase everything from lightweight lexan bodies that you paint on the inside, to Flanged Rear Hubs that allow you to run a vast range of slip-on Silicone rear tyres. There are Independent Front Ends, Silicone/Sponge Tyres ( they really grip, but cost $$$$ ), lots of electrical components, more powerful armatures ( $$$ ), stronger motor and traction magnets ( $$$ ) etc etc. The only limit is your imagination, or your wallet ( ouch! ) If on a budget stick to the Flanged Rear Hubs, Silicone slip-on rear tyres, and Independent Front Ends. You can get tools that check tyre size, allow you to professionally mount and remove rims, remove pinions etc etc. How much money did you say you had?????? Of course you can still enjoy yourself on a budget...

ABOVE: A Tomy Super G+ equipped with flanged rear hubs and slip on silicone rear tyres. The hubs are cheap (available in numerous diameters) while slip on silicone tyres are even cheaper and come in a wide array of colours, sizes, and inside diameters. As a starting point on Tomy AFX track we recommend .250 rear hubs and AJ600 rear tyres. You will certainly notice much improved handling.

ABOVE: An independent front end (or even an o-ring front end) can make a big difference to how a car handles. The Tomy AFX Super G+ car pictured is fitted with a Wizzard High Performance Independent Front End (Item No FR34). This works well on most tracks. The front rims rotate independent of each other giving much improved cornering speed. The narrow tyres also offer less roll resistance. Note that the axle is mounted in the rear position. This works best on tight and twisty layouts whereas the forward position is preferred on long flowing circuits. An independent front end, when combined with slip on rear tyres etc has the overall effect of lowering the car closer to the track resulting in faster lap times and an easier car to drive.

ABOVE: Exploded view of the Tomy AFX Super G+ Chassis. Its a bit of an 'all thumbs' exercise in pulling one apart and putting it back together but the experience is invaluable.

ABOVE: A clean car always runs much better than a dirty car. The Tomy AFX Super G+ pictured here was raced in WA by David Quinn back in the 1990's. It features a BSRT Scale Auto Pro Guide Pin, BSRT Scale Auto Independent Front End, BSRT Scale Auto Body Posts, stronger motor and traction magnets combined with a balanced armature, and flanged rear hubs with slip on silicone rear tyres.

Handy Tools for the serious racer

ABOVE: A Tyre Gauge like this BSRT Scale Auto item (Item No HT381) is a must have item for the serious racer. You can measure tyre diameter while the rim and tyre are still on the car.

ABOVE: A BSRT Scale Auto Pro Wheel Puller (item No HT384). If you run silicone-sponge rear tyres or flanged rear hubs you need this tool in order to remove such items in order that they may be transferred (without damage) to another axle.

ABOVE: If you have a Wheel Puller you definitely need a Wheel Press (as per the BSRT Scale Auto item shown here: Item No HT382). An essential tool for mounting silicone-sponge rear tyres and/or flanged rear hubs to an axle without causing damage.

ABOVE: A BSRT Set Up Block. This clear section of Tomy AFX track is great for judging clearance of magnets, pickup shoes etc, and mounting lexan bodies.

ABOVE: A lexan body will greatly increase the performance of a HO Slot Car. Much lighter than the standard hard plastic body, they are painted on the inside with polycarbonate paint, and mounted to the chassis with either a body pin / body tube system, or as a cheap alternative velcro. The hardest part is painting the little critters and mounting the body to the chassis so it looks right!