Dragster alignment

July 07, 2022, 10:27 AM

Bucky

Dragster alignment

I can’t remember asking this here: we have an S&W soft tail dragster for my son.
Pushing it around on flat ground the wheel will turn right. Quite a bit. Rear end is centered and straight. Car strings straight. Rack snd steering are straight and centered. Wheels/tires are straight and have just a little toe in.
Seems like all the normal stuff checks out. It pulls a little going down the track. Nothing looks odd looking at the car

Foxtrot Juliet Bravo

July 07, 2022, 03:35 PM

Top355x

Everything said above I would also check the rod ends that make up the tie rods and if the steering shafts have any u joints might want to peek at those as well

July 07, 2022, 03:59 PM

imakehp

quote:
Originally posted by 183N:
Measure the rollout of the rear tires - is one larger than the other?

The issue 99.9% of the time.

July 07, 2022, 04:00 PM

Bucky

No ujoints in the steering. Tie rods are not at all loose. 1/16 or so toe. I have not measured the roll out. But these tires came off my other dragster, which had no issue with this. i gotta say it's a head scratcher.

Foxtrot Juliet Bravo

July 07, 2022, 04:31 PM

Big Steve

Try a bit more toe in, I have a friend that her dragster front would always hunt going down the track, change toe in to 1/8 per side, 1/4 total and the car goes straight down the groove now and no tire scrubbing. That little change made it a whole different car to drive.
Be worth a try, its free

July 07, 2022, 04:58 PM

Big Steve

If a simple toe adjustment does not help, since it a 4 link car you could always add some rear steer to the rear end housing. When I first switched mine to top dragster the faster I went the more the car wanted to go left in the middle of the track, rear steer cured that once I moved the housing the correct way as I was looking at it all wrong at first.

July 07, 2022, 06:36 PM

pentastarrail

Does it have any front end stagger.
If so, you may need a little more toe in.

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July 07, 2022, 07:57 PM

Bucky

Rollout within 1/4". It's just weird that even pushing it in the lanes, it will pull right. No stagger. I could stick a little more stagger in it. When I bought the car, the front tires were worn. I have a feeling that the PO had the same issue, and used more toe in.

Foxtrot Juliet Bravo

honesty is the best policy,insanity is a better deffense
1.036, 6.16@ 224

July 07, 2022, 09:12 PM

Bucky

quote:
Originally posted by rusty:
what about anti roll measurements

What do you mean?

Foxtrot Juliet Bravo

July 07, 2022, 09:23 PM

rusty

is it possible there is enough preload on the antiroll to make it walk a little bit in a distance

honesty is the best policy,insanity is a better deffense
1.036, 6.16@ 224

July 08, 2022, 05:22 AM

bry-war

If the left spindle is slightly lower or a significant amount of weight bias than the than the right it would push to the right due to caster.

July 08, 2022, 07:09 AM

Curly1

I would try swapping front wheels and see if that changes anything and makes it go left.

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Foxtrot Juliet Bravo

July 08, 2022, 08:54 AM

CURTIS REED

quote:
Originally posted by bry-war:
If the left spindle is slightly lower or a significant amount of weight bias than the than the right it would push to the right due to caster.

Caster was my first thought.

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