JK Cheetah anglewinders and JK Direct Drive cars are already fast, capable racing cars, but we have found several areas where careful preparation makes them faster, more consistent and more durable. Every one we sell is personally inspected and race-prepped by Jim Cunningham before shipment.

Our preparation is based on running these cars on our own analog tracks, including Carrera plastic track. The goal is simple: reduce unnecessary friction, improve electrical contact, keep the chassis as low and free-running as practical, and prevent common race-ending problems before they happen.

1. Thin, Narrow Guide Braid

One of the first changes we make on both Cheetah anglewinders and Direct Drive cars is replacing the thick, wide factory braid with a finer, narrower braid.

On these cars, the front is carried primarily by the guide and braid rather than by the front wheels. That means braid thickness directly affects guide depth, chassis height and friction.

The narrower braid has several advantages:

• Less friction on plastic track: Wide braid can extend beyond the metal conductor rails and rub on the surrounding plastic surface. Narrow braid keeps more of the contact area on the rail itself.
• More consistent electrical pickup: The finer braid conforms closely to the conductor surface instead of wearing mainly where the rail touches it and leaving a recessed area at the actual pickup point.
• Deeper guide position: Thinner braid lets the guide sit farther into the slot.
• Lower chassis position: Because the front of the car rides on the guide, thinner braid can lower the front ride height and center of gravity.

Together, these changes reduce drag and help the car run more smoothly and consistently—particularly on Carrera and other plastic track systems.

2. Chassis Wear Indicator & Electrical Protection

Foam rear tires gradually become smaller as they wear. As that happens, the rear of the chassis moves closer to the track rails.

We apply yellow wear tape at the low point of the chassis on both Cheetah anglewinders and Direct Drive cars. The tape gives an immediate visual warning when tire wear is bringing the chassis dangerously close to the rails, and it helps insulate the chassis from accidental rail contact and arcing.

3. Rear Body Trim — Where Appropriate

On lightweight sports/prototype bodies where the rear bodywork extends unnecessarily beyond the chassis, we trim the excess rear overhang.

This improves the car's aerodynamic profile and gives the body a cleaner racing shape. It also reduces a common crash problem in which the flexible body can tuck over a rear tire and bind the wheel.

We do not make this body-trimming modification to JK NASCAR bodies. Their rear body shape is left intact.

4. Anglewinder Rear-Axle Preparation

The following step applies to Cheetah anglewinders only. Direct Drive cars do not use the same pinion, motor-shaft and rear-axle arrangement, so this correction is not required on them.

We have seen some recent Cheetah anglewinders arrive with the left rear wheel positioned farther outward so it clears the pinion gear and motor shaft. With little or no spacer behind the wheel hub, a wall impact can push the wheel inward. The tire may then contact the pinion or motor shaft, causing drag, binding or tire damage.

On Cheetah anglewinders, we correct this before the car leaves our shop by moving the pinion farther inboard where needed, trimming excess motor shaft, adding proper axle spacers, and setting wheel position and side play so the rear assembly runs freely and stays where it belongs.

Race-Prepped, Not Just Box-Stock

The result is more than a stock JK car taken out of the package and put on a shelf. Each car is personally checked and prepared using what we have learned from running and racing these cars ourselves.

The exact preparation varies slightly by chassis and body style, but our objective is always the same: better electrical contact, less friction, lower and more stable chassis setup, improved durability and fewer race-ending problems.