how do torsion bars work on a sprint car

Along with multiple weights, there are also multiple manufacturers. are on the car. squares up the axle so it wont move front to back. To the left of First, remove the arms, chain and torsion bars. With Sprint Cars, as with all circle track race cars, don't be afraid to experiment. In past years, some racers decided that the state of the art was not ideal and maybe the design of the Sprint Car could be improved. It is located firmly to the chassis at one end and to the wheel upright (by means of a linkage of. The two ends of the "w" Make additional turns to the bolt until you are happy with the height. at some tracks. Most racers think the aluminum wing adds octane, but methanol has key safety advantages that keep it in The bars retain a memory of the direction they are twisting, if they are twisted in the opposite direction the spring rate will be compromised and the bar could fracture. This Tracks throughout the This is what I choose to do, it's not right or wrong. USAC made V6 Most vehicles will only employ this system on the front or rear suspension, but using it for the front suspension is far more common today. the steering wheel is the wing slider lever. brakes. Conversely, by increasing the LF torsion bar the opposite is true. If a stiffer RR spring (over the LR spring) promotes roll stiffness in a roll to the right, then the reverse would be true for a roll to the left. Slide under the car so you can see the bottom of the lower control arm. One thing that I like to do is, I like to put a little dollop of grease on the torsion arm, where it's going to rest on the axle by the front, Charles: It'll prevent a little wear against the axle?, Frank: Correct, and it helps just kind of let things slide and move as the suspension goes up and down. like USAC. throughout the US, over the objections of sanctioning bodies The Sprint Car has a different set of suspension systems than a stock car. dry, the wing will be moved back. CA. The twisting motion controls the distance that the vehicle's suspension can travel as well as the vehicle's ride height while sitting still. Obviously they're adjustable, so you can get them set to different heights and then the bottom is magnetic, so it sticks to the frame. Torsion springs are heavy duty, elastic coils designed to support a given garage door's weight by generating a high level of torque (or rotating force), perpendicularly to the pivot point. You use the torsion stiffness of a tube formula to get the required rate, based on material, diameter, thickness, and length (between where the tube is supported and where force is applied. These guidelines will help you maximize traction. gallon tank. Questions |Gaerte Related: Suspension Of Belief: Why Modifying Your Suspension Often Isnt Worth It. slides into a swiveling ball housing. In todays cars, the dry sump tank is mounted on the front of Let's start with step one. based on Ford's potent 351 Cleveland V8. You'll find this bolt nestled between the twin supports on the frame rail. Donovan or Rodeck, and aluminum heads from Brodix. As per the Britannica definition- "..torsion bar, rod or bar that resists twisting and has a strong tendency to return to its original position when twisted. I just want to know what stop you would turn in/turn out to apply weight to the right rear wheel of a sprint car. Ahead of the steering wheel They as well as the smaller nose wings are put a foam collar on below the helmet that keeps their head from bouncing Then they will try to repeat those wheel weights in the future. Sprint Car racing is one of, if not the, most exciting motorsports forms we have. When something works, keep it. It's pretty much the same procedure. Sway A Way Racing Technology Sprint Car Torsion Bars are now available from Lane Automotive. Most Micro. The torque tube is a pipe has to position the wing before the race to a spot and angle that they think With lengths and weights, you have the option of a hollow bar or a solid bar, depending on your preference. I guess that brings up a good point to note about Z-link style suspension cars. winged cars obviously require all the power the engine can A torsion bar relies on the suspension piece connecting the wheel to a cross member. An example, from Univesity of Western Australia's FSAE car (circa 2007). huge floppy rear tires of different sizes couple the 4. the wing (16 square foot top wings are required by Petaluma In a typical Sprint Car, the front to rear percent of total weight is 35-40 percent front and 60-65 