Landracing Forum
East Coast Timing Association => ECTA General Chat => Topic started by: SlyOneJr on May 17, 2010, 11:41:53 AM
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Just trying to figure out how much (or little) ground clearance is needed at Maxton. Can you get down to 1" of ground clearance and not drag over the whole track, or would 2" be better? I know that the track is a little rough, but it is a lot better than it was thanks to the guys working on the track each year.
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Unh, do you have a long springy chassis on your car -- or is it a short bike with plastic bodywork that's close to the ground? An inch is asking for a bit of "polishing" by the bumps in the pavement - two inches will probably avoid most of that, unless (back to the long chassis scenario) you get it flopping up and down.
Back when I started running at Maxton the long shutdown was still pretty primitive -- with a few missing sections of pavement (acting as sand traps). They'd get the bottom of the race vehicle if you didn't have three or four inches between earth and vehicle. Look at some of the old bodywork from my ZX12R and I can prove it.
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Bounce your front end up and down...it can not touch the track surface, Period!!! You can't drive a car against the bump stops and maintain control at Maxton....so, I would recommend at least 3 to4 inches of ground clearance because you can't even get to the starting line with less than that because of the return road.
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3 inches with stiff suspension should be enough. But as Joe said 3 to 4 inches would be best.
I took Joe's advice, my setup is adjustable...
The lowest part of my new car is the front air dam. My ride heigt is adjustable from as little as 2 3/4 to as much as 4 3/4 inches of ground clearance up front.
Charles
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I have a fairly stiff suspension(coil overs) and I still run around 2.5 to 3 inches of ground clearance.
Mike Reichen
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The red hot racing camaro has about 1.5" of ground clearance at the air dam, but the front struts are bottomed out and there is zero travel going on there. Also, the bottom inch or so of the spoiler is rubber that will wear off or deflect if it hits the track.
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Rubber is the good idea for the bottom of your air dam. McMaster Carr has any size , hardness (durometer)or type you could want. There wedsite takes some work (choices) but they ship immediately. If you do scrape we'll hear or see it from the tower and note it on your time slip.
Have a fast, safe weekend everybody!!!
From the the tower
John
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I'll mention that at the April event drivers meeting we were informed that NO, repeat NO, rubbing on the ground by any race vehicle will be permitted from now on. So -- if you show up in inspection with an air dam or something that's apparently too close to the track surface -- you might get instructed to move it a tad or two. The track workers have been notified to keep and eye (and an ear) open for violators of this rule -- so be forewarned.
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I've heard a rumor that the guys in shutdown will rat you out too if ya' scrape.
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Hey guys and girls...the rule is "do not rub the track". It is a safety issue...you can pull up old concrete or a patch and jeapordize the safety of the next person down the track. Rubber can still cause a problem. The tech guys have the authority to fail your car if they can make your car's spoiler contact the ground in inspection.
Zero bump stops are not a safe way to run. None of you need to set your cars up so low...it does not make that much difference. wHAT IS YOUR LIFE WORTH!!!
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Howdy all, we ran 2" on the little red Kia that could with stock suspension and had an iassue in shut down when the wife got on the binders a little hard. Bumping it up to 3" this year as it really does not make that big of a differance under 150. besides, the dirt road to the staring line will trim the dam for ya if your not careful. :-D Safety First!!!!
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I can say that even with fairly stiff springs on the old cup car we brought in april we rubbed the ground pretty good at 2 inches 'normal' ground clearance and got a talking to about it