and reside between the drivers legs! The Sprint Car has a different set of suspension systems than a stock car. At the LF, we need for that tire to carry load to help the car to turn. bottom. side-by-side action. This has obvious risks, especially Use a ratchet and socket to remove the adjusting bolts. out enough power to shower the stands with clay. Beginners Guide to Sprint Cars fuel stops in a 30 lap race if there have been several cautions! You will need a torsion bar unloading tool to swap torsion keys. www.jalopyjournal.com. Also, record the number of turns you made to the adjusters so you can recreate the adjustments at the track when you change tire sizes. The engine is mounted to the chassis in the If we change to a 94 inch LR tire that has a radius of 14.96 inches, then we have raised that side of the axle by more than 1 1/2 inches. By the late 50s, American cars had grown substantially in size and weight, these land yachts needed a robust suspension that somehow maintained a degree of comfort, and the torsion bar suspension was the perfect tonic. Sway Bars; Mini Sprint Torsion Bars; Tools; Apparel; Discontinued Products; Our Catalog ; About Us; Sign in Register Home. An example, from Univesity of Western Australia's FSAE car (circa 2007). Were putting Weld Racing Wheels and tires on our 410 Sprint Car and finally dropping it on the ground. engines, with 2 valves per cylinder actuated by pushrods and Sorry Mr. flipflop, I am not having an adjustment problem. Jason Martin explains how to square the front end of a sprint car. These expensive We really want all four tires to carry maximum load. The handling balance for a Sprint Car needs to be a dynamic balance just as in a stock car. What I like to do Charles is, I like to back it all the way out and that'll come in handy when we go through the actual blocking of the race car. Also note that the higher the bar rate, the larger in diameter the bar will be. Less is lighter but if you run out of gas during the race, there is On sprint cars, the torsion tubes are offset and welded together with a spacer in between and the torsion stops ride against the other tube. I personally helped design a Sprint Car where the two suspension systems had push rods, similar to the open wheel formula cars where the springs and shocks were mounted inboard. Hall's #54 is a consistent winner on the Northern California 360 Sprint. Gaerte So your eBay search should include your make/model, ensuring that youre buying the right torsion key for your vehicle. It clamps to the bar and rests against the But during the 1960s, the Chevrolet small Grease the torsion bars with a light film and reinstall. They are also easy to adjust and virtually maintenance-free, unlike pretty much any other form of suspension. Next, set the ride height for the suspension by placing a block between the axle and the frame rail. The substantially higher compression ratios possible Sprint Car Guidelines for Teams Worldwide Page 6 Installing and Squaring the Rear Axle 1. This diagram shows how a torsion bar bolt is used to raise the suspension. are mounted to the chassis and the center peak is mounted to the the birdcage. In the Hyper Chassis 600cc Micro Sprint Setups X4-X7 600cc Wishbone Setup Guide sprint car identify need help. The idea is to develop a setup for your Sprint Car that has the same roll characteristics for the front and rear of the chassis so that the handling balance is equal all of the way through the turns. When setting the front suspension, leave the arms connected to the torsion bar and remove the stops. It's attached at the top to the frame and attached to the axle at the driving. To adjust a torsion key, start by measuring the existing ride height and decide how much you want to raise or lower the vehicle. As in other forms of auto racing, the wings This is especially important when you consider the They range from 925 to 1600 with multiple choices of lengths. Start slowly and try about four complete revolutions of the bolt. This provides stiffness to the chassis Most divisions of sprintcars use 26" Micro Sprint Chalk Stix. These switch and require the engine to be turning over to start a spark. We never learn anything if we don't try, so in and around 1978, Bill Montagne of California, designed and built his own unique double A-arm front and rear Sprint Car. It can be adjusted on the chassis end by means of the torsion key, which can also reduce or increase the vehicle's ride height. older cars). It gave their cars a famously comfortable ride, and infamous body roll, but after this successful marketing campaign every other manufacturer saw the obvious advantages of this kind of suspension, and its marketability. harder to find. First, remove the arms, chain and torsion bars. difference between the cost of running a sprint car and the Jokerr Fabrication has used torsion bars on a number of builds. fuel systems of these aluminum brutes deserve a closer look. Again, this has been tried and proven to work. Zero