How to Change Slot Car Tires
Every slot car experiences a bit of wear and tear during running and requires regular maintenance to keep racing effectively. As a part of that maintenance cycle you will, on occasion, have to change the tires of your car. Replacing old slot car tires for a new set can be done in well under an hour as long as you follow the proper procedures. After the project is completed you'll have a car that you can feel confident of racing, without the fear of badly mounted wheels causing either car or track damage.
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Things You'll Need
- Slot car
- Micro flat-head screwdriver
- Hobby knife
- Fine-grain sandpaper
- Slot car tires
- Tape
Instructions
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1
Remove the old tires from the slot car by sliding them off the wheel rims. If the tires stick use a micro flat-head screwdriver to carefully pull them away, levering the end of the screwdriver beneath the edge of the tire and applying a slight upward pressure to raise the tire from the rim as you pull the tire off.
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2
Check the wheel rims for any burrs due to plastic molding or glue residue if the old wheels were glued in place. If there is anything on the wheels preventing a smooth surface then cut the excess material away from the rims using a hobby knife.
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3
Smooth the surface of the slot car wheel rims by lightly sanding with fine-grain sandpaper.
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4
Inspect the new tires for flash molding left over from the tire making process. Flash molding will appear as a small line encircling the tire raised from the surface that is not a part of the tire's threads. Remove the flash molding either by tearing it off the tire, or carefully cutting it away with the hobby knife.
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Mount the new tires to the rear wheel rims by placing the tires onto the rims and stretching them slightly over the rim into place. The rims will have a wide raised area in the center where the groove in your tires will fit, and the edges of the tires will overlap the edge of the groove, fitting securely. Roll the tire on the wheel once it's been placed to settle it evenly onto the rim.
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6
Tape a small strip of sandpaper onto your slot car track across the rails. Place the car with the new tires over the sandpaper and, holding the car in place, apply power to the car to smooth the wheels and make sure they are perfect circles. Check for smoothness after every 10 seconds of sanding. This process is called "truing" the tires.
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7
Move the new tires to the front rims, and complete the entire process for the new rear wheel tires.
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Tips & Warnings
To prevent the tires spinning on the rims while driving, apply a small bit of plastic glue onto the rims before placing the new tires after truing them.
