# Banked vs Flat



## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

*UPDATE:* Here's the 2 layouts Im debating bewtween as of now.


















Im in the process of getting track sections together to build my next track. Im building it for myself and my father. Just for reference, its going to be on a 10x5' table and my original plans had only been laid out for a 2-lane track. My dad wanted a couple banked turns because he thinks slot racing is all about speed. We will be racing Super G+ stuff as well so banked curves allow you to actually get on the throttle w/out sliding off the table. 

That being said, my problem is I cant really do 4 lanes with tyco track because they only make 9" radius banked orners. I will agree Tyco certainly isnt the prefered track but just so happens I have a few hundred dollars worth of track pieces, more than enough to build a large 2 or 4 lane track. My question is why are there so few banked corners on all these nice big tracks you gents are building? Is it for the same reason I mentioned, not enough different radius banked track sections to have 2 inside and 2 outsite lanes?? I would guess some of the nicer track brands have more options but Tyco and the old Aurora tracks are all Ive ever known so forgive my newbieness.  

Is there any way to setup flat track sections in a way that they are still angled/banked and could retain more speed w/out bending them too much? Im just fishing for ideas because Id like to do 4-lanes but I can already hear the old man griping "why didnt you use banked corners???" heh. Let me know what you guys think. I realize these questions are kinda vague in nature but Im trying to come up with alternatives to make everyone happy. Thanks in advance!

~Dan

_P.S. I would have posted the track drawing I made in Tracker2000 but my program isnt working right now because Im trying to reload it._


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

I think LL makes a Tyco to Tomy adapter, you can always use that and use Tomy 12 inched banks with your layout.. I have no idea how the fit would go but might be easier then trying to force track to bend.. Good luck looking forward to seeing your track!


Coach


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

I don't claim to be any kind of expert, but I do have a couple of obervations with old tjet, various AFX, JL/AW.

I have some banked turns in T jet lock n joiner as well as old style AFX track. For the t jets it is fun and works well, but some AFX cars with low front spoilers (Porsche Can Am cars for instance) seem to drag/catch them on track. Too much "rise." I don't know if that is completely preventable or not. That said I am building a short layout with 12" radius old AFX bank to see how it works.

To try bank turns, an alternative might be using adaptor track? I thought I saw that someone made/sold Tyco/AFX adaptors, and every type of AFX update/backdate adaptors are available, that would be a way to try AFX banked sections integrating what you already have. Just a thought.

Jeff


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## Hornet (Dec 1, 2005)

What do you plan to use for tires,as banked corners tear up silly foams real fast.Glue and brace the heck out of the banked corner,cause a fast Super G,will literally rip the banking apart if it's not properly braced and glued.


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

Another problem with banked turns and fast cars is when a car wrecks on a flat track it bounces and rolls across the table... But with banked turns the cars can become airborn....
Scott


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## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

I have no clue what we will use for tires yet, Ive been out of the game so long I will have to do some thinking. I had actually planned to build fencing around the banked corners for a little protection. I wish I could get my friggin tracker program to work so I could show you guys the layout. BAH!


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## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

Update, I bought my table surface today so I can at least start laying it out. I posted the tracker designs I made in the openning thread. Any constructive criticism would be appreicate, or advice on what I could change in the layout to make it better. Thanks!


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

Did someone say "banks"?  










Yes you can do a banked turn in Tyco by using Tomy 9" and 12" banked turns. You need the LifeLike adapters; 2 sets; Tyco to LifeLike and LifeLike to Tomy AFX. You can also raise flat plastic track a few degrees for slight banking but not much. For supporting a banked turn you could build something like this:


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## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

That looks pimprific! 50+ degrees of banking should get you thru the corners at blazing speeds heh.


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## racin75 (Jan 28, 2007)

*high banks*

just seen the post and thought you might like our bank turns and elevation changes on our track, how can you compare a flat track vs a banked track, how many stock car tracks you see that is flat, we turn less than 5 second laps on a 75 foot track , see my gallery to see our track, thanks for lookin


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Hey Dan, I'm gonna have to go with the first of the above plans. A good assortment of straightaways and some decent hair pins. A couple of good spots for a bank or two as well. Although not pictured in your plan, I think turn 7 would make a good spot for a bank as well! I will file this one away for future reference. The second plan does have some more nice technical asspects, but at the cost of losing the intermediate straights it sounds like your dad would like the first one better. It does look faster in the drawing and over all I suspect it will be the more appealing design when completed. I think that the technicals in plan 2 will take away from the forced perspective provided in the nice lineal aspects of plan 1. Even though they're both 10X5 I feel that plan 1 might appear bigger to the eye. Thers my two cents and two more. Bill


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## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

Thats really fast for 75 feet, my track seems to be around 6 seconds for SG+ cars and Ive got quite a few banks! So thats saying something. You guys have some quick cars for sure.

I guess I could update this since the question is no longer relevant. My track is already built, and for the time being its going to stay the way it is. I only have one small corner of landscaping done but here's the layout as it sits:


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## Tycoarm (Jan 7, 2006)

My reason is simple my layout is more of a road course track, Formula 1, Touring, SCCA, Indy type racing and so on where high banking is not used. While a high banked track is usually a Nascar thing and all about speed.

I tend to think that a good set of banks in a layout will have you handcuffed in thinking that you'll need a good amount of speed for the entrance and even more for the exit so it will lock you into thinking to use a certian area of your table for it.

I did make some areas of the track slightly banked using normal curved track pieces but it is only intended to help as an exit from a long straightaway and not for continued speed throughout.

Also these slightly banked areas give just a bit more character to the layout.


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## BewstdGT (Jan 4, 2005)

If I ever choose to upgrade to 4-lanes I wont have much choice, almost all the banks will have to be converted to flat, which is still fine with me. We wanted some banked turns because our table is so small, its only 4x10. And we put in as much straight section as possible to keep speeds up while also adding some length to the track. With afx and t-jet cars the banking doesnt even help because if you carry too much speed they still spin or fly off the track and if you go too slow they fall down and dont make it thru the turn. You cant even go full speed thru the banks so in reality its not hurting my layout.


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## [email protected] (Feb 9, 2006)

whats the thought on the NINCO slot sets that come with 42ft of track(40101,20125)
i am thinking of putting one up in my store for customers to try out and people to do a lil raceing on.the sets have a lot of overlay and is not flat,whats better?


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