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Boost Pinewood Derby Car Speed with Proper Weights | Pinewood Pro

Learn the best weights and tips for enhancing your Pinewood Pro Derby car’s speed and performance.

Joe Gargiulo
December 10, 2017
Pinewood Pro Blog

Pinewood Derby Weights Make Your Car Fast!

Stick-on, Screw-on, Tungsten Round, Cube, Putty and Zinc Weights

You must add weight to your pinewood derby car to make it fast.  If you don't have enough weight, your car will not have enough inertia to reach the finish line.

Gravity is the force moving your car down the track. Therefor, the more your car weighs, the more inertia it has and the faster it will race to the finish line.

Pinewood derby weights come in a variety of sizes, such as 3/8" round cylinder weights and 1/4" cube weights that can be hidden inside the car, stick-on wieghts that can be placed anywhere on your car instantly or screw-on weights that are tyipically screwed to the bottom of your car.

Weights also come in a variety of materials, such as zinc, lead and tungsten. These materials have different densities and costs. Lead is dense and inexpensive but it is toxic so we do not sell lead weights. Zinc is inexpensive and non-toxic but it is not very dense so it takes up lots of space on your car, making it difficult to get the optimal center of gravity.  Tungsten is non-toxic and 1.7 times denser than lead so it is a good choice, but it is expensive.

Advantages and More Information on Tungsten Weights

The maximum weight limit for a pinewood derby car is 5 ounces.

Plan on adding 2 to 3.5 oz of weight to your car, depending on your car design and the weight of your pine wood block. A chunky car design has more wood so it needs less weight. A thin, small car design has less wood so it needs more weight.

To get the exact weight you need, use stick-on weights, tungsten putty or tungsten BB's to add small incremental weight anywhere on your car.

Consider purchasing your own scale to avoid last minute adjustments on race day. We offer a large platform scale with a stainless steel tray and a handy little  portable pocket scale accurate to .001 oz!

Stick-On Flex Weights - easily cut with scissors

One strip - cut to any length(3 oz total weight)

stick-on flex weights

Stick-on backing allows you to easily place weights anywhere on your car. Just cut to any length with a scissors, peel off the backing and stick on.

Flex weights are a composite weight that is non-toxic and child-safe.

Approximately 3 oz total weight

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Cylinder Flex Weights - easily cut with scissors

Two 5" cylinders - cut to any length(3 oz total weight)

cylinder flex weights cut with scissors

Hide cylinder weights inside your car. Just drill a 7/16" hole in the back, side or bottom of your car.
Cut cylinder to any length with a scissors to get exact weight placement.

Flex weights are a composite weight that is non-toxic and child-safe.
Approximately 3 oz total weight

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Stick-on Zinc Weights

Two weight segmented strips  (2 oz total weight)

stick-on pine car weights

Stick-on weights are easily applied anywhere on your car. Just peel off the backing and stick them on.
This set comes in 18 convenient segments so you can apply the exact weight you need.

Approximately 2 oz total weight

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Screw-On Tapered Zinc Weights

pinewood derby screw-on zinc weights

Adjustments are easy, just cut off a segment, even on race day!

Attach weight to bottom or counter-sink under the car. Screws included.

Approximately 2oz, zinc

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Cylinder Weights

3 one ounce zinc round weights (approximately 3 oz total weight)
pinewood derby 3oz round zinc weights
Round weights are inserted into your car, so they are hidden.

Just drill a 3/8" hole in the back of the block,
cut off the exact amount of weight you need, slide them in and cover the hole with wood putty.


A nice combination is a set of round weights and a set of stick-on weights or tungsten putty to get the exact weight you need.

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Tungsten Weights

Why Tungsten Weights are better

derby tungsten cylinder weights

Tungsten gives you an advantage because it is about 1.8 times more dense than lead...
which means tungsten is about half the size for the same weight.

Since pinewood derby cars are so small it is important to place weight exactly where you need it.


The single tungsten cylinder on top (.5oz) weighs nearly the same as the three zinc cylinders (.75oz) on the bottom.


This gives you more flexibility in your car design,
because you can place weights more precisely in a smaller area for maximum speed in the flat part of the track.


Maximum car design flexibility,
and
precise weight placement

Tungsten Spheres

tungsten sphere weights

- Precise weight placement
- Maximum car design flexibility


1 oz bag of spheres (also known as BBs) allows you to add small amounts
of weight to bring your car to precisely the 5oz limit by adding just the right
amount of weight in very small increments.


