Jump to content

Scaleauto Slot Grip Tyre Cleaner


kart.68

Recommended Posts

As far as I can tell, Our club rules are still just metho, shellite, lighter fluid and water for cleaning.

If the active ingredient is one of those, then it should be fine.

If not, then like wd40, it's probably also a tyre treatment, and hence illegal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the Worlds in 2011 in Trier, Germany, only tape (masking tape folded back on itself) was allowed for tyre cleaning. The reasoning for this was, that it took all possibilities regarding fluids out of the argument. This, I suggest, is what we should do at all National events. Clubs can regulate tyre cleaning any way they prefer - but a tight regime is always good.

 

Cheers,

 

Jan

'The older I get the faster I was.'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I've used both of these and there is no comparison with wd40 or the likes. I just use it to clean my tyres exactly the way I've seen the guys using shellite or lighter fluid. I reckon if you ban one ,ban them all and just use tape, simple!

IMG_3984.jpg

Is there anybody else out there that has used either?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As at any national event and state the last 40 years Flexi GTP12 and wing cars shellite zipo our tape. My experience I clean with shellite and wipe dry but have found you run them over tape and a large amount of black appears so tape seems the go on a non goo track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the Worlds in 2011 in Trier, Germany, only tape (masking tape folded back on itself) was allowed for tyre cleaning. The reasoning for this was, that it took all possibilities regarding fluids out of the argument. This, I suggest, is what we should do at all National events. Clubs can regulate tyre cleaning any way they prefer - but a tight regime is always good.

 

Cheers,

 

Jan

 

I totally agree Jan, and I'd like to see shelite banned, even at club level.

 

At a club event last year, I had a guy soak his tyres in shelite, drop his car on the track and do a " shelite burnout " making it slide sideways, into my lane, just as my car was coming by at full speed.

 

And do the shelite users know that it shortens the life of your tyres?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've worked with guys that thought the ways of years ago were good, and most of them only had half their fingers from industrial accidents, or died early from exposure to chemicals now banned.

 

It's not the most harmful chemical out there, but some info from the safety data sheet of shellite:

 

SECTION 2 HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

Hazardous chemical according to classification by Safe Work Australia

Dangerous goods according to the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail Signal Word

 

Flammable Liquids, Category 2 FLAME H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapour

Aspiration Hazard, Category 1 HEALTH HAZARD H304 May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways

Toxic to Reproduction, Category 2 H361f Suspected of damaging fertility

Specific Target Organ Toxicity (Repeated exposure), Category 2 H373 May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure

 

Skin Corrosion/Irritation, Category 2 H315 Causes skin irritation

Specific Target Organ Toxicity (Single exposure), Category 3 H336 May cause drowsiness or dizziness

Chronic Aquatic Toxicity, Category 2 ENVIRONMENT H411 Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects

 

Or you can use water - it cleans tyres and you can drink it too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Years ago wake up, shellite is used with goo to spray tracks our all tracks run no goo. I am 62 and been using shellite for 40 years and nearly all 1/24 tracks and my raceway as well all had 20 lt drums. So we should ban all goo on tracks, it works well at Way2Fast Canberra.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is the sticky part of tape not a chemical? yes as said for over 40 years sheltie, how long do you think foam tyres last say on GTP12? who cares how long tyres last.

 

I thought we were talking about SlotWorx V8's?

And with tape, your transferring the crap on the tyres to the sticky part of the tape, not the other way round!

 

Oh, and I care how long my tyres last, especially in club racing, on some cars the tyres are old enough to vote. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes Slotworx at Canberra 4 hour there was a lot using shellite so are you saying the tyres on a slotworx cars last for ever. I have 1/32 car tyres MJK on all the racing year cleaned with shellite no worries that is why it has been used for years. I agree it should not be allowed to go on track wet I wipe dry then use tape on foams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our race group forbids all chemical treatment on tyres save for plain water. Whilst not wanting to sound holier than thou I am not sure what benefit is gained if everyone starts treating tyres (or using the same non-water tyre cleaning method) as the advantage is affectively negated.

 

Whilst we are on the topic, one of the commercial tracks here in Sydney is made of melamine covered MDF and there is a distinct polish the tyres achieve after running around the track (no goo on track). After a handful of laps, rubber and polyurethane tyres have a definite stickiness to them. Some might say this is an advantage when those tyres are transferred to another track. However, this cannot be avoided if that track is to be run on.

