Different wheelbase - Side to Side

[johnc]

I always wondered about this... from Mark Ortiz's latest newsletter.

 

LEADING AND TRAILING WHEELS FOR OVAL TRACK

 

My question relates to the wheelbase on a 2700 lb. Outlaw bodied Latemodel. We have no rules on the wheelbase difference from side to side. My question is, any benefit to altering the wheelbase from side to side? I was thinking of shortening the left side by toeing out the LR and toeing in the RR, then squaring the rear ties to the chassis to create lead in the lr tire. In the front I was thinking of moving the LF suspension back. This would create a shorter wheelbase on the left but have the tires still pointing straight ahead. Is there any benefit to this approach and how much could you go?

 

[Rules]

 

Engine setback is 4in. measured from #1 plug to center of upper balljoint.

There are no rules stated for wheelbase.

There are no rules stated for rear axle housings.

No leftside weight rule - my car is about 62 % left and 49.5 rear.

Car weighs about 2100 lbs no ballast no driver. Rules 2700 lbs. We use about 400 lbs. of ballast mostly on left side.

 

[editted....]

 

Returning to the original question, I don’t think leading the right front and left rear wheel, or leading both right wheels either, makes the car turn left more readily, if that was what you were wondering about. The car is very sensitive to the aim of the rear wheels, but if you change their location slightly without changing the direction they point, that shouldn’t make much difference.

 

Relocating wheels does potentially give you a way to get a little more rear percentage, while meeting the engine setback rule, depending on how they measure. If they lay a square along the side of the head and let its leg go out to the ball joint, perhaps extending that line using a string or another straightedge, moving the right front wheel forward doesn’t change the measurement, yet it gets you some rear percentage. Ditto moving either rear wheel forward, or both of them.

 

Moving both rights forward makes sense when you have a wheelbase rule, and a wheelbase difference rule, and you’re after more rear percentage. In your case, you don’t have those requirements, so I doubt that you’d see an advantage. I doubt that it would hurt, either, nor would moving the right rear back and the left rear forward. It would mostly just be extra work for little or no effect once you dial the rest of the setup back in to suit the change.

[jt1]

It was pretty common around here on dirt late models to increase the rear % when they started limiting the rear wings. RF's were moved forward 6-8" in some cases, but it got ruled out when it got so obvious.

 

Some drag cars do it to increase the "rollout".

 

jt