I'm fighting an issue with my dragster eating front tires like crazy on one of our cars. Undercover made this particular one with a narrower front end than most and the rack is positioned differently than my other cars. This car turns sharp as heck and the tires lay way over compared to others. Seems to me the tires are scrubbing more than rolling when you drive it around off the race track turning like in the pits and return road. I was told by somebody to maybe try limiting the amount of travel by installing limiters on the inner tie rods. Anybody heard of this and know where one could find these?

Or I'm open to other suggestions. It's not the toe-in causing it. It just flat scrubs the tires diagonally and they are junk in less than a year.

Inherent problem with the narrow front end cars/cars which the tie rods are not straight 2010-2014 IIRC.

Two fixes…

1. Run Goodyear front runners which is what I do.

2. Buy the kit I’ve been told fixes it.

Same problem here and I’ve tried all the tires an don’t see any difference on these ruff azzz tracks I run on

Really dumb I'm sure. But what about just not turning the wheel as far?

Don't know if my car has what your calling a narrow front end or not. I have always ran the Goodyear tire on my 2011 Undercover that I bought in late 2013 as a brand new roller. After wearing out 2 sets quickly I checked and adjusted the tow in. The current set is on the 3rd season. But of course I don't make as many runs a year like a bracket car does anymore.

Has the car always eaten tires? Reason i ask is, myself and several other guys with 2017 and newer dragsgters have already been through 2 sets of tires, both hoosier and mickeys, wearing them down to cords in 150 passes or less.

quote:

Originally posted by 329L:
Has the car always eaten tires? Reason i ask is, myself and several other guys with 2017 and newer dragsgters have already been through 2 sets of tires, both hoosier and mickeys, wearing them down to cords in 150 passes or less.

that's a good point. Although it did wear out tires faster than my other cars it has gotten worse last year and this year.

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:


2. Buy the kit I’ve been told fixes it.

What is this kit you speak of?

and update..... spoke with Bill @ Elite. problem is all the narrow front end cars. The tires push and scrub while turning, especially off the track at the big end where you have more speed. Limiting turning won't help he says. Short of cutting the front end up he says put goodyears on it. Has guys getting 2 yrs plus out of them.
Now to find a set of goodyears. Where the heck do you even buy goodyear tires! lol

I have a narrow front end car built by Dan Page, I do not have this issue and neither do the other racers with these cars. So it's either a front end geometry issue or maybe you have too much toe in...

I have close to 400 runs on my MT front tires and still going...

quote:

Originally posted by sc4087:
and update..... spoke with Bill @ Elite. problem is all the narrow front end cars. The tires push and scrub while turning, especially off the track at the big end where you have more speed. Limiting turning won't help he says. Short of cutting the front end up he says put goodyears on it. Has guys getting 2 yrs plus out of them.

As I stated and I am one of them getting 2 seasons and about 300 passes on a set. New set just went on at Indy 2 weeks ago.

quote:

Originally posted by sc4087:

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:


2. Buy the kit I’ve been told fixes it.

What is this kit you speak of?

Kit is fab by Bill Maroun aka RPD Engines in PA. Howie Smith here can get you a kit.

Ackerman Angle problem

Go karts had similar problems....

Tires skid sideways when turned and scuff the tires...

In the karting days.Ackerman issue was the norm.
Doesn't matter who made the chassis. Now on my Neils/Parks car. Smooth rolling. No flop or scuff at all. 12 years and only 3 sets of GY steers.

Only maint was re bushed the spindles and toe.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: TD3550,

We played with a Kart here at work

It refused to turn without sliding the tires

We tried heating and bending things and made next to no progress

Only way I could race it around the block was to ride the brake so hard it wore them out very quickly

A kingpin type rigid front end is tough to design right I think

My Racetech never wears out front tires

I change them because I feel guilty and want to waste some money

Put a new set of M/T’s on last winter and all I’ll say is that was not fun and I should have left the old ones on there till they were ragged !

Read up on Ackerman Angle and you’ll see it’s complicated

A dragster shouldn’t really be having issues but obviously the narrow front end is causing complications

What do I know I’m just a generator repair/service slave

I wonder if it also had something to do with having a 40 to 50 pound battery right there

quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:
We played with a Kart here at work

It refused to turn without sliding the tires

We tried heating and bending things and made next to no progress

Only way I could race it around the block was to ride the brake so hard it wore them out very quickly

A kingpin type rigid front end is tough to design right I think

My Racetech never wears out front tires

I change them because I feel guilty and want to waste some money

Put a new set of M/T’s on last winter and all I’ll say is that was not fun and I should have left the old ones on there till they were ragged !

Read up on Ackerman Angle and you’ll see it’s complicated

A dragster shouldn’t really be having issues but obviously the narrow front end is causing complications

What do I know I’m just a generator repair/service slave

Either of the two karts i have at the shop now, If you crank the steering to say the left. the RF tire/whee wants to leave the ground. We always had to spec the steers with proper tire sizing right and or left. And specific PSI. a lot of work.Always carried about 10 new hides.

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:

Kit is fab by Bill Maroun aka RPD Engines in PA. Howie Smith here can get you a kit.

quick google search nets me nothing. Who is RPD engines or this Howie Smith you speak of? I'd like to see what they got.

quote:

Originally posted by sc4087:
and update..... spoke with Bill @ Elite. problem is all the narrow front end cars. The tires push and scrub while turning, especially off the track at the big end where you have more speed. Limiting turning won't help he says. Short of cutting the front end up he says put goodyears on it. Has guys getting 2 yrs plus out of them

Problem is this….you can’t change the track widths around and use the same steering arms on all variations of tracking widths. If your chassis builder indicates cutting up the front end is the only fix…..change chassis builders. They either don’t understand geometry or the component source who builds their steering components don’t offer the correct steering arm tie rod mounting location (length/offset) for the track width choice. Don’t know anything about Bill or Elite and not trying to criticize them, but its not all that complicated.

Keep in mind that Steering Axis Inclination and Ackerman Angle are two separate dynamics…..when both are right the steer tires will rot out before they wear out on a drag car……unless you take a ride like
I did two weeks ago as I discovered in a very undesirable way that you can kill all four tires in one run

quote:

Originally posted by Jerry Kathe:


Problem is this….you can’t change the track widths around and use the same steering arms on all variations of tracking widths.

SPOT ON!

quote:

Originally posted by sc4087:

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:

Kit is fab by Bill Maroun aka RPD Engines in PA. Howie Smith here can get you a kit.

quick google search nets me nothing. Who is RPD engines or this Howie Smith you speak of? I'd like to see what they got.

Raceproductdevelopment.com

I don’t know him but he builds some very good engines and makes some real nice mounting plates and other items.

Bill Maroun and I think he’s in Pa.