# AW AFX vs Aurora AFX



## Jim Norton (Jun 29, 2007)

Over the past few months I have been restoring some old Aurora AFX bodies and equipping them with new Auto World X-traction chassis.

I guess I have done about 7 or 8 of these and I can't get over how great they run.

These new Auto World chassis are smooth and run very "soft." By soft I mean they are very forgiving, quiet and tight.

I am almost convinced that the new Auto World chassis runs better than the original by Aurora. Maybe my memory is not that good......Has anybody thought this as well?

Jim Norton
Huntsville, Alabama


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

*Xtraction*

I have several of the Release 6 cars that seem to have tighter tolerances and run very well out of the box. Most of my earlier Xtractions suffered from out of round wheels and tires and poor gear mesh.
One thing I learned from experience was to always disassemble any AW car prior to running. It appears that some of the workers are greasing the comm plates!
I just bought a Rel 6 white Firebird and upon disassembly the motor brushes stuck to the comm. I cleaned both brushes and comm, removed the excess grease from the gear plate, properly oiled the car and with stock tires it ran extremely well.

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

Jim we've run mixed AFX/JL/AW classes many many times, we have yet to have a comparable AFX MT win against X-Tractions, in fact they rarely come close at all. I have and have seen XT's that approach inlines in straight line speed.


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## T-Jet Racer (Nov 16, 2006)

I would not be suprised to find out the a/fx magnets have weakened over the years. just a thought...


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

That was a thought, but even with fresh Scale Auto replacements....no go. :freak:

The AFX's are quick, but just not a match for the XT's. The JL/AW arms are a little hotter, 14.2 or so avg JL/AW arm vs average 15.1 or so for AFX (without going under 14 per our rules), and the tri-lam design is an improvement so maybe there's the issue.

Though oddly, for all the JL/AW quirks....the biggest thing that hurts the AFX cars in our experience?


*-DNF-*​


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## T-Jet Racer (Nov 16, 2006)

Wtf?...


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

T-Jet Racer said:


> Wtf?...


lol that's what I usually said as I'm most likely one of the guys running an AFX car.

:lol:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Ever done a curb weight comparison on the chassis Gene?


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

Bill Hall said:


> Ever done a curb weight comparison on the chassis Gene?


 
No, I'll have to check it out. My guess is gonna be they are very close though.


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## RacerDave (Mar 28, 2006)

I have a bunch of X-Tracs and enjoy them. Some run great right away but usually you have to work on them a little. Fine by me, I enjoy tinkering with them. They do seem to be a bit faster than their ancestors. I believe they have stronger magnets. Dave.


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## twolff (May 11, 2007)

The XTractions that run are fast. The garbage that AW put under the lighted Ford GT's was the last straw for me. 

The new Tomy cars have me saying Auto Who?


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## T-Jet Racer (Nov 16, 2006)

twolff said:


> The XTractions that run are fast. The garbage that AW put under the lighted Ford GT's was the last straw for me.
> 
> The new Tomy cars have me saying Auto Who?


The springs were kinda interesting... the cars I got ran good, again after some adjustment. It was a strange set up, I hope they dump that idea.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

*Ode to the "lame thrower"""*

Oh lame thrower you worthless pile,
why do you stop and glow??
We barely ran a scale mile,
and now you just don't go.

Perhaps it is your strip brass springs
that make you run amok,
I'd like to ask Tom Lowe some things,
like why these pick ups suck.

I really hoped these would be good,
a fun dark room attraction..
but when I saw their glowing hood
thought nuclear reaction.

So here we have to make a choice
to pass on them or get'em
Since Autoworld don't hear our voice
we forgive or forget'em

UtherJoe


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Hahahahahahahahaha!


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

The AW XTs are not bad at all, especially with the wider shoes that came in later versions. They have a few warts. Like everyone else I hated the flamethrower pickup design and de-lighted a few just to have well running cars. I'm not a big fan of the Ultra G mod they made to the XTs. The extra magnet pocket interferes with the rear track width. On the XT they should have simply designed a slightly taller and notched rear magnet that hung down flush with the bottom of the chassis on both sides of the cross brace. This would have been just as good judging from what I've seen with racers cutting the brace and gluing the rear magnet flush. The early skinny front tires would come off in a gentle breeze and had to be glued on. Putting rear wheels on the front was somewhat dorky looking on some cars but worked fairly well if you mounted a well cured Tyco 440X2 wide pan front tire instead of the grippy stock one. This wide all around setup looks nice on the Bronco and Jeeps. The tweener tires are just right, although the excess front axle slop makes it hard to appreciate them. Excessive front axle slop is still my biggest beef with the XTs. I have many XT chassis that cannot be mounted on bodies with nicely radiused wheel wells because the tires rub due to axle slop. My favorite XT chassis are the F&F ones, with glued fronts and the wider pickups from later releases.

