Pinewood Derby Q&A

where is the best place to put the weight in a pinewood derby car?

Public Comments

1. 1/3 the overall length from the front. aprox. Bore a hole and melt sinkers to fill. You can melt by folding thin sheet metal in half to make a small pocket crimp three sides over hold with vice-grips and place sinkers inside. Heat with propane torch and carefully pour into your car. Also lube axles w/ graphite!
2. The best place to put the weight is in the back of the car. By placing a majority of the weight in the back you will increase the cars potential energy. Also the center of gravity should be located right in front of the back Axel. Other tips you should try are 1)polishing the wheels to do this use fine sand paper, the bump from the plastic injection will add friction causing the car to slow down 2)polish the axles, there are two little barbs on the Axel remove them with a file to reduce friction.
3. Placing the weight toward the back increases the potential energy of the car, but be careful. If the weight on the front axle becomes too low, any defects or bounce in the track will tend to life the front end of the car off the quide path. I don't know the optimum weight to have on the front axle, but on general principles, I'd want about 1/3 of the weight to be shifted to the front, with 2/3 on the back. Thus, I'd look for a front axle weight of about 1 2/3 oz, with 3 1/2 oz on the back. I found out about the front axle lift problem on year working with my son on his car. I also agree about the importance of using DRY graphite. Most oils will tend to disolve the plastic wheels and slow the car. Polishing the axle nails is also important, but you'll need to go beyond find sandpaper. You would like a mirror finish on the nails, which will require a succession of finer polish compounds. These polishing compounds are available from many sources, including Home Depot.