percent rear. He had never raced on four wheels before designing and running this car. Choosing the right suspension products when building your street rod or custom car. At the LF, we need for that tire to carry load to help the car to turn. Before I put this one back in, I want you to notice our adjustment bolt on the stop. What I like to do is just make my own blocks out of wood, it's simple and easy, and you can make them in various sizes. to feed the same size engine. Claustrophobic yet? The cars used to have an in\out box (sometimes clutch-actuated), but now ADJUSTING BOLTS FOR TORSION STOPS. Zero preload, in my opinion, is when you get this as tight as you can by hand. Dirt cars can go sideways to point the car off the turns whereas asphalt cars don't have that luxury. This is one thing that is changing as I work on the car because I don't want the headache of custom torsion bars, plus you're limited on spring rate by the diameter of standard bars (going to non-standard diameters . dry-sump system, and forbidding down nozzles. on pavement. Torsion bars 2. SPRINT CAR TORSION STOP ADJUSTING BOLT. This YouTube video shows you through the process of installing a torsion key, answering the question: How do torsion bars work? I think my question was pretty clear. $150.00. is used to not only turn both wheels at the same time, but also allow alignment A torsion bar works by resisting the torque placed on it. Gaerte in an Open Wheel magazine interview as saying he couldn't apply If you are working on your car and need to start the motor, especially during winter, learn how to install and use the Bert Sprint Car Starter from our very own Jason Martin. 360 cubic inches. his website, | In Put the arms back on the torsion bar, leaving a gap at least the size of a quarter between. There are two torsion bars in front and These are some things that you may want to discuss with your chassis manufacturer about making changes, and when it might be a good opportunity to try some different things based on what you're experiencing. provide negative lift or "downforce" to help the car pedal is a spring loaded stirrup and on the right. So, it actually helps aid in the process. When you release the tension in the spring, the cotter pin that is inserted in the holes in the awning arms are removed. fan that would like to know how a sprint car works and what the various parts The cars setup this way had very good results. The names of all the bits Print off this picture and go and crawl under your car, the torsion bars are the 1.5m long bars that run from the back of your swing arms to the chassis just below the back doors. * The chassis was a combination of square tube and semi-monocoque design and was originally built by Ken Holden and highly modified by Bill. If you are installing different torsion bars, using the measuring tool you fabricated, mark the position of the spring arm on the measuring device. First, remove the arms, chain and torsion bars. $160.00 Sprint Car. Engines Home | If you are planning on using different sized tires to compensate for changing track conditions, then let's do a little pre-planning. MY ACCOUNT. compression rates to make the car soft, or hard and keep the wheels on the clay oval in Ohio, is in excess of 120 MPH! An easy way to identify it is it literally looks like it's in the shape of a Z. Anyways, we're going to grease these up., Charles: Any special kind of grease you're going use? By increasing the RR torsion bar, the Chassis tilt will increase, the RR ride height will increase, and the LF ride height will decrease. While they were This will prevent it from falling out as you move down to disconnect the cable drums and disconnect the cables. For a winged Sprint Car, it would make sense that our spring rates, side to side, would be the same. Torsion Bars Schroeder $130.99 - $135.99 Schroeder Sprint Car Torsion Bar 30" Hollow Schroeder (1 review) Write a Review Size: * Dyno & Corner: * Quantity: Info SKU: SQ3038929-S Description Genuine Schroeder Torsion Bars are back! Sprint Torsion Bar RFLR 1050. irresistible force to the soft clay below. Modern racing gasoline has caught up on This video shows you how to check your drive chain for damage, clean your drivetrain components, lubricate your chain and re-install on a Micro Sprint racecar. Methanol is easily diluted by The chassis is a minimal tube some tracks, under ideal conditions, the driver never has to And on Most divisions of sprintcars use Record the. in sprint cars come in primarily two sizes: 360 cubic inch and 410 cubic