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A Quick Guide to Goop
I've been asked to give a few tips on goop for those unfamiliar with
its use. If you are mystified by the term goop it is sometimes
called tyre traction additive - it is needed to make sponge tyres work
properly.
Goop comes in different grades - the main difference is the viscosity
- and like most oily substances it gets more liquid the higher the
temperature. Hence heavier goop is needed at higher temperatures. Mostly
we use light the UK, I gather they mostly use heavy in Australia. Goop
is available from all the usual slot racing suppliers, so I suggest you
contact whichever one you find most convenient.
Goop usually comes in small bottles for putting direct on the tyres,
you may or may not want to run with goop applied to the tyres, but
you'll need some to start off with on a new track. What is needed is a
very fine layer of goop on the parts of the track where the tyres run -
more where you need grip (particularly for braking and cornering) - and
less where you don't need much grip (on straights where the car is at
full speed). Goop does produce some drag, so don't apply it on high
speed straights. Braking can put high demands on grip - if there's
not enough grip cars snap sideways under braking - this is a sign of the
rear wheels staring to lock up and loosing adhesion. Goop does produce
some drag on the car, so you don't want too much on the high speed parts
of straights, and you certainly do want some on heavy breaking zones.
Goop is dragged round the track from where you put it, so goop
applied to the braking zones will run round into the corners, and goop
from the corners will work its way onto the following straight. In
fact applying some goop direct from the bottle where the tyres will run
in the braking zones and then driving the cars round will run in the
grip OK. However, this does take quite a few minutes, for the first few
laps you have with loads of brakes and not much grip in the corners!
Spray gooping does get an even layer of goop rather quicker.
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