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is obviously a very 'touchy' subject, both in slot cars, and RC cars where my background was...

 

There are several scenarios at play...

 

1. No Cleaning

2. Tape only

3. Non Reactive Chemical Clean (Water / Zippo / Shellite / Iso)

4. Reactive Chemical Clean (WD40 / Oils / Etc.)

 

 

I fully understand the reluctance for step 4, as a good tyre prep makes a large difference over both bad prep, and no prep.

Level 3 though is more of a clean, and the only 'change' the cleaners do is 'dry' the tyre out, which technically makes it harder, not softer, but the deep clean can, and does, help maintain grip.

Level 4 however is a massive leap forward, and there are hundreds of treatment methods out there from simple suncreen to extremely exotic cocktails of chemicals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Michael I don't understand the 3 option shellite & white spirits treat rubber believe me I was just shown and I have queried this as the nz guys tyres looked different from what I have ever seen then I was shown and it all made sense to me

 

Rossko

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi SR and others.

 

If you want stuff on your tyres go and race metal cars. I remember in the good old days we walked around with our tyres wrapped in a wintergreen type compound soaked rag between races. These days they put the glue directly on the track.

 

Alternatively magnet racing or lots of lead can produce similar results. All however are a form of assistance.

 

I remember when I was just getting back into slot cars nearly 10 years ago and walked into one of our local NZ clubs. The first thing they said was "it is not allowed but fuelite your tyres". (Clearly as Gas41T has said it was accepted as a form of treatment even then). Hey presto instant fix. Same club also raced Cartrix and dosed their tyres with fuelite (same as Shellite) before every race. From my point of view they went perfectly well without it.

 

Trouble was I later learnt like you say SR that fuelite eventually ruins your tyres. Today most tyres if carefully sanded with water will perform well but some require on-going sanding prior to each race meeting (eg. standard Scaly tyres). I have used fuelite occasionally but only as last resort followed by plenty of water cleaning. This is sometimes good if a car has been standing around unused for some time. I am however still struggling to get the new Scaly tyres to perform.

 

There are simple remedies however depending on the surface run on. Slot-it N22's will last well once prepared (not as long as silicone which now seems to be a dirty word) on our smooth NZ tracks. Urethanes are also good but do not wear as well. Alternatively NSR and urethane are good for track surfaces in Aussie.

 

I do not know what sort of tyres the likes of Slotworx cars run but even foam tyres run very well without treatment (I have only tried Slot-it foams) as long as everybody follows the rules.

 

It is a continuing problem and probably always will be.

 

Excuse the ramble. Charles Le Breton (charlesx)

Edited by charlesx
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shellite doesn't soften the rubber, like oils do, rather, it cleans the surface of oils, dirt, etc.

Whilst is can penetrate porus rubber (like foams), that's definitely not what you want.

 

Basically, oil softens rubber, and shellite disolves the oils (both natural and addative), and hence 'hardens' it.

 

 

I have used it to true some tyres in the past, and from the same packet trued with Water/Detergant.

The end result was the same except that the shellite ones got there 10x faster, and didn't piss me off anywhere near as much.

 

That said, I'm just using it as a lubricant on a rag whilst truing, and with soft rubber, you almost NEED a lubricant of some shape or form.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks again SR.

 

Yes agree re timing. Locally CRC 2.26 is used quite a bit because as you say it is much faster than water. Locals swear it does not react with tyres but you may have a different view on that. We may have used fuelite years ago but I do not remember.

 

Agree good results can be obtained with water with a little detergent but time can be frustrating as you say. This appears to apply to both rubber and urethane.

 

Regards Chas Le Breton

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tyre cleaning/treatment overlaps at some venues.

At ht eextreme, some venues allow sunscreen or WD40 to be rubbed into tyres between heats.

Our club meets allow rubber/urethane tyres only, and cleaning/sanding with weak detergent/water.mix only.

 

When considering tyre compounds from a level playing field view, can't go past urethane. Grip is not high, but fair for all.

 

Foam - low grip level, needs treatment to improve grip

Rubber - medium/high grip level, but treatment improves grip

Urethane - low/medium grip level, untreatable but grip level consistent from one meet to the next

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I trued my p6's with no water no nothing and they have bugger all grip but after a couple hounded laps guess what there full of air and the car is gripped up beautiful

If you look at the tyre you will see the middle looks different to the edges that's the air rim working it took days to get the tyres to come good

IMG_7830.jpg

Rossko

Edited by GAS41T
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...