Measure from the center of the wheel to the center of the fender opening. To take accurate ride height measurements make sure the vehicle is fully unloaded with no extra bearing weight. Ideally, we recommend having 1/2 to 3/4 tank of fuel to truly replicate average vehicle weight.
Full Answer
What determines the ride height of a car?
“The ride height is dependent on the wheel and tire diameter you’re using, and all of that goes into consideration when you’re building a chassis, where your 4-link brackets are going, and so on. You have the ride height of the car set before you start building a chassis car, or doing a back-half job.
How to maintain ride height at track?
Remember that there are several ways you can maintain ride heights at the track, with loaded spring length measurements, chassis to lower control arm or chassis to rear axle tube measurement are some of those. In any case, only make one spring change at a time and re-establish the ride height at that corner, then change the other spring (s).
How do you measure ride height without a driver?
3.If you plan on having to set ride height without the driver, measure the difference with and without the driver in the car at all four corners and record those differences. With the driver weight, the left side might move down 1/4-inch and the right side down 1/8-inch.
How do racers work with the ride height?
With the chassis ride height being set at the start, there are ways racers can work with it, but they have to have the correct height to start with. After the ride height is set, you can then use weight, shocks, springs, and suspension to use it correctly to get the car to do what you need it to do.
How do I measure my ride height?
2:428:47Monroe | How to Measure Vehicle Ride Height - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe right height at the bumper. And a lot of newer vehicles they have you measure the right heightMoreThe right height at the bumper. And a lot of newer vehicles they have you measure the right height right to the centerline of the tire to the bottom of the fender lip opening.
How do you scale a street stock?
0:2853:12How to Scale, Adjust, and Understand your Street Stock Race Car SetupYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipItself. Um i take my stagger measurements. Um at air pressure right before i scale. And then i likeMoreItself. Um i take my stagger measurements. Um at air pressure right before i scale. And then i like to take and just write them down and i've already done this one.
How do you set the ride height on dirt modified?
2:057:20How To Win - Setting Ride Height - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd basically just move it up until i see that it touched the rear of the car. See where we're. At.MoreAnd basically just move it up until i see that it touched the rear of the car. See where we're. At.
How do you measure the height of a dirt late model?
1:113:08Rear Suspension Overview: Part 5 – Ride Height - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe just simply reach through the wheel opening here with the body on it and we'll measure from theMoreWe just simply reach through the wheel opening here with the body on it and we'll measure from the ground to the bottom.
How do you drive a dirt stock car?
3:119:09How to Drive a Dirt Car with a Real Driver | IRACING TIPS AND TRICKSYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipControl is the most important step in being fast on dirt dirt is a tricky surface and wheel spin isMoreControl is the most important step in being fast on dirt dirt is a tricky surface and wheel spin is required to get around the corner. Too much wheel spin however dozens get the power to the ground.
How do you scale a dirt car?
13:0530:27The Lethal hits the scales for the first time, LEARN how to ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipJust to be discussed is to do or to not to do but what we do is we pull the left axle out of it whatMoreJust to be discussed is to do or to not to do but what we do is we pull the left axle out of it what are you looking at try. And raise up.
How does ride height affect steering?
LOWERING the ride height of the front of the car will shift more weight to front, improving front tyre grip and thus shifting the balance to less UNDERsteer and/or more OVERsteer.
How do you get more forward drive out of a dirt modified?
6:0013:25Forward Traction is made by this Component!!!! (Enhanced Sound) + ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAmount add them up dividing by two simple math. So every angle change has an effect on the upperMoreAmount add them up dividing by two simple math. So every angle change has an effect on the upper thrust and the forward thrust of the rear. End so the more upper angle.
How does ride height affect handling?
For cars that are not very aero dependant the ride heights are primarily used to affect the center of gravity. A lower sitting car generally has better handling because a lower center of gravity means less lateral weight transfer.
What is the droop rule?
Rear travel limiter: Commonly known as the “droop” rule, postrace rear deck height must not exceed 51 inches (checked with both rear tires off the ground). Failing inspection results in disqualification that disallows a driver's time trials or puts the driver to the rear of the previous race's finishing order.
What is Droop on a dirt late model?
0:4211:44Let's Talk About the Droop Rule in Dirt Late Model Racing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's the angle of the front and the angle of the car.MoreIt's the angle of the front and the angle of the car.
How do you measure droop on a dirt late model?
1:166:37Left Rear Droop What it Does on a Dirt Late Model - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's just easiest to measure from axle tube Saten down your frame road see the right rear frame railMoreIt's just easiest to measure from axle tube Saten down your frame road see the right rear frame rail you. Just kind of sat down till.
Why change the ride height?
Purposes of changing the ride height. 1: Lower center of gravity means less lateral weight transfer, which means more grip. For cars that are not very aero dependant the ride heights are primarily used to affect the center of gravity.
What is dynamic ride height?
Dynamic ride height is the actual ground clearance at any moment in time as the car goes around the track. The dynamic ride height changes throughout a lap, for instance when a car goes over a curbstone, or when downforce compresses the springs.
When changing spring rates, do you want to make sure that you maintain the ride height?
When changing spring rates you want to make sure that you maintain the ride height from before the spring rate adjustment (otherwise you’ll be applying two changes to the car). Tire pressure: The tire is effectively a spring, and significant changes in tire pressure affect ride heights too.
Where is the ride height sensor on a splitter?
For example, the splitter ride height sensor (on cars that have one) may be positioned a few centimeters above the bottom of the splitter. As a result, you’ll get a non-zero reading even if the splitter bottoms out.
Can you match front and rear ride heights?
