land-speed
[Top] [All Lists]

motors and Rear ends..(re: chucks letter)

To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Subject: motors and Rear ends..(re: chucks letter)
From: "Keith Turk" <kturk@ala.net>
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 20:00:32 -0800
My take on the Open Vs Limited slip/locked differential maybe different
then reality..

but this is my understanding  under extreme power the gears in an open rear
end are virtually locked together... say about 175mph... this may even be
true at say 55mph... but with the semi hard starting at Maxton I think the
Locked rear end does you some good on the bottom end... So all of that
having been said I am going to follow my own advice here and run a Spool at
Maxton and an open rear end on the Salt this year... John... Comments?
looking for a little advice here or a yea on the concept...

Keith ( the sanding kind a guy ) 
 Ps.... Wendy.... this is going to be the first time Chris my son sees the
salt and my first opportunity to run a car on it... I would barrow and
enter my friends Yugo if it would get me on the salt in a Race car...
---------
  I'll probably check for a webiste for Diest today.  We were out
retrieving
a 4.2 liter Jag engine and trans yesterday.  On the way home with this
excellent ice breaker sitting proudly in the back of the truck we got a
little lost and ended up meeting an old woman who had a '62 Citron.  It's
so
butt ugly that it's COOL!  Very slick bubble shape.  It's been parked for
at
least 10 years, so it'll probably need loads of work.  For Eric, whos' shop
is called "Orphan Motors" it is just one more "must have" collectable.  He
figured if it wasn't restorable it would make a good sign platform to put
at
the end of the road.  You can't miss it!  

  We got back on track and picked up three old junk Wankel rotor housings
from another guys shop to use in the fabrication of a rotary mailbox.  All
the way home we kept looking at this awesome looking engine in the back of
the truck.  It's such a shame to hide it in something like an XJ6.  We
thought of a couple cars on the lot that it would fit in, and I kept trying
to sell him on the shrimp boat idea, but that didn't seem to be going
anywhere.  We finally decided on a stretched Track T Roadster.  Long hood
over the engine with either side curtains that the exhaust and carbs can
stick out through or with no sides at all.  Should be a fun and exciting
project.

  I'll ask this question to the list if you can't give me an answer from
the
bible of speed trial scripture.  What is the preferred rear end set-up for
different speed trial surfaces?  Here are my thoughts:  I have run both
open
and LSD at Maxton, but have an entirely different car in the works and
don't
know what would be preferred.  With 300 HP and a Tilton Multi disc clutch
(It's so pretty I hate to stick it in the bell housing!) there won't be any
slipping the clutch off the line.  At Maxton, on good concrete, this
probably won't be a problem with an open rear end, and I don't see the need
for more than the open diff as I ease through the mile.  What set-up are
most other cars running?  Now on salt, there may be more need for traction.
I'm concerned that it may be more of a liability to run a LSD because of
possible instability it would cause as it transfers power from wheel to
wheel.  Welded rear ends wouldn't be "salt friendly" when cornering in the
pit area, but would provide additional traction.  What's your experience
with this?  

Chuck           
Keith Turk 
Austin Healey 100  /  Bugeye / Box Sprite / Bonneville Land Speed Racer
Camero ( D Gas Altered )

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>