Wheels and tires:
 

For this installment you should prepare yourself to spend some money at the shop. You will need to first determine what type of track you will be running on. For sectional tracks I would recommend a looser style front end set using a .059 axle. Wizzard, JWs, or RTHO all make great products that fit this bill.
For Routed tracks, many folks like a tighter front end set. One that has a larger diameter axle and a tighter wheel set. All three listed above have this type also. You may want to make your own axle as described in the rear end installment, and this is fine also.
Next is the tire size. I always start at around .310 dia. Depending on the type of wheel set you choose, you can find o rings that go from .302 thru .324. You will need to adjust the sizes from right to left to achieve the stance for the front.
If you use a Wizard type you can simple grind you tire to size by chucking up the shank of the wheel in your Dremel.
For the rear tires, There are many different manufacturers and compounds. The Wizzard green sponge silicones are a good place to start. They are a good compound for a track that starts clean and gets dirty. If you run in a place that gets very dirty during the race, a harder sponge compound works better. For a place that stays clean, you can run softer, like the Wizard blacks This just a rule of thumb. Start at around .350 diameter and go from there
Once you have the rears mounted up, it’s time to adjust stance and ride height. For this you need a very flat setup plate. I use a piece of 3/8 thick plexi-glass with a 1/8 hole drilled for the guide pin. This is very important, If you use a piece of track for this, BE SURE it is flat. The adjustments you make will be very small and you need a repeatable surface to rely on.

The plate with a hole simply means that you will be using the same contact points every time


As you place your car on the surface, look at it from an ant’s point of view. You want all four tires touching. If you have that, you’re halfway there. Now you want to work the pressure points. These points are right were you think they are. They are directly above were the axles are located.
As your chassis sets on the plate, you press down GENTLY on these points and watch what happens to the opposing tire.

If your stance is close, you will not be able to se ANY lift from the opposing tire. If you do see lift, adjust your fronts accordingly.
When this is where you want it, then we are ready for the BIG installment, Shoes.