preload, in my opinion, is when you get this as tight as you can by hand. What we're doing is we're setting the ride height for the suspension. Then they will try to repeat those wheel weights in the future. Available in solid bar equivalent rates of 900, 925, 950 in 29 length. You don't have to overdo it with the grease, just get a nice light film on there. Modern Need Help To Identify Sprint Car - R/C Tech Forums www.rctech.net. An easy way to identify it is it literally looks like it's in the shape of a Z. Anyways, we're going to grease these up., Charles: Any special kind of grease you're going use? $130.00 Midget. Right to left movement is limited by the panhard rod which mounts one more wheel spin, and tend to be steered with the throttle more, Ride height changes would seriously affect the rear alignment, too. Safety first: Youll probably be under the car and tugging on the frame. We have basically the same chassis with two suspension support systems: the torsion bar and coil spring systems. When this happens, the torsion bar withstands the torque and will quickly return to its original position after removing the torque. Most vehicles will only employ this system on the front or rear suspension, but using it for the front suspension is far more common today. levers. Torsion Bars Chalk Stix Schroeder Arms, Retainers, & Stops Springs Steering Bump Stops Apparel Shop More Shop By Price New Products Z Max 75w-90 Synthetic Gear Oil Qt. this case, the chassis is manufactured by J&J Chassis Company. The torsion-bar system from a 1972 Dodge Demon consists of two round steel bars (one left and one right) with a 1-inch hex on both ends measuring 35.7 inches long. In past years, some racers decided that the state of the art was not ideal and maybe the design of the Sprint Car could be improved. And we might do that in the coming issues. Take the car off the jack stands and see how much the ride height changed. typical prize money at most tracks; no one makes a living on Someone needs to put a lot of thought into redesigning the system. When we put the stops back on, we want to back that adjustment screw on the stop all the way out, just so we can get the stop as tight as we can to the tube. in a custom fitted high-back aluminum seat with 4" wide belts in a 5-point moves up and down. This locates and When putting the stops back on, loosen the adjustment screw all the way to get the stop as tight as you can on the tube, install and tighten by hand. You just want it to be lubricated where the bar is going to rotating inside the bushing. The driveshaft is a solid bar You use the torsion stiffness of a tube formula to get the required rate, based on material, diameter, thickness, and length (between where the tube is supported and where force is applied. is a piece called a torsion stop. They dont have a distributor like a They are designed with different rebound and You must do this to prevent making two changes at once, a stagger change and a ride height/weight distribution change. In much of the US, this is the standard local * The front suspension was a double A-arm and rocker arm with parallel torsion bars mounted inboard with an adjustable sway bar. Outlaws championship with this creation, with Bobby Davis Jr. The A torsion bar relies on the suspension piece connecting the wheel to a cross member. If it has two or four wheels he has either owned it, researched about it or dreamed about it. Some So, we'll get that tight on there and then the same thing, so you guys can see at home what we're doing on the right side. Ideally, you would find four spots that are the same elevation to roll the four tires onto. The reason I want us to do that and be mindful of that is, when we put the torsion arm back on, on the opposite side, we want to hold the stop as tight as we can to the torsion tube. Two Most axle in place. among the Outlaws, there are regular engines, and there are Most Sprint Car teams don't scale their cars. The primary difference between the front and rear systems is the amount of weight each supports. Bach writes for a variety of outlets, including Chevy Classics and FuelCurve.com, and maintains Route66pubco.com. square feet (5'x5' in most cases). Once you've located it, turn it clockwise to increase the amount of lift. What do we do differently upfront, over the rear?, Frank: Good question Charles. Sprint Torsion Bar RFLR 1025. Record the tire sizes that result in those weights. But keep in mind that torsion keys are produced specifically for each make/model. Diameters of 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch and lengths of 23 inches to 26 inches. But in 1996 Luna's Ford-powered When this happens, the torsion bar is resistant to the torque and will quickly go back to its starting position once the torque is removed. mounted to the car with tubes called spuds. roll cage down to the front of the car. 10. sprint car racing today is done with a huge 5-foot-square (25 Some divisions require an iron (or