It could be that suspension tuning is what you need, so we asked the suspension specialists at morton grove, illinoisbased strange. I picked up some 2756015 hoosier drag radials to play around with and was wondering if anyone had any good rules of thumb for suspension changes that ill need to do. The s w laser link features the optimum in tuning adjustments, 144 possible instant centers. Drag racing books drag racing software jerry bickel. Once the guys made it to the track for the first day of racing, they began tuning the suspension and getting the vehicle setup just right for the track. Dec 29, 2014 drag racing suspension setup and tuning with digital video. With over 50 years of drag racing experience the joneses cover everything from the proper way to haul your drag race car to the importance of utilizing data acquisition in this second edition of the rick jones chassis tuning guide. But as youll see in the photos, adjustable trailing arms are the firstand bestmethod of setting up a triangulated fourlink for drag racing. Lift bars, slapper bars, super stock springs, leaf links, ladder bars, threelinks, fourlinks, and torque arms there may be others too, but its a start. Book cover of wayne scraba how to build a winning drag race chassis and. Shop the industrys largest selection of drag race suspension kits at.
This website has grown far beyond my original intentions of helping the shadetree mechanic in understanding a drag racing suspension in simple terms and diagrams. In a practical and downtoearth way, it covers the fundamentals of how race cars handle and the requirements for designing and constructing a car. In addition to the sticky rubber out back, you have to set the shocks, adjust the. From infinitely adjustable 4link brackets to heavy duty 4link bars, antiroll bars, sway bars, wishbone and housing locator kits all the way to penske shocks, nitrogen fill kits, strange engineering components and more, you can find what it takes to put together a stateoftheart drag racing suspension. Tuning for drag radials dragstuff drag racing parts. Any time a car lifts in the front since it is rotating on the rear tires it is actually moving the front of. From infinitely adjustable 4link brackets to heavy duty 4link bars, antiroll bars, sway bars, wishbone and housing locator kits all the way to penske shocks, nitrogen fill kits, strange engineering components and more, you can find what it takes to put together a stateoftheart rear suspension. You may need to play with a few sets of shocks to get the.
Mar 12, 2015 the opposite is true with most rear wheeldrive cars with leaf springs if the car is making a lot of horsepower, as they already have a pivot point too far rearward. The bmw 3 series set the benchmark for performance and luxury. Be sure to check out the other videos on alignment. This suspension is very popular in drag racing but sees little use anywhere else. According to zimmerman, antisquat effects how violently the suspension hits the rear tires on launch. As a general guideline, lighter springs allow the car to easily transfer weight, and settle faster down track. How to build and modify gm lsseries engines motorbooks workshop. You cant lift 100 pounds without putting 100 pounds of extra pressure on your feet.
As with any proper system, the eliminator ii drag race rear suspension started with a strong foundation, namely the rear clip. However, when cornering it binds up and causes the car to be very skittish, much like going around a. Locking in a 2018 mustang irs for better drag strip launches. For radial cars we prefer the shock to be mounted so that there is 4 of extension from ride height and with a short and high instant center. Because the rear suspension allows for essentially no body roll at all, drag cars tend to launch nice and flat. For a car that squats in the rear upon acceleration you may need to loosen the shock to get maximum weight transfer pitch rotation. Each bar is attached to the rear housing between two 14. Mar 06, 2007 how to build a winning drag race chassis and suspension. Drag racing suspension tim mcamis performance parts. Jerry bickels 4link wizard professional version jerry bickel race cars, in cooperation with etc, inc. A lot of people talk about antisquat, but once you install your parts, and set your ride height, theres typically nothing you can do to change it. Initially i wrote this page as a detailed explaination of a drag car suspension using explainations that the doityourselfer can easily understand and do in the driveway with.
The opposite is true with most rear wheeldrive cars with leaf springs if the car is making a lot of horsepower, as they already have a pivot point too far rearward. Drag race 4link suspensions chris alstons chassisworks. Read how tuning your car for the track can greatly improve your lap times and track experience. Part 6 in our series of tutorial videos that explain how to set up your rear suspension takes a look at basic 4link set up and adjustments. On a drag car, the rear shocks control how much force you apply. Choose from four styles and three colors of ladders bars, or choose from five styles and three finishes of 4link. Apr 04, 2017 a while back, we did a sixpart rear suspension series that covered all of the basics to running a 4link suspension. Robs rod shop drag racing suspension episode 1 basic 4 link duration. Online shopping from a great selection at books store.
You will need performance parts to keep your vehicle in shape. Here is a partial list of necessities for drag racing vehicles. The s w laser link features the optimum in tuning adjustments, 144 possible. Jerry bickel race cars gives racers the technology to win. A car that lifts in the rear pushes down harder on the rear tires. Use a shoe marker and paint a mark on the side of the rear tire so you can watch to see if the tire is. The second video in a series to help people understand acceleration and weight transfer as it relates to efi tuning. A stock suspension car that uses 4 trailing arms is a true 4link and can be treated, plotted, etc.
