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Our official pinewood derby axles are just what you need to make your car fast. 

Example of pinewood car
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Tip #11

If you purchase our Graphite Pads, rub the extra pad on your axles to give the axles a final polishing.

Tip #22

Don't use epoxy to glue the axles to the car body. You'll never get them out if you need to. Use wood glue instead.

Tip #30

Awana axles have a slightly larger diameter than the BSA axles so they fit better in the BSA wheels. The Awana axles are also better made. Use the Awana axles if your rules allow.

Tip #44

Wheel alignment is critical if you want a fast car. After installing the wheels and axles, roll the car on a flat surface. The car should roll 8 to 10 feet without turning more than 6 inches from straight. If the car does not run straight, you will need to adjust your front axles.

Some pinewood derby car blocks are slightly warped. This could prevent one of the front wheels from touching the track. If your rules require that all four wheels touch the track, we have a simple technique that will lower a wheel.

Your car will run faster if one of the front wheels is raised slightly. If your rules all it, here is how to raise a wheel.

Bending the axles slightly is a great way to adjust your car's alignment. Here's how to install and use our Bent Axles.

Pinewood Derby Axles

Click here for our Speed Axles for Awana® Races

Don't let your axles keep your
Pinewood Derby car from winning!
Pinewood Derby Axle

The axles that come in your pinewood derby kit have several flaws.
Besides burrs and crimp marks, the axle shaft often has a slight curve
and the axle head may not be at a right angle to the shaft.

You can use our Axle Polishing Kit to remove the flaws from
your axles or use our prepared axles. We have two types of ready to race axles:

  • Polished Axles are official Boy Scout axles that are lathed to remove all imperfections and we taper the axle head slightly to reduce friction.  We then use a jewelry polishing machine to give the axles a mirror like finish.
  • Machined Axles are axles that are precision cut out of stainless steel. They look very similar to the Boy Scout axles (the sharp end of the axles has a different shape).  They are perfectly round and straight and have a highly polished surface.

We also have Speed Wheels and Axles for Awana™ Races

  ??  
All of our speed products now have a "Speed Rating". The number in the red arrow is the number of inches that were gained at the finish line by using this product on our test track. Our test track is only 28 feet long so you can expect a larger gain on typical 32' to 45' tracks.  You can use this number to compare the relative speed advantages of our various products.

Unmodified Pinewood Derby Axles

Unmodified Pinewood Derby Axles

Unmodified Official Axles

sets of 4 axles

These are the same axles that are supplied with the official pinewood derby kit. They have not been modified or polished

These axles will need to have the crimp marks
removed and polished before they should be raced.

Polished Pinewood Derby Axles

Legal in most races!
Polished Pinewood Derby Car Axle

Polished Axles

  5  
sets of 4 axles
Pinewood Derby Car Axle with groove

Polished Grooved Axles

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sets of 4 axles

Our Polished Axles are official pinewood derby axles that we:

  1. Straighten the axle.
  2. True the axle head so that it is at a 90 degree angle to the axle shaft.
  3. Remove Crimp marks
  4. Remove Burrs.
  5. Taper the head slightly to reduce contact area with the wheel.
  6. Cut a shallow groove in the axle shaft to act as a lubricant reservoir (on grooved axles).
  7. Machine polished to a very fine mirror finish.
The result is the fastest official axles available.

These axles are ready to race!

Graphite coated pinewood derby axle

Polished Axles
with graphite coating

  19  

Outside of axle head
is not coated.

sets of 4 axles
Graphite coated axle with groove

Polished Grooved Axles
with graphite coating

  23  

Outside of axle head
is not coated.

sets of 4 axles
Now Available with Graphite Coating

Our special process coats the axle with an even layer of high grade graphite. The graphite is bonded to the axle so it will last many races. Our tests have shown no reduction in speed after more than 20 races!

For even more speed, add loose graphite (Tube-O-Lube or Hob-E-Lube) between the axle and wheel before mounting the axles on the car. Liquid lubricants are not recommended with our graphite coated axles.

Our graphite coated axles are not legal in races where the rules state that the axles may not be coated with an anti friction coating. This rule is rare.