The wheels on the Aurora Magnatractions are far superior to anything JL/AW has ever put on the XT. I think the Magnatraction chassis fit and finish and plastic material is better too. The boat anchor on the Magnatraction is the arm. They are, at best, very pedestrian. When you find an XT arm that has a centered and flat comm with the gear mounted correctly on the shaft, it can be a very strong power plant. The XT brushes have a little better conductivity too. 

We run hardbody superstock Magnatractions and XTs together, which means six ohm mean greens and 7-8 ohm A/FX arms are fine, as are silicone sponge rear tires and aftermarket front ends. The XT based cars have no advantage in this class.


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I find AWs and JLs to be smoother running and faster than AFX in most cases.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

I'd have to say the later rounds of the AW chassis had improved substantially since JL/AW version 1.0 was shipped. Some chassis did need a little work, but for the most part, they were runable out of the box and didn't disappoint. Just add a set of sticky silis on the backend and go. I too had a chassis that was lubed inside out with the grease. Must have been built on a Monday. But I still prefer the originals from Aurora.  rr


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

The leaf-spring set-up on the Flamethrowers is an easy fix. Just bend it towards the chassis to weaken the spring effect, to the point where the car takes off without bunny-hopping down the track. One thing I realized is the the AW bulbs are about the same as Aurora's. But the AW bodies are less heat resistant than Aurora, they will melt so be careful running AW Flamethrowers at 18V.

Couple weeks ago we had a race using XT's/MT's with 70's NASCAR bodies. I ran a MT with a red Chevelle stocker body (R2 pullback). Came in 4th, but only 5 laps behind 1st place. Just stating that a MT can compete with XT's.


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I find the F&F chassis to be the best running chassis.


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## SwamperGene (Dec 1, 2003)

micyou03 said:


> I find the F&F chassis to be the best running chassis.


 
Me too, but here's an oddity. I have an R1 red/white Shelby that flipped a brush and cooked the hole. I transfered everything into a F&F R1 chassis....just the bare chassis with brushes....and the car is an absolute missile. It's literally sent the competition scrambling to their boxes at practice before a race. Must be some mojo in the plastic from that release. :freak:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

SwamperGene said:


> Me too, but here's an oddity. I have an R1 red/white Shelby that flipped a brush and cooked the hole. I transfered everything into a F&F R1 chassis....just the bare chassis with brushes....and the car is an absolute missile. It's literally sent the competition scrambling to their boxes at practice before a race. Must be some mojo in the plastic from that release. :freak:



Har! The random factor still rules!

Crazy idn' it?


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I have one F&F chassis, all original that is a rocket. Its smooth, loose and superfast and quick.


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

The manufacturers were able to capture the Zen essence of Vin Diesel in the chassis plastic for the Fast and Furious cars - ancient Chineese art. :drunk::hat::freak::dude:


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## wannafbody (Feb 6, 2007)

Ghost in the machine:thumbsup:


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

the jl aw magnets are supposed to be matched outta the box,as opposed to the aurora's thats all i know.i would like to try the x traction setup,as i am racing mt's tonight on a new track i heard about..i would think mt's with xt magnets would run pretty good...after all it's all about the magnets and tires,right?


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## Pomfish (Oct 25, 2003)

The fast and furious series 2 are absolute Dynomite.
They have very true wheels and very good drive train.
I had a bunch of these and at one point sold them for like $6 a car, then I realized the potential and kept the remaining ones.

With just a pickup shoe tweak and silicones they are rockets, I love them!

Thanks,
Keith


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## Roddgerr (Feb 8, 2006)

Couple weeks ago we had a race using XT's/MT's with 70's NASCAR bodies. I ran a MT with a red Chevelle stocker body (R2 pullback). Came in 4th, but only 5 laps behind 1st place. Just stating that a MT can compete with XT's.

dlw, you always run XT's why the MT that time?


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Weird!

Both my F&F cars run like prairie schooners ...Dee Ohh Gee...dogs!!! I got a vibrator that will out run them! 

Interestingly enough I also have a later release XT that arrived in a care package from rr that tuned up into an ICBM! Some minor shoe tweaks, o-ring front tires, and some PVT rears and shazaaaaaam! 'Lil bugger is missle. Eerily quiet and smooth too.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I picked up a used F + F car off fleabay....I don't know what's causing it, but it sounds like the Jetson mobile.....


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

Roddgerr, wasn't sure XT's were being used. But intended to run MT, and used a body/color no one would have there. What did you think of the car?


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

Tune-up tip:

Dis-assemble the chassis and give it a good cleaning (bare chassis, arm' comm plate, comm brushes). Replace any worn comm brushes.
Check pickup and comm spring to see if any/all are compressed (20-30 years sitting arould will do that). Gently stretch them to normal (use XT spring as model).
Re-lube and re-assemble.

