Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

with all the different chassis makers, is there that big of a difference in them? i hear guys say "this race is faster because he drives a XXX or a maxim" just wondering what would make one faster or handle better than another 

I believe that the chassis are all clones of one another.  Everybody's engines are producing about as much horsepower as can be put on the ground.  Since the tires are equal and the bar technology has been unchanged in many years, I think that the shock absorbers are biggest single factor in the speed and driveability of the sprint cars at this time.  I am amazed it how quickly the drivers can respond to jumping the cushion or hooking a rut and I think the high tech shocks are responsible for this.

Some cars react different to setup changes, and different with different track conditions.  Some take a bit more of a change feel a reaction, for example, the XXX I ran for a season took 1-1.5 turns in a certain corner vs say .5 of a turn in my Maxim.  My "big max" that I'm running right now is a rear end tight race car.  It's definitely more suited towards a slick track compared to my standard maxim cars.  I've heard(I've never run one so I dont know) that Wolfwelds were always naturally tight race cars.  If I had to say, if you bought 2 identical Maxim's or J&J's, they're probably going to be pretty close setup wise.  Where if you bought say 2 XXX's, they're a little more prone to differ setup wise.  This is just my opinion.  I run Maxim's as they're just a very easy car to find a baseline and react to changes very well.

There isn't much difference between the chassis it self and the way thet are formed.  The differences would be in the materials and the way the Stiffness/Flex is built int to Chassis.  The way that is achieved it through thickness of the material or what type of alloying constituents that the Bars themselves are made of, and the placement of those materials.

Personally Im old school.  I would much rather have a stiff Chassis than one that Flexes, and, adjust the movement of the chassis into the suspension.  Stiff Chassis will last a whole lot longer than one that Flexes.  You can pretty much bet that, (Depending on the amount of races of course) the flexible chassis wnt last an entire WOO Season due to the flexing of the bars themselves.

Modifieds have all but otten away from stiff chassis design and they get to a point that no matter what you do suspensin wise or setup wise the car just wont handle anymore, the way it should, and you start losing races that you really should have won.  Sprint Cars on the other hand arent as Flexible as a Modified, chassis wise, but they are startng to go in that direction.  I would NOT go there I would stick with the Stiffer chassis

I hope that answered your question

WOW, no mention of bar heights to crankshaft centerline. Yep, you guys, less bossa racing 23, sure could be  car builders. 

What is the difference in a 38.5 to 40 inch # in relation to a chassis ?  

Flex ? Sure

How do you measure birdcage timing ? 

Do you block a car before or after you connect the W link ? 

Is that what a "raised rail" car is?

Ok buddy,  My last response was jjust a generic response and an explaination to why Chassis from different manufacturers are stiffer/more flexible and how the make that happen. That is the reason that Some Chassis are faster than others the MAIN REASON Anyway. It was for the lehman fan to better understand the basics of why.

There arent too many fans that realize that bar heights and centerlines let alone bird cages all account for handling.  Your getting way to technical for the average race fan to understand, let alone care about that stuff.  He asked about FLEX in the chssis and the differences as to why some Chassis are stiffer than others depending on the manufacturer.  My answer was generic as to HOW the Chassis has Stiffness and or flex built into it. But to get into centerlines and birdcages is way out of the understanding of the average fan. NOW someone who is interested in that is totally confused and thinks birdcages have to do with FLEX built into the Chassis itself, and its not.  Its a total Seperate part that IS NOT BUILT INTO THE CHASSIS.

Ease up on the basic questions answer. I cant figure out  weather your trying to confuse people or just trying to sound like you know everything, but there was NO REASON what so ever to go that deep into the answer, or are you just trying to impress people and Pound Your Chest to make yourself feel better?

Ease up on 427, he just stroked out when he saw that Sammy will be driving the Buffalo Wild Wings car in upcoming races.

SNAP!!!

Yes

     Do the high dollar teams have  different chassis for a half mile tracks and bullrings?

No they dont its the same car for every "DIRT Track".  Although most winged sprint car teams dont run pavement but if the did that is when a different Chassis would be used.  Not that a "DIRT" Sprint Car couldnt run pavement many have with success,  the High Dollar Teams would have a seperate chassis for Pavement

LMFAO Good One

You obviously know more about this than most of us... congratulations

I used to try reading the chassis setup articles in Circle Track (mostly about LMs) Gave up, totally confusing to me. I need somebody to stand with me next to the car, & explain "When you enter the turn" it does this", '"When you leave it does that" etc. etc.

I know for sure that guys that race alot get a chassis that does not handle like they want it goes out the door.  Some teams use the same brand of cars year after year and others jump around hunting for the magic bullet. Chassis builders have routine in that each part of a chassis is welded in the same order chassis after chassis.  I am sure some of this in a drivers head.  I do not think every hand made item can turn out the same.  There is always going to be an exception.

You are absolutely correct for the most part.  Good Post and pretty much spot on

In theory a team COULD use a different frame, but now with shock technology being where it is, the shocks can do a ton to tailor the setup to the track.  The wheel base is going to make a difference and engine setback is something you might want to play with.  I saw a few years back some guys were running longer driveline lengths at the big halfs, but I think that has gone away.  I think it is easier to just find a good balance for one car and then tweak around that.  When the driver and crew chief hit something and the driver is feeling it, setups get a lot easier.  I think a big part of of changing frames and finding speed is between the drivers ears.   

Also guys may want a different frame for California vs Ohio. CA tracks are harder on frames, they tend to be tackier, rougher, and gnarly curbs are not uncommon, and you have Tulare where you play hot wheels with the car and drive the thing straight into the fence to get around the place.  A frame with a lot of flex will work the welds and go bad faster, or even crack the welds.  When they go bad, you know because the crew chief puts 5 turns in the RR and the thing doesn't change 

As far as the stuff like bar heights, crank heights and the like, I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of guys out there winning races who don't even know those details.  They just buy a frame, engine, shock package, bolt it all together and go racing.

there was a period of time in late 1980 and early 1990 when alot of teams tried stacked tube cars, reverse bar cars , coil over cars, coils on front, bars on rear.  Even saw a car once with 29 inch, 30 in and 31 inch bars on a car,  I think most teams went back to standard 40 inch cars mostly 87 in or 88 in.  I said mostly, there are a few exceptions.