Chassis Dyno at Land speed events

[BurtonBrown]

I have an interesting question posed by one of my crew members who is thinking of buying a portable Chassis dyno.

He wonders if he brought the chassis dyno to land speed events:

It would fit 2 wheel drive liners, lakesters, and pretty much any two wheel drive car.

Would apply to:
ECTA
Loring
Bonneville
El Mirage
Texas

1) Would people be interested in running on a chassis dyno for tuning at an event or would they think they are there already, why?
2) Would the Sanctioning body disallow it for any reason?

Just an interesting question....I see why someone might want to do it but would they?

Or is he better off 

Burton

[entropy]

BurtonBrown,
TFA would be very interested in putting our lakester on a dyno at Speed Week but we have so little ground clearance, I am concerned whether or not the car could actually get on the machine without a bunch of fiddling around
karl

[Milwaukee Midget]

I see guys bringing a chassis dyno to drag racing events and charging people to do pulls on it.  Usually, it's a case where they just want to see what kind of RWHP their car can do, and the spectators are more inclined to hook up than the racers.

And I've also seen videos of catastrophes on these things - everything from blown engines to fires to cars launching themselves off of the platforms.

I don't think you'd see enough demand from racers to make it pay and be able to cover the trip costs, wear and tear on the machine, or the insurance liability, and that's coming from someone who now insists on dyno tuning.

And I don't think I'd want a very expensive precision tool sitting out when the wind kicks up salt at Bonneville.

I could see it at the Hot Rod Magazine event in Wilmington, where you've got a lot of spectators with strong street cars showing up to spectate, and I think they would be the customer.  But the event is so short for someone to actually tune a race car and get back in line, they might just as well have made a pass.

At that point, you're trading dyno time for seat time, and you don't pay an entry fee to put the car on the dyno - you pay the entry fee to put the car on the track.

Yep - I'm a wet blanket . . . 
 

[BurtonBrown]

OK 50-50 

Is that considered a poll now just like it politics?

[Milwaukee Midget]

Hey, Burton -

You can bring all the tools you need to race.  If you need a dyno, bring a dyno.

In fact, you're Miller welding offer has been helpful to many racers.  Good on ya!

But it sounds like your crew member is looking to offer this up as a service, which I view as a different worm can than loaning tools. 

There's enough that can go wrong with a chassis dyno, the chassis operator and the monkey flogging the car from the wheel that I'd be cautious, and carry plenty of liability.

Still the wet blanket . . . 

[Seldom Seen Slim]

My thoughts - - -   I'd think that you'd have a good bunch of customers at most any event, and I betcha a good portion of those folks would be spectators (v. racers).  Chris points out many reasons why racers might not use your service - especially since I expect racers will want to do tuning and not just gathering one run of numbers.  Tuning will take time.

But spectators want a sheet to show off to buddies when they get back home - that's why I guess that you'd get a bunch of customers.  Make up a cost sheet for them -- showing what it takes - say, two runs -- one for dial-in and one for the actual run.

I'd expect that if you set up at any race venue you'd be asked to pay some type of fee to the sanctioning organisation - a commission or something.  I know that SCTA has such a policy in effect.  As for avoiding that -- set up in town or at least completely away from the track's premises.  That'd be a great idea at Bville, anyway, what with the likelihood of getting salt and lots of crud on and in your machine.  Set up in the parking lot of a casino (where you also might have to pay for the privilege of being) and you'll have quite a bit less chance of gumming up the works.

Go ahead and ask more of us for comments.  You've got Chris' and mine.

[Stainless1]

I think he could make a small fortune... if he starts with a large one  

Actually I think if he set it up in the Stateline (Nugget) parking lot it could be part of the car show.  
A lot of race cars are really low to the ground, like Karl's, and a long ramp to the trailer or the ability to get a car with really low clearance would be required.  
I prefer to blow my car up on the dyno at home before I drive 1200 miles... but that has not stopped me from blowing them up on the track...  
His mileage may vary  

[Mike Borders]

Hmmm.....I'm kinda new at this, but isn't Bonneville already considered the world's largest chassis dyno???   

[Milwaukee Midget]

Hmmm.....I'm kinda new at this, but isn't Bonneville already considered the world's largest chassis dyno???   

It's been called that, but given the variance in adjusted altitude with weather, changing track conditions and the lack of repeatability, and the potential for operator error, it's hardly a very accurate tool!   

[entropy]

...t's hardly a very accurate tool!   

like a DynoJet dyno???

[Stainless1]

... it's hardly a very accurate tool!   

But it will find all your problems... mostly the ones you are not aware of... 

[NathanStewart]

I've thought about doing this with my own dyno (Bonneville only) and decided it was more work and more of a PITA than it'd ever be worth.  A place like Loring or other paved mile events might be worth it though.