Adding Weight or ballast in the trunk.
- Thread starter Cudafever
- Start date
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Just a thought.... Sandbags.
Locomotion
Well-Known Member
Can't be loose ballast or any liquid. You can use steel/aluminum battery/ballast boxes. The boxes and/or steel bars have to use a minimum of two 1/2" grade 8 bolts mounted through the frame or major crossmembers per 100 lbs. If I find some pics, I'll post them.
I do have some new aluminum bolt-together boxes available, but don't know how much they would be to ship.
Despite extra weight, ballast can help win races by providing consistency, especially at marginally prepped tracks.
I have a secondary battery box that I use to contain bags of lead shot.
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Spare battery box for me, and if you have access to a set of scales weigh at each wheel so as not to get lop sided on launch
Locomotion
Well-Known Member
Thanks.
A battery box is a good idea, with what ever in put in there for weight! Because, in the end i will have my battery in the trunk. So might as well us it as a weight box until i get around to buying that heavy *** welding cable/battery cable to mount it in the trunk.
Hmmmmm.
A battery box is a good idea, with what ever in put in there for weight! Because, in the end i will have my battery in the trunk. So might as well us it as a weight box until i get around to buying that heavy *** welding cable/battery cable to mount it in the trunk.
Hmmmmm.
Locomotion
Well-Known Member
I usually used scuba lead shot bags and lead ingots. Sometimes some extra steel bars. Tried to use rubber padding around the box walls to pad/insulate them. I used three 1/2", grade 8 bolts through the frame rails for extra security. You could get around 100 lbs of lead weight in each box. I think that's the NHRA safety limit anyway. Might be able to bolt some weight on the crossmember behind the bumper too.
Depending on the weight and condition of the leaf springs, you might have to compensate for leaf spring sag!
Don't forget to properly wire in the battery cut-off switch for the trunk mounted battery. Maybe some battery lugs outside the trunk to charge the battery without opening the trunk too. A good AGM battery would be best to use to eliminate battery acid corrosion.
What ever i do it need to be ease removal
as i will be adding and removing the weight every other race. so permanent install in not the plan at this time.
When i'm racing with the blue arrow slick i don't need any extra weight.
But when i'm running the pizza cutter tires, Red arrow I need all the help i can get.
as i will be adding and removing the weight every other race. so permanent install in not the plan at this time.
When i'm racing with the blue arrow slick i don't need any extra weight.
But when i'm running the pizza cutter tires, Red arrow I need all the help i can get.
33IMP
Well-Known Member
I use a big old craftsman open toolbox, bolted thru the floor, and one frame rail. Two feet long, one foot wide, one foot deep, i know i can get almost a hundred pounds in it. Take a padlock off, open the lid, add or subtract whatever.
Put it over the rear axle to just add weight. Farthest back you can put it on the passenger side, to help traction.
Edit, ignore the splash of sunlight, its not in the trunk at the moment.
Put it over the rear axle to just add weight. Farthest back you can put it on the passenger side, to help traction.
Edit, ignore the splash of sunlight, its not in the trunk at the moment.
Locomotion
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure the rule book gets pretty specific on the box construction and a "by-the-book" tech guy wouldn't allow it. The two little flip latches likely wouldn't contain the ballast in a violent crash and the wall thickness is probably also be a factor in containing the contents as well as keeping it secured through the floor and frame.
Locomotion
Well-Known Member
Here is the most detailed "ballast" rules that I could find. They are from NMCA, but they are similar, if not the same, as NHRA and IHRA.
(Well, that didn't work!)
(Well, that didn't work!)
Agree but i thing it could be strangeness up enough to work.
Then i swivel my head 180 degree.........two 50 pound lead bars are $400 dollars Plus shipping. Hmm fiber glass front bumper, glass hoods............ow what, there even more money
Then i swivel my head 180 degree.........two 50 pound lead bars are $400 dollars Plus shipping. Hmm fiber glass front bumper, glass hoods............ow what, there even more money
this is all i got
No workie
Locomotion
Well-Known Member
Yea, it's some sort of pdf chrome extension that I can't get to "link".
