Weight Distrubition

[John Burk]

Most land speed cars would accelerate faster and spin less often if they were front wheel drive . The higher the front weight bias the better .

[Huffy047]

Nathan, my trip down the salt was my first experience on the hallowed ground, it was the cars 2nd year. All I remember was looking at the tach I think near the end of one of the measured miles and seeing it where we needed to be to break the record. At that time it had a bert transmission in it and it did take a ways to get up to the maximun rpm. So to answer your question, it was proablly at the end, not a full measured mile.

Thanks to all who have responded, please continue to do so, it all helps!

[NathanStewart]

Most land speed cars would accelerate faster and spin less often if they were front wheel drive . The higher the front weight bias the better .

I used to think that front wheel drive cars would never spin until I saw more than a handful go around.  Now I know that anything can spin.

[redhotracing]

More weight all around... Sure, a RWD car should have plenty of ballast for traction,
but even with good aero work it should have plenty of weight in the nose, lest it should
ever decide to spin, catch a cross wind and turn into a glider. We plan on adding appx.
1,500 lbs to our standing mile car before heading to the salt. Stripped out is great for
200 mph on asphalt, not so great for 200+ mph on salt, where spinning becomes an
all too real possibility.

I'm a salt virgin, but having raced on plenty of "loose" surfaces and trying to soak in as
much info from B-ville vets as possible, hoping we can put a good combination together.

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I dont know so dont throw stones but I am not sure a 2500# car would have a traction issue due to the wall at 135mph....unless it had a front end the size of a UPS package car.

~JH

[Kiwi Paul]

Our Old Car weighed about 2600 with driver, went out the three mile at 170. Moved around some, but didn`t spin the tires at all in high gear. I`m not sure about our weight front to rear, but the water tank I built behind the rear end couldn`t have hurt......

[kiwi belly tank]

I look at it like an arrow. A heavy arrow will pretty much go where you point it. Take the weight off the nose & it's looking for somewhere else to go. Take the feathers off the back & it's wandering towards it's target.
I like to hunt with a complete arrow.
  Sid.

[Stan Back]

But things are different -- like a roadster is not aero like an arrow.

[Huffy047]

The car I am describing is just a roadster with a top? Talking with only a few people at the salt and at home is was "Assumed" we had slippage because of the tach reading. Looking a all the post's, I might also assume that as a rookie run, combined with the adrenilin, I might not have experenced tire slippage?

Again, thanks to all who responded, and if you have futher thoughts, please post.

[PatMc]

Most land speed cars would accelerate faster and spin less often if they were front wheel drive . The higher the front weight bias the better .

That was what I was thinking but you need serious nose weight.  We had to disable our 4x4 due to rules, and considered running it FWD.  However, gear selection for the 9.5" front differential was 3.73 at the time.  Period.  No other choices.

Seems the worse that could happen is you would wander from torque steer if you ran an open front diff.  I have an electric locking front diff.  DO NOT USE THAT ON THE STREET.  It's only for sled pulling.  It is even risky on the dragstrip.  You can barely turn at all, so if you must react fast, you're skrewed.

[PatMc]

The car I am describing is just a roadster with a top? Talking with only a few people at the salt and at home is was "Assumed" we had slippage because of the tach reading. Looking a all the post's, I might also assume that as a rookie run, combined with the adrenilin, I might not have experenced tire slippage?

Again, thanks to all who responded, and if you have futher thoughts, please post.

If you ran an open diff, and skinny tires, you could have been spinning one tire and not notice much. 

[Huffy047]

Rear wheel drive, open rear.

[PatMc]

When you run a spool rear diff, you KNOW when you've lost traction.  An open is probably safer, but a spool is more entertaining.  Fishtailing at triple digit speeds is great fun, as long as you don't get carried away.  Literally.

[GH]

My car weighed 4700 lbs with me in it. 51% on the front end and it had a spool in it. It never spun and was easy to drive except in 2009 between the 4 and 5 mile where it was loose.

[bvillercr]

Our car weights around 4800lbs, approximately 35f-65r 2300rwhp and handles great with no rear tire spin in high gear on a dry surface.  Looks like results vary.