Who Moved My Wheels?
In some Pinewood Derby
races, extended wheel bases are allowed, and if so in
your race, you had better enlist this speed tip or
choose to just be competitive. Extending the wheel base
is basically moving the axle slots further towards the
front and rear of the car as shown in figure 1.
(Note: We have
marked the new axle holes on the same side of the block
as the regular axle slots to show the difference in
locations. In marking and drilling the new holes,
it is best to use the opposite side of the block.)
Figure 1
New Axle Holes for
Extended Wheel Base
The rear axle slots are
moved back just short of the maximum distance one can
without surpassing the 7" length requirement of the
car. The front axle slots are pushed well forward of
their location out of the box but are located just a
little further from the end of the car than the rear
axles to alleviate any risk of the axles being damaged
or misaligned in the race. After all, even with foam
padding at the end of the track, there is a fairly
abrupt stop.
The Pro-Body Tool as
shown in figure 2 is designed to use a # 44 drill bit
(included with the Pro-Body Tool) and will help align
the bit with a hand held drill.
Figure 2
Pro-Body Tool Used for
Drilling Extended Wheel Base
The rear axle slot needs
to be drilled no closer than 5/8" from the rear of the
car and 1/8" from the bottom of the car. Otherwise, the
car will exceed the maximum length of 7". The front
axle slots need to be drilled no closer than ¾" from the
front of the car and 1/8" from the bottom of the car.
The dimensions for the new axle holes are shown in
figure 3.
Figure 3
New Axle Hole Locations
for Extended Wheel Base
To use the Pro-Body Tool:
-
Test fit the Pro-Body
Tool on the bottom of the block with the two ‘ears’
positioned on the sides of the block. If the tool
will not fit onto the block, use coarse grit
sandpaper to reduce the width of the block until the
tool fits snugly. If the tool is loose, tighten the
fit by placing a piece of paper, folded as needed,
between one ‘ear’ of the tool and block.
-
Measure and mark the
desired position of the new axle holes on one side
of the block as shown in figure 4 (5/8” from the
rear and ¾” from the front end as stated above).
Figure 4
Rear Axle Hole 5/8” from
Rear of Car
-
Extend the mark
from the bottom of the block to the top of the block
using a square rule as shown in figure 5 or make a
similar measurement at the top of the block and use
a straight edge to join the marks.
Figure 5
New Axle Holes 1/8” from
Car Bottom
-
Position the tool on
the bottom of the car with the two ‘ears’ on the
sides of the block and align the index mark with the
line on the block as shown in figure 6.
Figure 6
Marking Line for Pro-Body
Tool Location
-
Hold the block firmly
(use a clamp if available), position the drill bit
in the hole, and slowly drill ¾” into the block as
shown in figure 7.
Figure 7
Drilling New Holes Using
Pro-Body Tool
-
Without releasing the
clamp, turn the tool and block over, and drill the
second hole.
-
Repeat steps 3-5 for
the other 2 holes.
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Pinewood Derby Specialty
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