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Re: Placement of ballast

To: Bill & Dee Bennett <benettw@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Placement of ballast
From: "Thomas E. Bryant" <saltracer@awwwsome.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 07:02:47 -0700
Bill,
Having had some experience in this area, I will say, remember the 
discussion sometime back and the analogy of the arrow.  The primary 
concern is to eliminate the spin in the first place. Recovery from a 
spin is at best, a little skill and lots of luck! Ballast needs to be 
between the axles and low as possible. Just an opinion.
Tom, Redding CA - #216 D/GCC

Bill & Dee Bennett wrote:

> Ok now that I have maybe stirred up (hopefully) a discussion on lack of
> traction, transmission ratios, and suspension. Let me touch on something
> else. Been thinking of placement of ballast. I recently ran across some
> interesting information regarding weight placement. The information compared
> a long barbell ( no not the one for last call) and a heavy ball and the
> ability to make each one turn. If you took a long bar supported it in the
> center where it could turn and placed equal amounts of weight on each side
> close to center you would find that it would be easy to spin. But as you
> moved the weights out closer to the ends the bar gets harder to spin.
> Granted once it gets spinning it spins longer. So with that thought given
> would it not be better to place ballast at farthest ends of a vehicle rather
> than right over or near the axle to also aid in stability. But if the
> vehicle ever started to spin it might be harder to recover. Understood that
> you would want it placed as low as possible.
> 
> Bill

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