Group
This thread has been very interesting and important. Good handling cars
seem to have the right combination of front to rear weight distribution, the
right ratio of wheelbase to track width, slow enough steering to avoid
over-correcting, and sufficient weight on the driving wheels (either aero or
lead weight) to prevent wheel spin. Rounded cars have aero unloading
problems under certain conditions, including the sideways condition. Every
body style is different and is governed by a different set of physical and
SCTA rules. We have heard a variety of opinions of what is good and bad.
I wonder how many bad situations were actually initiated by wheelspin. The
salt is wet and slippery. The literature gives the coefficient of friction
at a number just above ice. Most sprung rear ends will have the torque
reaction of pushing down on the left rear and sideways she goes if the
wheels are spinning.
This last August I could only nurse my XXF/BSTR to a best of 157 MPH because
of wheelspin. Being sideways at that speed did not seem like fun. We took
the blower off the ARDUN and with no other changes went a best of 155 with
no problems and a very comfortable, straight run. I had only 150 pounds
ballast on an otherwise fairly light car (1865 pounds). Many racers with
roadsters and other bricks have told me they have 500 or 1000 pounds of
ballast. Al Teague is rumored to carry 1100 pounds of lead on the bottom of
his car, even though it is far from a brick.
Every car is different, and ARDUN Doug is right. Only carry as much ballast
as you need. When the rear is fishing around your car could be telling you
it needs more ballast.
Dave the Hayseed
What
----- Original Message -----
From: Cris Shearer <cshearer@tacisp.com>
To: Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net>
Cc: <FastmetalBDF@aol.com>; <lsr_man@yahoo.com>;
<landspeedracer@email.msn.com>; <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: Maxton Ballast & Spinning Wheels
I just wanted to add a few words of my own to Keith's statement.
And to love life, you've got to take yourself to a higher level of living.
.....Keep you energy focused and free. Be your authentic self, listen
actively,
focus on how you want to feel, & accept change. Change happens not by
trying to
make yourself change, but by becoming conscious of what's NOT working.
Cris,
(received a flash of wisdom that I wanted to pass on)
Keith Turk wrote:
> and to love life you gotta love to learn....
>
> Keith ( I wish I had Darrels hp problems.... )
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: FastmetalBDF@aol.com
> To: kturk@ala.net ; lsr_man@yahoo.com ; landspeedracer@email.msn.com ;
> land-speed@autox.team.net
> Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001 7:55 PM
> Subject: Re: Maxton Ballast & Spinning Wheels
>
> Keith, As far as Maxton is concerned, I agree with Doug King
that
> Dick J may be able to get away with little or no ballast at all ...... I
was
> just
> talking about ballast IF it was needed . One BIG variable that HAS
to be
> factored in here is the amount of HORSEPOWER we are talking about in
> any car we' re discussing . Darrell simply did NOT have enough weight
in
> our car anywhere on the course ...... BRICKS obviously resist being
pushed
> through the air, and the torque reaches a point where the tires start to
> lose
> their respectful grip on the salt, so it has to be a balancing act on
how
> much ballast to bring along for the ride without being a hindrance to
the
> car' s best available acceleration ...... this is where experience can
> count for a lot ...... and for the rest of us it' s mainly trial and
error .
> IF Dick's Camaro could stay hooked up sans ballast weight at
Maxton,
> I think that will be helpful in his reaching his best terminal velocity
.
> I have always thought " light - lighter - LIGHTEST " regarding
> drag racing construction and I view ANY and ALL ballast as a
> NECESSARY EVIL ! As YOU very well know, the wet saline surface
> of the Bonneville course can be a formidable barrier that has to be
> DEALT WITH ....... IF you' re going to post those large numbers
.......
> AND stay pointed in the right direction in the process.
> Isn' t ALL of life just one endless LEARNING
> PROCESS ???
> ...... keeps things kinda interesting, don' tcha think ?
> the Northern Hemi BDF
> A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss
> and a Spinning Wheel Gains NO SPEED
|