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Increase your car speed...
with precise wheel and axle alignment.
The PRO Alignment Tool makes it a snap! |
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Wheel
Clearance
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Wheel
clearance, or spacing, is the easiest thing to fix and perhaps the
adjustment that most people get wrong. If wheels are too far out
from the car body, the car wobbles from sliding left or right on
the axles. If the wheels are too close, they rub against the car
body slowing your car down like ABS brakes.
What is the
optimal spacing between the wheel and the car body?
Your PRO Alignment
Tool makes wheel spacing a snap.
The Tool thickness is exactly the spacing you need. Just insert
the Tool Wheel Clearance slot between the wheel and car body, then
push the wheel in as far as it will go against the tool.
Remove the tool
and you have perfect wheel spacing! Repeat for each wheel.
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Axle
Alignment |
| If your axles are not perfectly straight,
your car will steer left or right, causing it to hit the center rail
as it goes down the track. This causes friction and drag on your car,
which sloooows your car down. With all four axles inserted into
the car block, place the tool flat on the bottom of the car. Be
sure the ruler is flush with the edges of the block so everything
is square.
You can see if the axles are square by looking at the parallel
lines on the tool in comparison to the axles. Your axles should
be exactly parallel to the lines on the ruler. If not, you need
to re-insert the axles so they are parallel.
Better yet, drill the axle slot using our PRO Body Tool, which
makes a perfectly straight axle hole. Alternately, our Precision
Drilled Block has perfectly aligned axle holes because they were
drilled with a drill press.
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Camber
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What
is Camber and why do you care?
Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the top of the wheel from
true vertical. If the top of the wheel is tilted inward, it has
a Negative Camber. If the top of the wheel is Tilted Outward, it
has a Positive Camber. If the wheel is straight up and down on a
true vertical line, the Camber is measured at Zero (0°).
If Camber is not zero, your wheels are not resting
flat on the track and therefore could ride inward or outward on
the axle. Zero camber will allow your wheels to stay centered on
the axle, keeping it from creating drag by hitting the nail head
or car body.
To measure camber, with your car on a flat surface,
place the PRO Alignment Tool against a wheel and check that the
wheel is perfectly flat against the tool. If not, you have camber
and you need to adjust your axles until camber is zero.
Once
again, a perfectly straight axle slot, drilled with the PRO Body
Tool will eliminate camber. Alternately, our Precision Drilled Block
eliminates camber.
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Toe
In, Toe Out |
What
is Toe and why do you care?
Toe relates to the difference in the distance between the front
of the tires and the rear of the tires on the same axle, or to the
vehicle centerline. Toe-in, or positive toe, is defined as the front
of the tires being closer together than the rear of the tires. Toe-out,
or negative toe, is when the rear of the tires are closer together
than the front of the tires. Zero toe is when the tires are parallel
to each other.
If your wheels toe inward, your wheels will literally
slide on the track slightly as the wheels turn, causing friction.
You want to eliminate Toe in and toe out, so your wheels are perfectly
straight.
Place
the tool flat on the bottom of the car and pull the wheels out to
the axle head. Compare where each wheel lines up with the lines
on the PRO Alignment Tool. They should all match.
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Track
Clearnace |
With
the car on a flat surface, put the PRO Alignment Tool on its edge
and look under the car to be sure nothing is protruding below the
3/8” Track Clearance line.
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Length
and Width Dimensions |
Your
car should measure 7” long by 2 ¾” wide. Use
the ruler on the PRO Alignment Tool to measure length and width
to be sure it is within these dimensions. While some specialty trim
items may exceed these dimensions, be sure the width especially
does not exceed too much (1/2” or more) as this could cause
your car to hit the cars in adjacent tracks, causing collisions,
which is not good for you or the car you hit! |
The PRO Alignment Tool is made of a flexible, durable white polycarbonate...
it won't break or wear.
Make alignments in a snap...with the PRO
Wheel and Axle Alignment Tool.
only $4.95
Order
Now!
Another tool to help you make a high performance
pinewood derby car...
from the derby car experts at Pinewood Pro!
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