Pre-Bent Polished Axles

Used to easily adjust the alignment of your car or to use the rail riding technique
These axles are bent slightly where the axle exits the block. The steering on your pinewood derby car can be adjusted by rotating the axle while it is in the slot.  Two angles are available. 1.5 degree bend is recommended for the front axles and 2.5 degree bend for the rear axles. These are sold as single axles.  Instructions on using our Pre-Bent Axles

Polished Axle

Bent Polished Axle
ea.
ea.

Grooved Polished Axle

Bent Grooved Axle
ea.
ea.

Graphite Axle

Bent Graphite Axle
ea.
ea.

Graphite Grooved Axle

Bent Grooved Graphite Axle
ea.
ea.
Axle Pliers

Axle Pliers

Car alignment can be adjusted by rotating the bent axle while it is in the block. Our Axle Pliers are highly recommended for rotating the axles. It will not damage the axle head like pliers can.

Machined Axles

Not legal in all races - check your rules
These stainless steel axles are machined perfect. The axles then go through our special machine polishing for a super smooth, mirror-like finish.
You don't need to do anything with these axles. They are ready to race!

These axles look very similar to the axles that come in your kit
but the axle diameter is larger where the wheel rides on the axle. The part of the axle shaft that is inserted in the car block is the same diameter as the official axles.

These axles have the following benefits:

  • The axle has a larger 093” diameter at the wheel area for a precession fit on all B.S.A. wheels. This reduces friction and wheel wobble.
  • The main shaft of the axle is a standard .088".
  • Head of the axle is the same size and radius as a standard BSA axle.
  • Back of axle head is tapered slightly to reduce contact with wheel.
  • Machine polished to a very fine mirror finish - ready to race.

These are DerbyWorx axles
Select from two styles

Axles Without Grooves

Stainless Steel Pinewood Derby Axles
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  • No burrs, scratches or ridges.
  • Axle is perfectly round and straight.
  • Tapered head so only a small amount
    will rub on the wheel.
  • Machine polished to a very fine mirror finish.
sets of 4 axles w/o grooves

Axles with Grooves

Pinewood Derby grooved Speed Axle
  14  
  • Groove is added to axle so less contact between axle and wheel (the groove also holds graphite during the race).
  • No burrs, scratches or ridges.
  • Round and straight.
  • Tapered head so only a small amount
    will rub on the wheel.
  • Machine polished to a very fine mirror finish.
sets of 4 axles with grooves

Graphite Coated

Graphite coated machined axle
  32  

Same as above but with graphite coating
Outside of axle head is not coated.
4 graphite axles w/o grooves

Graphite Coated

Graphite coated grooved speed axle
  37  

Same as above but with graphite coating
Outside of axle head is not coated.
4 graphite axles with grooves

Titanium Axles

FOR THE ULTIMATE IN SPEED
Not legal in all races - check your rules
These titanium axles are similar to our stainless steel axles and have the following additional benefits:
  • The axle is 48% lighter than our other axles yet just as strong as our stainless steel axle.
  • Titanium doesn't corrode so these axles will stay polished longer.
These axles should give you at least .02 seconds speed gain over any other axle.

Titanium Grooved Axles

Titanium Pinewood Derby Axle
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(4 axles per set)
sets

Titanium Grooved Axles - Graphite Coated

Grooved Titanium Pinewood Derby Axle
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(4 axles per set)
sets

Replacement Small Diameter (Needle) Axles and Drill Bits

For use on the Outlaw RSN and RSN-X Wheels

Small Diameter Axle

each

1/32" Drill Bit


each

Accessories

Graphite

Special formula clings to wheels and axles. Ideal for Pinewood Derby cars. The best pure graphite available.

tubes

Hob-E-Lube

Fine graphite particles blended with molybdenum for more speed. The fastest dry lubricant available.
tubes
Pinewood Car Lubricant

Krytox 100

Thin Film Liquid Lubricant
Lasts longer and is
faster than graphite

If your race allows liquid oils
then this is what you want.

bottles

Krytox 100 is a highly-refined synthetic thin-film lubricant with an ultra-low viscosity. It has a tough film strength for long lasting lubrication.

