Frequently Asked Questions

Are 4 axle grooves better than 2 grooves?

The short answer: no.

Our PRO axles are precision-designed by mechanical engineers and serve two key purposes. One groove under the axle head reduces wobble, while the other, wider groove reduces friction.

In our opinion, four grooves are a gimmick. Consider this; if 4 grooves are good, why not 5, 6, or 10 tiny grooves?

Do I still need graphite with graphite-coated axles?

Yes, because you need to work graphite through the wheel bore. Squirt graphite into the wheel bore, spin your wheels and repeat, so it works through the entire wheel bore.

Should I polish the BSA axles I purchased from Pinewood Pro?

Yes, we recommend a light polishing on the BSA axles because they can tarnish over time, even though they are individually sealed in little bags for shipping.

We recommend our axle polishing kit that contains pumice (finely crushed rock that creates an abrasive polish), wet/dry sandpaper and full instructions, plus 5 spare axles.

What is better for lubrication: Graphite or NyOil?

This largely depends on preference and what your upcoming race allows.

	Pros	Cons
Powdered Graphite	Excellent friction-reducing lubricant	Blows off axles each run down the track, slowing the car
NyOil	Thin film lubricant stays on axles during races	Some races don’t allow oil lubricant

Powdered graphite is an excellent friction reducing lubricant. We believe Pinewood Pro's PRO Graphite is the best on the market.

NyOil is a thin film lubricant that has some advantages over graphite. NyOil will stay on your axles throughout the races, whereas loose powdered graphite will blow off your axles each time it runs down the track. This provides an advantage with each successive heat because your axles will still have oil on them, while cars lubricated with graphite will slow down as the graphite blows off.

Some races do not allow an oil lubricant, which is why Pinewood Pro invented graphite-coated axles. Graphite-coated axles will keep the graphite on your axles throughout all of your heats! Track tests have proven that they are faster than NyOil coated axles. NyOoil MUST be used sparingly, only one or two drops! DO NOT mix graphite and NyOil.

Are your parts from the Cub Scout BSA kit?

If our part says "BSA" in the title, then yes, it is from the Cub Scout BSA kit. We purchase them directly from BSA.

Is your graphite legal?

Yes, it is legal for any race that allows dry graphite.

Are your parts legal?

The short answer is, those participating in the race are responsible for knowing which parts are legal per the regulations of the race. While some races have simple, generic rules, others can be explicit with fine details and stringent measurements. Consult your race manager for what is permitted and forbidden for that particular event. As a racer, you are responsible for knowing and following the requirements. For more information, please visit our write-up.

My first payment failed, I re-entered the information. Now it appears I was charged twice.

Don’t worry, you were not charged twice. Banks typically put a temporary hold on funds from failed transactions. Your bank will release the funds automatically within a few days.

Keep an eye on your transaction history and consult the bank if something looks irregular. Note that Pinewood Pro has no control over this temporary hold.

E-mail Support

Please e-mail proteam@pinewoodpro.com with any questions, comments or suggestions. We will respond within 24hrs (usually the same day), except for holidays and weekends.

Phone Support

If you cannot find quick answers above, feel free to call 203-400-3713 between the hours of 9AM and 6PM EST, and we will be glad to help you.

How do I return unused items?

If the item is still within 60 days of purchase, please repackage the item and be sure to include a note explaining why you are returning the item so we know if there was a product defect or some other reason. Include the packing slip or order number so we can trace your order to issue credit.

Ship to this address:
Pinewood Pro - RETURNS
℅ Guardian Unit 4205
915 Brinton Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15221

There is a mistake in my order, what should I do?

Check your receipt to be sure you ordered the correct items and quantity. If you verified the error, call us for a replacement at 203-400-3713 between the hours of 9AM and 6PM EST.

I did not receive my order, what should I do?

Note that Pinewood Pro has always met our commitment to ship within one business day. Once we hand your package over to the shipper (USPS, UPS or FedEx), it is in their hands.

After 25+ years of providing winning products to our customers, here are some potential order delay causes we’ve noticed, along with some advice:

Every carrier is still experiencing delays due to the Covid pandemic. Even guaranteed deliveries can be delayed. Please allow extra time due to this ongoing situation.

Check tracking by looking at your ship confirmation email. Note that USPS only shows when the package shipped. USPS does not track mail through the delivery route like FedEx and UPS package delivery carriers.

Look for typos in the shipping address on your original order by checking your address on the receipt in your email confirmation. Is your shipping address and zip code correct? If it is, please call us at 203-400-3713 between the hours of 9AM and 6PM EST so we can issue a replacement. If not, we cannot issue a replacement.

If you chose USPS, their delivery times are not consistent. We've found that even Priority Mail can be delayed. If you ordered via USPS Ground Advantage, it can sometimes take a week to 10 days to receive a package.

Severe weather conditions in trucking routes will delay all carriers (USPS, UPS or FedEx)

Heavy shipping volumes the week before and after Christmas can also delay ground shipping.

