a chassis worn out when.....

[dirtracr33]

we have an 09 car...car was really good for about three years..now we are really chasing our tail on setups and have really dropped off running up front...car still scales out good week to week, not way off..just looking for some thoughts thx

[Dirtrunner35]

Are your times getting slower or everyone else getting faster ?

[Anonymous24]

A chassis is worn out when the welds start to fracture do to chassis flex. Steel can become fatigued, and once it does, it tends to twist and distort its original shape.

[buzz51]

A chassis is worn out when the welds start to fracture do to chassis flex. Steel can become fatigued, and once it does, it tends to twist and distort its original shape.

years ago we had a car and noticed numbers would change on scales weekly even after new springs, after a few trips on the scales it became clear that there was flex and car had to go.

[Krooser]

I car that's based on a good strong chassis will last a long time. I've seen LM's that were so flexible that they could only be run a few races before their lap times started to increase. I saw a fresh car at the '83 World 100 that was built with 1" tubing at a time where the main rails of most cars was 4X4 .095. This car was wicked fast for 15 laps than started to flex so bad they couldn't get any spring combo to work. The driver, one of the hot shoes of the day, went back to his regular car for the main…

Too many times a car is discarded when the frame is bent and the car never sees a jig… some times the driver struggles when every part is old and worn and the car lacks consistency. Nothing wrong with the chassis… or maybe it was built so light that that it's life span is very limited.

I'd sooner have a chassis that's a little heavier to start with. They tend to be good a long time. Getting the car on a jig after a big crash never hurts. Of course sometimes a little 'tweak' from an accident makes the car even better...

[save the racers]

Yep, many a car has been clipped then gotten faster. Ive seen cars flipped and you can clearly see the front down bars and clip and twisted and we just raced it and didnt seem to effect how it ran. Another car winning races and a consistent top 3 car at late model regional races even when it started tearing the mounts out.

OP look hard for cracks in the frame. Maybe call rocket and ask where is the most common place for it to crack. Powder coat hides cracks.