This should help.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

*I got a question and I bet one of you guys has the answer..*

I have all lock and joiner tjet track. Maybe some vibe track mixed in..I'm not sure. When I got my first x-traction it made the most horrible scraping noise from the slot blade. I flipped it around and, yes, it was quiet!!! Is it the blade being too long and riding the bottom of the rail, or is it too wide and scraping the side??? I saw discussion on this somewhere here, but can't remember where, and it wasn't a thread dedicated to this subject if I recall. Just a simple answer will do. I have found the cars stay on the track better with the blade, but the noise is as irritating as fingernails on the chalkboard especially multiplied X4. Add in 4 train engines (two with some unlocatable wierd screeching noise from falling off the table a few times) and 20 train cars rolling around the track and headaches happen.. If it's a simple fix, I'll give it a try, or let the kids wipe out with the pins. 

UtherJoe


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Most times you can tell if the blade is dragging on the bottom with a careful inspection. It'll show! Look for residual particles.

If not, take a piece of track, set the car in the slot and creep it right up to the end of the track segment....then have a look see! Make sure the front tires are touching and the blade has some clearance in the slot floor. 

Nuthin' sez ya cant take a slice off the blade with the blade.  I get them close and rub the blade on some 320 later if its still scritchin' and complaining.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Ok!! DUH! That's what I got a Tech Chunk for.. can't afford a block, so I settle with a 3" long chunk of track!! I forgot I had that!! Thanks Bill!!


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## AFXRICK (Dec 6, 2008)

I have had some real duds that came from JL. The AW cars seem better overall. I still like my old school MT cars. I use JL/AW magnets, a 6.0 ohm mean green, and hello little missile.


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

AfxRick, if you can, post a pic of the underside of your dud cars.


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## copperhead71 (Aug 2, 2007)

AFXRICK said:


> I have had some real duds that came from JL. The AW cars seem better overall. I still like my old school MT cars. I use JL/AW magnets, a 6.0 ohm mean green, and hello little missile.


where do you get those green 6ohm magnets.


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

copperhead71 said:


> where do you get those green 6ohm magnets.


6 ohm Mean Green refers to an AFx hop up armature. He is pairing this arm with JL/AW magnets which are stronger than anything Aurora offered for the AFx line. TheMean Green Arms are available at any site that sells NOS AFx or American Line parts.


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## copperhead71 (Aug 2, 2007)

resinmonger said:


> 6 ohm Mean Green refers to an AFx hop up armature. He is pairing this arm with JL/AW magnets which are stronger than anything Aurora offered for the AFx line. TheMean Green Arms are available at any site that sells NOS AFx or American Line parts.


Opps, sorry you know i'm new to slots thanks for the info and help,i was wondering why that r1 jl xt chevelle was the slowest car i had. LOVE THIS BOARD!!!!


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## resinmonger (Mar 5, 2008)

Copperhead71, PM me if you need a list of part sources.


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## copperhead71 (Aug 2, 2007)

Thanks!thats whats up.


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## AFXRICK (Dec 6, 2008)

resinmonger said:


> 6 ohm Mean Green refers to an AFx hop up armature. He is pairing this arm with JL/AW magnets which are stronger than anything Aurora offered for the AFx line. TheMean Green Arms are available at any site that sells NOS AFx or American Line parts.



Yup. Thanks for the clarification.


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

Copperhead, XT chassis are a lot like the MT chassis.......Some are good and some are dogs. I bought a R1 Chevelle when they first came out. It's one of my best running XT cars. As I offered to AFXRICK, Post a pic of the underside of your car, along with a pic of it on its wheels w/o front tires.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

*Always look for the weakest link..*

This one suprized me, and it's worth mentioning... The weakest link in the continuity department is the point where the shoes pivot on the chassis. You would be surprized how quickly dust and dirt get up inside this area.  It doesn't take much to hinder performance, and it isn't visible when looking at the bottom of the chassis. Simply pressing the pickup shoes to the chassis and blowing the pivot point out might make all the difference in how a car runs. I found this out after pulling my hair out for months!!! (Good thing I have plenty to spare!!) Always wipe down the track before running, as this point is a dirt magnet!!! One lap is enough to crud them up.... (Thanks to Bill Hall for the tip!!!:thumbsup

UtherJoe


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## dlw (Aug 17, 1999)

He mentioned his car being a dud from the start. I wanted to see the chassis, as I think there's a visible but easily fixable problem.


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## copperhead71 (Aug 2, 2007)

dlw said:


> He mentioned his car being a dud from the start. I wanted to see the chassis, as I think there's a visible but easily fixable problem.


it is black , i replaced the top plastic gears -rear tire with silcone and those little circle things on top of the springs in the chassis with ones from an old afx--and now the car is really fast and very quiet.on a side note i cant diss a.w yet as i got red chassis plymouth that screamed(fast right out of the clam)thank for all the help guys..this sight rocks...


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## AFXRICK (Dec 6, 2008)

dlw said:


> As I offered to AFXRICK, Post a pic of the underside of your car, along with a pic of it on its wheels w/o front tires.


The problem chassis I had are long gone. I have a few good JL's I kept.


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