Krytox 100I can be safely used with any brand of pinewood derby wheels. The key to using a thin-film lubricant is that " less is best ". Applying too much lubricant will slow your car down.

Axle Puller

Axle Puller

OUT OF STOCK
Our axle puller is the easy way to remove axles from your car without damaging the axle or the wheel.
Axle Pliers

Axle Pliers

Custom tool for removing axles by gripping the axle head. Also great for turning bent axles to adjust the alignment of your car.
Axle Installer

Axle Installer

Axle Installer
Axle Installers
Our axle installer makes it easy to install wheels and axles on your Pinewood Derby car the right way every time.
Axle Installer
#44 (.086" diameter)

Axle Drill Bit

Axle Drill Bits
This drill bit has a slightly smaller diameter than the official BSA axle and is perfect for drilling new axle holes or for aligning the existing axle slots.
Pinewood Derby Glue

Glue

Recommend for attaching axles to your car.

each
Axle Keeper

Axle Keeper

Keep your axles aligned and secure.

Set of two

Axle Keeper

Axle Keeper sets
Graphite Pads

Graphite Pads

Dramatically reduces friction between
the wheel and car body.

Graphite Pads
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set of 4 pads

Axle File

Axle File

Fine grit sandpaper should be used to polish the axle after it has been filed.

Axle Polishing Kit

Axle Polishing Kit

Everything you need to polish your axles
Includes instructions

Axle Polishing Kit
Axle Polishing Kits

This kit includes:

  • File
  • #400 sandpaper
  • #1200 sandpaper
  • Axle Polish
  • Instructions

Your car will go faster if you raise one of the front wheels.
Read our easy wheel raising technique.
Raising a front wheel is not allowed in some races. Read your rules before using this technique.

To place your order:
1. Enter the quantity you would like to order next to each of the above items.
2. Click the "Add to Cart" button below.

Pinewood Derby Axle Video

This video shows how to prepare your axles.

Customer Photos

Pinewood Derby Winner

The axles arrived just in time to be a part of a First Place Wolf den, First Place overall, and a new track Record "Tron Racer".

Thanks from Texas... The Chapa's

Pinewood Derby Tank


. Alex decided on a M1A1 tank from his Match Box supply to support the troops. He worked very hard on the build this time and was winning all of his races but derailed on the same lane twice. The good news is he won best design and will be going to district to compete.  (Alex used our polished axles and lathed wheels)
Details about this tank

 

car pinewood winner

These are photos of my son Ramzy winning 3rd place in the car pinewood derby. I am convinced it was due to our purchasing the graphite axles from ABC Pinewood Derby. This was our first event and your products helped make a wonderful experience for a little (6.5 year old) boy. Thank you greatly.... Claire A

pinewood derby trophy

Thanks for the plans and axles. 1st Place Weeblos II Division and 1st Place Overall Pack 648!  We went from worst to first in only one year. Your tips were a great help. We slightly modified the Magnum Plans. It didn't lose a single run! ...CJ Pickering and Dad


Thanks again for you help. We won first two heats, lost the second two heats in round robin for a decent finish (top 20%)... Eric Z

 

Pinewood derby cars from the cars movie


The attached photos are of my son's pinewood derby cars. We used some of your parts and some ideas shared with other cubs. (Some ideas will stay ours.) You will see in the photos that my son is a big fan of the movie "CARS". His '07 cars was also Lightning McQueen and finished second in his pack and 11th in the district. This year we stepped it up to use the grooved axles from your company. So far he has won the pack race (undefeated in a double-elimination race) and will enter the district race in May. The car we entered is the blue version. Our back-up car most likely would have been in the top 3 or 4 (head to head there was about 1/2 car length difference). With this success we will be getting more parts in "19.  Thanks for your help...Michael C and son Anthony

 

