Table of Contents
10 Tips and Tricks to a Fast and Cool-Looking Pinewood Derby Car Bake your block. Max out your weight at the regulation 5 ounces. Use all of the graphite (dry lubricant is usually allowed). Sand and polish your wheels and axles. Check alignment. Spend time on sanding. Use a high-quality paint. Add decals!.
How do you make a pinewood derby car go faster?
Build a Fast Pinewood Derby Car in 6 Steps Step 1: Reduce friction to speed up your car. Step 2: Lubricate Axles and Wheels. Step 3: Prepare and Polish Axles – Essential for Speed. Step 4: Balance and tune your Wheels to Maxiumize Speed. Step 5: Add Weight to Increase Inertia.
What is the fastest shape for a pinewood derby car?
But aerodynamics rule the day, and the best shape is a simple wedge. Just like a spoiler on the rear of a sports car, the wedge shape allows as much air to flow over the top of the car without hinderance while keeping the car pinned to the track.
What is a fast time for a pinewood derby car?
Pinewood Derby Results. The average times with just weight added was 3.288 seconds. There was 0.188 seconds between the fastest and slowest car, about 23 inches. The average time was 2.994 seconds, about 44 inches faster than without graphite (0.353 seconds).
Where is the best place to put weight on a pinewood derby car?
Best Location to Weight Your Pinewood Derby Car When deciding on where to weight your car, you should try to reach a final balance point of the car 1 inch or less in front of the rear axle. To achieve this, place 2/5 of the added weight behind the rear axle, and the remaining 3/5 in front of the rear axle.
What parts of a car make it faster?
10 Easy Mods to Make Your Car Faster Cold Air Intake. NOS System. Supercharger. Fuel System Upgrade. True Dual Exhaust. Drivetrain. Tires. Brakes.
Do heavier cars go faster?
Originally Answered: Is it true that heavier cars accelerate better than lighter ones? no , vehicles with highest Power to weight ratio accelerate faster than the others. Force = mass*acceleration.
What makes a derby car fast?
Aerodynamics have little effect in such a short race, but weight does and putting the weight at the back of the car will make your car faster on the flat of the track. Tungsten weights, in most cases, are best because of their high density. Lube the car at the body/wheel friction point.
Do fenders help Pinewood Derby?
Pinewood Derby Fenders / Air Guides Add pizzazz to your pinewood derby car with our sleek fender accessories! Fenders improve air flow over the wheels resulting in a few milliseconds of advantage, during a tight race. Both front and rear fenders are available and are typically used together.
How long should pinewood derby wheels spin?
How long should pinewood derby wheels spin? A long spinning wheel has less friction so the longer a wheel spins, the better. A good wheels will spin for around 20 seconds but the spin time can vary with the type of wheel, lubricant and with the amount of force used to start the spin.
What is the perfect weight for a pinewood derby car?
First, the basics: Your car should weigh as much as it’s allowed. In most races, a Pinewood Derby car’s weight is limited to 5 ounces. If your car weighs less than that, add coins or other weights.
How much weight does paint add to pinewood derby car?
Paint only adds a few grams (hundredths of a ounce). We generally weight up to 4.9 oz and then do the last weight adjustment at check-in.
Where is the center of gravity on a pinewood derby car?
Center of gravity placement should be between 1⁄2″ – 1″ in front of the rear axle. This is true for all wheel base types. Whether you are using a standard wheelbase or an extended wheelbase.
What makes a car super fast?
The motive force for a car is the engine. Every engine produces an amount of work-energy measured in mechanical horsepower. One horsepower is 550 foot-pounds per second. More power in generation from the engine means more power available to turn the wheels faster on the car.
How can I increase my car’s acceleration?
How to Increase Acceleration Generate More Power. The more air your engine takes in the more power it creates. Take Advantage of Re-gearing. Reduce Vehicle Weight & Rotating Mass. Enhance Tire Grip & Traction. Improve Vehicle Aerodynamics.
Why do lighter cars corner better?
In theory, a lighter car may handle corners better than a heavy car on a wet roads, as it has less inertia to continue in a straight line, however its lighter weight, there is less friction or adhesion to the road. Wet roads are not the place to experiment with a vehicle and physics.
What affects top speed?
6 Things Which Decide Top Speed of Your Car Power of the Engine. Gear Ratio. Weight of the car. Aerodynamics of the car. Grip of the tires on the road. Calorific value of the fuel used.
Do lighter cars stop faster?
Yes, it definitely does. That is because the momentum of a heavier object is more than that of a lighter object. The formula for momentum is this: Momentum = mass x velocity.
How do you make a Lego car faster?
9 Tips to Increase the Speed of Your LEGO® Race Car Make it heavy! Make sure that your tires don’t rub against the side of your car! Larger LEGO® wheels are generally faster than smaller LEGO® wheels. If you can, use Technic axles and wheels instead of the clip-on wheels, they are faster!.
How do I make my Pinewood Derby car shine?
Use a final gloss clear paint coat to give your car an extra shine. Some people use car wax but clear paint gives better results. You will get better results if you give your car several light coats of paint rather than one or two thick coats. Sand your car lightly after the first coat of paint dries.
Do you glue Pinewood Derby axles?
7. Create Glue Holes: Glue the axles firmly in their holes to ensure that they stay perfectly placed, but make sure you don’t get glue on your wheels. 8. Add Weight: Remember to make your Pinewood Derby car as heavy as the rules allow.
