On a doorcar, where do you guys place your air bladder for travel?

I do not see a need for an air bladder on door car or an Altered. I do use one on my front engine dragster.

quote:

Originally posted by Curly1:
I do not see a need for an air bladder on door car or an Altered. I do use one on my front engine dragster.

Tow a moderately expensive door car a few hundred miles, drop the ramp door and grab ahold of those several thousand dollar shocks...….

A bladder is less than 300 bucks.

quote:

Originally posted by Mitch H:


Tow a moderately expensive door car a few hundred miles, drop the ramp door and grab ahold of those several thousand dollar shocks...….

Dave Morgan covered this topic in his chassis book many years ago. Doesn't matter how much the shocks cost, they all get hot if you don't do something to limit the suspension travel when towing.

When we ran a door car, we would take the shocks off and replace them with properly cut pieces of tube. Ed says you don't need anything.

We don't use anything on the open wheel cars because the shocks spend more time on the UPS truck than they do on the sprint cars.

Under the 4 link cross member and under the front cross membe/"K" at the front.

I have a question, how hot do the shocks get on your tow truck? Wouldn't they get hotter than the shocks on the race car? Aren't shocks MADE to go up and down? Just a thought.

Define door car... Stock chassis, back halved, or full chassis as is the OP's. A stock and back halved chassis doesn't need an air bladder, a chassis car is debatable. I know racers that have never used an air bladder and I know others that would never go down the road without. I have an air bladder under my dragster when it's on the floor and none when it's in the air under my door car.

That said, I've been trailing my race cars for 20 years and I have never tied my cars down in an attempt to compress my shock and keep them from heating up which I'm not and they aren't.

So Ed why when dragster on floor but not when in air

I have towed long distance and checked shocks on my car when I got there and not hot at all. So on my car I would say putting a bladder under it is a total waste of time, effort and money. Your mileage may vary. If you think it helps and makes you feel better feel free to do it. If that is the case I would put it under the midplate.

Now I do think all front engine dragsters and the older hardtails should have an air bladder when towing because they flex a lot. They were designed to flex to get them to hook. The four link dragsters are stiffer chassis and may not need the bladder as much? Still think it is a good idea on a four link dragster but really believe it is mandatory on a front engine dragster like mine.

quote:

Originally posted by Top355x:
So Ed why when dragster on floor but not when in air

I don't see the need and confirmed with friends and competitors who's trailer is setup as mine to tow a dragster and door car.

So how do you tow right now with nose up in the air and firebird pulled under it

yes

For your typical door cars, don't see the need to use one but using one wouldn't hurt. Depending on the miles towed and road conditions, along with the trailer being used, some benefit to the shocks can be had by using one.

I would say there isn't a prostock deal out there that doesn't secure the chassis down and remove the shocks they use on race day, but we are talking Prostock here.

Suspending any dragster, just as towing on the floor, it should be supported from flexing during towing. In Ed's case, looks too tight to do so but what to do expect from Just Another White Trailer anyway. I am sure many don't support then when suspended. Not a big deal until it breaks....

Actually, I have room in front of the Firebird to support the dragster but have no need to.

quote:

Originally posted by Cashflow:
I have a question, how hot do the shocks get on your tow truck? Wouldn't they get hotter than the shocks on the race car? Aren't shocks MADE to go up and down? Just a thought.

Try sitting in your racecar, in the trailer running down the road for 100 miles. You'll think differently.

I use one on my car, just forward of the driver's compartment, but it's to keep the car from shifting over into my quad that I park in front of and next to it. Without it, the front wheels will lay over to that side and takes the front of the car with it. With the bladder, the nose stays put. I don't have room for guided tire chocks.

quote:

Try sitting in your racecar, in the trailer running down the road for 100 miles. You'll think differently.

A temp gun pointed at your race car's shock body before driving down the road and again when you pit, quickly dispels the myth, rumor and hearsay.

OK, I did not mean to start a mild argument with this question.

While my trailer is not very nice, or expensive, I don't think it rides particularly rough because I just sit stuff on the countertop/work benchs and it is all still sitting there when I get to where I am going. Plus, I drive smoothly all the time.

Two reasons why I am going with air bladders....

1. My shock guy rebuilt my shocks last winter before the 2019 season. I asked him how they looked when I picked them up. I was told that he was kind of surprised at the wear with only 78 runs on the brand new shocks. When I asked him if I should be tying down the suspension, he was startled that I did not already do that.

2. After that conversation I asked a good racing buddy of mine if I should use bladders under the car. He told me that he would absolutely not tow a car like mine anywhere without using them.

The shock guy builds shocks for drag, dirt, and asphalt cars all over the world. My racing buddy has run his own pro mod for longer than I can remember.

I figure that a couple of air bags cost less than 600 bucks. A new set of penskes in the back and adjustable struts up front cost a lot more.

quote:

Originally posted by Mitch H:
OK, I did not mean to start a mild argument with this question.

While my trailer is not very nice, or expensive, I don't think it rides particularly rough because I just sit stuff on the countertop/work benchs and it is all still sitting there when I get to where I am going. .

I guess it would be okay if your car is setting in front of the axles. Ever ride in the back seat of a long bus? You can't have compression without causing heat. It's just physics.

Anything on here will be an arguement since Ed's back.