Metal Machines can be fast
Someone posted on here about Metal Machines. I'm not sure who it was but me being curious, I bought 6 cars at big lots dusted all 6 and to be honest I found speed with these 2! The one on the left weighs 26g and it's in the top 24 of my ranks of 30.99g and below. The one on the right weighs 32g and it's in my top 24 ranks of 31 to 40.99g. I really didn't think I'll find speed with these castings. 
Discussion
I have the off road at GTR,
the ballon tires were used on the war wagon, and the gasser to 905
the wheels are super prefect round and square
and I think that all the axles are plated, or high nickel content
the next horizon, or a rabbit hole of uselessness?
but, early KOM a buffalo won, if I'm correct
dr
- Yes I do agree of the wheels being perfectly round and square. I'm thinking about modifying one of the cars adding some weight to it and see how it goes on my track. Good luck at GTR and other races! — Zizzer_Prime
- You guys make a good point. Trueing the wheels is one of my weaknesses. — alva1370
- Drilling plastic posts has always challenged my low skills. Any tips? — Chris_Hood
- Yeah... don't do it! lol If you make the peg so it snaps into the base, you can secure it with E6000 and dont bother with the screws at all... — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
- LOL, I despised drilling plastic every time, never got a clean finish while trying to gain some experience at the general technique. Thanks!! — Chris_Hood
- Lots of JB Kwik — alva1370
- I think the Zuru Buffalo was on Hot Car Track...? Anyway, to 'drill' plastic posts I use a round tungsten burr bit to grind off the rivet head. — FeralPatrick
- Grinding rather than more conventional drilling, got it. "Hot Car Track," there's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Simon went on to do traveling videos after leaving diecast racing — Chris_Hood
- Hey Chris, use an 8mm bit. Any smaller and the bit grabs the plastic. At least with 8mm you're stopped by the metal base. Oh...and drill reeeeeaalllly slowly — EnZedRacing
- plastic hand drills very easy, I do a 0.035" pilot hole first, I don't use an electric drill anymore, and the bits last a long time — dr_dodge
Hi, they both look great, mind sharing the casting naked?
Were the out of a multipack or standalone?
thanks
Rob
Great to hear Doc's input on the wheel quality! I have heard others say good things about potential for speed in the Zuru product, and seen them entered into modified events.
Some designs aesthetically beat Mattel brand fantasy cars. I could be persuaded to include more of them in my own garage if not for an overall cheap feeling in how the parts fit together with lower tolerance. The plastic bodies are another strike against the brand.
In terms of diameter how compatible would Zuru wheels be for a straight wheel swap, I've never brought out my calipers to check?
- Yeah, I'd like to know axle diameter as well if anyone has it handy! — Stoopid_Fish_Racing — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
- It could be that Zuru axles have a greater cross width/diameter so that just means carving out the axle channel in the base to accommodate a thicker axle yes? — Chris_Hood
- physics says the thicker axle can never be as fast or faster than a comprably prepared thiner axle... — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
- 0.045" diameter — dr_dodge
- Thanks Doc. How about the wheel diameter itself? English hard with too much coffee, apologies — Chris_Hood
- I agree with your physics Stoopid, and the 1mm axle vs . 8mm and .5mm. But as we see in reality, you can get them effectively competitive against most, with a bit of work. And yest Chris, across the model ranges there are varying axle tack widths. — CutRock_R_Marc_D
- wheel diameter 0.520", but the interesting part; outer wheel sidewall (side to side) 1.3" narrow orange track is 1.25", so I'd bet all slow metal cars need 0.03" taken off where the wheels ride on the body inside for track clearance — dr_dodge
- and they really have no runout (oblong/offcenter) some HW are horrible — dr_dodge
0,9 mm.
- I may have misunderstood. 0.9mm is axle width then? — Chris_Hood
- thank you sir! — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
- There could be variances in manufacturing even more cheaply made cars, Doc's reading of 0.045 inches translates to 1.143mm 1.1 — Chris_Hood
- yep... My thoughts are they are like the other cheap cars like Maisto and are around 1mm... — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
- 0.9 = .0354 — alva1370
- 0.8mm = .0314” — alva1370
- I just mic'd it, and y'all are off — dr_dodge
- mic'd 4 more, they average 0.042"± 0.02 — dr_dodge
- right on 1mm... lol — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
- They are 1mm. And like dr was mentioning above, I too have found in general the quality of the wheel in roundness and centred, balanced is beeter than most mainlines. There are a myriad of other minor differences etc. — CutRock_R_Marc_D
friction is about surface area,
not of the diameter of the axle
it is the difference in radius, between the axle and wheel hole
contact area, and the axle doesn't deform, but the plastic wheel can
a slightly larger surface area could reduce the distortions of the hole on the wheel,
(maybe longer wheel life?)
especially a heavy car and expremes of cornering/jumping
unequal asperity
dr
There should be an article in the RLD Archives that I did a few years ago when the Zuru's first hit the scene. My recent purchaes have been of the off-road variety. Just picked up the one Dr. Dodge sent to GTR.
I had success on the Slingin' track at the Lammarossa Rails with the '56 Ford look alike pickup. In talks with Marc D about the ride height. Some of their castings do run or sit really low on track. Can cause transition rub or wheel rub in the wheel wells.
I'm using Flitz polish because they do seem to be plated with what I would assume is a nickle plating.
Just some thoughts.
-MDG
Zuru's can be fast if you mode them properly, I will say one problem I find is that if you are going to do a wheel swap with zuru wheels, zuru wheels and axels are skinny so a lot of hot wheels castings won't work with them unless you do some serious wheel well work. Besides that I do like zurus and I think if done properly they can stand up to many other cars.
- Yeah based on some data from Doc the wheels appear bigger than 12mm, a size you would find on the rear of Fusion Busta, if you're familiar with that fantasy car, and a size not often seen in mainlines. Hogging out the wells definitely required for a swap! How ironic that according to Doc there's some unexpected build quality in this cheaper brand of cars BUT extra steps to incorporate into a Hot Wheels build, seems daunting. — Chris_Hood
This 10 pack showed up today... need to spend a few minutes with them... at first glance it seems "metal machine" is a bit of a misnomer... lots of plastic!
- Awesome! I found speed with the green car. Yes a lot of plastics but they have metal base. — Zizzer_Prime
- I like the tires. — JBlotner42
- Yes the wheels are round and true in my opinion. — Zizzer_Prime
- plastic body = lower cg — dr_dodge
Karma meets Metal Machines! Just a mockup for now. Both front and rear axles are not glued yet. Definitely needs some modifications on the fender well but I like what I see! 
- it does look good — dr_dodge
- All my "YES!" for that. The Karma is gaining some reputation! — Chris_Hood
- Oh yeah! That's sweet! — ManiacMotorsports
- This looks sick. That color of the body and wheels, make it look fast. — Midwest_Diecast_Raceway
I have been mucking around with Zurus for years, and have built a full blooded mod before...
But the Zuru chatter comes around again, so thought I would add to the entertainment.
I have built a full blooded Zuru Metal Machine to race on the long open track at Jungle Falls Raceway, Modifed Mayhem Event. Yes, all the Zuru components are there, axles, wheels, chassis, body.
Check out the event, and see how the Zuru goes!
Cheers
Some of them can be fast!