How to Make K'nex Coasters FAST in Extreme Heat

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]So today's update is going to be all about speed. Speed in my construction and most importantly speed for the train going around those tracks. Cuz right now it's going way too slow. It's not going to have enough speed to do everything I want it to do. First thing I did for speed is I added these center rods throughout the entire track here.

[00:00:23]They stop up here, but I'm going to do the rest here soon.

[00:00:40]So, I'm done strengthening the track and the train doesn't shimmy like it used to, but it still continues to lose speed, which is concerning. Watch.

[00:00:51]So, it turns out the reason the coaster was slowing down was cuz I was tightening the wheel assemblies. Now I loosened them. Look at that.

[00:01:02]Now it goes a little faster than it did before. And it doesn't shimmy as much either.

[00:01:17]Now, one more note. Even though I loosen these wheel assemblies, both Johnny and the connects maker initially suggested that I tighten them. And so part of me thinks maybe that works in a colder climate, but since it's so hot here, like over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, um maybe having it looser here is better.

[00:01:35]So if you're having speed problems on your own models, I would try the wheel assemblies tight and loose and see which one works better for you. The second thing I did, which isn't quite as noticeable, is I added some more support connection points along here and especially along the bottom. So there's less there's less movement at the bottom of the pull out.

[00:01:58]So, I'm not done with all my speed tricks yet, but I'm going to start building the dive loop. It's going to come up here and down like this. And if it can make it with the slow trains, it's definitely going to make it with the fast trains.

[00:02:20]All right. So, I do like the way this looks, but I'm going to have to change it. It's a little too stretched out. And because of that, I would have to make the loop go the loop portion go even lower to make it look normal. And that's going to kill even more speed. So, I'm going to kind of compress this a little bit and make the loop come a little bit higher here so it looks more like a B&M like shape. And then we're going to take a pause on the track building for a little bit to work back on the trains.

[00:03:02]So, here is the smaller, mostly completed dive loop. Now, time to go inside and look at these new wheel assemblies. So, I've been at the end of my rope when it comes to speed, but I have reason to hope. If you look at Conexmaker's Yukon Striker model, that train preserves its speed way better than my train does here. And I was chatting with him a little bit asking him why. And one of the big things he said is he has these new wheels. They're like a hybrid ceramic stainless steel type of wheel, which I have now replaced all my old wheels with this kind of wheel. And they actually do sound pretty cool. Look at how they spin.

[00:03:43]And they come and then the best part is they come in this bag. I don't even have I don't have to do any degreasing. I don't have to take them out of individual little wrapped boxes like some of these other ones. So look, this is a fully ceramic wheel.

[00:03:58]This is a fully stainless steel wheel.

[00:04:02]This is a hybrid ceramic and stainless steel wheel with slightly different dimensions. So, ceramic, stainless steel, and hybrid.

[00:04:16]So, the hybrid is a little bit thicker.

[00:04:19]Let me put it right next to the stainless steel one so you can see. So, it's a little bit thicker, which means it covers more of the track when it's rolling on on top and underneath and on the sides of the track. And it also means it has more mass. And I think that maybe has something to do with it. It keeps spinning more. And these ones also have a cover on both sides.

[00:04:42]So, I believe that one also keeps more dirt off of the off of the bearings inside cuz the other these other ones have have like a a wall that I have to remove in order for them to spin. This one has a wall, but it spins great without even having to remove it.

[00:04:59]So, move these out of the way. Let's see what happens when we take this outside and test it out.

[00:05:12]All right, now that we got some more speed back and we know that it'll make it over here, it's time to make the second inversion. So, it's going to go up and around and then through here.

[00:05:35]So, I'm not happy right now. This is already more asymmetrical than I would have liked. And because it only makes it to about here, I'm going to have to lower to make it even more asymmetrical, which means I'm going to have a change of plans. No more of this pretzel situation. It looks too close to the Magnum thing I did anyway.

[00:05:54]So instead, I'm going to make this look more like a corkcrew, and it's going to go over the track on this side. Um, so let's see how that works out for me.

[00:06:45]Just barely.

[00:06:47]Now, let's put a stopper here and test the whole thing.

[00:07:00]>> The wind's not doing it today.

[00:07:24]So, several of these test runs have been in 105, 110 degree heat, and it still makes it over. So, we have a really good jumping off point.

[00:07:45]All right. So, I just need to lower this a little, but that'll be next update.

[00:07:48]I'm pretty happy with how it works, especially in this 100° heat.

[00:07:53]And if you guys want to buy these magic hybrid wheels, uh, the link is in my description of this video, and I think it's also in every single description of every single Connect Maker video as well. So, have at it.