Author Topic: Ballast Question  (Read 10723 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Sumner

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4078
  • Blanding, Ut..a small dot in the middle of nowhere
    • http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/sumnerindex.html
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #15 on: January 05, 2005, 08:16:00 PM »
Thanks John, and that is a good point about being ready to add weight to the car before we get there if it is necessary.  We will look into doing that.
 
 c ya, Sum

StraightSix

  • Guest
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #16 on: January 12, 2005, 04:58:00 PM »
Maybe only tangentially related, but would it help to use a shock setting with a fairly soft compression stroke and a stiffer rebound, sort of the opposite to how the front end is set up on a drag car, to keep the shocks from raising the car?
 
  <small>[ January 12, 2005, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: StraightSix ]</small>

Offline Bob Drury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2599
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #17 on: January 12, 2005, 08:19:00 PM »
Six, My theory is to run very stiff springs AND shocks.  If and when you hit a bump out there, the last thing you want is to have the body lift and allow more air under it...at least with a full bodied car. For example, I am running 400# springs on the rear of my 53 Stude coupe with 500# of ballast in front of the rear end.
Bob Drury

Offline Bob Drury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2599
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #18 on: January 12, 2005, 08:21:00 PM »
Six, I forgot to add, I run short 550# coil overs on the front with a air dam to keep the front end loaded..Bob
Bob Drury

StraightSix

  • Guest
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #19 on: January 13, 2005, 06:17:00 PM »
OK makes sense but how does your compression damping compare with your rebound damping?

Offline Sumner

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4078
  • Blanding, Ut..a small dot in the middle of nowhere
    • http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/sumnerindex.html
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #20 on: January 13, 2005, 07:56:00 PM »
Bob that is all good information.  Do you have a  picture of your stude on the internet somewhere as I'd like to see it (I probably have in person, but don't know which one it is)?  
 
 Did you run this last year?
 
 Did you ever run without the 500# of weight?
 
 If so what happened that lead you to adding the weight?
 
 A lot of questions!!!!
 
 Thanks, Sum

Offline Bob Drury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2599
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #21 on: January 13, 2005, 08:19:00 PM »
Sum, My car is #394, Old Stud Racing.  It is painted "Moon" yellow with red lettering.  If you want to see my "famous" low speed spin, go to www.speednchrome.com, click the videos, and when you get to the page with two rows of boxes, scroll down to the third one in the left collumn and hit download.  I have always run at least 300# in front of the rear axle, my reasoning being trying to tame the torque down a little as I go through the first mile.  I am running a 435 cu in Early Olds on fuel, and this puppy puts out over 700lb. ft of torque at 3500 rpm, and if you watch the video, you will understand.  As far as rebound, I run my car like a brick.  I have sway bars on both ends, and there is little if any rebound in the suspension.  The last six passes have been over 200, and it drives like a dream.  The best thing I did, was to add the front Valance/Spoiler two years ago.  Keeping the air out from under the car makes a hell of a difference from about l75 up.    Bob
Bob Drury

Offline Bob Drury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2599
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #22 on: January 13, 2005, 08:29:00 PM »
Sorry, but I posted before I was done again.  The car is a 53 Studebaker running in B/CFALT.  The other reason I have always run the lead is I wanted to run aproximately 55% of my total weight on the rear tires, so with that big stump puller in the front, I needed it.  My car weighs 4500 lbs with fuel and driver.  Incedently, Lionel Pitts told me that to make the McDonald and Pitts Firebird handle above 250, They poured the frame full of lead, and it now weighs 6500 lbs, and ran 297 at the World Finals .
Bob Drury

Offline Bob Drury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2599
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #23 on: January 14, 2005, 12:10:00 AM »
One more word on "spring rebound".  If you have the missfortune to get sideways at say 200mph, you are not going to want to have a suspension with very much travel, or I believe, you will soon look like a turtle on its back.  Remember, the goal here is to keep the rubber side down.
Bob Drury

Offline thowey

  • New folks
  • Posts: 3
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #24 on: January 14, 2005, 06:01:00 PM »
We have added close to 2000 lbs of lead in the last 3 years, this is the only year the coupe didn't do circles since adding the big engine.  Just poking around and asking questions it seems a lot of the faster door cars are running close to 20 lbs per mph.  This isn't absoulte of course just what my limited research has come up.  With 5 miles of track the weight isnt that big of an issue.

Offline Sumner

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 4078
  • Blanding, Ut..a small dot in the middle of nowhere
    • http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/sumnerindex.html
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #25 on: January 14, 2005, 08:51:00 PM »
Thanks for that additional information Bob. We are going to make provisions to add weight if needed at b'ville. We will make secure mounting fixtures and take weight with us. So far up close to 220 it has handled well. We had probably about 600 hp and 600 lb/ft torque with the motor last year, but hope to add about 150-200 hp with a blower this year, so things could change and we hope to be ready for them. The Speed & Chrome site is down right now, so I'll have to wait a few days to look at the video. I found your car in last years program. Very nice looking car and I like the way you handled the hood.
 
   -    
 
 If you don't have a picture of your car on the internet (you do now) I could post one for you on my site and then if you wanted to show it to someone you could give them the link and they could see it like the one above of your car.  If you could get me a better colored one I'd post it.
 
 Thowey what coupe are you running (number)? Thanks for that information also about the weight. It is the kind of information we are looking for since we only ran last year and then only 4 runs.
 
 c ya, Sum
 
 207 mph with Hooley

Offline BAKERSFIELD BOYS

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 32
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #26 on: January 17, 2005, 11:58:00 AM »
IM NOT SURE. BUT WITH 55% OF THE CARS WEIGHT ON THE REAR WHEELS THIS WILL HELP TO SPIN THE CAR. A DART IS HEAVY IN THE FRONT WE HAVE ABOUT 52 TO 55% OF OUR CAR WEIGHT ON FRONT WHEELS AND THE CAR RUNS GREAT. BAKERSFIELD BOYS #1661 34 FORD COUPE

Offline Bob Drury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2599
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #27 on: January 17, 2005, 01:09:00 PM »
Phord, a fenderless coupe does not have the frontal area or downforce that a full bodied sedan has, so the weight bias is different.
Bob Drury

Offline Stan Back

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5879
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #28 on: January 17, 2005, 02:15:00 PM »
How many darts are powered by the rear feathers?
Past (Only) Member of the San Berdoo Roadsters -- "California's Most-Exclusive Roadster Club" -- 19 Years of Bonneville and/or El Mirage Street Roadster Records

Offline Bob Drury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2599
Re: Ballast Question
« Reply #29 on: January 19, 2005, 07:23:00 PM »
Sum, the SpeednChrome website is back up if you want to see my "famous" low speed spin.  Click videos, then scroll down the Bonnevelle items to Studebaker.  This is what happens when you add 25% nitro, have a spool rear end, a lot of low end torque, slow reflex's, and have been sitting in the car too damn long...........Bob
Bob Drury