Fuel cell placement

[25drtrkr]

A good friend of mine was an asphalt crew chief on a Hooters Cup Car many years ago. His car owner had a ton of money and spared no expense on anything. He hired an engineer to help with set-ups at each race. My friend said the engineer was anal about the placement of the fuel cell.He believed the fuel cell should be centered, left to right, with the COG. What are some of you, "engineers", thoughts on this? Do you think it applies to DLM's?

[7uptruckracer]

On asphalt you don't want moving variables so to speak. As you burn off fuel if your not centered you will change your left side weight and rear weight. In Hooters Pro Cup races you also sometimes had pit and fuels stops so anything but a precise fuel load and your not 100% sure what kind of left side and cross your putting backing into the car via the fuel load Centered cell takes this variable away. Sometimes on dirt we move them but you normally run the same laps and don't have pit stops or you know exactly what the track your at needs and likes.

[twisterf5]

i'm running a mod now but on our late model and this mod i put the cell in center or neutral loose a little rear as the race go's on but not bite it stay's the same. just like that set up the best.

[25drtrkr]

He's not talking about the center of the framerails. He said to line up the center of the fuel cell with the COG.Also, the dlm's, I've checked, the center of the rear framerails is NOT the true center.He taught me to find the center of the front suspension, and then extend it all the way back to the rear bumper.

[MBR Performance]

The center of the front suspension isn't the COG

[25drtrkr]

The center of the front suspension isn't the COG

I'm not saying that, but you have to know the true centerline to determine the lateral COG.

[7uptruckracer]

I'm not saying that, but you have to know the true centerline to determine the lateral COG.

Your fuel cell will effect your COG so how's he doing that? Unless he determines it with it outta it then places the cell there but if you do it tbag way then measure your new cog I don't see it being the same

[25drtrkr]

This is what he and I discussed. This is just an example. Say the distance between the ball joints is 40".Lets say you run 55% left side. So 55% of 40" =22". So the lateral cog would be 2" to the left of the centerline. Then, mark the center of the fuel cell and line that up with the mark 2" left of centerline. I have set up a couple cars like this, but I haven't tested it to compare apples to apples.