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RE: A few questions from a newbie

To: "Jacques Le Clainche" <jleclainche@home.com>, Spridget List <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: A few questions from a newbie
Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 18:04:56 -0500
References: <90.11980fce.27e4b1e3@cs.com>
Jacques:
I ran an open 4.22 diff in my ' 67 Midget vintage race car for eight years
before I switched to a welded 4.22. It made a big improvement in the
handling. But I believe that if you are just starting out, you might want
to stay with an open diff until you get used to the car and how it handles.
I use a 4.55 that I borrow from my race partner at certain tracks. I would
definitely be interested in swapping your welded 4.55 for an open 4.22 or
3.9 if you are interested.

Jon Stamps at Jon Stamps racing can help you with limited slip rear ends.
He has quite a bit of experience with them in SCCA Bugeyes and in Vintage
racers. He is at (770) 832-7471 in Temple, GA, just west of Atlanta.

ARP bolts are great because they are significantly stronger than stock for
high compression heads. Advanced Performance Technology (APT) in Riverside,
CA advertises in all the vintage racing magazines. They have a good web
site and free catalog, and David Anton is a great resource for advice. Try
www.aptfast.com, techinfo@aptfast.com, danton@aptfast.com, or
1-800-278-3278. I use a standard 12 point socket on them, nothing special
is required. There are some very specific techniques for the proper
torquing of the studs, however.

I would try to avoid spacers for racing applications. In fact, I skipped on
using BMW and Vega wheels because they would have required spacers. I went
with new Minators instead for the reliability and guaranteed fit. The
problem is that the center hole of some wheels is not large enough to
accommodate the "mushroom" on the rear axle. The same can be said for the
front hub as well. Most racers recommend that the wheel NOT be machined to
make the center hole larger. Spacers take care of this problem, but may
cause additional problems with stud length, engagement of the studs in the
nuts, and fit of the spacer itself. Get proper wheels that are made to fit.
You shouldn't have clearance problems with the round wheel arch on a
Bugeye. You ought to try racing with a square wheel arch Midget like I
have. A Panhard Bar did wonders for my interference problems with 5.5 and
5.0 wheels, no spacers. The key is in the back spacing of the wheels. Try
the List archives for many discussions on this topic, including some
research and data from me.

This List is a great resource for anything Spridget. Use us and keep asking
questions.

Regards,
Bob Spruck
' 72 Midget street car
' 67 Midget vintage racer
6 parts cars in the woods

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