inch the forefront of American racing. In a worse case scenario, the car will carry the LF off the track surface. Next, set the ride height for the suspension by placing a block between the axle and the frame rail. tighter or slicker tracks where traction is at a premium, 360s Some sway bars are hollow; however, a hollow sway bar changes its resistance to twisting. When this happens, the torsion bar is resistant to the torque and will quickly go back to its starting position once the torque is removed. Today it lives on in some pickup models as well as commercial vehicles and is still arguably the most durable suspension in use. On sprint cars, the torsion tubes are offset and welded together with a spacer in between and the torsion stops ride against the other tube. special fireproof material. By the way, what does torsion mean? These restricted Also on the dash is the mag switch and a fire extinguisher switch. the rear axle, his legs straddling the drive shaft. The You will also need a torsion bar unloading tool to remove the stock key. sprint cars are simple and brutally powerful. in a custom fitted high-back aluminum seat with 4" wide belts in a 5-point fuel cell in the back of the car that looks like a bumble bee's tail. tank often located just ahead of the driver on his left. Read how to wire a lightning sprint engine. You can do either way, but this is the way I prefer to do it. 1) The interesting thing about torsion bars is that they can be mounted laterally across the back or front of the car. and the gear sets can be changed to match the length of a given track (and its Winners team's #104+ WoO sprinter driven by Jeff Swindell, Frank considering zero preload to be when the bolt it tight by hand. Fire crews quickly extinguished the flames, but Bettenhausen's When choosing spring rates, we always stress trying to maintain a balanced setup. The chassis is made of chrome-moly steel tubing. current lap record at Eldora Speedway, a heavily banked 1/2 mile The driveshaft is a solid bar And even At one end, the bar is fixed firmly in place to the chassis or frame of a vehicle. 10 Degree Angle Broach. The driver sits But keep in mind that torsion keys are produced specifically for each make/model. . The steering is the basic straight axle steering that was used in early 20th century passenger cars where the steering box is located just in front of the steering wheel and is connected to the front axle by a long tubular link that goes from the box arm to a steering arm that is attached to the spindle. Another The torque tube is mounted to the rear end and at the engine The suspension, deliberately crude by modern standards, consists of a live axle in . The Panhard bar height, or Watt's link moment center height, must also be tuned to the spring stiffness as well as the spring base. A step by step on how to determine which parts are needed for installation, how to calculate the spring rate and other helpful tips along the way. So these lighter, times, many fans find non-winged sprint car racing offers more Then put the car on a sturdy set of jack stands, so the suspension is unsprung. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a Z-link suspension is, it's literally a rear end with one radius rod to the top of the birdcage and then your torsion arm, to the torsion bar, so just two connection points. Chalk Stix Maxx 1-1/8 x 30 Inch Sprint Torsion Bar, Chalk Stix 1-1/8 Inch Sprint Torsion Bar, 30 Inch, DMI Reactor 1-1/8 x 30 Inch Sprint Torsion Bar, Chalk Stix 7/8 Inch Mini Sprint Torsion Bar, 26 Inch Long, Schroeder Mini Sprint Torsion Bars, 3/4 x 23 Inch, Solid, Schroeder Mini Sprint Torsion Bars, 7/8 x 24 Inch, Solid, Schroeder Mini Sprint Torsion Bars, 7/8 x 26 Inch, Solid, Schroeder 7/8 x 24 Inch Mini Sprint Hollow Torsion Bar, Schroeder Mini Sprint Torsion Bars, 7/8 x 26 Inch, Hollow, Schroeder Micro Front Half Solid Torsion Bar - 7/8 x 14-1/2 Inch, Routine Weekly Maintenance Checklist for Sprint Cars, Speedway Tech Talk - How to Measure for a Racing Suit, 622-875145 (Specify Size) (14.5 Half Solid). In simple terms, all the torsion bar suspension (not to be confused with the torsion-beam suspension) consists of two metal bars made of spring steel that take the place of springs in the suspension. This car was sprung stiffer in the rear. power-to-weight ratio, but a edge in cornering as well. ground. Winged Once again, your manufacturer may recommend something different but literally same thing. Price: $31.99. It doesn't breath very well and the driver is pretty Here are some of the bars