X-Traction/Magnatraction
Slide Guide Conversion....by Jeff Buyer
HO
Race Pro (http://horacepro.com/)
makes a guide flag to convert most HO cars to run on standard routed
tracks and large scale plastic tracks. They don’t,
however, list a guide for the popular Johnny Lightning X-Traction
cars.
I
decided to try my hand at converting a few of my X-Traction cars tosee how well it works on my routed home track. I used the .089 guiderecommended for the Tomy cars.
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First
off, after removing the guide pin, pickup shoes, springs, and
front wheels, a few modifications to the X-Traction chassis are
necessary. Approximately 3/16” of the hump on the underside
of the chassis must be removed in order to clear the guide. Next,
put the pickup shoes back on and bend until they lie flat against
the chassis. Solder an old pickup shoe on as shown in the picture
- – it is best to mark where it goes and remove the shoe so
that your soldering iron does not distort the chassis.
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After
trimming the retaining rings off of the Race Pro guide (part
SG8902), slide the guide into the hole previously used for the
guide pin. Slip one of the retainer rings onto the guide pose
until it is just tight enough to hold the guide in place. Cut off
the excess post above the ring and add a drop of super glue gel to
hold the ring in place. Remove the guide and set aside until the
glue has dried.
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Reinstall the
pickup shoes and springs. Crimp the front end so the shoe rests
flat against the chassis. Install the slide guide. Bend the top
1/8” of the upright shoes to create a solder point for your
lead wires. Follow the slide guide instructions for installing the
lead wires, but do not cross the lead wires, as it will cause a
short.
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Put
the front wheels and body on and go for a test drive. While the
power supply needs to be dialed down to 12 volts for the other
brands of cars, the X-Traction cars run quite well at 18 volts.
Once
you try the slide guide, you won’t want to go back.
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