291 replies to this topic

[Aren D.]

nice work on the cage! looks like you will have all the camber in the world with those strut towers too.

 

The only thing I maybe would have recommended would have been to move the strut tower mounts up to increase travel instead of the strut bodies down. but it still looks good.

[Dirtcircle86]

Yeah, I debated raising them and still may. I gotta find some bump stops. All 4 that I have we're cut or deteriorated. The struts are larger as there is a step (bigger) at the top of the brake line mount. I think my CRX struts were original and one did nothing at all. The crx rears seems ok. Even with the CRX struts there isn't much room between the strut bodys and bump stops. I wanted to go lower on the rear, and may, just have to cut the bumps I guess.

I got the front put together and installed today. Nice -camber on the passenger side, and a noticeable amount of +camber on the drivers side. I rolled it out to clean the shop and the car.



Still doesn't look like much. Yep, a limb fell on the fence.



Still lots to get done to race. Shouldn't have taken 2 months off.

Edited by Dirtcircle86, 10 March 2014 - 11:17 PM.

[Dirtcircle86]

Ask me how a redneck washes his race car....



It was dark when I finished pressure washing it so no pic. I'm not sure I got it completely clean but it's supposed to get cold again tomorrow.

Thanks everybody for looking. It adds a little more motivation to make progress. Only 4 weekends till the season opener, not likely to make it. Bummer. I may need to take a week off work.

[Aren D.]

Looks good
I like your rear floor action

[Dirtcircle86]

Thanks! Was that sarcasm? I'm kiddin! Ya, I'm re-skinning it with .040 aluminum now that the PHB mount is done. I picked up a Harbor Freight bead roller ($189) used (NIB) for $50 last year and finally get to play with it! I just chubbed up a little..

Seriously, I appreciate you guy's comments.

Ima ask a question here and see if I get any hits.

Does anybody see a benefit of a rear limiting strap on the rear? And if so, would you limitit on the left, right, center, or left and right and why? In my left turn situation, I was thinking of a strap on the driver's side rear. I can see it doing a couple of things. I'm not sure which though.

1) more lift on the left rear tire during cornering (maybe help oversteer?) or

2) it resists lift (less likely) and hinders rotation.

I think 1) is more likely but have NO knowledge of such things.

Thanks everybody.

[Aren D.]

no sarcasm, looks just like my car!

 

With a locked rear axle I dont think you will need a limit strap as long as one of your tires is on the ground, if you start going airborne then do it for sure!

[Dirtcircle86]

Thanks Aren D.  I've been discussing the limiting strap elsewhere and get the same concensus.  Specifically, it could cause too rapid of a weight transfer and casue "snap oversteer."  If that means I end up backwards then it's obviously slower! HA!

 

I have to tell a funny "first time at the track" story on myself.  So a buddy helps me get the car stripped, caged, and running and we make our first appearance on a practice only night.  You line up and take turns at 10 laps all night.  My second time out and about 3 laps in, the car would stumble and fall mid corner which would cause oversteer and consequently, a spinout.  Much to my chagrin, this was of great humorous value to the spectators and my buddy.  After sitting a few seconds and cranking like the dickens, it would fire and tear off down the track only to do it again when I laid it hard in a corner.  The wrecker pushed me back to the trailer where we learned the fuel tank was bone dry.  So, if you spend two months, night and day, feverishly puting a car together to make a race, and you think you have thought of everything, I gaurantee you will miss something...... Maybe even the most fundamental of things.  I thought it was funny.

[RETROCRX]

That's nothing......I know a guy who forgot to put OIL in his car........at least YOU could refire it........his was throwing parts all over the place!

 

 

Rob

[Dirtcircle86]

Thank God, I did put oil in it.  It still threw parts though.  I still dont quite understand the physics behind the nuts comming off the rod bolts.  Granted I was turning it very far past it's red line.  My theory is the rod bolts stretch, in turn loosening the nuts, then it just unscrews them at 8000 rpm.  I was not good to that little motor.  I felt real bad.   Damn, it was fun.

[Dirtcircle86]

Nope, still no progress. Firewood, tractor issues, and leaky faucets keep getting in the way.

I did come across an interesting, and maybe useful product. I was picking up some hydraulic fittings at Tractor Supply and came across some baler belt. It's pretty spendy but semi-rigid and VERY durable. Comes in 5," 7," and 10" widths and 5' and 15' lengths. My thinking is for front air dam and side skirting. I have no idea if a fwd dirt car would benefit from it but we are allowed, it looks cool, and most (all) the high-dollar (fast) rwd cars have it for some reason. I've read quite a bit about damming, splitting, and skirting and I think it's useful.

Anybody ever use this stuff for skirting and think maybe it would work?? I really want some hay baler parts on my redneck car.

[squareback]

The only thing I've seen people use that's similar is landscaping border. Not sure how it compares to the baler belt in terms of material, but it should work the same.

[Dirtcircle86]

I'm gonna do it, at least on the sides. It's basically nylon reinforced rubber, very similar to tire sidewall. Not nearly as plasticky brittle as the yard art stuff. And it's hay baler parts and needs to be on a race car....

I know it's off topic, but since I got new battery, cables, and block heater on the little ford, and a new hose on the splitter, I can rebuild my air compressor in the morning and work on the RACECAR! HA! Finally!



And ther is an 89 Teg and 88 HF in the background! LOL! It's not totally off topic!

[Dirtcircle86]

Little more paint and installed the BPV.



I tried to add some camber on the deriver's side but didn't gain much. The top hat or strut tower will have to be modified to get any more.

Edited by Dirtcircle86, 10 March 2014 - 11:20 PM.

[Dirtcircle86]

Painting over the dirt is a beeyaaatch! Lol, I know that sacrilegious but I did soak it in degreaser and pressure wash it. I'm gonna delete some of the firewall upper ledge there to maybe exhaust some heat from the engine bay. I'm gettin' a little anxious to get the engine ringed, bearing'd, and installed.



I wanted to get the MC (booster delete) installed and pedals modified and installed but I'm ok with any progress right now. I gave up on making the season opener/car show so now ill make some headway. I've got like 280 hours of vacation piled up so I may have to burn some....

Edited by Dirtcircle86, 10 February 2014 - 12:54 AM.

[Dirtcircle86]

I put a jack under the passenger front and lifted both front tires off the ground (it's extremely rigid now). I measured the difference on the rear and had roughly 3/4" of flex still with my locked axle (2 driver's side spindles) I'm sure that number will increase as the weight does (drivetrain and me) but that seems tolerable. I'm contemplating a sway bar on the back also but would rather not (weight) if I don't have to. My cut Teg springs (3 coils) are still a little soft so I'm contemplating Chedda's 2 1/2" spring adapters. Some track time should determine if the sway bar or stiffer springs are necessary.

Thanks for all the interest and responses! *sarcasm* Seriously, I do appreciate the thread views and followers. I'm having fun, which is the whole point.