Nylon bushings which come with Scalextric (tm) and other slot cars generally have a lot of "slop". This is necessary because press-on plastic wheels require a knurled axle - the knurled portion of the axle requires the bushing's bore to be slightly oversized to accommodate it. The result is rear axle movement inside the bushing ("slop") which adversely affects a car's handling. To address this problem, many racers replace the stock nylon bushings and other rear drivetrain component with higher quality aftermarket components. The stock nylon bushings are typically replaced with bronze bushings which offer better tolerances and less axle slop. Most racers probably don't give bushings much thought - after all, a bushing is a bushing, right? However, aftermarket bronze bushings vary in several key such as the bronze alloy the bushing is made from, manufacturing tolerances and dimensions. Manufacturers of aftermarket bronze bushings often use bronze alloys that are easy to machine as this reduces machine time and cost. In contrast, our bushings are made from SAE Bearing Grade bronze which is more costly to machine but results in a bushing with a low co-efficient of friction and longer life. Our bushings also feature very tight, consistent tolerances for improved performance. We've also listened to racers and made some very slight changes to critical bushing dimensions. For example, the diameter of the outer race which fits into the chassis bushing carrier is slightly smaller on our bushings than most other aftermarket bronze bushings. This puts less stress on the (plastic) bushing carriers which reduces the risk of damaging the bushing carriers (which often renders the chassis unusable) when installing the bushings. The additional clearance also makes aligning the bushings (if you choose to do so) easier.
We offer two (2) flavors of bronze bushings - standard and racing. Note the product you are currently viewing is the racing version. Both work great with Slot.it 3/32" axles (Part #: SIPA01) and 3/32" drill blanks. Both bushings offer all of the features and benefits described above. However, our Racing Bronze Bushings include one additional feature - they are counter-bored from one side for a portion of the inner bushing "race". This means there is less inner surface area in contact with the rear axle which in turn means less friction. The material removed also creates a small "well" which makes it easier to lubricate the bushings.
With all of the great features described above, you'd probably expect to pay a little more for our bushings. If so, you will be pleasantly surprised to learn our bushings cost less! Why pay more?
Tip: When installing bushings, be sure to "align" them - this will minimize friction with the axle and help improve overall performance of your cars. We've put together a how-to article and video which shows how to do this