CORNERING AND MAGNET TUNING

One of the easiest ways to improve cornering is adding additional magnets to your car. Most slot cars have at least two or three places for magnets, typically a) in front of the motor, b) middle of the chassis, and c) behind the motor.

Carerra cars typically have two magnets installed from the factory, but their downforce can be increased by adding thin plastic “shims” under them to move the magnet closer to the track. The shims are included in the small bag with the extra contact braids. Use a small Phillip’s screwdriver to remove the center magnets plastic cover, remove the magnet and the metal backing plate and add 2 shims, then reinstall everything in reverse order.
Set the car onto a piece of straight track on a level table and look under the car to make sure the magnet’s plastic cover is not touching the track. If it is, remove one shim. *Never* install the magnets without the plastic cover – you can short out the track, burning up your power supply or controller, and possibly start a fire! After testing the car for 10 minutes, if you think it needs more traction, add one shim to the rear magnet. Always do the rear magnet last because it is the one most likely to scrape the track if you add too many shims.

Most other car brands have one magnet installed (in front of the motor) from the factory. You can buy additional magnets for about $7, including extra-strength magnets (from Slot.It) and install them in the other chassis magnet clips. Always add magnets to the center of the chassis first.

A “secret trick” some racers use is to simply stack magnets on top of each other, increasing the total downforce. Some advanced racers use special motors to add even more downforce, but that is an expensive and not commonly used on home tracks.

Naturally, having too much magnetic downforce can slow your car down and even overheat your motor. And magnets have a “breaking point” – they let you increase your speed into corners significantly, but there is a point where the magnet can’t hold on any longer and your car will go rolling or flying off the track.

And never, ever glue magnets on the bottom of any car because you risk them shorting out on the power rails and burning up your power supply. Please be safe, use lots of common sense, and good luck racing!