Try this:
All Racers: Ballast Rule Clarification | NMCA
33IMP
Well-Known Member
Youre right, wall thickness isnt close to being legal.
But then my car isnt subject to divisional/national event tech inspection. If the techie ever disallows it, i can remove it.
My next dot tire race in in a couple of weeks. I'm trying to come up with 120 pounds of weight to put in the trunk...maybe 160 lbs.
Here is what i'm thinking. Assuming that my car has 47% on the weight on the back wheels, and my car and I weight a total of 3860.
If i put 120 pound in the back my car will be 50/50 weight distribution. It might even hook with them hard rubber pizza slicks.
Well, a guy can dream any ways.
The goal is to equity distribute the weight on each side in the trunk. Then I start thinking,.... its going to be more then 50/50 Because, the added weight will be behind the rear axle.
I'm going to have to be ready for any thing, Will it actually hook and pack the front tires? (some thing that i have been very close to, with my good slicks, but never pulled off). Will it pull the front tires and pull one way or another.............or will it just simply spin less, off the line.
Here is what i'm thinking. Assuming that my car has 47% on the weight on the back wheels, and my car and I weight a total of 3860.
If i put 120 pound in the back my car will be 50/50 weight distribution. It might even hook with them hard rubber pizza slicks.
Well, a guy can dream any ways.
The goal is to equity distribute the weight on each side in the trunk. Then I start thinking,.... its going to be more then 50/50 Because, the added weight will be behind the rear axle.
I'm going to have to be ready for any thing, Will it actually hook and pack the front tires? (some thing that i have been very close to, with my good slicks, but never pulled off). Will it pull the front tires and pull one way or another.............or will it just simply spin less, off the line.
Krooser
Building Chinese Free Engines since 1959...
We use bolt on lead in the dirt track world. Facebook has plenty of race pages where guy sell.lead for $1.00/pound or thereabouts.
Some guys bolt a 20# weight to the axle...screw that unsprung weight fobia.
Some guys bolt a 20# weight to the axle...screw that unsprung weight fobia.
Well I'm here at the trace with my cheeter slick back on, 160 pound of weight in the trunk.
Can all most make it hook but had to raise my air pressure back up to 20 psi because the rim is spinning on the bead.
Good plan but no hook for me. will put screws in the rim for the next street legal race in Aug.
Really thought it would hook and go.......well ok it is .3 quicker with 160 pound of weight.
The weight helped.........just not enough.
o well having fun burning up these old 60' style drag slicks.
Can all most make it hook but had to raise my air pressure back up to 20 psi because the rim is spinning on the bead.
Good plan but no hook for me. will put screws in the rim for the next street legal race in Aug.
Really thought it would hook and go.......well ok it is .3 quicker with 160 pound of weight.
The weight helped.........just not enough.
o well having fun burning up these old 60' style drag slicks.
eeka440
Well-Known Member
I used a piece of 2" square tubing i had left over from my subframe connectors. I welded one end shut then filled it with used lead wheel weights I got from the local tire shop (brought them all some coffee!) I pounded the weights in then welded the other end closed. Added some angle iron brackets and bolted to the frame in the trunk. It weighed 100 lbs.Well I'm here at the trace with my cheeter slick back on, 160 pound of weight in the trunk.
Can all most make it hook but had to raise my air pressure back up to 20 psi because the rim is spinning on the bead.
Good plan but no hook for me. will put screws in the rim for the next street legal race in Aug.
Really thought it would hook and go.......well ok it is .3 quicker with 160 pound of weight.
The weight helped.........just not enough.
o well having fun burning up these old 60' style drag slicks.
Before i seen the bead slipping on the rim i was going to add another 6 gal of fuel(36 more pounds)
But when i seen the bead slip. i knew my day was done, with trying to get it to hook.
Got a video from under my car of the tire frying escapade. Tomorrow i will post it up.
But when i seen the bead slip. i knew my day was done, with trying to get it to hook.
Got a video from under my car of the tire frying escapade. Tomorrow i will post it up.
j par
Well-hung Member
@318willrun has some ideas on how to make your rear suspension "work".. apparently without the need to have good traction tires or extra ballast over the back tires...
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