BRAID
This term is used for several components of a slot car system. One
braid is the braid on the track, referring to the electrical pick-ups
physically
located on each side of the slot. The second braid is on the guide or
pick-up
on the car, one connected to each motor lead wire.
BRAID JUICE
Braid juice is an electrically conductive, lubricating liquid dropped
on your car's braid between heats.
BRAKES
In the beginning, slot cars did not have any method of braking. Dynamic
Braking is built into the controller that you hold in your hand.
When you release the trigger on your controller, which shorts out the
leads
to your car's electric motor. This short robs all the power so
that
none of the generated current within the car's turning motor can be
used
to propel the car. Without this short, the motor becomes a
generator,
and tries to actually run itself. This is called EMF, or electromotive
force. Naturally, this condition doesn't last long, but long enough to
cause a car to be hard to drive deep in the corners.
CHASSIS
The complete chassis is made up of all the parts of the car except
the body.
DE-SLOT
A slot car de-slots when its flag rises up out of the slot and
therefore
no longer guides the car along the race track correctly. Some
spectacular
crashes can result.
FLAG
A Flag is the "T" shaped guide, located on the bottom-front of the
slot car, that sits down into the groove in the race track's lane and
guides
the car around the track. It can be thought of as the slot cars
steering
system. The Flag also holds the slot cars electrical brushes in
contact
with the track's braids.
FRAME
The frame is the same thing as the chassis before you put all the stuff
on it. After adding the tires, wheels, axles, motor, etc. it becomes a
chassis.
GUIDE
The guide is the plastic or graphite "T" on the bottom front-end of
a slot carr that fits in the track's slot. The Guide, also known
as a Flag, steers your car along the track.
NERF
A nerf occurs when one car, usually the one on the inside lane, slides
into the car next to it and causes that car to de-slot. An
accomplished
"nerfer" can perform this function at just the right place and time,
gaining
a time advantage in the race.
SLOT
Originally, a slot car had the slot in the bottom of the car and the
car followed a rail. Later, this system was modified by placing the
slot
in the track and installing a guide on the car to fit down into the
slot.
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