forward bite on metric

[juni]

We are building a new bomber car this year it will be a 81 malibu . I have built several cars before and have good luck but they always had to have a ton of weight in the rear of the car to hook up ,car would way 3600 t0 3800 with 58 to 60 % rear is their any thing you guys can help me out with on the new car that would make it hook up without so much rear weight? Our cars have to weigh 3300 after the race .we use dot 70 s for tires no wider then 8 inches of tread. on 8 inch wheels 2barrel rodchester stock maifolds . I use 1000lf , 1100rf .350 lr and 300rr. afco stock mount shocks split valve on the left rear and right front. we race 1/4 mile med bank tight turns dirt. any help would be welcome.

[Brian Wise]

Hey Juni. Welcome to my forum!! Really. I see we have a lot of traffic, just seems like most of the traffic doesn't care to post, just read. Saw you became a member some time back, and am glad to see you posting!! Keep it up. I don't even care if we chat about pit dogs.

Enough of the selfpromotion crap, and on to the topic. First lets start with the weight of 3600/3800 lbs. WOW. Thats a lot of weight to get moving. We run IMCA Stockcar, and have a late 80's Grand Prix. SCS chassis if you were wondering. We weigh in at 3250 with 3/4 tank of fuel. We too have a minimum weight of 3100 lbs. I like my car a little heavy. Let's face it, a heavier car will do better on a dry slick track. And how often is the track dry? ( can we say almost always?)

As for your weight transfer. 58/60% too seems like a bunch. We like to stay around 52/53% rear. I have seen Hobbies that have around 48% rear handle awsome. (No names mentioned, but you know who you are!!) I would suggest in my UNPROFFESIONAL opinion, to put the new car on a diet. If it doesn't need to be there, cut it out (within the rules of course). Or don't put it in in the first place.

One trick I have seen done, since the hanging of lead in IMCA Hobbie is not allowed, is so simple it hurts, and well within the rules. Many tracks around here atleast, and most I would guess have mud/pack laps. Go ahead---mud it in. Then spend as much time as you can cleaning out the front of the car. But nothing past the center line. Many guys I've chated with online since the site went up have told me they jack their car up, paying no attention to the scales at this time. They use two floor jacks, and keep moving them until the car balances off all four evenly. When they find the "perfect" spot, they paint or put some sticker or decal on that spot. Then they call that the center line. Most likely not true center. Anything ahead of that line removed or installed will be front % and behind vice versa.

I could go on and on, and I think I have, so I'll stop now. But, I will add that we run the same spring rate you do on the front, and a 175, 200 on the rear. LR and RR respectively. I hope this helps atleast some. I would love to hear some other opinions. Get the word out and lets get some off season chats going on here!!

L8R, HB