small 1/4mile oval tips, transitioning from road racing

[rob burgoon]

Thanks Jim, I'll make the change in the offseason.

The season is done, for the last test day I played around with more rear steer and that seemed to make the car more controllable while sliding midcorner. Entered the last race of the season, race was fun, but the car got way too pushy on entry. I let the RF tire get too worn and that killed the car's ability to rotate I think. The track ended up semi-tacky. I'm bummed I didn't run a better RF tire since I think the setup was close to being somewhat viable.

More recently I made a model of the 4 bar suspension using pined paper and learned how the thing moves with different angles. Interesting stuff. I had no idea how much indexing increases when you point the lower bar lower to reduce rear steer.

[JustAddDirt]

Ron,
Looks like you have learned quite a bit from your test sessions.

[rob burgoon]

Getting there. One thing my dad picked out from a video is that my car's rear squirts out on throttle application more than anyone else's in the field, despite my short gearing and weak engine, even on fresh tires.

I was watching some videos of other mods on tracks elsewhere in the country and saw that out of the entire field, not a single car's RR moved appreciably within the wheel well. Comparing to my rear axle video, my car gets up on its RR noticeably.

For the next event I'm going to reduce the angle of the RR upper bar to reduce downforce and steer on the RR. My suspicion is that the balance between LR and RR is wrong when I get on the gas.

[rob burgoon]

6.2 is in the car, rev limiter raised to 6,200, removed a spacer from the RF just for fun. Was on 3 new tires and a used LF in very good shape. 0 stagger unfortunately, a tire wasn't holding air and had to change it last minute.

Engine didn't blow up. Seems like I'm on the limiter for most of the straight, but I think that's mostly wheelspin.

Includes warmup, race begins at 9:45

https://youtu.be/2FiC1SRAqIk

Seems like the LR comes up at 15% throttle, I *think* the RR comes up at 60-70% throttle. Gonna screw around with spacers and some stagger next time.

I suspect I'm tight on entry and mid.

[stock car driver]

I watched first few laps of your video, looks like too much gear to me now.

fyi when your on the chip like that your not gaining speed anymore so don't be scared to stay wide open and drive thru the corner. when the track is like the one you were on you should easily be able to flat foot it all the way around, theres plenty of cushion, moist dirt to help you turn. you were staying in the middle off the good of the track.

You could go in low like you were wide open and slide up to the cushion and arch the corner or just go in higher like the cars in front of you on the restart and arch the whole thing around.

Id only cut down to the bottom on a track like that if my gear was limiting me or I was passing cars.

[JustAddDirt]

rear end

Getting there. One thing my dad picked out from a video is that my car's rear squirts out on throttle application more than anyone else's in the field, despite my short gearing and weak engine, even on fresh tires.

I was watching some videos of other mods on tracks elsewhere in the country and saw that out of the entire field, not a single car's RR moved appreciably within the wheel well. Comparing to my rear axle video, my car gets up on its RR noticeably.

For the next event I'm going to reduce the angle of the RR upper bar to reduce downforce and steer on the RR. My suspicion is that the balance between LR and RR is wrong when I get on the gas.

You could also leave it like it is and limit up travel with a limiting chain like on the LR.
But if you have a lot of up angle, in top bar, that may be why the rear end squirts out on throttle. loading rr to quick

[rob burgoon]

You could also leave it like it is and limit up travel with a limiting chain like on the LR.
But if you have a lot of up angle, in top bar, that may be why the rear end squirts out on throttle. loading rr to quick

That's not a bad thought, chaining the RR, then you can dictate the final dynamic bite while on the gas hard.

In all conditions I believe the rear likes to squirt out if you gas it early and mid corner, but when the track has been watered better the rear seemed to take the power well on exit. I'm happy to try less RR upper bar, but I worry that will make the midcorner push worse and make the exit worse too since the RR coming up later means the rear steer stays around later in the corner.

[stock car driver]

rr chain only works on a smooth track it will make your car dump truck tight if theres moisture

[JustAddDirt]

chain

rr chain only works on a smooth track it will make your car dump truck tight if theres moisture

True, but mine are adjustable, so when track is wet I loosen chain up, as it slicks off It tighten it up. I have marks for the sweet spots on both lengths.

[powerslide]

how much difference between the two marks JAD?

[rob burgoon]

True, but mine are adjustable, so when track is wet I loosen chain up, as it slicks off It tighten it up. I have marks for the sweet spots on both lengths.

Looser RR chain means when on the gas hard, rear weights closer to equal, tighter RR chain means more LR bite (weight bias)?

Or is it just poor performance over bumps with a shorter chained RR when on the gas hard?

[JustAddDirt]

chin length

how much difference between the two marks JAD?

bout 1"
when track is slick I have very little slack, chassis will move up maybe a shade more than 1/8 before chain gets tight.

I loosen it up when track is rough/wet.

I have done it several ways:

1/2" X 5"bolt with a chain welded to it going down to rear end.
on chassis have a tube going threw frame rail, or welded to side of rail with a 1/2" ID (like a leftover piece of steering shaft tube) use a locknut on top to adjust up and down on threads of 1/2 bolt. I mark the bolt with the 2 heights with a piece of electric tape around the 1/2" bolt.

[JustAddDirt]

Looser RR chain means when on the gas hard, rear weights closer to equal, tighter RR chain means more LR bite (weight bias)?

Or is it just poor performance over bumps with a shorter chained RR when on the gas hard?

1. yes, essentially..When car climbs on bars on rr it is planting the RR tire harder.

2. when chained down on RR in rough/wet tire will not conform to bumps or run in track as well, and tends to hop the RR, because of no drop (rebound)
Also, when chained down it tries to plant the LR harder till it maxes out travel. (may cause push when throttle first applied, which is also about mid corner and it will shove nose up track)

One think you never want is a tight racecar with a crate motor.

[powerslide]

Thanks JAD we will give that a try sometime this season.

[stock car driver]

True, but mine are adjustable, so when track is wet I loosen chain up, as it slicks off It tighten it up. I have marks for the sweet spots on both lengths.

of course it is adjustable all of ours are adjustable. I used old school wrenches for a while on all thread but have this now.. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Wehrs-...CA,112640.html much easier to just pull the pin when you need to adjust the drop or adjust bars and need the spring unloaded...

for the track he was on it would be junk tightened up on rr