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Moving ballast, which is better?
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DRR Pro
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Hopefully I find some scales, then I will try springs. Looks like the rear is getting hit pretty good, softer springs would allow more movement?


www.trailertoad.com designed by racers for racers.

 
Posts: 1243 | Location: Janesville, IA | Registered: December 21, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR S/Pro
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quote:
Originally posted by Toad1:
Hopefully I find some scales, then I will try springs. Looks like the rear is getting hit pretty good, softer springs would allow more movement?


No, the shocks control the rate of movement (when valved correctly) which also impacts how much movement will take place. The springs store energy and then release it during extension.
 
Posts: 2163 | Location: Tewksbury, MA,USA | Registered: November 03, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Top Comp
Picture of wideopen231
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Can not tell first thing about suspension, have not had one since 1988. I will agree that if you are using weight to make car work. It only makes sense that correcting the issue and removing the weight would be best. Plus with removing that much weight car would pick up twice one suspension and two lot less weight.




America home of free. Brought to you by 2nd amendment.
 
Posts: 4547 | Location: Greensboro NC | Registered: May 24, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Elite
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quote:
Originally posted October 07, 2021 05:37 PM by Toad1:
I have been running this for about 200 runs, been pretty good but seems to have gotten "tighter" for lack of a better description. 60s are a few hundreths worse and not consistent. New tires did nothing. Left front comes up about 3" higher than right. Rear seems very rigid, front is pretty loose. Cant find any binding on four link.
It weighs 3300 with driver and is close to 1650 front and 1600-1650 rear with 150 lbs ballast.
406 glide, 4.86. running 6.50s.


quote:
Originally posted October 15, 2021 08:19 AM by Toad1:
The season ended but basically I found a few things before storing it for winter. I think the conclusion after talking to a couple full time chassis guys and shock guys... I have four bad shocks. The front springs are junk. inch shorter than when I put them in and the bottom is "bent" when they are removed. They were 250 lb. I put 300-lb on.
Rear springs are 125# and I got a set of 110# to try next season.

Shocks are QA1 double adjustable.
Truck is about 1700 on front with driver and 1550-1600 rear and is carrying 150 lbs bolted to rear frame back by bumper.
 
Posts: 13522 | Location: NJ | Registered: August 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
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Ed,
Since October I think the chassis guys telling me QA1 are bad are not normally dealing with cars as slow as mine.
I hope the converter is one of the main remedies but I think the 150 lbs is coming out to start with.
If I can get some scales that might help as I have a heck of time getting the truck to sit level with driver in it.

Appreciate everyones input.


www.trailertoad.com designed by racers for racers.

 
Posts: 1243 | Location: Janesville, IA | Registered: December 21, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Sportsman
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Toad1, side to side level or front to back level?
 
Posts: 701 | Location: At the beach | Registered: August 05, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Sportsman
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quote:
Originally posted by Toad1:
I hope this works to see a video.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/66f9Ho7WP-Y


Video works. I assume you don’t have an anti roll?
 
Posts: 883 | Location: Georgia | Registered: May 09, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post



DRR Pro
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I did not have it attached on that video. We tried it for a couple races and it made the truck almost rigid and 60' varied a lot more. I was surprised as it looks like it really needs one. Still on there but the links are not hooked up.
As for the question on getting it level, front to rear was good but side to side problem I think was a set of front springs that just gave up. Took them out and they were not close in height. Ended up having right front spring cranked up 1-1/2"-2" more.
Thinking the TRZ A-arms and regular coil-overs would have been better choice than the QA1 Pro system with the tapered coil spring and urethane mounted coil overs. It was just budget concerns and I think it bit me. Truck was awesome the first 150+ runs but got goofy at the end of the year.


www.trailertoad.com designed by racers for racers.

 
Posts: 1243 | Location: Janesville, IA | Registered: December 21, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Elite
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Jok, I don’t know how this truck could ever have been working “awesome” your definition is clearly very different than mine, when the truth is it’s AFU…wrong springs, junk shocks, 4 link setup unknown, never been scaled and you needed to add a 150 lb. bandaid to go get it down the track.
 
Posts: 13522 | Location: NJ | Registered: August 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Sportsman
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quote:
Originally posted by Toad1:
I did not have it attached on that video. We tried it for a couple races and it made the truck almost rigid and 60' varied a lot more. I was surprised as it looks like it really needs one. Still on there but the links are not hooked up.
As for the question on getting it level, front to rear was good but side to side problem I think was a set of front springs that just gave up. Took them out and they were not close in height. Ended up having right front spring cranked up 1-1/2"-2" more.
Thinking the TRZ A-arms and regular coil-overs would have been better choice than the QA1 Pro system with the tapered coil spring and urethane mounted coil overs. It was just budget concerns and I think it bit me. Truck was awesome the first 150+ runs but got goofy at the end of the year.


See if you can’t get pictures of current 4 link setup.

