The Pro Rail Rider Tool™ is the first tool designed to assist the builder in accurately setting up the alignment of a Pinewood Derby car using the Rail-Rider™ method. This method makes for a straight, fast, easy to align car even without a test track.
- The Pro Rail Rider Tool™ is designed to bend axles 1.5° & 2.5° of axle canting.
- Alignment adjustments are simple and effective with axle canting.
- Friction is reduced in all areas of the car.
- Alignment is totally simplified and a very fast car can be achieved without a track. (A Pro Axle Press is required.)
Pro Tip: By cutting a 3/16” strip of business card and placing it around the axle at the head an additional .5deg can be achieved. This will give the builder the options of : 1.5°, 2.0°, 2.5° and 3.0° for tuning.
Click here to see our video on You Tube for a full demonstration.
Instructions
The Pro Rail Rider Tool™ is the first tool designed to assist the builder in accurately setting up the alignment of a Pinewood Derby car using the Rail-Rider™ method. This method makes for a straight, fast, easy to align car even without a test track.
The Pro Rail Tool is used with a Pro Axle Press (not included). For best results, prepare the axle slots (or drill axle holes) with a Pro Body Tool. Then straighten the axles with a Pro Axle Press, and polish them as desired. Then perform the following steps:
- Place a location dot on one side of each axle head with a marker.
- Install an axle into the Pro Axle Press, with the axle head extended out about 1/2 inch.
- Rotate the axle so that the dot on the head is located at the 6:00 (down) position.
- Slide the Pro Rail Rider Tool over the top of the axle press. Locate the axle shaft in the groove of the Pro Rail Raider Tool. Use the 2.5 side of the tool for rear axles, and the 1.5 side for front axles.
- Press the axle head against the Pro Rail Rider Tool; make sure the dot is still at the 6:00 position.
- With the assembly on a solid surface (concrete floor is best), hold the axle head against the tool with your thumb, and place your index finger on the opposite end of the tool.
- Squeeze firmly and with a hammer, tap the top of the tool lightly two to three times. This will accurately bend the axle the indicated 1.5 deg or 2.5 degrees.
- Repeat for all axles, using the correct angle for each axle.
Tuning the Car
- Assemble the car with the location dots at 12:00.
- Check Rear Wheels – On a clean, level surface (6 feet long is best), roll the car forward and backwards one to two feet, and make sure that the rear wheels stay against the axle heads. This is an indicator of correct rear alignment. If a wheel moves towards the body, rotate the axle head slightly and retest until the wheel stays against the axle head.
- Locate Front Dominant Wheel – If one front wheel is off the ground, the wheel on the ground is the dominant wheel. If both wheels are on the ground, then press gently on each of the front wheels. If the car rocks slightly when pressing on one of the wheels, the other wheel is the dominant wheel. If the car does not rock, rotate one of the axles just enough so that the other wheel is dominate.
- Steering the Car – The goal of Rail Riding is to gently steer the car into the guide rail with the front dominant wheel. Gently roll the car across the test area and notice which way the car drifts. Rotate the front dominant axle slightly, then retest until the car rolls 5 to 6 feet with approximately 1 inch of drift away from the dominant wheel (if the front-right wheel is dominant, the car should drift to the left; if the front left wheel is dominant, the car should drift to the right). Builders note: Notching the body 1/16” on the dominant wheel will keep the rear wheel from touching the guide strip and help reduce friction.
- Once the correct drift is established, (if using axle slots) glue the axles in place.
Rail-Rider™ is a Trademark Derby Worx Inc.
Product Videos
Blog Posts & Other Help
Have a strict set of race rules that require your cars to have all 4 wheels touching the track? NO WORRIES! This link will help you build the FASTEST 4 wheel touching Rail Rider™ possible.
The Ultimate 4 Wheel Rail Rider Set-up.
Additional Information
- MSRP: $12.95
- Patent Pending
- UPC: 730176145341
- Part #: DWXPRT01
- BSA Part #: 610795
