NINCO Track & Slot Cars Tips

Ninco Slot Car & Track Tips

NINCO Slot Car Selection:
We recommend the NINCO Ascari KZ1, Ferrari 360, Ford GT, Lamborghini Murcielago, Porsche 997 and the NINCO 1 slot cars for less experienced drivers or those looking for more durable slot cars. Racing with durable slot cars is important to consider on an N-Digital track since multiple cars can run in the same lane and cars can change lanes. We also like that Ninco offers the Porsche 997 in a lot of different paint schemes, which is a good option when racing with a lot of drivers.

N-Digital No Mag Slot Car Recommendations:
After a lot of testing, we have found racing without the traction magnet to be extremely enjoyable on an N-Digital track using the following recommendations:

a) Racing any of the NINCO 1 cars without the traction magnet in the PRO mode. The Ninco 1 Cars come with a relatively mild motor, which when mixed with the more aggressive throttle profile of the PRO mode is a great combination. We really like the NINCO 1 cars because they run very good out of the box with the only modification that we recommend is replacing the stock guide with the NINCO #80112 ProRace suspension guide.

b) Another good combination is any of the NINCO NC-5 and NC-6 powered cars without the traction magnet in the Amateur mode. Since the Amateur mode has a less aggressive throttle profile than the PRO mode, it helps to keep the high RPM motors more under control which is important since the car is without the added assistance of a traction magnet.

Braids & NINCO N-Digital:
It is extremely important with an N-Digital track to keep the track rails clean and to use a high quality braid. We recommend using either the Ninco #80103 Super Racing Braid or the Ninco #80110 ProRace braid, because it helps to ensure that the digital signal is properly transmitted from the track rails to the decoder chip. Be sure to adjust the braid by pushing the rear of the braid slightly toward the front of the car while it is against the guide. This will make the braid slightly shorter but wider, which provides better contact with the rails. It is also good to adjust the braid so it is slightly curved down toward the rails, causing it to firmly contact the rails. You can check to see if the braid is correctly adjusted by placing the car on a piece of track to see if the braid matches the rail and makes contact to the rail with the full length of the braid.

Guides:
We recommend upgrading your Ninco cars to the ProRace guides which come complete with ProRace braids. The ProRace guides stay in the slot better than the Ninco regular guides and come in two versions: #80111 Standard Guide and the #80112 Suspension Guide. Make sure the guide somewhat self-centers by adjusting the wires that go to the guide so that they are equal in length and are long enough to allow the guide to fully rotate in each direction. Some cars have little slots to push the wires into. If your car doesn't have any slots then you can use a small amount of hot glue to hold the wires correctly in the center of the chassis near the front axle. Make sure you leave enough excess wire on each side so the guide can turn freely both directions without over straining the wires.

Motor Swap:
If you would like to slow down your Ninco slot cars, then we recommend switching to the Ninco #80613 NC-8 Motor, which has fewer RPM's. In addition to changing the motor you will also need to replace the stock traction magnet, which is too strong for the NC-8 motor, to one BRS Disc Magnet; or run the car without a traction magnet. The Ninco cars are much easier to drive when set up this way, and are easier to control on an N-Digital track using the Professional mode. To swap motors, you will need the Ninco #80201 Pinion Press & Puller tool to swap the pinion gear from one motor to another.

Traction Magnets:
The BRS Disc Magnet is great for adjusting the magnetic down-force of Ninco slot cars that come with a disc magnet. The stock Ninco magnet is very strong but if you want to lower the down-force you can remove the stock magnet and use 1 or 2 of the BRS magnets. The BRS magnet is the same diameter as the stock Ninco disc magnet and has 40% of the down-force. For N-Digital users, you may find that the Ninco cars run better in the Amateur mode using 1 or 2 BRS disc magnets. This allows the cars to run smoother and coast better (don‘t stop as abruptly) with less magnetic down-force . We also like to run the cars in the Professional mode using 2 BRS disc magnets for the same reason.

Axle Bushings:
The rear axle bushings should be oiled on a regular basis to ensure proper running of the cars. It is important to use plastic compatible oil, like Hob-E-Lube #HL654 Light Oil for this purpose.

If the rear axle bushings move around or spin in the bushing mounts, we recommend using a small amount of super glue to keep the rear axle bushings secure. This is best done by cleaning the outer diameter of each rear axle bushing and the bushing mounts. Use a straight pin and put a drop of super glue on it to apply super glue to all of the surfaces of the bushing mounts that contact the outer diameter of the bushing, add another drop of the super glue to the straight pin as needed to ensure that all these surfaces have a thin layer of super glue. Snap in the rear axle assembly with the holes of each rear axle bushing straight up (if the bushing has holes). If the holes aren’t pointing straight up, try to turn the bushing(s) with a small screwdriver before the glue sets. Apply a small fillet using a drop of super glue on a straight pin to the top of the axle bushing where it touches each tab of the bushing mounts, be careful not to get any excess super glue on the axle and in the hole of the rear axle bushings.

Body Screws:
It really helps the handling of the Ninco cars if you first tighten the body screws and then loosen them about 1 full turn. This allows the body to float on the chassis which results in a more consistently handling slot car. The Ninco #80910 ProRace Body Screws are specially made for this purpose as they come with a smooth shoulder for an unrestricted float of the body.

NINCO Track Slot Width:
The Ninco track is very good but sometimes the slot width gets a little narrow at the track joints. To open up the slots at the track joints, use a popsicle stick or other similar object and push against one side of the slot, then the other side of the slot. Repeat the steps until the slot width matches the width near the middle of each track piece . The cars are most likely getting hung up at these joints.

NINCO N-Digital Lane Changers:
I was having a few cars that were catching on the small cut out for the lane change flipper. You can apply a very thin strip of some clear packing tape over the cut out to provide a ramp for the guide so it is directed smoothly over the edge of the liner.