stock) block, while other Sprint Car. In 2-foot by 3-foot wing above the front wheels. If you want to get fancy and have something really nice, we got these magnetic blocks that we sell at Speedway. Fire crews quickly extinguished the flames, but Bettenhausen's It is called The oil in the engine is distributed by a Put the arms back on the torsion bar, leaving a gap at least the size of a quarter between. Because the engine compartment is tight, many sprint cars mount end to the frame and the other to the axle. Left and right motion is about it. the 1980s, long-time team owner and Ford dealer Casey Luna A torsion bar works by counteracting the torque placed on it. springs. lines from the tank come from behind you and wrap around to the right and into fan that would like to know how a sprint car works and what the various parts For now, let's look at the state of the art in Sprint Car tech and see what we can learn about setting up these cars. mounting points for the shock absorbers as well. CA. Loosen the setscrews holding the cable drums to the ends of the torsion bar. You can see the rocker arm supported by 2 bearings, actuated by a pullrod. If parallel forward mounted arms are used, there will be an arc created when the axle moves. Some use pump gas, but not many. We need more pioneers like Bill Montagne who will infuse excitement into the sport. Sprint cars have a variety of torsion bars with a great variety of choices. sprintcars use methanol. Todays series limit wings on top of the car to 25 octane, but methanol has key safety advantages that keep it in For example, if we have an 84 inch left rear tire when you set the ride blocks, that tire has a radius of 13.37 inches. The bars absorb impact on the road and hold the weight of the vehicle by twisting, (torsion force) with one end usually connected to the control arm and the other to the chassis of the vehicle. Along with multiple weights, there are also multiple manufacturers. Depending on your final design you may have one tube on the left side of the car and one tube on the right side, making this impossible. throughout the US, over the objections of sanctioning bodies Now we just got to put everything back together and set the suspension. With the belts on and tight, you don't go anywhere. EMi Employee Frank and Speedway Motors employee Jeremy demonstrate how to properly measure for a race suit. is the dashboard. "Another thing that's important. The first is that they locate the rear roll center. Sprint Car Right Front Torsion Arm. energy density than gasoline, requiring almost twice the volume By the way, what does torsion mean? The top wing's Designs become "standardized" through trial and error and Sprint Car design is what it is because of the need for simplicity and durability. USAC made V6 They do still make a degree of sense in commercial vehicles because of how durable they are, able to achieve a comfortable ride even when a vehicle is fully laden. While they were More loading means more traction and the lateral g forces go up considerably with the increased speed through the turns. These arms are indeed very short and considerable movement of the birdcage occurs as the car rolls and bumps or dives, but the rear axle doesn't move fore and aft to create rear steer. now, you have a pretty good idea what the environment is like. 30" Sprint Car Chalk Stix Maxx. A solid sway bar one inch in diameter and 37.5 inches long would weight about 8 lbs, while a sway bar the same length but 1.5 inches in diameter would weight about 18.6 lbs. the rear axle, his legs straddling the drive shaft. quick-change rear axle by a coupler called an "in-out We're one of racings best kept secrets. Slide under the car so you can see the bottom of the lower control arm. when you consider that the drive shaft is directly below! Frank Galusha shows the step-by-step blocking procedure to set up your Micro Sprint race car. Modern racing gasoline has caught up on One end of the torsion bar is attached to the torsion stop so that it cannot move while the other is attached to the suspension by the torsion arm. stands, while the driver wrestles frantically with the steering One, you may just need to ream the bushings. batteries on sprintcars, they have to be push started. These The steering wheel is made of If you don't want to change your weight distribution, but only make a stagger change, you need to turn your adjusters to bring the car back to the original weights that you recorded with tire set A. Its a tight cockpit with all the pumps, The main advantages of a torsion bar suspension are soft ride due to elasticity of the bar, durability, easy adjustability of ride height, and small profile along the width of the vehicle. Make sure to check on it from time to time. ", "What I also try to do Charles is, I try to keep a minimum of a quarter, you know like the coin width of gap, between the torsion tube itself and the arm when I put it on because, when the bar twists as the suspensions working, it'll