Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

I have a full tube frame stock WB (98 in.) 63 vette with 36 in. solid mount (no springs) wheelie bars. I am building a heavy nitrous 555 that should make at least 1450 hp. I want to run a 7.6 index class. I assume it will take approx 1250-1350 hp to run 7.6's. Before I built this motor I had a 600+ hp 454 that I sprayed another 175-375 hp at; the more power I gave the car the better it reacted, alway et'd and 60' better. Best was a 1.13 60' and 5.09 at 137+ in the 1/8th on 32x14.5 tires with a .036 jet in the Fogger.

I know most guys who run the faster classes have longer WB cars; am I going to be able to get by with this short car and wheelie bars? I am afraid of giving the car too much power and unloading it on the short wheelie bars.

I do plan on running a bigger tire, 34x16 or so.

Any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

John
Reply With Quote

Well John,
Long and short are relative terms. Years ago what was called a long wheelie bar is now considered to be a very short bar.

Actually if the suspension is right either one shuld work fine. If the suspension is right? That sounds so simple the way I wrote it but not as easy to do. What I call the suspension being right is that the car will either not touch the wheelie bars at all or will lightly touch or even ride on them but will not be slamming the wheelie bars down. Seldom we see that though.

Even my own engine customers will not usually listen to my suspension advice. It aggravates me when my engines end up looking like crap that won't make it down the track becuase chasis shops who are in that business can not get the cars to handle the power and the cars do big wheelies or bust wheelie bars or dead hook and bust lots of other parts.

So if your suspension is thetypical set-up that I see so much now, I will say the longer wheelie bars may be beneficial for you. I do not know what you are calling long or short though.

A longer wheelie bar will exert more leverage on the ground/track and will not have as much pressure on them as a short bar will if all other things are equal. A longer bar will also unload the rear tires easier if they slam down hard.

It is the nature of the beast for a big nitrous powered car with bigger tires and even the 10.5 w tires to climb as the car is moving out and power adders are coming in and the engine is putting out more power as the car goes down track. The wheelie bars do help to hold the car from shooting the moon.

A 80 inch bar on a car like yours will look like a 100 inch bar on a longer car. . If you do a longer bar make it so it will easily remove for towing on a trailer.

Ed

John,

Other than vehicles limited in chassis/suspension choices I see no reason a vehicle should be riding hard on the wheelie bars.

Watch a current Pro/Stock car to get an idea of an ideal launch and run.

I would stay with your current setup and see how car reacts!

____________________

What is it a MINI COOPER!!!!!!

Cammer wrote:John,

Other than vehicles limited in chassis/suspension choices I see no reason a vehicle should be riding hard on the wheelie bars.

Watch a current Pro/Stock car to get an idea of an ideal launch and run.

I would stay with your current setup and see how car reacts!

____________________

The bar should only be able to fine tune a launch and nothing more. You want to ride them and not shock them like a lot I've seen.

Ed,

So far the susension seems to be working very well. I am installing a new rear (keeping the same IC) and will reinstall the wheelie bars at the same location as the old rear. I guess I will get it all together and go test it.

Thanks everbody.

John

The secret is, wheelie bars are not for wheelies.....