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A few weeks ago I posted about cracked pinion gears on 2 out of 3 new Fly cars I got. A few more have joined my stable since then and 1 also needed a new pinion gear before it would run, and my newest Ferrari 512S has a slipping spur gear.

I'll get to the spur gear in a minute, but how can a $70 slot car leave the factory with a rear axle that won't even turn? I've never had a problem like this with any of my 50 or so Pioneer, Scalextric, or Carrera cars. Yes, the Fly Le Mans replicas are great looking, but are they all meant to be shelf queens? And I'm not even talking about being super performers, I'd just like to be able to test drive a new car before having to work on it.

Okay, now about the spur gear issue. It looks like the wheel next to the spur gear might have a tiny crack where it mounts on the axle, so I don't want to remove it. What are options for gluing the spur gear to the axle? Superglue? Locktite? What about putting the spur gear right up against the wheel hub at the axle and supergluing them together? It looks like I'll still be able to get the pinion gear aligned alright with this arrangement.

Thanks for any tips you have.

Slothead

The argument over the intended audience is a long and boring one. Pick a side. I felt the early releases were made for both. Why else improve things like magnets, or even include them? That's just a part of that long and boring I spoke about.

That wheel is going to remove itself sooner or later, so think about that before you leave it be.

I dislike suggesting Super Glue as it can EASILY cause more harm than good. Be CAREFUL and make sure you oil that bushing first.

If that spur gear is spinning, then the knurling on the axle has sanded it out and likely will not be very true even if you do glue it.

Between the Spur and cracked hub, I would replace it all. It's expensive I know. But if you want to enjoy the model for years to come, it's worth it.

You might get lucky and the glue will hold for awhile. Depending on use, maybe years. Only you and your wallet can make the call.

Thanks for the feedback.

Harry - you've obviously been through this a lot, but it's new to me. When I just had the oval I bought parts, mostly Parma stuff, and built my own cars. Then in August of 2014 I built the road course and started collecting Trans Am cars, mostly Pioneer and Scalextric, since I'm only interested in replicas of cars that raced in the series from '65 - '71. I got my first Fly Ford GT40 this fall and it ran very well, so I decided to do a World Sportscar Championship series from the same era. Fly and FlySlot make beautiful replicas, but it's frustrating to have to repair a brand new car. But, I won't gripe about it when you already know the story.

Money isn't the issue with this car, I have most of the parts, but am reluctant to pull the stock rear axle apart and then have to sand the wheels down to use as inserts in CB Design wheels just to retain the same appearance I bought the car for in the first place. (Yes, I guess that was another gripe.)

Also, there is no knurling on the rear axle under the spur gear. The knurling inside the rear wheel only sticks out about 1/32" and doesn't 'catch' the spur gear. That's why I asked about pushing the gear right up against the wheel and gluing everything together. Actually, I guess that's my only recourse for now while I see if I can buy a replacement rear axle and get CB Design insert wheels.

Can anyone recommend a source for Fly replacement rear axles?

Slothead

Do what I do, switch to Slot it gears and never worry about it again.