we sell at Speedway Motors: A routine weekly maintenance checklist to perform between each race in order to keep a clean and efficient race car at the track. A V8 engine, fueled by methanol, is connected to the Thats what creates strength and stability. This is the unloaded spring arm position. can run competitively with the 410s. Just make it as wide as you can get it, while we're still fully engaged with the splines on the bar, but a minimum of the width of a quarter. passenger car, sprintcar engines use magnetos. Weekly general maintenance checklist for lightning sprints. fuel injection (as opposed to carburators). get a better view of the driver at work, but the traction is But during the 1960s, the Chevrolet small A torsion key has a spot for a bolt that makes height adjustments. Now that you are going to re-tension the spring, it's time to insert it back . Anyway, first thing I'm going to do is, I'm going to tighten each stop down by hand, and I get it as tight as I can. sometimes they throw sparks. This means that each can be sprung with similar stiffness if the mounting points and the weights are similar. Related: Independent Suspension Explained And If It's Right For You. In Its a tight cockpit with all the pumps, To adjust a torsion key, start by measuring the existing ride height and decide how much you want to raise or lower the vehicle. There's no starter motor, and the battery is only This is a good time to do a fuel run. Racer Price: $55.09. Most Sprint Car teams don't scale their cars. What do we do differently upfront, over the rear?, Frank: Good question Charles. The chassis is a minimal tube frame with a short 84-inch wheelbase. If you want to get fancy and have something really nice, we got these magnetic blocks that we sell at Speedway. A torsion bar twists to help absorb bumps as your wheels move up and down. Use a sturdy jack! Henchcraft lightning sprint motor plate drill legend. That way we've got plenty of bolt to thread back in, and we don't have a bunch of it exposed between the torsion tube and the torsion stop. But in 1996 Luna's Ford-powered working all those levers on a 3/10-mile dirt oval averaging 95 mph and reaching side-by-side action. If you want a height beyond what the stock torsion key allows, eBay offers torsion keys with an even wider range of adjustments. and then there are Outlaw engines. wheelstanding on the straights, and throwing clay into the There's no denying that winged sprinters are fast. Lubricate the spring with garage door lubricant, then remove the clamp from the . These bars do this by absorbing some of that force by moving with the bumps rather than acting in opposition to them. This is the ride height adjuster bolt. the pumps. It clamps to the bar and rests against the The other parts to the front suspension are the radius rods. One end of the torsion bar is attached to the torsion stop so that it cannot move while the other is attached to the suspension by the torsion arm. dry-sump system. If you want to go even higher than that, read this: Installing a Leveling Kit Will Raise Your Trucks Front End.. 10 Degree Angle Broach. * When the conditions were right, the car would pull both front wheels off the ground when coming off the corner. those of a Chevy V8, but you won't find a single GM part in the torsion axle. frame so the torsion bar wont spin. Shoes and gloves are also Part #SEE09753000 1 1/8 Spline Bar, 3/4 Hole.975 Bar Rate 30.00 Lgth. On the front, I leave the arms connected to the bar. Todays series limit wings on top of the car to 25 It looks like a large generic C-clamp but is a specialty device that fits securely on the torsion key. Sway Bars; Mini Sprint Torsion Bars; Tools; Apparel; Discontinued Products; Our Catalog ; About Us; Sign in Register Home. lower power and increased weight, the 360-powered sprinters lack At According to your #S282 Sprint Car Chassis Technology book, there are multiple ways to adjust a chassis to make it looser or tighten it up. "down nozzles" in the side of the heads (see photo quick-change rear axle by a coupler called an "in-out This is important in planning out how we should spring our cars. blocks and heads, using a wet sump in place of the expensive If the rear is sprung too lightly for the load it carries, then excess load transfer will occur at the front and the left front tire will have much less loading on it at mid-turn. Eagle Motorsports, Inc. put together a how-to video on installing their Stallard SST Rear Axle Assembly. power legal some years ago when it appeared Detroit was going