17 replies to this topic

[MrFlippant]

Slot Car Tire Truing Machines Past/Present/Future

 

This is intended to be a reasonably comprehensive list of "commercially" made tire truing machines. That means a machine was made in some quantity to be sold to other people than it's creator. This does not include every DIY machine ever made, though some are included at the end if they have appropriate models/instructions to follow. It also does not include any machine that does not hold the wheels/tires at a set and adjustable distance from the sanding medium. Sandpaper-on-a-track type devices do not qualify as truing machines, no matter how steady your hands are. I'm sure I'll have missed some, and some machines will be forthcoming, so please post any I missed and any upcoming machines yet to be listed. It's also worth noting that there are lots of RC machines out there, but without confirmation that they work with common slot car axle and wheel/tire sizes, I chose not to list them, even the Mini-Z ones. If you know of a machine sold to RC racers that definitely works for some kind(s) of slot car wheels, please mention it.

 

The list is divided into machines designed for metal wheels, usually only truing one wheel/tire at a time, and machines that are designed to hold the whole axle of the car with both wheels still attached and being trued at the same time. Each list is then divided by whether the machine is still available on the retail market in some capacity (even if out of stock, assuming more are being made), and those which are no longer being manufactured by anyone. The order in which any machine appears in the list is NOT an indication of quality or rating. No subjective assessment of any machine has been made. They are in no particular order aside from those mentioned above. Links and images are what I could find while writing this list and may be out of date or no longer accessible in the future. Updated or better links are welcome. Prices listed are retail prices in USD at the time of writing and does not include accessories, taxes, or shipping.

 

Removable/Metal Wheel Machines

 

Currently Available

 

Mid America Precision Diamond Tire Truer

- Single wheel at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://slotcarstore...ly-W139365.html

 

Hudy - $300

- Single wheel at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://www.hudy.net...39&kategoria=62

 

TWP Products - $200

- Single wheel at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://www.electric...er-p-25520.html

 

PN Racing - $240

- Single wheel (maybe two) at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://www.pnracing...re-truer-parts/

 

Backtrack - $500

- two wheels at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://e-slotcar.co...lot-tire-truer/

 

ILPE TTM-2 Reifenschleifmaschine

- single wheel, spinning sanding disk

https://www.slotcars...pe-tyre-truers/

 

Hot Grinder Pro

- two wheels or whole axle, counter-rotating drum

https://www.freeslot...walze/&pageNo=1

 

Eben Brand's Slot Car Tyre Truer - $480

- Single wheel, 3d printed, detailed electronic controls

https://www.facebook.com/eben.brand

 

 

Secondary Market Only (no longer manufactured)

 

WrightWay tire truer - $??

- Single wheel, counter rotating drum

 

NSR 4401 - $300

- single wheel, spinning sanding disk, tire treatment applicator

https://www.slotcar-...re-machine.html

 

ScaleAuto - $??

- Single wheel (can do two), counter-rotating sanding drum

https://www.pendlesl...ng-machine.html

 

Frankenslot RSM

- Single wheel at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://www.slotcarf...slot--1039.html

 

S&K Tire Truer

- Single wheel at a time, lathe style

https://www.eagledis...les-sk0102.html

 

BSV Tire Truer

- Single Wheel at a time, lathe style

https://www.eagledis...ruer-bsvtt.html

 

Werner Lange tire truer

- Single wheel at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://slot32.de/re...duktdetail.html

 

Slotcars Technology (slotcars.it)

- unable to find functional link for more info or photos

 

 

 

Whole Axle Machines (both wheels at the same time)

 

Currently Available

 

Overdrive RSM

- Sliding Plate. 3rd party reciprocator available.

https://www.overdriv...ifmaschine-RSM4

 

Main Street Racing MSR - $250

- Sliding Plate. 3rd party reciprocator available.

https://www.mainstre.../msr-tire-truer

 

CG Slotcars - $190

- Sliding Plate. OEM reciprocator available.

https://cgslotcars.us/machinery

 

G&S Tire Grinder - $150

- Dual counter-rotating sanding drums

https://www.printabl...om/model/459450

 

Rob Bush Swift Sixteen - $160

- Sliding plate.

https://www.swiftsix...-car-tyre-truer

 

 

Secondary Market Only

 

Tire Razor - $145

- Sliding Plate. 3rd party reciprocator available.

https://www.homeraci...r/tirerazor.htm

https://www.facebook.com/TireRazor

 

Tyre True (Area3 or Professor Motor) - $240

- Sliding Plate. 3rd party reciprocator available.

https://www.youtube....OTSCOMAU/videos

 

 

Do It Yourself

 

JMay Simple 3dp Tyre Grinder

- Fixed sanding plate, powered by slot car motor and gears, two wheels at a time, but removable wheels only.

https://slotracer.on...ad.php?tid=2642

 