Matching front and rear ride heights may be all you need to convert a qualifying setup to a race setup. For cars where the gas tank is located far from the center of gravity of the car (e.g. the BMW Z4 GT3 has it’s tank fairly far back in the car), setting the race fuel ride heights could be trickier.
Why is ride height important in racing?
Ride height plays a vital role in the grand scheme of the car and how it will behave in all phases of the race.
Why is chassis height important?
Having the accurate chassis ride height on a racecar for its intended use is critical, as it ensures the car will work correctly and respond to changes based on track conditions. The chassis ride height is something that’s set at conception when the car is being constructed, and rarely can ever be changed without cutting the car apart. Having a plan of what you want to do with the car up front is paramount in making sure it will work for your intended use, and keep the “new car blues” time period much shorter when you’re at the track.
What is the radius of a tire used for?
When the wheels and tires have been chosen and diameter established, the radius of that tire diameter can be used to find the distance needed from the ground for chassis ride height.
Why is it important to place a 4 link in a chassis?
Making sure the 4-link is placed in the chassis properly helps ensure the correct ride height will be maintained. When it comes to the chassis ride height, that part of the calculation is already baked into the car, and the racer should not look to the 4-link as a way to adjust this.
What happens if a car isn't riding properly?
If the car isn’t using the correct ride height for its purpose, the chassis will never work correctly, be a source of tuning headaches, and cost the driver wins at the track. Plus, it might look a little funny, and as we can all attest, looks matter. Getting a high horsepower car to hook at the track takes a solid understanding of suspension, ...
What is the purpose of a race car?
A racecar has multiple, complex systems that all must work together to achieve a common goal: get down the track as quickly as possible. Things like the engine, transmission, and electronics are important, but they’re nothing without the chassis. If your cars’ chassis isn’t doing its job, everything else will fail behind it.
Does ride height change if you cut the car apart?
The ride height is built in from the start and will not change unless you cut the car apart. So determining the correct or proper ride height based on what the car is being used for is key when a chassis car is being designed, or a back-half project is under consideration.
How to give a car more lateral traction?
To give the car more lateral traction, go to a softer right rear bar or a stiffer right front spring. A stiffer left rear bar will have two effects: raising the car (higher CGH), and adding static left rear weight.
Why is the car roll right?
The reason is that starting out with more right rear weight, when the car transfers to the left the end result will be the two rear tires will be more equal in weight. The opposite is true during the roll right phase: more initial left rear-right front weight will result in a tighter car.
What does "lateral" mean in dirt track?
Lateral means side to side. I want to redefine the idea of side bite, lateral traction, and why dirt chassis need to be set up different than asphalt cars. Forward bite is what dirt track racers use to describe available traction to propel the chassis forward.
What is side bite in dirt racing?
To the typical dirt racer, side bite is the idea that the car is rolling to the right, forcing the tires to dig into the dirt providing more traction. Like a paddle in the water, the further you push the paddle down into the water, the more force you can put through the paddle to propel the boat.
Why do cars spin tires?
Due to gear ratio changes, a car is much more likely to spin tires due to lack of longitudinal traction on a small track than a large one. As far as micro sprints go, on tracks about 1/3 mile and bigger, longitudinal traction is generally not much of a problem.
Why is my car so tight?
Bottom Line: When you see a car rolling on the right rear, the car is tight because it is transferring less weight, not more weight. It is keeping more weight on the left rear resulting in a tighter car. It is not rolling more weight on the right rear pushing it into the dirt more making the car tight.
Which tire loses more traction?
So now, by definition of the above graph, the left rear tire lost more traction than what the right rear gained. Fundamental Truth #1:Maximum traction in the rear of the car is achieved when both rear tires have the same amount of weight on them, and as much as weight as possible is transferred to the rear.
Metric Rear Suspension
I run a metric chassis on dirt ovals. I am finding limited information, and contradicting information on rear moment center location for the stock mounting location points. We are allowed to run a nine inch rear-end, with the top mounting points no higher than 7 3/4" from the "centerline" of the axle.
Re: Metric Rear Suspension
Right or wrong, I have used the 'symetric angled 4 link' rear option in Performance Trends sw later versions to help me see where I 'was at'. I well understand why you want more lower angle but I expect you've already figured out some bad things happen as the rear ride height increases. One way to skin that cat in the last few years has been using a LR shock with a ton of extension.
Re: Metric Rear Suspension
Speaking of the Left rear extension... I was going to try some real soft spring packages to get increased suspension travel. I have already made extra clearances in the suspension for the extra travel and extra shock mounting positions to allow for more travel.
Re: Metric Rear Suspension
As my pathetic brain understands it, raising your rear ride height raises the roll or moment or whatever the hell you want to call it center and CG. Too high gets the car jacking & flopping. Authorities say that in general wherever it is, it's best that its movement during suspension travel be relatively limited.
Re: Metric Rear Suspension
I have taken into consideration the total combination... front end geometry, anti dive, CG height, weight percentages, roll steer, blah blah blah....
Re: Metric Rear Suspension
Do use Performance Trends, not something else. Just checked and see the price has increased but it's still a good way to spend $250. You mentioned trying to go real soft with springs. Be careful - typically it'll bite good (especially on slick) but go too far with them & a high RC and the car will wallow like a 1960's Buick when turning. Good luck.
Re: Metric Rear Suspension
ziggy we use to use stings and figure all this mess out ..either buy a performance trend or afco also has a good program..both are about the same cost..it will make your life alot easier..both are seperate programs..one for the front and one for the rear...buy both and start at the front get it right and then work on the rear..i build tons of metric street stock cars here in alabama and in missiissippi..there is alot that goes into figuring it out.ill give you a hint ..you want somewhere around 4 inch of roll center in the front and 6 to 61/2 in the rear ..but it has alot to do with who is driving the track ..