1 oz total weight

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2 Oz Of Tungsten 1/4" Cubes

tungsten sphere pinewood derby weights
  • Each tungsten cube is 1/4" on a side (.25"x.25"x.25")
  • Each cube weighs .167 oz (4.8g)
  • Cubes pack together perfectly, so you can create a square cavity in the back of your car and pack the exact amount of weight you need. Glue the cubes in place and then seal the area with wood putty for a nice clean look.
  • Precise weight placement
  • Maximum car design flexibility

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2 Oz Of Tungsten Cylinders

tungsten 2oz pinewood derby weights


Each cylinder weighs .5 oz.
Each cylinder is 3/8" diameter and only 7/16" long.
Just use a 3/8" drill, insert them and cover the hole with wood putty.
Four .5oz cylinders for 2 oz total weight
Tungsten is non-toxic and child-safe.


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3 Oz Of Tungsten Cylinders

tungsten 3 oz pinewood weights


Each cylinder weighs .5 oz.
Each cylinder is 3/8" diameter and only 7/16" long.
Just use a 3/8" drill, insert the weights into the hole and cover the hole with wood filler.

Six .5oz cylinders for 3oz total weight

Tungsten is non-toxic and child-safe.

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Tungsten Putty

Tungsten Putty - add weight anywhere on your car!

tungsten putty pinewood derby weights

Our special Tungsten putty formulation is soft and malleable so it can be changed into virtually any shape or broken off into pieces.

This putty will not harden. It is the best weight to easily and quickly add or subtract weight on the spot at weigh-in!

Tungsten putty is non-toxic and child-safe. There are no toxic materials in it.
Packaged in 1 oz pieces.

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Tungsten Canopy

Here is a cool way to add weight to your car... a cool looking polished Tungsten Canopy!

tungsten 2.5 oz canopy weight

The Tungsten Canopy adds 2.5oz of weight while adding a cool decorative look at the same time.

The canopy has a 3/8" diameter by 1/2" mounting stud on the back. Just use a standard 3/8" drill bit, put glue on the backside and insert. Fast, easy and cool looking.

Tungsten is non-toxic, child-safe and is paintable.
Packaged in 2.5 oz pieces.


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Zinc Brick - Snap Onto Any LEGO Part

New, Zinc Brick for cars built with LEGO parts.

LEGO Derby zinc brick weight

Zinc Brick Weights for LEGO Derby Cars
Each package includes 2 zinc bricks weighing .44oz for a total of .88oz

Easily snap your zinc brick anywhere on a car built with LEGO parts. Move the weights to change your center of gravity so your car reaches maximum speed.

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Pinewood Derby Scale

pinewood derby scale image

Don't be surprised at the weigh-in!
Weigh your car with this handy scale that can be used after the race for mailing, food weighing, etc. Weighing tray is stainless steel. Display is blue backlit LCD.

This is our larger scale that weighs up to 13lbs and is accurate to .1 oz
9 volt battery included.
More info on pinewood derby scale


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Pinewood Derby Portable Mini-Scale

portable pinewood derby mini-scale image

Don't be surprised at the weigh-in!
Weigh your pinewood derby car with this pocket sized, portable mini-scale during your car building stage. You can even slip it into your pocket and bring it with you on race day!

This scale is very precise, weighing up to 500g and highly accurate to within .001 oz

Bright blue backlit LCD is easy to read.
Remove protective cover to increase tray size. Perfect size to weigh your car block, wheels and axles.
2 AAA batteries included.
More info on pinewood derby portable mini-scale

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Winning Tips and Hints

Pinewood Derby
Tips & Hints

Looking for a pinewood derby car design template? Select from over 30 of Pinewood Pro's award winning Pinewood Derby Car Designs. They include everything from race cars to Military cars to a Nike Sneaker!

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Wheels Tip

Lighter wheels turn easier (they require less inertia). Lighten your wheels, as much as your Rules allow, which will give you a fast start out of the gate and faster speed down the track.

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Winning Hint

Winning Pinewood Derby Secrets contains all the tips you need to win your race. Updated annually with the latest tips and speed products, our book has proven results with 1000's of winners... but don't take our word for it! Read over 90 Customer Reviews and check out our Winners Gallery!

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