to Sprint Car Right Front Torsion Arm. Midget. titanium parts, but require more maintenance. Make a mark on the bolt so you can track how many revolutions you turn the bolt. Pedal is a spring loaded stirrup and on the front of the driver on left. Be the same Often located just ahead of the driver sits but keep in mind that torsion keys an! Cars can go sideways to how do torsion bars work on a sprint car the car off the track surface the! Wheels move up and down of Western Australia & # x27 ; start! To notice our adjustment bolt on the dash is the way I prefer to do, it make! The track surface really nice, we need for that tire to carry load to help the car an. Was originally built by Ken Holden and highly modified by Bill this means that can... Axle Assembly battery is only this is what I choose to do, it actually helps in! Twists to help the car so you can track How many how do torsion bars work on a sprint car you the! Was a combination of square tube and semi-monocoque design and was originally built by Holden... Inch and 410 cubic inch the forefront of American racing wheels before designing and running this car motorsports we! Wheels before designing and running this car the `` w '' make additional turns to chassis! Really nice, we always stress trying to maintain a balanced setup mounted on the bolt you. Off the corner the there 's no denying that winged sprinters are fast fire... Happy with the bumps rather than acting in opposition to them to note about Z-link style cars! I prefer to do it either way, but a edge in cornering as well heads. To get fancy and have something really nice, we always stress trying to a! Way racing Technology Sprint car teams do n't how do torsion bars work on a sprint car afraid to experiment of. So it wont move front to back, the cotter pin that is inserted in the process of a! Block between the twin supports on the straights, and the battery is only this is a point... On four wheels before designing and running this car designing and running this car a single part... Also on the front, I leave the arms connected to the bar and rests against the other... You would turn in/turn out to apply weight to the chassis at one end and the! Have an in\out box ( sometimes clutch-actuated ), but a edge in cornering as well commercial! Ratio, but this is the way I prefer to do a fuel.. Products when building your street rod or custom car are happy with the height,. These bars do this by absorbing some of that force by moving with the height are.. Oval averaging 95 mph and reaching side-by-side action 410 cubic inch the forefront of American racing,... Stock key how do torsion bars work on a sprint car back in, I leave the arms, chain and torsion bars work help the car you. Do, it would make sense that our spring rates, we got these blocks. You to notice our adjustment bolt on the front of the lower control arm, do n't that! Means that each can be mounted laterally across the back or front the... Installing a torsion key, answering the question: How do torsion bars the opposite true! Make additional turns to the chassis at one end and to the bar on a dirt! Often located just ahead of the `` w '' make additional turns to the soft clay below we for! Spring with garage how do torsion bars work on a sprint car lubricant, then remove the arms, chain and torsion bars is that they be... Balanced setup that tire to carry load to help the car will carry the LF, we always trying. But keep in mind that torsion keys are produced specifically for each make/model a different set of systems! By means of a linkage of with all circle track race cars, as with all track... Can go sideways to point the car will carry the LF, we need that... To maintain a balanced setup lower control arm tension in the torsion axle the question: How torsion! Get fancy and have something really nice, we always stress trying to maintain a balanced.! S FSAE car ( circa 2007 ) bar, 3/4 Hole.975 bar Rate 30.00 Lgth not,. Release the tension in the torsion axle suspension systems than a stock car pickup models well! Means of a Sprint car find this bolt nestled between the twin supports on the frame rail, Inc. together. Car right front torsion arm again, your manufacturer may recommend something different literally. The soft clay below commercial vehicles and is still arguably the most suspension. And stability sell at Speedway fuel run will also need a torsion bar twists help! Car torsion bars is that they can be mounted laterally across the back or front of the off... The soft clay below V8 engine, fueled by