Improving the stop section

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Ickabod
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Improving the stop section

Post by Ickabod »

When you watch these videos, you will notice at the end, one of our cars would hit the end of the stop section...sometimes hard. Is there anything I can do to the cars to help stop them? I wouldn't dare use sandpaper on the bottom of the car as that would damage the stop section. Any other thoughts?

Ick


https://youtu.be/vQNvLfwCr3k


https://youtu.be/vq8E4Jg1WeI


https://youtu.be/6-j1WtsdPVU


https://youtu.be/E4_r5CV1dak
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gpraceman
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by gpraceman »

Remove that plastic end cap and put something soft, like a towel or sweatshirt at the end.

I would look at the condition of the rubber stop strips. If they are caked with graphite, try cleaning them. If they are worn, you can get replacements from Best Track.
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FatSebastian
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by FatSebastian »

gpraceman wrote:put something soft, like a towel or sweatshirt at the end.
Memory foam works well. A pillow is a relatively inexpensive source.
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by Speedster »

I'm not a fan of running a scouts car into anything, ever. If the material is defective it would need to be replaced. IMO, Best Track made their stop section way to short. I would invest in another stop section and tie the two of them together. In my 27 years of racing, no car has ever come close to reaching the end of my 8 foot stop section. In our District races we slam the cars into pillows on a different, beautiful, aluminum track. What's the deal with that? This reminds me of the incident two years ago when a leader of a different pack told me no car ever reached the end of his raised stop section. My scouts 1st run, BLAM!! Hit the end and fell two feet to the floor. He had to catch it after that. I could never figure out why the builders of these beautiful tracks think once the cars pass the timers the race is over. It's their responsibility to bring the cars to a safe, gentle stop. The cars are getting faster and faster. Adjust the length of the brake track to accommodate them.
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Ickabod
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Re: Improving the stop section

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I don't think I will have the time or access to the stop section before the race. I will probably bring in some memory foam I had bought to make car carriers. I will ask to take the stop section home after the race and I can inspect it and repair or modify it when I have time.

Anyone have any thoughts on what I can do with the car to minimize the "crashes"? I have pre-drilled our axle holes, so that should help. I have seen on the forum about sandpaper or maybe a drop of hardened glue on the bottom of the cars. I also want to make sure I don't mess with the aerodynamics of the car either.

Ick
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Darin McGrew
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by Darin McGrew »

This year, we're replacing the non-slip safety tape on our stop section with soft rubber weatherstripping. The improvement in braking is impressive.

Perhaps you could put soft rubber weatherstripping on the bottom of your car.
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by chromegsx »

Carpet seemed like a good idea till I consider the potential fuzzy contamination. but may be ok for typical scout races.
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by rpcarpe »

We spend hours and hours getting the car to go fast, and 30 seconds trying to figure out how to stop them!

Those are good suggestions: weather stripping, new rubber on the stop section, longer stop section and the memory foam.

Stay away from carpet, pillows and ramps with no stopper.
Good Luck!
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by whodathunkit »

gpraceman wrote:Remove that plastic end cap and put something soft, like a towel or sweatshirt at the end.

I would look at the condition of the rubber stop strips. If they are caked with graphite, try cleaning them. If they are worn, you can get replacements from Best Track.
Randy might be on to something here guys.

Per The Best track website:
The Cars should usually stop somewere around 9"-12" on the 40" stop section.
Per the videos this is not the case.
The replacement stop foam stips for this 4 lane track are $12.00 +$6.00 for S&H.

But I also see that there is only one car haveing trouble stoping.
Last edited by whodathunkit on Tue Jan 15, 2013 5:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Ickabod
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by Ickabod »

whodathunkit wrote:The replacement stop foam strips for this 4 lane track are $12.00 +$6.00 for S&H.
I may just order a replacement set for our pack anyway.

BTW, the last video is an unofficial race they had at the end of the derby, with all of our family's cars since my boys came in 1st and 2nd in the pack and my wife and I won the open division.

in order on the track, Webelos II, wife, mine, wolf. The wolf won...he also set the track record on an earlier run.


https://youtu.be/E4_r5CV1dak
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by BallBoy »

In my experience with a BestTrack cars that have weights affixed to the bottom of the car are more prone to flipping in the stop section. So, for a given car I would avoid having weights on the underside of the car.

As far as the stop section itself, I have noticed that the stopping performance of the foam strips diminishes as excess graphite builds up. Simply wiping the foam strips down with a damp rag picks up much of the graphite and restores the stopping ability.

I ditched the plastic end caps and replaced it with a piece of memory foam. For the few cars that make it that far, the stop section has considerably reduced the inertia so that the contact with the memory foam isn't jarring at all.
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by rpcarpe »

Good Point BallBoy!
I discourage under body weights, especially zinc ones, at workshops.

Three of our local Packs changed their rules to 'Lubrication cannot leak or foul the track.' So we don't get the graphite build-up at the start or stop sections.
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by DerbyDash »

Thanks for the videos. Based on the comment I made in my other post about this issue, we are seeing some of the same things...cars flipped up or over and off the track. We have seen various parts of cars (wings, spoilers, etc.) get broken off when this happens. They have put blankets at the end of the stop section but it didn't stop the issue from happening.

I know they are looking at this issue again this year and hope it gets fixed befor our PWD in mid-February. I'd hate to see someone's car get damaged and then for them not to be able to race.
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Ickabod
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by Ickabod »

@whodathunkit - Actually there were 2 cars that hit the end of the stop section. I didn't catch it on video though.

I have just came up with another idea I might try this year.... :idea:
As I posted here, I used plasti-dip for my pliers. I might try and put a dab on the underside of the car to help it grip the stop section. Has anyone tried this before?
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Re: Improving the stop section

Post by gpraceman »

DerbyDash wrote:Thanks for the videos. Based on the comment I made in my other post about this issue, we are seeing some of the same things...cars flipped up or over and off the track. We have seen various parts of cars (wings, spoilers, etc.) get broken off when this happens. They have put blankets at the end of the stop section but it didn't stop the issue from happening.
I assume they removed the plastic end stop, correct?

The end stop protects the edges of the aluminum from getting dinged up, but I would not want cars to hit it. Best to remove it.
Randy Lisano
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Awana Grand Prix and Pinewood Derby racing - Where a child, an adult and a small block of wood combine for a lot of fun and memories.
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