We recommend verifying that someone else in the household or a neighbor hasn't received your package.

Verify that the dog hasn't taken the package to his favorite hiding place (this has happened!).

While rare, packages can get delivered to the wrong address or misplaced.

Note that it will take time to send you another package, so it is faster if you can locate the original package due to one of the potential causes above.

I did not receive an e-mail receipt. Any idea what’s happening?

There are two reasons for this:

There was a typo in your e-mail address. If you think you typed your e-mail address incorrectly, send us an e-mail and we will resend your receipt.

You have a spam blocker that is blocking e-mail from pinewoodpro.com. Check your spam e-mail box to see if your e-mail receipt is there.

When will I receive my order?

We recommend monitoring the tracking number included in your shipping confirmation e-mail.

We send a Ship Confirmation email with a tracking number when your order is shipped (within 24 hours on a business day). The title of the email is "Your Pinewood Pro Order Has Shipped!". Open your Ship Confirmation email and enter the tracking number into the tracking field of the website for whichever carrier you chose (USPS, UPS or FedEx) to track your shipment.

Note: Most questions relate to slow USPS 1st class mail deliveries. Unfortunately, we cannot predict USPS delivery times. The USPS can sometimes take 10 to 14 business days because of winter snowstorms and extremely heavy mail volumes in December and January.

UPS Overnight is delivered the next business day if your order is placed before 2:00 PM. Overnight orders placed on Friday are delivered on Monday (except on holidays).

UPS 2nd Day and 3rd Day are guaranteed, but they do not include Saturday, Sunday or holiday deliveries. We suggest that you start counting days the day AFTER you receive your tracking number. For example, a 2nd Day order placed before 2:00 PM on a Monday is delivered on Wednesday, but orders received after 2:00 PM would be delivered on Thursday.

UPS Ground is not guaranteed. We ship from New York so customers in states neighboring NY should receive their order the next business day! If you are not located in a neighboring state, you should receive a UPS Ground shipment within 3 business days.

USPS Priority Mail is neither guaranteed nor trackable. In our experience, delivery times vary widely. As a guideline, please allow 3-5 business days, though it sometimes takes longer. Customers in states closer to NY will receive deliveries faster.

USPS Ground Advantage is not guaranteed. Deliveries can vary widely. As a guideline, allow 2-5 business days, though they sometimes take longer due to winter storms and heavy mail volumes in December and January. States closer to NY will receive deliveries faster.

When will my order ship?

Your order ships the same day if it is received before 2:30PM EST on a business day. Orders received after 2:30PM on Friday and weekend orders ship on Monday. Orders received on holidays ship the following business day.

How do I make a return?

Please visit our Returns page and scroll to the bottom for returns instructions.

How do I check the status of my order?

When you place an order, we send two order emails.

The first email is an Order Confirmation email that is sent the moment your order is completed. This is your receipt and confirmation that we received your order.

The second email is a Ship Confirmation email that contains your tracking number. The Ship Confirmation email is sent when your order is shipped (within 24 hours on a business day). For example, your Ship Confirmation email will be sent on Monday if your order was entered after 2:30PM on a Friday.

To check the status of your order, open your Ship Confirmation email and enter the tracking number into the website for whichever carrier you chose (USPS, UPS or FedEx).

If you did not receive an Order Confirmation or Ship Confirmation email, one of the following happened:

Our emails are going into your spam folder. Please check your spam folder.
You had a typo in your email address. If you can't find any emails from us, please call 203-400-3713 between the hours of 9AM and 6PM EST.

Do you ship internationally?

We ship to the US and Canada. Please call us at 203-400-3713 between the hours of 9AM and 6PM EST if you want to ship to any other country.

Note that you will not see Canadian shipping rates in our Shipping Calculator because we cannot estimate shipping delays through customs. You will see Canadian shipping rates when you get to the shipping page in checkout.

Do you ship to APO/FPO addresses?

Yes! When you are entering your address during checkout, scroll to the bottom of the states and you will see AA, AE, and AP. Pinewood Pro is a strong supporter of the US Military!

Do you ship to P.O. boxes?

Yes. Note that you will not see FedEx or UPS shipping options if you enter a PO Box address. Only the USPS can ship to a PO Box.

Will I be charged sales tax?

Pinewood Pro charges sales and use taxes according to federal, state, and local government guidelines. Tax is calculated based on your shipping address.

How do I change or cancel my order?

We make every effort to ship orders on the same day if they are received before 2:30PM on a business day. To do this, we have contracted with a third-party fulfillment center to pick, pack, and ship Pinewood Pro orders with the highest priority.

Once you complete your order, it is transmitted to our warehouse for fulfillment. At that point, the warehouse has your order in their queue, and it is out of our hands. Therefore, unfortunately, we can't make changes to orders once they are placed.

If you notice an error in your shipping address in your receipt, you should place another order immediately, so you don't lose time in shipping. When the original order is returned to our warehouse, we will issue a credit.