Lotus Engineering’s Type 119B gravity racer beat the course record for downhill racing at the Brooklands Soapbox Derby in Surrey recently with the help of iglidur G polymer bearings from igus. The engine-less car recorded a fastest time of 67.7 seconds in the race, which was more than 4 seconds faster than the previous record.
The high-tech vehicle uses iglidur G plain bearings in the steering system, which is vital to the car’s success. It is the same car that won the downhill soapbox challenge at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2004. During that race, four competitors spectacularly crashed out at speeds of up to 60mph, but the Lotus racer steered clear of any danger and cruised to victory.
iglidur G plain bearings are ideal for lightweight applications as they are manufactured in a homogeneous polymer. The part used in Lotus’ gravity racer has a mass of just 4.44 grams. However, despite being so lightweight, iglidur G is a high performance bearing material with a static load rating of 80MPa. The bearing the roadster used could thus tolerate a radial load of 4,800kg. The polymer material also means it is excellent at vibration damping and, as with all iglidur materials, is totally self-lubricating and therefore maintenance free.