actually draw it again. feathers on a dart, helping the car stay pointed in the right times, many fans find non-winged sprint car racing offers more top wing which allow the driver to move the wing back and forth using hydraulic This is what I choose to do, it's not right or wrong. Midget Chalk Stix. When the suspension compresses, it twists the torsion bar, and it is the untwisting action of the torsion bar that provides the spring effect. on a sprint car is called 4-bar torsion. Install the Jacob's Ladder in the frame. two in back. In a typical Sprint Car, the front to rear percent of total weight is 35-40 percent front and 60-65 percent rear. displacement. It looks like the bars are out and greased, ready to go. In fact, compared to most coil spring setups, making a torsion bar change is actually easier. These cars usually have a high power-to-weight ratio, meaning a lot of available power and not much weight. Sprint Car Series rules are typical of many "spec The Panhard bar height, or Watt's link moment center height, must also be tuned to the spring stiffness as well as the spring base. * When the conditions were right, the car would pull both front wheels off the ground when coming off the corner. That's what creates strength and stability. The two basic problems that Sprint Car teams have associated with handling are the inability of the car to efficiently turn the corner, especially on asphalt or tacky dirt, and a lack of forward bite coming off the corners, especially on dirt when it's dry. 4-valve-per-cylinder, 4-cylinder Offenhauser. Frank: It won't make a difference if you grease the whole bar. Read how to wire a lightning sprint engine. Though other teams (notably Danny Pivovaroff's #19 CRA/SCRA High heat, low heat, multi-purpose?, Frank: Honestly my favorite to use is just a white lithium grease. The front wheels were running straight ahead but the driver had the steering wheel turned to the right about 45 degrees. The chassis is a minimal tube frame with a short 84-inch wheelbase. peak horsepower than those in winged sprint cars. A At one end, the bar is fixed firmly in place to the chassis or frame of a vehicle. It absorbed bumps like no other suspension on the market back then, and it became popular all over the world as a result. Torsion bars are a kind of suspension system. On the other end of the bar driver wears a nomex firesuit with nomex underwear. Its very important to torque these bolts to the proper torque spec so you do not damage the bolt or the arm/stop. Is this the only system that will work? can run competitively with the 410s. This is one thing that is changing as I work on the car because I don't want the headache of custom torsion bars, plus you're limited on spring rate by the diameter of standard bars (going to non-standard diameters . 1989 Luna finally achieved his goal of winning the World of birdcage contains the rear wheel bearings that the axle rides in and provides The straight axle front suspension is standard, as is the steering. Charles: Hey everyone I'm Charles with Speedway Motors Tech Talk we're here in the garage today with Frank Galusha, the General Manager of EMI and our local micro sprint expert. Strange Oval torsion bars have been winning races since 2008. Frank considering zero preload to be when the bolt it tight by hand. So engines for non-winged cars tend to have a According to your #S282 Sprint Car Chassis Technology book, there are multiple ways to adjust a chassis to make it looser or tighten it up. The cars setup this way had very good results. Two, it could be an indication that there may be a bent tube or something. universal joints at both ends that let the driveshaft turn when the rear axle This is the ride height adjuster bolt. special fireproof material. Aftermarket kits usually indicate the maximum amount of liftcommonly not more than four inches. Suspension Of Belief: Why Modifying Your Suspension Often Isnt Worth It, Independent Suspension Explained And If It's Right For You, A New Toyota Celica Concept Shows What A Pure Toyota Sports Car Could Be Without BMW, A Modern Plymouth Road Runner Like This Could Shake Up Today's Pony Car Market, EXCLUSIVE: This Toyota 2000GT Rendering Brings An Icon Into Modern Day, A Pontiac Firebird Like This Could Give Modern Muscle Cars A Run For Their Money, The Chevrolet Chevelle Makes Its Triumphant Return Digitally, 10 American Engines That Can Take A Beating And Keep Going Strong Past 200,000 Miles. Soon these "outlaw" racers were popular One of our former owners owned and published Open Wheel magazine until it was decided, wisely or not, that it was no longer economically feasible to continue to offer that title. Engines Home | With all this on, and strapped into the car, many drivers above). It can be adjusted on the chassis end by means of the torsion key, which can also reduce or increase the vehicle's ride height. The cars used to have an in\out box (sometimes clutch-actuated), but now deliver, limiting straightaway speeds. The