Johnnie Hobby's 3DP machine

- whole axle (two wheels at a time), Sliding Plate

 

Tyre Truer MKIII for slot cars 1/32

- Single wheel at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://www.printabl...om/model/481067

 

G&S Tire Grinder

- whole axle (two wheels at a time), Dual counter-rotating sanding drums

https://www.printabl...om/model/459450

 

Tyre & Wheel Trimmer for 1:32 Axles

- whole axle (two wheels at a time), Sliding Plate.

https://www.thingive...m/thing:3724463

 

SSR Tire truer

- whole axle (two wheels at a time), Sliding Plate

https://www.printabl...om/model/417870

 

Slottolution Reifenschleifmaschine Tire Truer 3mm

- Single wheel at a time, counter-rotating sanding drum

https://www.shapeway...oduct/52KKFQQVW

 

KOMPLETTACHSENSCHLEIFMASCHINE SLOTCAR CARRERA DIGITAL 132 /124

- whole axle (two wheels at a time), Sliding Plate

https://cults3d.com/...digital-132-124

 

SlotCar 3D 

- Dual counter-rotating sanding drums, Carrera 1/24 only.

https://www.freeslot...satz-tester-ges

[Martin]

Well you did say "past" here is one that I restored some time ago. Hope this adds to the extensive list you compiled, well done    

[old & gray]

 

1990's JK Flat sanding bar & trimer for width.

[MrFlippant]

Nice! I had a feeling I'd get more vintage stuff when I posted this list. I'll get those added to the list later today. 

[old & gray]

This is such a museum piece that I was using it today. 

[Samiam]

I have one of Rick's R-geo tire truers.

[Rob Voska]

Kalhoza has a couple, KV, S&K, BSV

[Bill from NH]

I don't recall what the RGEO tire truer looked like.

 

I recall when Jerry was "fire selling" those flat sander tire truers for $35. I should have bought one, but I had a Cobra.

[MrFlippant]

This is such a museum piece that I was using it today. 

 

Apparently anything older than 20 years can be referred to as "vintage" of whatever year/decade it was made in, or popular during.

[Clyde Romero]

I own an Eban Brand tire machine it's great.

[Eddie Fleming]

I own an Eban Brand tire machine it's great.

Have you got a photo Clyde?

 

Never mind I finally made the connection to the video above. 

[SlowBeas]

I don't recall what the RGEO tire truer looked like.

Actually, it looks just like the JK truer above. (I have one, also.)

jb

[Steve Ogilvie]

Funny I just used my 20 some odd years old ILPE tire truer to see if I could bring some older tires back to life. I used a power reducer to control the speed and it worked great. I was sure the belts would just disintigrate because they were so old. And this was the first time it had ever been used, shows how keeping something in a box  will preserve rubber that looks like old whisperjet belts. This ILPE is very similar to the 2 motor unit listed above. The tires are working close to new again, so now I can make close to new tires whenever I need them. I also have a single motor unit but the belts are toast on it.

[Bill from NH]

Are ILPEs the machines with the two revolving flat disks 90 degrees to each other? one for cutting the tire surface & the other for cutting the sidewalls? I seem to recall seeing ads years ago.

[MrFlippant]

Are ILPEs the machines with the two revolving flat disks 90 degrees to each other? one for cutting the tire surface & the other for cutting the sidewalls? I seem to recall seeing ads years ago.

 

I posted a link to it.

 

[Eddie Fleming]

I have a Hudy that I have had for years. It is the only truer I have ever owned. It works great unless you need to adjust for your tires coming out tapered. The loosen the screw and move the block adjustment is like farting in the wind. I know about clamping on a reference point and shims and all that but at best that is a pain.

 

Having said that how many of these truers have an adjustment to square up the tire and the grinding surface? I know the the Back track that Swiss sold has an adjustment screw. Do any of the others?

[MrFlippant]

I have a Hudy that I have had for years. It is the only truer I have ever owned. It works great unless you need to adjust for your tires coming out tapered. The loosen the screw and move the block adjustment is like farting in the wind. I know about clamping on a reference point and shims and all that but at best that is a pain.

 

Having said that how many of these truers have an adjustment to square up the tire and the grinding surface? I know the the Back track that Swiss sold has an adjustment screw. Do any of the others?

 

Some do. It's something that should be engineered from the beginning, IMHO. It seems that even the most well built machine can be or get a tiny bit out of whack.

 

For my part, the G&S Tire Grinder I designed does have a method for tramming the sanding spindle to the axle, and I'm working on a revision that makes it much easier than it currently is. But, my machine is 3d printed, so most people disregard it when it comes to high performance truing. The closest design to mine is the Hot Grinder Pro, which is milled from billet aluminum, so usually garners more respect, but I don't know what kind of tramming it has.

[gotboostedvr6]

Here is a Wrightway