2016 and 2017 XR1 setup help

[bmchone]

We are lacking side bite.. We run crates.. We run Hoosiers 1350 with 1600 on RR per rules. Car has no side bite hardly.. We run the rocket shock package that came with car from rocket. Just frustrated..lol.. Have lowered RR bars which has helped, but car still wants to kick out from center off.. Track is dry slick mostly during feature.. 54% left, 52-53%rear.. Around 120 bite.. Thanks

[Matt49]

We are lacking side bite.. We run crates.. We run Hoosiers 1350 with 1600 on RR per rules. Car has no side bite hardly.. We run the rocket shock package that came with car from rocket. Just frustrated..lol.. Have lowered RR bars which has helped, but car still wants to kick out from center off.. Track is dry slick mostly during feature.. 54% left, 52-53%rear.. Around 120 bite.. Thanks

When it's "kicking out" in the center, are you on or off the gas?

[CCHIEF]

That's a switch, most XR1 crate cars are too tight in...... or maybe that's the problem??

[bmchone]

Car turns in good with barely any braking at all.. Get back on the throttle and car rotates well but continue to rotate too much. I've tried lowering both Right Top and bottom rods. Has help a little but not very much. Maybe take some roll steer out by shortening them 1/4 inch or so. But just doesn't feel stable from center off. Just see them drive off.. Even messed with rebound and compression in RF and LR.. Rocket said to take 4 rounds out of RR.. didn't help either.. Thanks

[Matt49]

To CCHIEF's point, be sure that the driver isn't forcing the car to rotate with the gas. It should turn the center without any throttle. If the gas is required to make the car turn the center, you will never have any forward bite to get off the corner.
You might try lowering your bottom left rod on the frame side. This will take out rear steer and add indexing which will tighten you getting off the corner. If that makes the problem worse, you're dealing with a car that is actually too tight (see driver issue above and don't lie to yourself if it's you...I fought this problem for years)
Other than that 52% rear is low to me, especially on a hard tire. I guess I would go with what Rocket recommends but it sounds like you're already second guessing that.
Based on what you're describing and your current numbers, I would say you would benefit from more rear weight. Keep adding until corner entry gets tight and then go up a little on left side. I think that's where you might find a better balance.

[lindsey97]

Sounds like the same issue I have had with the car I have been running last few years. Seems good when there's traction, rotates and drives off??? Couple of things to think about. What is your pinion angle and what is your height of lead? I think you have the side bite you need, I think you might too much weight transfer so that it pulls the left rear up some, and then not having enough pinion angle to put weight back on the rear when getting back in the gas lets the RR drive harder than LR. Sitting here looking at picture of mine in the middle of the corner, RR and RF tires are flat on the bottom. I know it has side bite but when getting in the throttle it seems loose. Too much drive in RR may be some of your issue.

[bmchone]

Ok.. Thanks guys.. I make some of these adjustments and see where it leads..

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Sounds like the same issue I have had with the car I have been running last few years. Seems good when there's traction, rotates and drives off??? Couple of things to think about. What is your pinion angle and what is your height of lead? I think you have the side bite you need, I think you might too much weight transfer so that it pulls the left rear up some, and then not having enough pinion angle to put weight back on the rear when getting back in the gas lets the RR drive harder than LR. Sitting here looking at picture of mine in the middle of the corner, RR and RF tires are flat on the bottom. I know it has side bite but when getting in the throttle it seems loose. Too much drive in RR may be some of your issue.

Pinion angle prevents u joint damage. It does not make traction.

[TitaniumCrate]

Rocket says don't touch it. The car is fine. If you move anything you are going to make it worse. They engineered it so you don't have to.

[bmchone]

Yeah that's pretty much what was said... be nice if we didn't have to touch it.. but car can't handle the same in tacky vs dry slick.. We have found couple things that has woke the car up and now we are really really fast.. Winning races etc. but yea, rocket says don't touch it and honestly we have done only minimal changes and like I said, its a total different car..

[Matt49]

Is this really how Rocket is treating their customers? Don't move anything, it's fine, etc.
I'd be asking why all of thoses holes are drilled in the 4-bar brackets and why I have adjustable j-bar mounts on both sides of the j-bar on the roller that I paid $30K+ for....
Am I missing something or is there a running joke here that I'm missing ???

[7uptruckracer]

I kinda hear the same from most the big guys now they have a certain roll steer that works and they don't touch it just move lead.... who knows....the XR1 isn't being as dominant as i thought its good yes but its not like a new awakening

[bmchone]

Matt49.. I totally agree.. Its crazy.. I mean you have a plethora of changes on the car but they say don't mess with the bars etc.. Im like really?? Why are they there for then? But we have made changes cause we weren't running as well as we should be.. and yes, ive been pretty disappointed in the car as far as how it suppose to be the next best thing along with the longhorns.. but we have stumbled on few things and car is faster and winning now.. Just not what I expected with the $35K car..

[fastford]

Is this really how Rocket is treating their customers? Don't move anything, it's fine, etc.
I'd be asking why all of thoses holes are drilled in the 4-bar brackets and why I have adjustable j-bar mounts on both sides of the j-bar on the roller that I paid $30K+ for....
Am I missing something or is there a running joke here that I'm missing ???

you are right matt, the joke is, they only care about selling cars to the average joe , not helping them. If i were you BMCHONE , i would go to a race where there house car is racing and tell Mr. richards you want to take a look at there car and be sure there car is on the recommended base line they are telling you to run, then you will know the truth.

[7uptruckracer]

Remember last time someone tried to look under their car lol

[manwplan]

Everyone knows you just buy an XR1 and the wins come. In all seriousness you're not supposed to adjust them however every article I read on DoD when they interview Richard's he mentions about different setups for different situations. In particular he mentions having to run a completely different setup at Eldora on ungrooved tires, vs grooved tires, vs open tires. It's just funny because most of us know not adjusting the car is stupid but they have the general population convinced that is how it works.

[mickley.28]

My XR1 is very fast when the track has allot of traction but as soon as the traction goes away so does my car and I cannot seam to figure it out. Rocket tells me the same thing.... don't touch it. I always qualify top 5, run up front in heat races but can't hang when the track slicks off.

[CCHIEF]

Call and talk to Steve Baker. Or use common sense approach to get/keep roll in/into car when traction is lessened.

[fastford]

i was caught up in this same theory once also, "the chassis builder knows best , so do as they say and dont touch it ", then an older driver once told me, " i put the same basic setup on every chassis i get for where i race and go from there" . He won races in every chassis he used . At this time we were really just getting started and went from a top 5 car with our old used chassis to the rear with new one on manufacturers recommended set up , and they told me the same ole sh!t , "it must be you" , we started over with what had worked best for us on older chassis and ran 3rd first night out . Point is, that base line they give you is just that, a base line, if you dont learn to change things , you will stay right where you are, there not gone sell you wins, JMO

[rakracing]

the team I used to drive for used the rocket setup box like the word of god and would not change, some nights good most just average, the team I run for now the car was bought from a woo driver and the shock spring setup and suspension tricks are still done by him, he says that if your in there box your out to lunch, 7 wins in 12 races tells me he maybe on to something.