A fix for the cracked screw post blues?

These thin metal sleeves are a lifeline for the weakest link in the Thunderjet platform.

Every slot car enthusiast, even those that are not into Thunderjets, knows this story: the T-Jets caught on, sold in the millions, captured the heart of the nation, and retain a presence in slot car racing to this day, but they did all that with one serious design flaw: the screw post. Before Tyco put out a chassis with notched braces on the sides designed to snap into receiving slots on the sides of the body, this was the way slot cars were held together. And let’s face it; it’s awful. The screw posts are easily stripped and highly prone to cracking…and once they crack, then what?

It used to be that the answer to that question was: the body was essentially scrap. On occasion some well-placed super glue might preserve it a little longer, but you could always bet that if you used glue, you’d be using it again the next time you try to put it back together after a tune-up, and you can only use super glue so many times before a build of residue dooms it. And a split post? The split is only the beginning. It may hold for a while, but a few crashes, a few cleanings, and sooner or later, a chunk of the side of the post will sheer off, and then its done.

Or is it?

There is a product I became aware of a while ago that I do not know the genesis of; I have no idea how long these have existed or who invented them, nor do I know who manufactures them. And on top of that they are hard to find, and not terribly cheap. None of that matters: if you have a collection of T-Jets, especially old ones, you need some of these metal screw post sleeves in your toolbox.

Let me emphasize at the outset that these sleeves are not a “miracle cure,” there are situations where the structure of the body precludes their use, and even if there is enough “wiggle room” between the chassis and body to fit them-an unlikely proposition-it is likely that some grinding and shaving will need to be done on the sleeves themselves, possibly before, likely after, they are installed.

So no, they won’t always work; but when they do, they work so well that they can make a split screw pst stronger than it was when new. That’s worth a try, in any case!

Installation of these sleeves can be tricky; by nature they have to be extremely tight on the post, so even getting them started can be difficult, and the last thing you want to do to an already split or broken screw post is put pressure on it! I have had some luck with silicone lubrication making them a little easier to slip on, but a better way I’ve found to install them is to cut a dash into the post to make one side of it slightly more flexible; this makes it easier to get started down the post, and as you drive it on it will tighten as the in-tact end of the sleeve engages.

Even with this, you are likely to need to use some small tool for gentle tapping, and most of all you want to be patient! Haste here will waste your body, so don’t be a in a hurry!

Once the sleeve is on, immediately test fit your chassis; you are like to find that a valuble fraction of a millimeter of clearance has now been used up and you may have have to do some adjusting, including possibly giving the sleeve itself a “haircut” while in in place. With enough patience and the right tools, all  this can be done.

In the end, the screw post blues will never fully leave those of us who race T-jets; I’ve already lost two cars, a Stingray and a Riviera, both original 1960’s Model Motoring bodies, and some amount of damage in this area is simply not satisfactorily repairable. But these sleeves will work for some applications, and I recommend any T-Jet racer keep some around…especially since, when you really need one, you may not be able to find them!