Remove weight

Put anti roll back on

Have the car scaled and 4 link adjusted by chassis shop

Call Shane at competitive suspension and get front shocks and rear shocks ordered. Having car scaled will give him info he needs


Put car back on scales. If shocks on it are currently messed up and different heights then you may need some more minor adjustments on the scale with new shocks

Yes it’s money, but that’s the quickest way to get it right
 
Posts: 883 | Location: Georgia | Registered: May 09, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Elite
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This^^^ the car was never setup correctly.

Jok, it’s not hard to achieve the “awesome” display of perfection in motion of my Firebird with your S10, all that is required is scales, a tape measure, a digital angle finder, the right springs, shocks and a few hours time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...N8w&feature=youtu.be

and here's my friend's 427 small block S10 back about 7 years ago.

 
Posts: 13522 | Location: NJ | Registered: August 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Trophy
Picture of NC3x58
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If you are looking for a set of shocks to get the truck going in a better direction, I would give Competitive Suspension a call for sure. Shane and those guys can 100% get you steered in the correct direction.


Nick Craig

1971 Camaro Split Bumper
376ci LS3
 
Posts: 410 | Location: Ohio | Registered: December 28, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Top Comp
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quote:
Originally posted by 1320racer:
talk about what you know, not what you think you know! I'll put my knowledge and skills setting up a race car chassis against yours anyday of the week!


You're off to a bad start, unless you can explain how front to back weight percentages are a band aid, as you've stated in this thread.
 
Posts: 9398 | Location: Madeira Beach Fl. | Registered: June 12, 2018Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Elite
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your words not mine retard. The bandaid is bolting 150 lbs. in the car to hook and go straight down the track.

stick to the street/strip junk you turn wrenches on, installing 80s technology for the local naive and clueless.
 
Posts: 13522 | Location: NJ | Registered: August 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post



DRR Pro
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Ed,
It wasn't perfect but it got me to the finals of a $10K and two other final rounds as well as about 70 other round wins. It Fell off later in season and got to where it dropped .02-.03 sometimes.

I didn't buy a working pro-built chassis like a lot of people do, I built it from frame up and paid for about 1/3 of the truck in the first season racing it. I will get it better and appreciate everyone's input.


www.trailertoad.com designed by racers for racers.

 
Posts: 1243 | Location: Janesville, IA | Registered: December 21, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Elite
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Jok, this isn’t about wins or checks, if you want to make it about that, I ain’t skeered, I’ve got the wins, Wallys and checks. Further, theres alot of junk that wins because the driver has skills or at least more skills than the rest of the ducks at his local pond.

That said, you asked for help and I offered first hand experience having set up multiple cars, If you follow my advice your truck will work better than it ever has and you will run quicker and faster because it will be 150lbs. lighter.

Oh and FYI, I built this car from the frame up…

https://youtu.be/rbKYio6OvKM
 
Posts: 13522 | Location: NJ | Registered: August 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Trophy
Picture of NC3x58
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Ed, after reading through and looking at your scale pictures.. You have 100lbs preloaded into the RR (passenger rear) tire, correct? What kind of suspension does that car have?

I always thought the rule of thumb was 75-100lbs more weight on the LR (driver rear) so that when the car launches and the engine torque tends to rotate the car so that it equals out the weight at launch and it goes straight. Not trying to question what you have done, its obvious when watching that car leaves it has been tuned very well but also trying to learn and understand.

For reference our 71 camaro ladder bar car weighs 2800lbs starting line weight (aluminum block LS), and is 50/50 with the front corners being equal, and rear having 70lbs more on the LR tire.


Nick Craig

1971 Camaro Split Bumper
376ci LS3
 
Posts: 410 | Location: Ohio | Registered: December 28, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Elite
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69lbs., you thought wrong and it’s a 4 link
 
Posts: 13522 | Location: NJ | Registered: August 20, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Trophy
Picture of NC3x58
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quote:
Originally posted by 1320racer:
69lbs., you thought wrong and it’s a 4 link


My bad on the number.. lol

Care to explain a little more? Like I said, I'm interested in actually understanding the reasoning behind either choice.


Nick Craig

1971 Camaro Split Bumper
376ci LS3
 
Posts: 410 | Location: Ohio | Registered: December 28, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
DRR Pro
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Hey Ed, no issues with you or the advice.

You probably don't want to compare wins and Wallys with me but that's fine. Our track is anything but a duck pond, it is a Snake Pit. SFG race is 3-$25K, 2- $11K, 3-$7K, 6-$5K and I doubt competition can get any tougher. Most good bracket tracks are similar across the nation. Put up the money and the guys who lay down solid packages all day show up. Cedar Falls Motorsports Park is a Tough place to win which is a compliment to those that race there.

You have a couple nice cars, like thousands of other ones. Same for my S10, it's just a truck with a 71 year-old driver trying to turn on win lights, so far, so good. If the truck gets better the stripe gets more predictable.

Sure didn't mean to put down your cars or knowledge but sometimes I am misunderstood. Maybe we meet someday, who knows, I might have a couple years left doing this crazy stuff.

Jok


www.trailertoad.com designed by racers for racers.

 
Posts: 1243 | Location: Janesville, IA | Registered: December 21, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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