|
Off the Wall
Over the years, the HO RacePro dungeon lab has been the site of many slot car experiments, where the questions "What if?" and "Why not?" never go unanswered!
For example, "What if T-Jets had mechanical brakes?"
Then they might look like this!
By taking advantage of the T-Jet idler gear, which undergoes opposite torque reactions during acceleration and braking, the gear can be used as a type of "disk brake"! The gear is physically moved toward one side of the gear plate or the other depending on which force is acting upon it. By modifying the boss on which the idler rotates (image below), it can freely shift from one side to the other. During braking, the idler is forced to the right side of the car (top in the pictures). A modification to the gear plate rail and retainer, in which the plate rail is cut back and a tab on the retainer, between two notches, is bent down, provide room for the idler to shift sidewise under braking where it directly contacts the tab on the retainer. Result? Mechanical braking!
No, this probably isn't legal for most organized racing, and you will find that the idler and retainer will be subject to some wear, but it really does WORK!
Why not try it for fun and see?
|
|
