Rocket radius rod questions

[RacerX10]

So .. two questions. This car seems to have a build date of November 3rd, 2010 but the four link bracket type from the manual seems to match pre-2008 cars because it has the bolt in bottom left bracket to shorten the bar. What's the deal ?

2nd question, the bottom left bar has a clear angle bent in it (see photo). Is it actually bent, or is that bent like that on purpose for clearance from the birdcage ?

Thanks !

http://www.rtach.com/pics/radiusrod2.jpg
http://www.rtach.com/pics/radiusrod1.jpg

[keeks]

Looks to me that the lower bar is a bent bar on purpose. Many come this way. You still measure length center to center of rod ends, just like a straight bar.

[zeroracing]

Lower bar is like an outpace pre bent, gives a little more clearance on the birdcage rotation.

[billetbirdcage]

Honestly, it doesn't appear to me to be a pre-bent lower but maybe it's the angle of the picture but the bend seems a little small for most of the pre-bent bars. Then add in what appears to be a lot of angle for that length of LRU bar, it's very likely the bar could have hit and bent, you should see marks on it if that is the case as well as if it's overall length is off unless someone bent it and then readjusted it.

[RacerX10]

It's definitely a different bar than the other 3. This one is straight-tubed while the other 3 are the kind of swedge looking tube deal, larger diameter in the middle then on the ends.

[RacerX10]

of course its pre bent its the same one many of us use

grt sells them lots of places

Thanks .. good to know !

[Dirtmod13]

Thanks .. good to know !So with both of those bars being that short and at such extreme angles, how did this car do in the last few races it was in?

[Matt49]

^^^ I was wondering the same thing. The top bar looks dangerously close to camming over the birdcage.

[RacerX10]

I wish I knew. It was set up this way when I bought it .. I'm dubious. I'm putting the long top bar back on it. The bottom bar appears to be close standard length at 15" heim center to heim center (actually I measured 14 3/4" .. need to pull it off to check it better)

Looks like that bent bar is a thing, found them here :

http://eastcoastspeed.com/c-1067688-radius-rods-bent-tie-rod-tubes.html

[Matt49]

If you don't have something like this, Wehr's makes a center finder kit that makes measuring center to center ACCURATELY a ton easier.
http://www.wehrsmachine.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=49&zenid=f3f7bc3df9dd934852b5ee8bb5815989

[toloud]

This could have started as a combo car a few bolt on brackets to add or remove and you could run swingarm. Lb bar 15" Lt bar 18.25" Lt short bar 16.75" The newer Lt shortener bracket
does not have the two top holes. With the Lt long or short bar we always start in our middle hole , 3 up from the bottom on your bracket.

[f15]

the birdcage is indexed because if you look there is no shocks so there is nothing to stop the rear-end from falling so it causes extreme angles in bars

[keeks]

Sure don't want to use the shock as a limiter. I don't see a chain on there, but I do see a broken rib on the left side bell.

Should run some kind of limiter chain, cable etc.

[Dirtmod13]

Sure don't want to use the shock as a limiter. I don't see a chain on there, but I do see a broken rib on the left side bell. Should run some kind of limiter chain, cable etc.Def need a chain, don't think that axle would hit the underslung with upper that high and being that short.

[RacerX10]

Sure don't want to use the shock as a limiter. I don't see a chain on there, but I do see a broken rib on the left side bell.

Should run some kind of limiter chain, cable etc.

It's not a broken rib. That underslung bar *is* the limiter on a Rocket. They use that concentric aluminum piece to set the drop. Does same thing as a chain. The rib is ground off to get the travel you need / provide a flat mating surface.

From the Rocket setup manual :

"Adjust the bolt on clamp attached to underslung bar under LR axle tube [to adjust LR drop]"

"You will typically need to grind the bottom of the left bell flat where it contacts the clamp on the underslung bar"

You can see it better in this photo :

http://image.hotrod.com/f/30736751+w660+h495+cr1/ctrp_1105_06%2Bcrate_late_model_setup.jpg

[keeks]

How much drop are you getting?

[Kromulous]

I dont see it being any different really. As long as you have some sorta control over it.

Overrail cars were all the rage, now its underrail. I think its all just marketing and hype in the end, chassis company's are in business to sell chassis so...

I preferr the chain, a swivel device, and an over rail car.

[Kromulous]

Oh, and those brackets in the top pic are Rockets. I updated an 05 with that set up, at least the bottom bracket is, the additional piece btw. The top piece / bracket i believe is from another year car, older.

The bottom bracket allows you to run a long bar lower, works good on big tracks.

[RacerX10]

How much drop are you getting?

Assuming I measured correctly, 13 1/2" drop (top of axle to bottom of tube)

[RacerX10]

Oh, and those brackets in the top pic are Rockets. I updated an 05 with that set up, at least the bottom bracket is, the additional piece btw. The top piece / bracket i believe is from another year car, older.

The bottom bracket allows you to run a long bar lower, works good on big tracks.

There's nothing in the Rocket setup book about running a longer lower bar .. how big of a track would you need to try out that longer lower bar ? 1/2 mile ?

[Kromulous]

We tried it at Florence (Ky), not bad.

I would think it would be good at Eldora etc.

At the time we had a 99 Rocket, i updated it to these brackets, same ones you posted pics of. We were way under powered etc, but that car worked better than the 05 black front end car by a long shot. We were convinced it was possessed by some demons or something.

He said several times, wish we would of kept that 99 car.

As for set ups and books, that's all out of fashion by today's set ups. You would have to find an old Rocket book, i will see if we still have one.

[Ruhlman Race Cars]

RacerX10,

The brackets on the car in the picture are referred to as Rocket 2 brackets. you'll notice the 2 small holes under the word Rocket on them that designates them as Rocket 2's. They have the holes on the radius of the older 5/8 hole brackets. We sell an updated upper shortener bracket that has the holes on the correct spacing and radius so the birdcage is not rotated when moving your upper rod.

Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.

[RacerX10]

RacerX10,

The brackets on the car in the picture are referred to as Rocket 2 brackets. you'll notice the 2 small holes under the word Rocket on them that designates them as Rocket 2's. They have the holes on the radius of the older 5/8 hole brackets. We sell an updated upper shortener bracket that has the holes on the correct spacing and radius so the birdcage is not rotated when moving your upper rod.

Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.

Thanks for the info. It's a bit odd, because the Rocket set-up manual says a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ most made after 2008 should have a "Rocket 1" mount.

[steveshawjr]

Not trying to high jack a post but it falls under the same thing ... I have a old rocket chassis (97) just starting out in late models and thes are my lower mounts and upper what would be the starting points on thes

[RacerX10]

Not trying to high jack a post but it falls under the same thing ... I have a old rocket chassis (97) just starting out in late models and thes are my lower mounts and upper what would be the starting points on thes

"Cars prior to November 2001 (Identifiable with 1 single long slot cut in bracket between upper rod adjustment holes and lower rod adjustment holes)

- Scale top rods in 2nd (middle) hole / race top rods in 3rd (top) hole
- Scale bottom rods in 2nd hole up, counting from bottom
- Left bottom bar race position ins 3rd hole up from bottom
- Right bottom bar race position is 2nd hole up from bottom

[steveshawjr]

Also this is a leaf/4 bar combo car so it don't have standard 4 bar brakets

[RacerX10]

Also this is a leaf/4 bar combo car so it don't have standard 4 bar brakets

Doesn't give anybody much to go on if the brackets aren't from rocket. Yours look like something added after it left the rocket factory.

[Kromulous]

Those old cars had 2 piece brackets like that, we had a 99, similar. Cut them out and put new style ones in there.