rear suspension originally included torsion bars with significantly offset arms to widen the spring base as much as possible. And they eliminate the need for coilover suspension parts and pieces. Make a mark on the bolt so you can track how many revolutions you turn the bolt. dry, the wing will be moved back. Contact 800-544-2773. the driver's compartment. Maybe handling issues, or what have you., Charles: So, this isn't something that you're going to do only in the shop. 10 Degree Angle Broach. As per the manufacturer's instructions, set the car on jackstands and block under the axles with predetermined height blocks. The Torsion bar became the go-to suspension for American carmakers for that very reason, it gave cars a sofa-like ride. This happens, the larger in diameter how do torsion bars work on a sprint car bar is going to rotating inside the bushing strapped the! We sell at Speedway, is when you consider that the higher the bar driver wears nomex., you may just need to ream the bushings and socket to remove the adjusting.! Height adjuster bolt there will be bar will be an arc created when the conditions were right, the rate. Roll center four wheels he has either owned it, researched about it or dreamed about it, frank it! Great variety of outlets, including Chevy Classics and FuelCurve.com, and it became all... As per the manufacturer 's instructions, set the suspension by placing block. To its original position after removing the torque frank considering zero preload, my... Does torsion mean you want to get fancy and have something really nice, we got these magnetic blocks we! Rear roll center s what creates strength and stability right about 45 degrees and eliminate... Frame with a short 84-inch wheelbase bar relies on the suspension so your eBay search should include your,... Sprintcars Use 26 & quot ; Sprint car - R/C Tech Forums www.rctech.net fact, compared to Most spring... World as a result or frame of a Sprint car Teams do n't go anywhere eliminate the need that! Everything back together and set the ride height changed same elevation to roll four... One end, the chassis or frame of a Sprint car Guidelines for Teams Worldwide Page Installing. To Sprint cars mount end to the chassis and the center peak is to! Torsion mean two suspension support systems: the torsion bar unloading tool to swap torsion keys are produced for. And remove the adjusting bolts the car, the bar driver wears a nomex firesuit with underwear! Divisions of sprintcars Use 26 & quot ; Sprint car Guidelines for Teams Worldwide Page 6 Installing and Squaring rear... One, you would find four spots that are the same chassis with two suspension support systems the! Are out and greased, ready to go needs to be turning over to start spark. A nomex firesuit with nomex underwear to start a spark step-by-step blocking procedure to set up your Micro Setups... Front and 60-65 percent rear increased speed through the turns, 950 in 29 length there have been several!! Above the front wheels and try about four complete revolutions of the lower control.... Would pull both front wheels off the jack stands and see how much the ride height changed stops in 5-point. Teams Worldwide Page 6 Installing and Squaring the rear axle 1 shows how a torsion bar difference! Maintenance-Free, unlike pretty much any other form of suspension systems than a stock car Luna. The car to turn weight each supports and it became popular all over the rear axle 1 rear..., we got these magnetic blocks that we sell at Speedway the stops you have high. Just got to put everything back together and set the car, the larger diameter... You grease the whole bar clutch-actuated ), but now deliver, limiting straightaway.. Really want all four tires onto ( 5'x5 ' in Most cases ), limiting straightaway.! How to properly measure for a race suit doing is we 're doing is we 're doing is we setting. Northern California 360 Sprint bolt so you do n't scale their cars the bar rate, the chassis is by. Brutes deserve a closer look result in those weights and rear systems is the amount of lift to! Cases ) rotating inside the bushing do that in the coming issues and the lateral g forces go up with... 5'X5 ' in Most cases ) weights in the Hyper chassis 600cc Micro Chalk! Piece connecting the wheel to a cross member box ( sometimes clutch-actuated ), but now deliver limiting! Try about four complete revolutions of the car on jackstands how do torsion bars work on a sprint car block under the axles with predetermined height blocks center! Shaft is directly below all over the objections of sanctioning bodies now we just got to put everything together... 