These tips below are generally for racers who have not had a lot of experience with maintenance procedures of Scalextric scale race/slot cars. You will see below that modern slot cars are very easy to lubricate and tune and that taking just a few moments to oil your scale race car will make it run better, faster, and last a lot longer.

Please always remember if you are using any tools "safety first", please read, follow & understand all the instructions that come with your tools, if in doubt, please seek the advice of an adult or a slot car specialist. Injuries WILL spoil your fun if you ignore basic safety requirements. This is standard advice & I will not be held liable for any injuries or loss as a result of reading this advice, as it is just "advice only", but it works well for me!

 

Racing Tip - Handling

If your slot car "fishtails" and is constantly losing the back end on curves (especially the weaker magnet cars), simply clean the rear tires with a mild "non toxic solvent" or just rub the tires down with some saliva (yes saliva)! The car will immediately show amazing improvements in handling and significantly improve your lap times. If that fails also check the track for anything that shouldn't be there, e.g., liquids, dust dirt & anything else that could hinder maximum grip.

Learn how to remove the slot car body for cleaning/maintenance
The bodies of most new slot cars are fastened from the bottom with two to four small Phillips head screws. Removal of these screws allows the body to be lifted off. This should be done periodically for chassis and gear cleaning as well as inspection of all other moving parts, even for checking the freedom of movement of the front guide pin.

Some useful tools to keep handy

Always have a few "slot car" tools on stand by, these don't have to be specialist tools. A few good items to have are a Philips screw driver, making sure it's a good fit for the particular screws on your slot car, some tweezers, super glue, utility knife, file(s), a soldering iron, small pliers & cutters, a rag for excess oil, compressed air / or vacuum cleaner for blowing out dust & dirt (be very careful if using a household vacuum, small parts can easily be lost if they are loose!). OK you could list 100's of tools, but these will generally get you through most times of need. There are specialist tools but these can be very costly.

This is a good time to do your oil/grease maintenance.
Tips on how to help your body posts last longer - When reinstalling the body screws if the screw seems tight as soon as you begin to tighten it, try turning the screw backwards a little bit and start it in a different position. I often find that the screw threads and body post have been mated to each other. If you start the screw in the right position and can find this same mating the screw will not rip the plastic out of the body post when it is reinstalled. Also remember not to over-tighten the body screws. (In fact some slot racing pros say the cars run better if the body screws are left a little loose!)

Oil Motor and Axles

Oil…. change your oil every 3000 laps and use Mobil-1 synthetic.... yeah right. Only kidding! OIL, used sparingly, is your friend and should be used periodically in several important places on every slot car. Oil makes every moving part work with less friction, less heat, and makes your slot car faster. Need I say more? Use your friend sparingly though because too much oil creates a mess, gathers more dirt, and seeps to places you don't want it to go e.g. your racetrack & tyres!
You should periodically oil the electric motor "only" where exposed armature shafts protrude; often this is on both ends of the motor. Oil should also be applied to axles where they go through axle bearings or bushings. Don't assume that brand new slot cars are adequately oiled. I have heard stories of brand new slot cars "seizing up", do to a lack of oil from the factory when they were built. My friend saved a brand new Fly Viper one eve when it slowed down severely and got so hot you could not touch the bottom. He oiled the motor ends, let the car cool, and the car took right off. Do not let oil get on internal parts of the motor though, such as the internal armature and motor brushes. Again use common sense when applying oil.

I personally use "3 in one" oil (UK) and this is recommended by many other enthusiasts & shops that I have contact with, but you may know of "other oil" products that work well or better for you, basically it's whatever works best for you that counts.

Grease the Gears

Grease on the gears. Use of a light grease on axle gears does the same thing as oil does to the motor.... runs with less friction, and lasts longer before replacement. I use grease instead of oil on the gears because of the extra pressure these parts typically go through. Also grease will stay on the gears better than oil. Periodically clean these gears; removing dirt, carpet fuzz, and whatever else can clog up your gears.

Grease the Guide Blade Post

The guide blade post is also a point of friction that could use a little lubrication. A dab of gear grease on this post can help your car navigate those tricky corners a little smoother. Most makes of slot cars feature a "push in" style of guide pin, which can be eased out of its hole for lubrication. The Fly, Ninco, and some others use wires, which are connected to the guide blade. Go slowly and carefully and the blade can be removed from the chassis without disconnecting these wires. Dab a little grease on the post or in the hole with a toothpick and push the blade back into its hole. That's all that's to it! This lube job will last a long time and will only need to be done a few times in a slot car's lifetime.

Truing your tires on the rims

The rubber tires on your new slot car were pushed on the car's wheels by factory workers who likely had one eye on the clock (no disrespect) not caring whether the tires are properly and evenly seated on the wheel. You need to determine that the tires are "true", especially the rear tires where power is applied. Out of "true" tires can cause the car to "hop" or handle poorly. Rubber tires are soft and very flexible so they can bunch up on one side of the wheel and cause this imbalance. Remove the body from the car and, using your thumbs and fingers, roll and push the rubber tire until it feels evenly round. Now, lift the car to eye level at the rear of the car, turn the axle, and watch carefully to see that the rubber tire runs true. When you are satisfied, replace the body and take a couple of slow laps observing the action at the rear of the car. This really can make a big difference & remember the tyres are the most important part of your slot car, just like they are on an Indy car, F1 car or any other type of racing car. "Power is nothing without control" (Grip to keep you on the track)

Tyre wear

Also check wear on your tyres, as sometimes if a car does more turns in one direction that another you may find that one edge goes "off" quicker than the other, if you find this the case, simply remove the tyres and replace the other way round, not only does help to maintain top grip, but it also saves you money on replacing them, which can be very costly & time consuming if you have to keep travelling to your local supplier.

Make sure your front wheels roll smoothly while driving

Surprisingly, many new slot cars come with very deep guide pins which drag on the bottom of the slot and cause the front wheels to be elevated with the result that the wheels do not rotate properly. Your objective is to lower the front end so the front wheels properly rotate. Most of the time, you can trim a millimetre or two off the bottom of the guide pin which solves two problems; first, it lowers the front of the car allowing the front wheels to rotate, and second: it prevents the guide from dragging on the bottom of the slot and further slowing the car down. Dragging guide pins can further slow your car because the guide pin may hit one or more of the track joints if they aren't aligned perfectly. I realise that some slot car manufacturers design their slot racers to rest on the guide brushes, not necessarily the wheels. Therefore, carefully measure before shaving the guide pin too short.

Magnets

Magnets act like "down force" on the car, in the same way they do with F1 cars in real life, finding that extra little bit of grip can be the difference between winning & losing a race.
When using a car with magnets be sure to try all the positions available within the car's Chassis, you will often find by placing the magnet in a different position can greatly enhance the cars performance. There are many different types of magnets available, round & flat, strong & "super strong", select what is best for you. However if you have the option of more than one magnet, be careful not to "overload" the car with magnets, as this can not only slow the car down and make handling "more difficult", it can & WILL greatly shorten the life span of your motor! as well as reducing your skill & ability to be a good driver/racer.

If you have any idea's or suggestions feel free to send them in & I will be happy to add them to this list. (I can also include names & contact details on request ONLY)

I hope you found this guide useful, you may have some other or better idea's of your own?
The great thing about Slot car racing is, there is always something new to do & learn, not forgetting "GREAT FUN" to be had, & remember FUN is the No1# aim of racing.

 

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