We all want to get the best performance out of our drag vehicle, and a properly tuned drag race suspension enables the vehicle to launch straight while transferring weight to the rear tires in an efficient. A drag racing and high performance leader, their heritage is in drag racing along with what they like to call a relentless need to innovate. This is a good book written by a known authority on automotive systems and operation. Mopar rear leaf springs suspension get hooked up mopar. Which makes you faster, so you win, get famous, and live happy ever after. In this video, we are going to get a little more advanced by explaining the concept of rear steer and how it can be used on your race car. The rick jones chassis tuning guide, second edition. Adjustable shocks are a drag racer s best friend but they are also a device that can get gets spun out pretty hard without a plan or some basic ideas on how to properly use them. When it comes to drag racing, there are two different approaches to building the rear suspension.
Many cars will hook better with a stiffer shock setting because what cant be seen by the naked eye is the tire being mashed into the ground this is when the rim gets real close to the ground because the tires are all wadded up then it rebounds upwards and spins the tire, so a person thinks there is not enough hit when in actuality it is hitting the tire to hard. The caltracs and monoleaves are also legal for sanctioned stock and super stock drag racing. May 09, 2014 this is the first of a three part series from chris alstons chassisworks on tuning and calibrating for better drag race performance. Hes authored five howto books and written over 4,500 tech articles that have appeared in sixty. However, when cornering it binds up and causes the car to be very skittish, much like going around a corner too fast with a shopping cart. Suspension basics and drag racing dynamics muscle car diy. Nov 08, 20 in septembers how it works, strange engineering talks about drag brakes, shocks, and suspension tuning to help you get max hook and traction. The 4link calculator lets you input, view, save, analyze and compare your 4link rear suspension geometry. The author is a former engineer for gm, came up through the production car ranks true to form many references are made to cost, which usually isnt the first concern of a racer before stepping into racing, and the emphasis is on oval track cars, solid axles suspension types, and related topics. Suspension components are the crux of our business.
Most of our 4links are sold in complete rear suspension packages. It includes basic theory on aerodynamic lift and drag, testing techniques, flow. Frame clips, rear frames, complete weldin, custom rear end housings roll bars, roll cages steering subframe connectors and braces suspension components, front suspension components, rear suspension systems, rear 4link suspension drag race sportsman 4link crossmember sportsman 4link for chassis. Hello mr president, put in ladder bar adjustment and you will see a bunch of stuff.
Drag racing books drag racing software jerry bickel race cars. Drag racing shock and suspension technology has changed drastically over the last five years, so we have invited world renowned suspension and tuning expert, chris bell of kinetic engineering to join us for a four part shock series. It includes theory on handling, chassis fabrication, frontrear suspension. For a car that raises in the rear upon acceleration. A drag race car should run the lightest front spring rate possible, without letting the shocks bottom out when making a pass. This piece wont give you the actual dimensions your car will need to run its best. Even the best suspension components will be next to useless if the frame allows excessive deflection. Lift bars, slapper bars, super stock springs, leaf links, ladder bars, thre. Drag race and pro street body, door, and window brake kits chassis kits driver area accessories drivetrain mounts exhaust systems, components frame clips, front bolton frame clips, front weldin frame clips, rear frames, complete weldin, custom rear end housings roll bars, roll cages steering subframe connectors and braces. Pro touring, street machine, drag race, or sport truck, chris alstons chassisworks has the no compromise stateoftheart components you need. This is the first of a three part series from chris alstons chassisworks on tuning and calibrating for better drag race performance we all want to get the best performance out of our drag vehicle, and a properly tuned drag race suspension enables the vehicle to launch straight while transferring weight to the. Over the years, drag racers with door cars have gone through all sorts of suspension arrangements. Includes information on both front and rearwheel drive transmissions and.
The starting line answers to frequently asked drag. Instant centers, long, short, high and low various approaches have given different results and with so much attention being given to the intersection point, the location of the bars is rarely mentioned. The front and rear suspension setup can greatly affect reaction times. Best car chassis, suspension, aerodynamics design books. Vary front hubtohub width, ground clearance, wheelbase, and rear frame width to create a correct fitting frame and vehicle stance for projects including gmachineprotouring muscle cars, street rods. Tuning your fourlink suspension system drag racing 351c. The book includes chapters on chassis design, suspension design, frame construction, aerodynamics and tuning. Given the proper attention, both can ultimately be made to work, but the systems approach applied by chassisworks to their eliminator ii drag race rear suspension all but ensures success. Here you will find only the highest quality drag racing suspension components available. Is the car moving forward upon launch, or wasting time with a huge wheel stand. The best chassis shop for drag racing books and drag racing software to help with your race car setup and suspension tunning. I had the dave morgan book and went to a seminar he had in memphis but my book has flew the coop later j. We pour higher technology into every component we offer. Get the top car design, plans, building and customizing books available.
