My first Le Mans Miniatures slot

[slowshoes]

It's a Porche 911 and it arrived with a loose front and rear windshield, a right rear view mirror broken off, and one of the wheels with a stripped grub screw thread (discovered this when doing a couple of laps and the wheel simply coming off).

I'm not going to send it back since it's stuff I can fix and, after reading other LMM reviews, it doesn't sound like these are uncommon occurences for their cars. My question is how to best repair the wheel with the stripped grub screw threads. Should I just glue it on, and if so, should I go with 2 part epoxy or something like hot glue. I keep my cars stock, so I don't see needing to upgrade wheels in the future.

Thanks for any advice. It seems like these cars are made more for the shelf than the track, but I don't do shelf queens.

[loosewheel]

Try putting a little epoxy in the grub screw hole and re-tapping it with a spare grub screw of the same size. Sometimes this will help.

[goosenapper]

[slowshoes]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I hadn't thought of re-tapping the hole after adding a bit of epoxy. I think it is the hole itself and not the grub screw (though I'll have to verify that with one of the other screws). If it is in fact the hole, I suppose there is nothing to lose by trying to re-tap it before taking the more drastic step of gluing the thing on.

Great pic there goosenapper - when my wheel came off the Porsche, the car stopped but the wheel keep right on going. :) Any one know the grub screw sizes for the LMM's, or is there a standard size across the board for our slots. Out of about 300 or so cars, I have four that have grub screws, so I don't have much experience with them.

Your right goosenapper - I like the Porsche enough to spend the dough. Even with the issues, it's still a nice car with great paint and detail, and it was running great up to the point where the wheel went a flyin'. It looks like I'm just going to have to keep my glue handy! :(

[goosenapper]

[slowshoes]

Thanks again for the info and links goosenapper. The hex driver I'm using is the only one I have for slots, lol. It's whatever size that came with my Racer Sideways Riley MK cars (my only cars with wings!) I'm usually running classics and old vintage resin cars, so grub screws don't come into play much for me.

I will go and buy different sizes screws and keys though - you never know what the future will bring.

[Czar]

Racer Sideways use Slot.it parts.

[Audi1]

You can also use superglue to re-tap.

First remove the grub screw, then coat it with oil (slot car lubrication oil works fine). Wipe the excess oil off, so that the oil is only in the threads of the grub screw. Then put some superglue on a toothpick or a metal bodkin (or a big needle) and apply it to the area where the stripped plastic threads are located. Not too much, just enough to coat the stripped area. You want to do the superglue coat so that it evenly covers the stripped plastic area. Then, while the superglue is still soft, use your oiled grub screw to re-tap the threads. The oil keeps the grub screw from being bonded to the superglue. Back it out after 1-2 minutes and you should be OK. Invisible, and what you need. Don't push down too hard while doing the re-tap. Too much pressure applied to a grub screw is the primary reason that grub screws need to be re-tapped..................... ;)

Allan

[chrisguyw]

While all the suggestions made......gluing on the wheels, filling the holes with glue/re-tapping etc., are valid, and will work, none are really the ideal way to rectify your problem, the glued on wheels are a bugger to remove, and the glued/tapped holes are basically a one time deal.To repair the wheel, and have it in better than new condition, you should consider retapping with a 2-56 tap, and use 2-56 grub screws.

The 2-56 screws use the same key as the M2 grub screws (no need to buy another)....they have a a slightly larger bore diameter, and a slightly coarser thread (much less likely to strip than the M2's). It is a very easy job to re-tap the existing holes (you will only need finger pressure to turn the tap), and you will now have a wheel/grub screw that will take much more abuse. It is advisable to use a drop of oil/cutting fluid in the hole during the tapping process

I have repaired many many wheels/crowns/spurs this way for folks over the years, and routinely do this right off the bat for many "race"/proxy wheels.

Cheers
Chris Walker

[slowshoes]

Very cool option Audi1 - I'll keep that in mind.

Chris, I do like the idea of fixing it permanently via tapping the hole in the wheel. I've done a lot of tapping holes with my boat projects. A quick google search has left me a bit confused though. The numbers 2-56 x 1/8, 1/4, 3/32 etc - what are the numbers representing and what size do I need for a slot wheel?

[chrisguyw]

[slowshoes]

[quote="chrisguyw"]

Very simply, the first number (2) refers to the bore dia.. and the second (56) refers to the number of threads per inch.

Therefore, all 2-56 set/grub screws have the same bore and thread, and as such are identical........they do come in various lengths,they can be as short as 1/16, and can be commonly be found in 1/8, 3/32, 1/4 lengths (as you have found online). For the purposes of Slot car wheels, a 3/32 length would suit most applications.

The 2-56 size is the next step up from an M2 (your current set screws) ,both in bore and coarseness of thread, and is the logical place to start....they also use the same .35 hex drive as your M2's, so no need to buy a new driver.

As previously mentioned, re tapping your existing wheels with a 2-56 tap is very easy work, and will result in a wheel that is more abuse resistant than the original M2 sized ones........having said that, fine threads in relatively soft aluminum don't take kindly to being reefed on......I see lots of folks exerting far to much pressure (torque) on these poor little set screws :)


Thanks for the great info Chris - and thanks to all for the advice and suggestions. You guys are great1 :) I'll get working on it, but first things first - my vacation starts tomorrow! :D

Bill

[Modlerbob]

I have two LMM cars, The Daur test car from 1994 and the Purple Jaguar XJR14. The Jaguar at least runs after a fashion but as a slot car the Daur is a dud. I have seen the review of how the Daur can be modified to run decently but it requires a lot of effort for ending up with something that still can't be raced. They are the only two slot cars I bought with no intention of ever running. I am even considering removing the guide flags so they will look better sitting on the shelf.