rocket Blue front VS rocket Black Front end

[philthpill]

Trying to buy a use late model and don't know the difference between the rocket black or blue front end any help would be very helpful


thank you
Philip 19

[tbaileyjr]

That question is a little vague they are two totally different driving cars and require totally different driving approaches if u are a corner charger than u want black front if u are smooth and patient racer with a creative gas foot than a blue front is more your style as for chassis differnces it's all in the front end geometry from the mid plate back it's all the same

[philthpill]

Thank you i just never understood it and couldn't find anything on it. what would be a good starter chassis. i have little experience in driving them i just know that what i have drove i am more about go and go now not really patient. crew chief i have (father) has little experience in setup but he learns fast so now that i out the army in 3 weeks we are wanting to go late model racing just don't know what class yet. and don't have many friends in the dirt world that will inform us. Thank you for any input

[tbaileyjr]

go to your local track and see whats running good and try to talk to the guys that are running good most guys will help you when u first get started u will need someone to rely on good information at your local track by others who have ran there

[Steve_Voisinet]

I am not 100% sure on this, but a friend of mine who runs a Rocket late model tells me that the only difference between the blue and black is the length of the steering arm on the spindle. In fact Rocket is now selling what they call a blue/black spindle, which has two holes to bolt the tie rod to. Using the rear hole makes it a "blue" spindle and using the front hole makes it a "black" spindle.

[hms_11]

Steve,
I think what your thinking of is the Blue/Grey Spindles.
A Blue and a Grey front Rocket are the same car with different spindles, and yes, Rocket makes a hybrid Blue/Grey spindle now that does both.
Black and Blue cars are different from the motor plate forward. Identical from there back. An Orange car is a completly different beast front and back and center cage but I'm not overly sold on the Orange cars yet.
Best explanation was tbailey's. Blue cars are a "drivers" car and like to be driven straighter. They mostly WILL NOT go forward very well when driven too sideways but are VERY positive on the wheel and steer like gocart. Black cars, being the older style chassis are more a "throw and go" style car. They will go forward well from pretty much any angle and can be driven much harder, but don't seem to turn in and through the corner as well.

[supercomet32]

i prefer black front ends though i did try putting orange spindles on a black and a blue front not my cup of tea....but it was an experiement and not very successful back in black...why would you want acar you cant throw around lets you get rowdy and drive...thats me though i can do what i want in a blue car just seems i need the patience required though that isnt always what i find in my headspace on the track...so for me th eblack forn ends are th eway to go...i prefer the 03 or 05 cars but im in an 09 right now...i always prefer odd year cars btu thats just superstition....get in the black car throw a 604 in it run it in crate to get your feet wet adn when you can jump up to a oil tank dry sump system and a 430 do it and neve rlook back....any car can be fast given the right circu,mstnace driver and equip but if you use your head and dont get too far ahead of your understanding youll be fine...find a good shock builder you can work with i recommend Gary Winger but others can do the job make sure you get a couple sets so you have one in for repair rebuild and one on the car that is right....listen to what they tell you and be honest about what your trying to do going into the corner through the middle and off....make simple changes until you get th ehang of what they do and then figure out the mor ecomplicated aspects later...i will say the double spring setup may be up your alley but you have alot to learn so just go by th erocket book...get one form the beginning....also get your shop routine consistent right out the gate..hard to be consistant if your doing the different thing seach week...create a "pilot" checlist sort of deal an dmake sure you do it consistently....good luck and oh btw 101st here thanks for your service brother

[philthpill]

Thank You for all the help now time to find one.

[TUFFY]

I was once told that to simulate the blue front end "feel" on the black front end car, just raise the RF upper A arm 1" and it would drive into the turns much like blue front end car would.

Any truth to this? Has anyone else heard this or tried it?

[tbaileyjr]

I can't answer you question because we always went down 1 inch on control arm and ran it on a bump stop (black car) never tried a blue front that was going to be our next car before the doors closed

[Graff Spee]

The black front end with the rt. upper control arm inner mount moved up by one inch will give you the Blue front end! It is just a roll center change. The new spindle was developed so that mark Busch could sell people a product! Racers were just drilling holes and remounting the control arm before he changed the spindle! And yes he told me this himself! Call him if you want. He will explain the whole thing to you!

[jedclampit]

The black front end with the rt. upper control arm inner mount moved up by one inch will give you the Blue front end! It is just a roll center change. The new spindle was developed so that mark Busch could sell people a product! Racers were just drilling holes and remounting the control arm before he changed the spindle! And yes he told me this himself! Call him if you want. He will explain the whole thing to you!

