Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

80 Grit is my choice. You need sander control. Keep it almost flat. If you get too flat, the sander will jump around on you. Keep that sander moving also. you don't want it to dig in. Each change of grit will erase the last sand scratches. The last set of scratches is your adhesion for your sealer. ...

How did you determine how thick the paint was as most gauges work off magnetic readings? I don't think we will find metal in the fiberglass. If you have a rock chip or scratch, which most do, block sand that and the ring will be more accrate at telling paint build up. Spray paint a guide coat over t...

It's just my opinion, but I've seen LS weights up to 60% and you give too much to get a little forward drive out of the corners. The first concept you have to grasp, is handling is a matter of forces and all forces originate from the center of mass. They are modified by your roll centers, anti squat...

If there are no adhesion problems with the paint on the car and it's not too thick. Sand it, waterborne primer/ sealer and paint. If it's not adhering or thick build up including primers, strip it if you want it to last. Just like all re-paints. The waterborne sealer insures the Acrylic enamel doesn...

You can get rear steer from leaf springs, but it is a little undependable. The trick is re-arch left spring and turn some of the leafs around and re-drill center hole on some, beef up the front of left spring. Then make a very solid saddle with around 2 inches of lowering block welded on. Can't stre...

I think your going to find out that the LS weight over 55% is going to be self defeating. Most everyone is using a soft RF with a lot of hike in the left rear, to promote rear steer to rotate the car and get bite on the LR for forward bite. Once you get your Percentages right, you fine tune with rai...

You already learned rule one. Size is important. You need tension on that spring to keep them fastened. Second thing is, don't use them where there is a lot of twist to that panel. Put a tranny tunnel in aluminum floored Gasser back in the day before 12 point cages and stretched more springs than th...

Doing a custom 1955 Studebaker pickup. As with most older trucks, the rear leaf springs are a tall, narrow stack of a dozen leaves suspended beneath the rear axle tube and the spring hangers below the frame rails. Most current trucks use three wide leaves above the rear axle tube, with the front mo...

Spring rate should be as advertised on both. The longer one will have more travel. Both can only store the energy put in them and give it up at the advertised rate. 175lb will store 175 lb for every inch they are compressed and they give up 175lb for every inch of separation. Note, where the shock i...

Unless your getting separation in the rear, this is more than likely a center of gravity problem. Too high or too far to the rear.

I could go along with a radar gun if you really wanted to know what your speed is. Application of this knowledge is where I may differ with some. I would be looking at exit speed in the corner. This is where the money is made. There is an old adage in dirt circle track racing, "Corner speed is ...

Thanks, Bubstr, I have the instant center worked out, and am building in some heighth adjustment there just in case I didn't nail it . Good tip on shimming the body to set level even tho the rear wheels are loaded differently. Oileaky Something I didn't think of, when replying to your post is, if y...

Getting ready to install nascar type truck arms under my street roadster. Has anyone tried offsetting the front pivots to the right a couple of inches, to add weight bias to the right rear wheel under accelleration ? Anything bad happen ? Thanks....oileaky While this may make your car Dog Track som...

Going along with stagger, how you groove and sipe and grind a tire, if you do, can make it feel like more or less roll out. Just a little. If you can use a wheel 1/2 inch or 1 inch narrower can increase roll out. Wheel spacers or lack of them can increase or decrease the effect of the roll out. If y...

This is something we have done since the early 60s. You want 1 degree of positive (top in) on the right rear and 1 degree negative on the left rear. It's all about slip angle. That would be the angle the tire is to the surface your running on to get the best traction. Most all tire manufactures I kn...