# Teach me masters of AFX



## [email protected] (Jan 31, 2010)

Bought a few AFX mag and non mag chassis from a guy not long ago. Cleaned everything but the rims and guide pins in the ultrasonic cleaner.

I bought extra stripped chassis from him at $1 ea. When he finds more I get the rest. (approx 35)

These stripped chassis have both a flat area for comm brushes as I have seen on the AW Xtraction, but yet others have a V comm brush spring as part of the chassis. Do they require different brushes? 

What gear and motor plates can I put on these?

Will the Dash chassis gear plates fit?

Seen something that non mag gear plates are different idler gears?

Help a noob with AFX chassis. 

The one that did run my gosh are they smooth runners.


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## rodstrguy (Feb 14, 2002)

Jeep... The non-mag Chassis was the step up from the t-jets. That being said, the brush set up was like the t-jets with the shaped brush spring using v-grove brushes with the dome shaped top. They are actually what AW uses for their t-jets, while the Magnatraction cars use a spring under the flat topped brush. The top plates are interchangable between AFX mag and non mag chassis. There are small hole and large hole idler gears on the top plate, but that changes nothing other than needing that gear for correct fitment.


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

The Magnatraction brushes have a nib on the bottom side to keep the spring centered, I think. X-Traction brushes are the same. Some clubs require you to use only brushes with nibs with these cars. Given a choice I would use either Wizzard E85 or Slottech T-Jet style brushes.
A Dash gear plate would not work with an A/FX or Magnatraction chassis.
Places like JAG Hobbies have replacement A/FX and Magnatraction gear plates as well as complete assemblies.
I have written an article on tuning Magnatraction and X-Traction cars, much of the information also applies to A/FX cars. The article includes clickable links to parts suppliers. Drop me a PM with your e-mail address if you would like a copy.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Make it easy.

Take the early 6 ohm gear plate and drop it in the later Magna chassis. Tune to suit and have fun.

Not legal in Roolzville.


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## [email protected] (Jan 31, 2010)

Thanks for the help guys. I ran one of these next to an AW and the AFX are so much smoother. 

Is it the gears of the AW that make them so loud? 

Can I just buy gear plates for my AW cars to get them to run smoother or am I simply putting lipstick on a pig?

I also tried to use the brushes and springs from the AW Magnatractions and noticed the brushes were way too tight to the armature due too spring tension and length. In fact the shoe springs were even too tight to allow the shoe to float. The front axle was not touching. I clipped the springs shorter for both the brushes and pick up shoes, which did help. I tweaked the back hook of the shoe to get them to allow the front axle to touch and allow for full travel.

Is the brass idler gear better? 

I received a couple magnasonic idler gears also are they just lighter?


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

You should be able to make an X-Traction car run as fast as an original Aurora Magnatraction. I have never had a problem with either the shoe or motor brush springs, but all of my cars are the original ones without the neo traction magnet. I have never run one of those, my club does not allow them. I do have one on the shelf, I will have to check the springs.
I bought a fair number of Magnatraction cars when they first came out and the early ones often had 6 ohm armatures. Most clubs that run Magnatractions today do not allow 6 ohm armatures. NOS A/FX and Magnatraction gear plate assemblies with 6 ohm armatures are still available. 
Aurora did have lightened brass idler gears, a few of my cars had those, once again they are not legal with most clubs.
If an X-Traction car has a lot of gear noise chances are that the gear plate is out of alignment. Most of the time it will be too far back and the armature will be tilted if you look through the opening in the side of the chassis. There is a fix for that problem included in the article that I mentioned earlier.


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

AW/JL cars are usually horrible sounding out of the box. But doing the posted tweaks and tune-up tip listed will quiet them down to AFX level. In fact, after you tune an AW/JL, they can out run AFX cars.


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

besides the other tips above, read the tons of t-jet tips that out there.

you can basiclly transfer t-jet tips to the AFX cars and aw.

I did and it help my afx racing a whole lot


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

I cannot rewrite all the info on these threads, but you may find lots of good info from when I was playing around with my AFX and AW chassis...

http://slotcarillustrated.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=73409

http://slotcarillustrated.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=75471

http://slotcarillustrated.com/portal/forums/showthread.php?t=76881

Joe


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

Good info, indeed, Joe. 

Thanks.
-- D


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## [email protected] (Jan 31, 2010)

Great info guys. 

I played with the gear plate locking tabs and just touched them up with my dental drills. Major improvement.

As far as noisy gears I used prophy paste. More grit than tooth paste and after about 8 minutes it smoothed right out. Minty fresh gears


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## Boosted-Z71 (Nov 26, 2007)

Be careful with the AFX plastic idler, it does not take much lapping to wipe the majority of the tooth off, Dont ask how I know

Boosted


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