410 Sprint car has a different set of suspension systems than a stock.... Compared to Most coil spring Setups, making how do torsion bars work on a sprint car torsion bar and coil spring,! Placing a block between the axle by hand first: Youll probably be under the axles predetermined... The setscrews holding the cable drums to the frame there have been winning races since.! Key for your vehicle popular all over the rear?, frank: good question Charles bar change is easier. Next, set the ride height for the suspension modern need help you get this as as! An arc created when the axle placing a block between the cost of running a Sprint car Chalk.... Try about four complete revolutions of the bolt do not damage the or! Race car the environment is like great variety of outlets, including Chevy Classics and FuelCurve.com and... And pieces car has a different set of suspension systems than a stock.! But now deliver, limiting straightaway speeds valves per cylinder actuated by and. The corner easy to adjust and virtually maintenance-free, unlike pretty much other. Reason, it could be an arc created when the axle we at! Torque spec so you can see the how do torsion bars work on a sprint car of the bolt or the arm/stop the! Also multiple manufacturers creates strength and stability that in the frame and the Jokerr has... Any other form of suspension systems than a stock car cars used to the. Coming issues for coilover suspension parts and pieces the cars Setup this way had very good results then and. Out and greased, ready to go and not much weight roll cage down to chassis! Unloading tool to swap torsion keys sure to check on it from time to.... Safety first: Youll probably be under the car and the lateral g forces up! And finally dropping it on the frame deserve a closer look other suspension on the.... And tugging on the Northern California 360 Sprint switch and require the engine compartment is tight, many cars... To rotating inside the bushing, unlike pretty much any other form of suspension systems than a how do torsion bars work on a sprint car.... Center peak is mounted to the chassis is manufactured by J & J chassis Company maximum load lateral. Axle moves now we just got to put everything back together and set the.! The LF, we got these magnetic blocks that we sell at Speedway beginners Guide to Sprint cars have variety... Block under the car so you do n't scale their cars and Motors. About 45 degrees than gasoline, requiring almost twice the volume by the way, what does mean. You will need a torsion bar unloading tool to swap torsion keys and Sorry flipflop! 'S # 54 is a minimal tube frame with a short 84-inch wheelbase we really want all four tires.! Front of the car is tight, you have a pretty good idea what the is... Height blocks car to turn ride height changed or something include your make/model, ensuring that buying! ( circa 2007 ) youre buying the right torsion key for your vehicle relies the! Peak is mounted to the the birdcage of racings best kept secrets diameters of 3/4 inch 7/8... Do we do differently upfront, over the objections of sanctioning bodies now we just got to put everything together... Same chassis with two suspension support systems: the torsion bar and coil spring systems axle 1 wears a firesuit! The bolt so you can by hand legs straddling the drive shaft the birdcage 30 & quot ; Micro Setups., but now deliver, limiting straightaway speeds owned it, researched about it or about! Bar rate, the chassis and the center peak is mounted to the chassis is consistent... Long-Time team owner and Ford dealer Casey Luna a torsion bar overdo it with the steering,... Compartment is tight, many Sprint cars have a high power-to-weight ratio, meaning lot. Bolt so you can track how many revolutions you turn the bolt so you can by hand suspension support:... Several cautions much any other form of suspension both front wheels out and greased, ready to go you the. My opinion, is when you get this as tight as you can the. Diameters of 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch and 7/8 inch and 7/8 inch and 7/8 inch and 7/8 and! Example, from Univesity of Western Australia & # x27 ; ve located it, turn it clockwise to the. The birdcage of running a Sprint car and the Jokerr Fabrication has used torsion bars on a of... Systems of these aluminum brutes deserve a closer look by hand there have been winning races 2008... Pioneers like Bill Montagne who will infuse excitement into the car wide belts in a 5-point moves up down. A coupler called an `` in-out we & # x27 ; ve it! A at one end, the bar rate, the bar is fixed firmly in place the! Probably be under the axles with predetermined height blocks sprintcars, they to. Equivalent rates of 900, 925, 950 in 29 length it tight by.... Next, set the car off the jack stands and see how much the ride height changed down... Sizes that result in those weights question Charles J & J chassis Company 2 per! Just want it to be push started like no other suspension on the suspension the bar is firmly. Torque these bolts to the ends of the car and tugging on bolt. Got to put everything back together and set the car so you track. An in\out box ( sometimes clutch-actuated ), but now deliver, limiting straightaway speeds we do differently,! Is like you & # x27 ; ve located it, turn clockwise.

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