Gold pinewood derby car


Just wanted to give you an update and say thanks for some awesome quality products!  Our car pinewood derby race was today and we literally blew all the other pinewood cars away using your parts.   My son and I cut our car, a COBRA GT, on a table band saw, sanded it to 400 grit, and painted it with Krylon spray paint.  We then used your Stainless Steel Machined Axles without groves and your Graphite Coated Lathed and Matched Derby Wheels with your Graphite Pads.   On the third run we achieved a top speed of 205.4 MPH (4.6220 seconds) on a 32 ft plastic track !  My son won 1st place overall out of over 60 other cars.  The second place car came in at 196.4 MPH.  We also used your axle insertion tool to properly guide the axles in when we set them so they went in strait which made a big difference in balance and alignment. Just wanted to say thanks for some great quality products,  we will definitely let you know how we do at District !!  Bet we place  !!  Thanks again,  Scott & Alan G.

 

Bacon car pinewood

I have been a customer of yours for the better part of a year now, and am extremely pleased with your products. I have recommended your site and products to friends and family who also compete in our car pinewood derby, and they likewise are happy (and we all have the trophies to prove it :o)
We race monthly (yes, monthly) pinewood derby at the Bigfoot Lodge in Silverlake, CA. Speed wheels and axles are permitted at these races, and the size requirements are mostly adhered to (a little leniency is not unusual if a car design is particularly cool). Thanks again for making great winning car parts and accessories! It was fun when I was a kid and it’s fun now! ... Gary T

 

Cub Scout Derby

Pinewood Derby supplies and building tips

Awana is a Registered Trademark of Awana Clubs International

Build a Car

Make it Fast

Make it Look Great

Extras


Information

How To

FYI I've been using your wheels and axles for many years. When I'm helping someone with a car I strongly recommend that they get the wheels and axles from you. Those who take my advice always win at the pack level and over the past 10 years we've won the regional's 7 times. Your speed equipment works.
....R. Prentiss
Got 1st in our car pinewood derby, wasn't even close! Of course a great design combined with superior axles and wheels didn't hurt either. Thanks for your help!
....C. Caceres
I have two sons in Cub Scouts and so I bought 2 sets of your graphite coated speed axles and lathed wheels.  I thought the price was a little steep at the time but nothing can replace in Tigers and Webelos.  They also finished 1st and 2nd overall in both races but the cars flip flopped their placement from Pack to District
....J. Ramer
We bought the graphite coated axles from you. My son won his cub scouts pinewood derby race yesterday. Not by a mile but the car seemed to get faster as we went through the competition. I'm sure it was due to the axles
....M Smith
We won first place in our Pack using your polished grooved axles and lathed wheels. Thank you
....Craig
Axles received. Thanks. My son's Derby was last night. Placed 1st out of 58 entrants. Won every heat! Thanks so much for being part of his success!
....Howard L
My Cub Scout son had his race on Saturday and he came in 2nd, out of a field of about 20 pinewood cars. He was thrilled! The number one car only beat my son's car by about two to three inches at the finish line. It was a lot of fun
....Roger G
Pinewood Derby Trophy WinnerWe wanted to let you know that our son raced in a total of 13 heats today and came in first by at least a car length in every one (including the final). Your products were great!

....Nathan
(Nathan used our grooved graphite coated axles and graphite coated Ultra Lite wheels).
I purchased the polished axles. They worked great. My grandson’s derby was last night and he came in 2nd
....Tom W
We used your graphite axles on all three pinewood cars. The boys took 2nd place, (by 1/1000th), 3rd place and 5th place in the pack finals. That's out of 150+ cars in the derby. They all three took 1st place in their dens
....Tony H.
Your machined axles helped my son's car take 1st overall in our pinewood derby race. The cars fastest time was 2.62 sec. track record. Thanks
....John A.
We came in first at the local level and fourth at the districts. I'm convinced that your axles played a large part in our success .
....Brian W.
The axles definately made a difference - our car flew down the track! This is a no brainer
....Jim T.
The standard axles that come with BSA kits require a lot of work. This year we decided to save time and bought your axles. Glad we did. These helped us win 1st overall. No complaints!
....Billy R.
These axles really do work. We will be back next year!
....Sally P.
Jamie’s car posted the fastest time ever recorded at our pack: 200.5 miles per hour. He won the Pack trophy. We did this with your speed axels and wheels.
....Bill L.