Ultra light Pinewood Derby Car Bodies

Ultra light Pinewood Derby body. These bodies start around 15.5 grams.  Pockets and holes are strategically located everywhere in order to adjust your Center of Gravity needs. I got really bored last night and drew up a few designs for canopy cars. I will get them cutout over the weekend. Some light pinewood bodies will be extended wheelbase only. Some will be regular wheelbase.  I’m not going to offer both styles for each type of pinewood car. Too many bodies! Too hard to test and get COG correct.

 

 

 

And thank you… Wayne…. Your review on the treadmill process inspired me to just mass produce your design.

There is a Video on YouTube that gives you 7 Winning Tips to Pinewood derby.

Concepts of a Ultra light Pinewood Derby Fast Car

1. Center of Mass (Center of gravity) Location

This step is supposed to give you a 36% increase in speed. These Ultra light Pinewood Derby bodies are super light and allow us to maximize weight placement where we want it. Our setup is for a 0.930″ COM in front of the rear axle. Then we place weight pockets on the remaining wood sections, so that you can tweak what works for you.

2. Lightweight derby wheels

Claim is 16% increase in speed, but I tend to think the increase is more like 36% and COG is 16%. I know if I can use a set of 1 gram wheels and tune a car, I will smoke nearly everything. I will beat any car that has factory wheels no matter if I am racing a block of wood. Seriously.

3. Aerodynamic Ultra light Pinewood Derby

11% increase in speed. Majority of our bodies are streamlined. With low weight placement. We also remove wood around the wheel’s outer edge to ensure that that part never touches the body.  These light weight derby bodies are ready to break track records.

4. Polished Nails

10% increase in speed LOL we got that covered. CNC polished nails. Only one in industry that can state their axles are polished my a computer controlled machine.  Perfect match with our light weight bodies.

5. Lift one wheel of Ultra light Pinewood Derby- 9% increase in speed

All bodies made by Derby Dust have the option of 3 wheel racing at no extra charge. We believe it is the only way to race.

6. Graphite/lube

Derby Dust dry lube is a pure graphite with proper flake size and moisture content that will give you a smooth friction-less surface when you follow our break-in process.

7. Other (long wheelbase, car shape, wheel gap, etc) 11% increase
Car shape is important. Wheel gap is important based on the type of wheel hub. It will differ for each setup and rule base.  Extended wheelbase does have the slight advantage if using the 1″ COG standard as the balance point.  The cog for extended pinewood derby car will be roughly 1/4″ more towards the rear, thus giving the potential weight advantage.

8. Derby Dust’s conclusion which was not even addressed
The fastest car is a tuned car.  Regardless of any other option. Focus mainly on tuning or adjusting your axles.  You want your car to go down the track as straight as it can without going side to side.  The fastest way to do this is 3 wheels touching and make it ride along the center strip.  It just takes time. It’s not technical. It’s not complicated. It just takes time.

Low profile body with .930ish COG, 3k bent axles (3x 2.5, 1x 1.5) for center rail riding, lightest possible wheels that you can use, Wheel Polish kit to clean up the bores of the wheels, Derby Dust graphite.  How to put it all together.