The Thunderslot Pod

 I got a comment from JimG, who ordered a Thunderslot Elva, and was wondering about the pod. So I thought I'd post about it. 

Many modern slot cars, especially race cars, have a pod system. A pod is basically the back part of the chassis, complete with motor and rear end, and separate from the front part of the chassis. 

Thunderslot cars use a pod with a 5 screw mount. Most other companies make a more rectangular pod on a 4 screw mount. 

The idea is to allow for the rear end to have a little flexibility as well as to help dissipate vibration and other unwanted things to the rest of the race car. 

Float

Float is the term used to describe how much play is in the pod [or body] when connected to the chassis. A well-tightened pod won't have any, or very little, float. That will cause the chassis to be rigid, which will affect the handling of the race car. A "loose float" setting would be the other way, with the pod very loosely attached to provide the most movement possible. I tend to use something in between, a "medium float" as a general guideline. 

And while pod float is important, body float is equally, if not more important. There is a lot of shifting weight on a slot car, and to adjust the body float to allow for the weight to shift without throwing the car off is, I believe, the key to a winner. A car going around a corner has a better chance of maintaining grip if the body's weight is allowed to shift a bit to compensate. No body weight shift turns the whole car into one big tight potential crasher.

The front pod mount. The screw is attached to a loose mount, which is held secure by the design. This allows for the dissipation of vibration by keeping the screw mounts off the front chassis.

The front pod mount is the one you'll probably feel has the least effect on the car. Basically, it's front-center placement acts as a sort of weight shifting guide, allowing the rest of the pod to rattle and roll more independently while keeping the mechanism fully attached. I usually set mine up so that there's no pod tension between the front mount and the side mounts, once I get to them. 

The side pod mounts.

The side pod mounts are probably the most important ones, and the ones that respond best to the adjustment. This is where you set up the flexibility and independence of the pod in relation to the chassis. Generally, you want the rest of the chassis running as smoothly as possible, which means trying to get rid of as much of the vibration and motor/rear end twist as I can. 

The relationship between the front mount and the side mounts works best for me with the front mount a medium tight, middle mounts medium, and rear mounts medium.

Terms:

Tight = screws firmly tightened.

Medium Tight = screws at the point of first resistance

Medium = screw attached, but not firm. 

Medium Loose = screw attached, but pulled out enough to have minimal effect

Loose = screw attached, but having no effect.

The rear pod mounts [one on each side of the centered body mount]

The rear pod mounts are built with a crossbar that goes between them. Medium on the rear mount isn't as heavy as medium on the middle mount, but that's okay because it doesn't need to be. It's very effective with just a bit of light-medium adjustment.

Once the pod has been adjusted [and it may take some time and experimentation], the body float needs the same treatment. Personally, I think a body that is attached yet freely wiggles on top of the chassis is the best setup for body float. I would consider that medium. So even if the weight shifts the body in a curve, and even if the chassis shifts a little bit because of the body's weight shift, it'll be less of a shift because of the weight dissipation. And that doesn't even include the pod, which is running independently of that weight shift, keeping the tires on the road and vibrations to a minimum.

Thankfully, there's a lot of subjectivity to the various adjustments that are possible in pod/body float. I encourage you to try some different combinations and see what it gets you. What might work for me might not work for you, and vice-versa.

And although Thunderslot cars share an almost identical setup throughout the entire line, the cars still handle differently. So an Elva, an extremely well-balanced race car, will handle a corner with a little more purpose than a Lola T70 would, considering the Lola's slightly heavier body. I have two Elvas and they both handle differently.

So there you have it. Wish you all the best with you new car. It'll probably need a racing partner after not too long.

Tip: if you're going to sand the tires, make sure to do it slowly. A fast rotation will cause the tires to bead up, and they'll send huge chunks flying. They're great tires, otherwise.