Tell me more, never heard this before.

[andy16]

what about the lower left control arm being longer and differnt mounting position and the rack. ive nevr tried to mess w any of it but im always up for some info on it also

[Blaz18]

The black front end with the rt. upper control arm inner mount moved up by one inch will give you the Blue front end! It is just a roll center change. The new spindle was developed so that mark Busch could sell people a product! Racers were just drilling holes and remounting the control arm before he changed the spindle! And yes he told me this himself! Call him if you want. He will explain the whole thing to you!

If I had to guess, this moves the roll center to the same location? The spindles are not the same, different heights. As for the Orange vs Blue/Grey, the LF spindles are the same height, but from there, everything is different. Guranteed they will not come close to fitting into the same jig...Haven't compared the RF as I do not have a blue/grey to compare as of right now. All orange fronts built now have the holes for blue/grey and orange lowers on the rf. The orange front cars in western PA have quite a few wins.....and I know they have orange spindles on them.

[lrnvlFan1w]

If I had to guess, this moves the roll center to the same location? The spindles are not the same, different heights. As for the Orange vs Blue/Grey, the LF spindles are the same height, but from there, everything is different. Guranteed they will not come close to fitting into the same jig...Haven't compared the RF as I do not have a blue/grey to compare as of right now. All orange fronts built now have the holes for blue/grey and orange lowers on the rf. The orange front cars in western PA have quite a few wins.....and I know they have orange spindles on them.

Besides Stiles who's winning in Western PA with an orange rocket?

Satterlee bought an Orange and from what I have been told Robbie changed the front.

Pegher switched back.

Geisler has 1 win in his Orange? (I think) was at Lernerville and the track was heavy.

Flinner had 1 win in his Orange but the top 4 cars broke and he admitted in victory lane he was a 5th place car.

Force bought an orange and Geisler put it together for him but don't believe he has won yet.

Just curious it was my perception that pretty much no one likes the orange car.

[lovinlatemodels]

Besides Stiles who's winning in Western PA with an orange rocket?

Satterlee bought an Orange and from what I have been told Robbie changed the front.

Pegher switched back.

Geisler has 1 win in his Orange? (I think) was at Lernerville and the track was heavy.

Flinner had 1 win in his Orange but the top 4 cars broke and he admitted in victory lane he was a 5th place car.

Force bought an orange and Geisler put it together for him but don't believe he has won yet.

Just curious it was my perception that pretty much no one likes the orange car.

Maybe it's the color Rockets have Black, Blue, Blue/Grey, and now Orange. Time for a color change Has Green or Red been tried yet.

[lrnvlFan1w]

Maybe it's the color Rockets have Black, Blue, Blue/Grey, and now Orange. Time for a color change Has Green or Red been tried yet.

Personally think the blue front is the way to go. Seems to do well on a multitude of track types once you get it close.

[Rick24w]

I have ran a black front end for the first 5 yrs now into a blue/grey. My black car was top 5 pretty much every night last year. The harder you drove it the faster it went. Now with the new one I find you must back up your corner and be straight and it seems to be more of a momentum car. Our track is a slick stop and go so I'm having problems with side bite and no forward drive. But I also think it is my driving and running the brakes. Not sure at this point but I do kmow my girlfriend is telling me to sell it and get a black one again LOL. So I think it depends on what track you run and the conditions and tire rules will make a big difference we run D55 bricks.

[dylchris]

I agre with the previous post. You have to run the daylights out of the black front end cars. we have three of them and I wont change even though the driver and team want to. The driver drives way to deep for teh blue car and sdont know enough about the others.

[TRocket8]

I have ran a black front end for the first 5 yrs now into a blue/grey. My black car was top 5 pretty much every night last year. The harder you drove it the faster it went. Now with the new one I find you must back up your corner and be straight and it seems to be more of a momentum car. Our track is a slick stop and go so I'm having problems with side bite and no forward drive. But I also think it is my driving and running the brakes. Not sure at this point but I do kmow my girlfriend is telling me to sell it and get a black one again LOL. So I think it depends on what track you run and the conditions and tire rules will make a big difference we run D55 bricks.

Running on the 55s is a problem with blue front end cars. The blue cars like a soft tire on the RF to help them turn. I have an old black front end and it needs to be driven hard too, I love it because you can drive with a the tail out and it will still go forward.