![]() ![]() IMPORTANT! DON'T Make a Rail Riding Car if… Moving COG further back converts more potential energy to kinetic energy. So instead of COG being 1.25" in front of the rear axle, you can get away with 1" or even a little less. Riding the rail stabilizes the car as it runs down the rail, which allows you to bias the center of gravity further back.When your car is adjusted properly, glue the axles in place with a good epoxy so they don't get knocked out of alignment during the race.This canting reduces friction of the wheel against the car body and moves the rear wheels away from the center rail so only the front wheel is riding the rail. Turn the bent axles until the rear wheels migrate toward the axle head when you roll the car down your simulated track. Again, start with the axle slot in the axle head vertical. Insert 2.5 Degree Bent Axles into the rear wheels.….but you are not done! Cant the Rear Axles Your car is now configured to drift into the rail. Adjust the steering axle left or right so the car drifts gently to the left no more than 1" over 4' (or about 2" over 8' if you have a longer "track"). You will use this lane to see how far your car steers to the left.Now, place the car on your incline in the center of the two pieces of tape and release it so it rolls. Create a "lane" for your car by putting two pieces of masking tape about 6" apart. Put something under the table legs or the board to lift it about 3" to make an incline for rolling your car. You will need a long table or wide board to roll the car on. Next, you need to measure the car's drift to steer it for rail riding.Align the screwdriver slot in the axle head vertically, so the steering slot is straight up and down. Insert one of our 1.5 Degree Steering Axles into the right front wheel and into the block.This insures the right front wheel hits the rail first, keeping the rear wheels away from the rail because you don't want more than one wheel riding the rail. This moves the right front wheel, your rail riding dominate wheel, closer to the center guide rail. Cut the right front of the car body back 1/16".Two 2.5 Degree Bent Axles to cant the rear wheels.One 1.5 Degree Bent Steering Axle for the right front dominant wheel.Assume the right front wheel is your dominant wheel (the one that will ride against the rail).How do you build a rail riding pinewood derby car? See important reasons to NOT make a rail rider at the end of this section. There are dangers! I don't recommend it for everyone. ![]() It sounds counter intuitive but the idea is that you are trading off constant friction on the one wheel that is riding the rail for potentially multiple speed losing bangs on all four wheels.īut be careful! Rail riding is not the "be all, end all" for creating the fastest car. Rail Riding, if done correctly, addresses this "Rail Banging" by guiding the car gently into the rail, making it ride the rail all the way down the track. When it hits the rail, the car loses speed due to friction against the rail and drag on the wheel's rotation.Įven cars that "steer straight" could hit the rail once or twice as it speeds down the track. The assumption is that when a car races down a track that has a center guide rail (some don't!) the car's wheels will inevitably hit the center guide rail. Why would you want to make a rail rider (also known as rail runner) car? ![]()
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