Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Hi i have a 2009 JEI 5 Bar that i run in Australia with a 3.8ltr Buick V6, they make about 200hp. Trouble im having is i dont think car is hooking up properly. running 1000 lf 1025 rf 975lr and 1025 rr bars. Front right Torsion bar arm is broached, thinking maybe RF Bar is too stiff. Any help would be greatly apreciated

You really can't get 200 h.p. hooked up.?? The bars arent that far off really, but if you cant hook up 2 hundo I would look at basically everything else, are you running normal dirt tires?

44H

I run a JEI non wing here in the states with a 305, and though it took a little while, we've sort of figured out what it likes. Here are some things you might try:

Ditch the front (#5) bar. Run a 1.025 in the RF, and 1.000 on the other 3 corners. Try blocking the car on 3"s in the front and 4.5"s in the rear as a starting point. We typically run a straight 4 LF shock, 5/3 RF, 4/7 LR, and either a straight 5 or 6 on the RR on a fairly heavy 1/4 mile track.

Considering you're running a fairly light (by comparison) engine, I'd move it UP in the car as far as possible (especially if your track has a tendency to slick off) to help get the car over on the right side at corner entry. This should also help the rear percentage, getting you some more "drive" off the corners.

Just some thoughts.

Obsty,

Can you describe more fully what you mean by "not hooking up properly"? What do you feel the car is not doing that it should, or vice-versa? This will help in diagnosing your dilemma. Also, can you identify what driveline length/wheelbase car you have, and do you know the weight of your motor?

Tim Simmons

Obsty, how is the non wing movement coming along down under, and what do you know about this guy?... Oh, be sure to crank this UP!

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

Hell! I can do that on my lawnmower.

Kid, I doubt if you can even hit the bowl, not alone mow the grass.

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

from what i understand with a sway bar its supposed to even the load to the rear tyres, on a real slick track it wore 1/2 to 3/4 off the right rear and barely touched the left. We are running a 800 sway bar, blocking at 3" fornt 4 3/4 rear. I dont feel that the car is transfering weight to the left rear enough, maybe because the front bars are too stiff for the limited horsepower

So, does the car feel loose? Are you losing ground to the other competitors and, if so, where are you losing the ground?

Yes, the sway bar will more evenly spread the load on the rear tires, but it's not going to even the load completely due to the fact that the weight is going to transfer to the right from centrifugal force. The tire wear may be due to several other factors (compound, track surface as far as abrasiveness, etc.)

Tim Simmons

car isnt loose, drives fine but cars do pull away mid straight, we have tried higher gears but still cant get any more speed

motor is 3hp of quickest car in state, reading off same dyno. With a broached front Right hand torsion bar arm how much heavier does it make the torsion bar?

Like I said, My lawn mower can do it.

Have you checked to see if the car is a standard or raised rail? JEI made 1/2" raised rail cars. The 1/2" is easy to miss if you don't know that the car is a raised rail. If you don't compensate for that 1/2" by using a shorter block on the left you will always be chasing a loose car. Entry will be decent, but the left rear won't do any work coming off the corner.

With only 200 horsepower you aren't carrying near as much speed as a nonwing 410, therefore you should be able to run the car higher on softer bars. The 1025 in the right front is probably about right, on a real super slick track you may be able to go 1000 there. Try running a pair of 1000s in the back, or even 975 RR 1025 LR reverse to get more left rear drive and block your front and rear 1/2 inch higher than you normally do. 91R1 makes a good point as well. Easy up your front shocks more than you have been. With only 200 horsepower you probably do not need to run the sway bar either, guys have found in midgets that they do not work real well, the sway bar is kind of a crutch/gimmick anyway.

i dont run the sway bar hooked up most of the time, just on non clay tracks that go dry and slick, as for the raised rail im sure its not but how can i check?

Me sounds lack of forward. Whats the tire your using, Air pressure. Arm Angle. type of birdcage. and set up block height front and rear.

I don't aim to please.
I aim to hit the target.

Obsty- to check if the car is a Raised Rail or standard, sit it on your work stands, place an angle finder on the cross bar of the stand and then place it on the torsion bar rack. If they are sitting at the same angle it's a standard car, if the work stand is level and the rack is angled down to the left, it's a raised rail. Being a non winged car I'd be surprised if it was a raised rail, but ruling that out is pretty simple, and if happens to be a raised rail, changing the blocking will help a ton.

So did any of the advice help? Or have you raced?

thanks for the advice, i run the car with 1000lhs and 1025rhs with straight 5 shocks front a 3/8 left rear and a 5 right hand rear, car went alright but still didnt feel right to me, changed to a 1000 right hand front and 975 left rear, car shoots out of turns now and feels pretty good