Building a solid suspension for the street and drag strip. In this car craft rear suspension tech guide jeff smith explains the differences between setups and how to set up your musclecar for maximum traction on the street and while drag racing. Any or all of these can be easily adjusted and used to tune the cars. After a pretty decent track outing with drag radials and a lund racing e85 tune we decided it was time to prepare the car for the whipple 3. Four link tuning ics versus geometry drag racing parts. Rear suspension series covers rear end alignment, pinion angle, preload, antiroll bar, ride height, basic 4link settings. I will start at the front of the car and work toward the rear, explaining how. Dec 17, 2014 brian lohnes 20 tech story, bangshift 20 comments off on shock talk. Oct 24, 20 following the antiroll bar, you can use adjustable shock absorbers front and rear, front suspension limiters, and to a lesser degree, specific coil spring rates to get the car to hook up. This coilover shock is designed to simplify the process of tuning your suspension.
Of all of the systems, the most common youll see today is the equal length fourlink, probably followed by the ladder bar. Tuning for the track suspension tuning tech modified. When you drag race, you want your car to perform at optimal speed. Steel body double adjustable rear shock adjustment. Academy how to set up and utilize the rear suspension system on a tube chassis, 4link drag racing vehicle.
The eliminator ii 4link rear clip features ultrastrong, 3 x 2inch box tubing. Coilover shocks well suited to street usage no brand names are not drag racing shocks. Tuning 4 link rear suspensions can make a car launch quicker and use less horsepower to do it. Aug 01, 2001 drag racing chassis tuning tactics for maximum acceleration with limited traction. The closer the front mount of the rear end leaf spring is to the rear axle, the harder the suspension hits the rear tires of course, you can overpower a tire. As far as suspension upgrades go, most retained the original springs coil or leaf and simply bolted in set of soft rear drag shocks. Jul 01, 2000 in the world of drag racing, happiness is a low e. Remember, if a car is standing on its back bumper, it may be getting maximum traction off. Shown below are the books we suggest as firstreads for the drag racer. If you feed inspired to help me stay motivated paypal. Yet even at this high standard, these cars can be dramatically improved. Each major component group of the car can be modified or upgraded for more performance, so you can build a better car thats balanced and refined. Chassis engineering is a great introduction to race car design.
Baseline setting for steel body rear shocks drag radial cars. Shocks for drag racing i feel that good quality double adjustable shock absorbers are one of the most valuable suspension tuning aids there is and is money well spent. Afcos drag race shock tuning guide provides the basic road map to making your car hook and book. Race and performance news, howtos and technical articles from racingjunk with a focus on drag racing, feature builds, race results and industry products. Mar 12, 2015 suspension basics and drag racing dynamics march 12, 2015 by muscle car diy this chapter explains the basic physics occurring on the starting line when you launch your car, along with why it does or doesnt do what it should. There is no better place to start than at the starting line. Drag racing suspension setup and tuning using video. What about those who are new to drag racing, who have never delved deeper than the occasional test n tune night and want more out of their cars.
Drag brakes, shocks, and suspension tuning chevy high. The following adjustments are based with all sweeps or clicks starting from a full tight adjustment clockwise position. Aug 27, 2015 part 6 in our series of tutorial videos that explain how to set up your rear suspension takes a look at basic 4link set up and adjustments. However, moving the front mount of the rearend leaf spring too close to the rear end causes the car to hit the tire too hard. Larrys first runs netted high11s, a far cry from his ninesecond goal, but under the heat of the pressure cooker called drag.
Racingjunks top 10 howto articles of the year racingjunk news. Horsepower helps, but there is more to quick quarters than just gobs of torque. How to build a winning drag race chassis and suspension. They include the 4link with frame and housing brackets, coilover rear shocks with springs ratematched to your application and a choice of a panhard bar for street use or diagonal link race. One of the main concerns we had was the suspension. We stock a huge assortment of shocks, struts, and coil and leaf springs, so whether you want a smooth street ride, responsive race handling, or rugged offroad control, you can get it here. We get the lowdown on drag shocks from the experts at afco the basics you need to know right here. With over 50 years of drag racing experience the joneses cover everything from. Get tips and tricks to get down the track and answers to all your questions. The ultrapro laser link 4link system from sw race cars features the optimum in tuning adjustments, 144 possible instant centers and is designed to withstand even the most severe drag race applications. Dont get too soft or you may lose the control your shock has on your suspension, thus allowing it to do unexpected things. If you didnt find what you are looking for, contact us here.
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