Solution? Orthopedic Ligature Bands
My dad and I are exploring a possible solution to a modding problem we've been having. When we want to mod these cars with skinny chassis, the axles are often too long. We know a wider wheel bases is usually better, it prevents the car from wobbling down the track. We've been trying to find a way to put our own spacers on the wheels so they don't slide back and forth when the chassis is too skinny.
I remembered from my dental years these things they would stick into my mouth,
They are small bands that could be placed onto the axle and prevent the wheel from sliding around too much. The problem is, how do we get them on?
Tell me what you guys think, or other solutions to this problem. Thanks!
Discussion
We've just only begun our journey into the modding world, we've been ordering lots of FTE1 cars off ebay and were sitting on about 15 cars. I wish we had more axles to choose from, but we don't, so we have to find solutions to our problems.
Thanks for the insight Smitty!
I don't know the exact diameter of the bands, we bought some to try them out, so I'll keep ya'll posted!
my calipers would not be able to measure the inside diameter on those, i should have asked about the relationship between they and the FTE axles ?
Do you have many FTE-1 donor cars?
A few of the FTE-1 cars have narrow axles.
Pharodox, Lotus concept, 71 GTX have narrow rear FTE 1, 70 Challenger, Bully Goat and 8 Crate have narrow front and rear FTE 1 axels.
I'm sure there are others, but these come to mind.
off topic but, i'm slightly shure that '05/'06 - what 4 2, 69 firebird t a, 69 corvette, low c g, speed bump, mid drift and anglia 105 all have wide track FTE 1 axles front and rear... fast fred has a diorama junkyard FULL of the cars listed above, less the wheels...
Pharodox, Lotus concept, 71 GTX have narrow rear FTE 1, 70 Challenger, Bully Goat and 8 Crate have narrow front and rear FTE 1 axels.
I'm sure there are others, but these come to mind.
But see the thing is, I want to use these wider axles on skinny chassis, but I DONT want the wheels sliding around on the axle. I'm pretty sure it cuts the performance when there all loose like that. With these spacers, I hope to restrict the wheel sideways movement, while maintaining the wider wheel base.
[*]On a side note
The thread says "orthopedic", I dont know what I was thinking, I mean "orthodontic". just to clear things up
But see the thing is, I want to use these wider axles on skinny chassis, . . .while maintaining the wider wheel base.
Gotcha, while maintaining the wider "track".
Are the spacers that you have rubber or hard plastic?
Hard plastic would be good while rubber would cause a lot of friction.
Clever with those spacers...interested to see results. If they're rubber they might not be the smoothest thing for the wheels to rub against?
Gotcha, while maintaining the wider "track".
Are the spacers that you have rubber or hard plastic?
Hard plastic would be good while rubber would cause a lot of friction.
And that's another thing I was considering while picking ideas to test. From my memory, they are kind of a mix. They are malleable, because they are supposed to stretch to a certain extent, but once they are stretched they are fixed in their stretched position. Its hard to say whether they are strictly rubber or plastic, but time will tell. Were gonna do some experimenting and try to find what works best.
GOOD STUFF... thanks jiggy,
i have been cutting FTE axles in half bending an offset into the cut end, sliding it down into one of the [2] j b rivit holes....
for a channelled car the wheels rub the quarters... i cut off little sections of a hollow lollypop stick,
but your idea is exellent !.. what is the inside diameter of the "washers" ? ... weird, wanting to go to the dentist !