Phillip,
Join the quandary. I wish we all knew the correct answer to that question.
You may need weight for traction but it's also a long drag race so you have
to get to the end in a hurry if you want to go fast. When aerodynamic drag
exceeds available traction, weight in the proper place would help but it
also slows the rate of acceleration. It's a balancing act that I feel can
only be answered on a specific car by trial and error.
Howard Nafzger
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phillip Landry" <saltracer@hotmail.com>
To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 6:39 PM
Subject: Weight matters?
> Ok, I believe our race car is too heavy. I come to this conclusion because
> the motor struggles to build rpm in third gear. Most people have contended
> that weight is not critical at Bonneville and actually helps traction and
> stability. We are running a kinda small (255ci) flathead and I'm thinking
if
> we lowered the weight of the car our overall performance would improve.
> Don't ask the weight of the car, we haven't weighed it yet. It's a
modified
> gas roadster with a frame made of mostly 2x2 square tubing.
> Also, how much slippage should we expect from our torque converter? We
> crossed the finish line at 4900 rpm with 27" tall tires and 2.75 gears and
> were only doing 125mph. Phil Landry
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