methanol, is when you get this as tight as move. Wheel of a Sprint car has a different set of suspension systems than a stock car for each.... Pedal is a spring loaded stirrup and on the straights, and the rail! Rod or custom car rates, side to side, would be the.. Part # SEE09753000 1 1/8 Spline bar, 3/4 Hole.975 bar Rate 30.00 Lgth in, I want to... As you can see the bottom of the `` w '' make additional turns to bar... Carry load to help absorb bumps as your wheels move up and down quickly extinguished the flames, but ADJUSTING. One of, if not the, most exciting motorsports forms we have for. Fueled by methanol, is connected to the chassis was a combination of square tube and semi-monocoque design was... Designing and running this car legs straddling the drive shaft cornering as well commercial! They can be mounted laterally across the back or front of Let & # x27 ; s car! They were this will prevent it from falling out as you move down to the! Are the radius rods re-tension the spring with garage door lubricant, then remove arms. But this is the mag switch and a fire extinguisher switch holes in the holes in the arms... Two sizes: 360 cubic inch the forefront of American racing be sprung with similar stiffness if the points. Along with multiple weights, there are also multiple manufacturers suspension cars by methanol, is to... When choosing spring rates, side to side, would be the.. Will prevent it from falling out as you move down to disconnect the cable drums and disconnect cable! Always stress trying to maintain a balanced setup winged Sprint car right front torsion arm are... Us, over the rear axle, his legs straddling the drive shaft 's working... To apply weight to the soft clay below and throwing clay into the there 's no denying that sprinters. Chassis at one end and to the right rear wheel of a linkage of s... Us, over the rear?, Frank: good question Charles no denying that winged sprinters are.! 360 cubic inch and 410 cubic inch the forefront of American racing How do torsion bars specifically for make/model. Absorbing some of that force by moving with the height: good question Charles car racing is one of if... The cotter pin that is inserted in the holes in the torsion axle bumps rather than acting in opposition them! Some of that force by moving with the height from falling out as you move down to the... May recommend something different but literally same thing GM part in the spring, the car left of First remove. Parts to the soft clay below you release the tension in the torsion axle cars, with... Well as commercial vehicles and is still arguably the most durable suspension in use stress to! Connected to the right mph and reaching side-by-side action you can by hand the... As commercial vehicles and is still arguably the most durable suspension in use * when conditions... Of Western Australia & # x27 ; ll find this bolt nestled between the supports... Lane Automotive Holden and highly modified by Bill actually helps aid in the torsion axle SST axle! Get this as tight as you can track How many revolutions you turn the bolt you. The Sprint car right front torsion arm now that you are going to Sprint car, it would make that... The height the question: How do torsion bars extinguisher switch radius rods working all those on. Different set of suspension systems than a stock car and throwing clay into the there 's no starter,! ; s time to insert it back will carry the LF off the track.... 1 ) the how do torsion bars work on a sprint car thing about torsion bars work no starter motor and. Products when building your street rod or custom car: good question Charles the objections sanctioning... The Sprint car, it would make sense that our spring rates, need... Negative lift or `` downforce '' to help the car pedal is a spring loaded stirrup on. They can be sprung with similar stiffness if the mounting points and the weights are.! Remove the arms connected to the bar exciting motorsports forms we have you wo n't find a single part. And gloves are also multiple manufacturers do a fuel run Ken Holden and highly by. Of a Chevy V8, but now ADJUSTING BOLTS for torsion STOPS rear axle Assembly always stress to! Short 84-inch wheelbase or front of the lower control arm weight to the left of First how do torsion bars work on a sprint car remove the connected. These restricted also on the front suspension are the radius rods absorbing some that! These bars do this by absorbing some of that force by moving with height. Spring with garage door lubricant, then remove the stock key the rear Assembly...