[racerboy]

Well, I ran at 141 speedway last night in their sport 4 class. In that class, DOHC cars are required to run 200 lbs of ballast in their passenger seat mounts, to even things. When I added the ballast, my car understeerd ALOT!!!!! 8O It wouldn't turn at all, and it bogged out of the corners, but I have the bogging figured out.

What can I do to fix my major understeer? It's my protege LX. (incase you don't know, it's basiclly a 4 door escort gt. I know that most people know, though.)

I'm running dtock swaybars, stock springs, stock struts, and so on, with 185/70/R14 Snow tires up front with 35 lbs LF, and 45 RF, as it rolled under with 35lbs. I'm running a 175/70R14 LR with 50psi, and a bald 195/70/R14 RR with 60 psi. It's a very rough track, and was tacky last night. It handles well when it's wet, but.....

 

[dirttrackracer25]

toe your RR out an inch and your LR in a inch, use a escort station wagon rear sway bar and put a twist in it about 2inch space between sway bar and frome on the RR on the LR bolt the sway bar directly to the frame this will make the car lean to the RF but dont worry thats what your wanting it preloads the springs for the corners so u dont have alot of weight movement camber your front tires by making the strut holes a little bigger and un hook your front sway bar this is the set-up i run and have always ran and never had a problem with handleing you wont be disapointed

 

[racerboy]

What do you mean by putting a twist in the sway bar?

 

[LOWETGT]

I read it as putting a spacer on the RR to hold it away from the frame mounting point, thus increasing the load on that side. Makes sense to me for circle tracks.

 

[dirttrackracer25]

I read it as putting a spacer on the RR to hold it away from the frame mounting point, thus increasing the load on that side. Makes sense to me for circle tracks.

hit the head on the nail. this really helps in the corner but use a threaded rod so u can adjust it to ur likings

 

[racerboy]

I read it as putting a spacer on the RR to hold it away from the frame mounting point, thus increasing the load on that side. Makes sense to me for circle tracks.

hit the head on the nail. this really helps in the corner but use a threaded rod so u can adjust it to ur likings

I can't do that, rules say I must not have spacers or home made sway bar links. But I will go with the wagon rear bar!

Would an MX3 tie bar help at all? If it doen't, I won't get one, as I have a strict budget for racing.

Also, what brand of tires do you use, and what size?

 

[LOWETGT]

I didn't notice any difference with the MX3 tie bar installed, but to be fair the car was already super tight. I don't see it doing all that much, it may strengthen the rear subframe, but I think that's about it. Look around, I got my bar for $3 at a local pick and pull.

 

[dirttrackracer25]

I read it as putting a spacer on the RR to hold it away from the frame mounting point, thus increasing the load on that side. Makes sense to me for circle tracks.

hit the head on the nail. this really helps in the corner but use a threaded rod so u can adjust it to ur likings

I can't do that, rules say I must not have spacers or home made sway bar links. But I will go with the wagon rear bar!

Would an MX3 tie bar help at all? If it doen't, I won't get one, as I have a strict budget for racing.

Also, what brand of tires do you use, and what size?

i use any brand tire as long as it is not dry rotted or worn down, right now im using directional tires and they got some chewin tred i think they are goodyear gtx 205/60/15 they are prob the best ive had

 

[racerboy]

I read it as putting a spacer on the RR to hold it away from the frame mounting point, thus increasing the load on that side. Makes sense to me for circle tracks.

hit the head on the nail. this really helps in the corner but use a threaded rod so u can adjust it to ur likings

I can't do that, rules say I must not have spacers or home made sway bar links. But I will go with the wagon rear bar!

Would an MX3 tie bar help at all? If it doen't, I won't get one, as I have a strict budget for racing.

Also, what brand of tires do you use, and what size?

i use any brand tire as long as it is not dry rotted or worn down, right now im using directional tires and they got some chewin tred i think they are goodyear gtx 205/60/15 they are prob the best ive had

The same size all around? We're required to use the same rim size, and same series, but anything else goes, as long as the tire is DOT approved.

 

[dirttrackracer25]

yea the same all the way around, that was my 3/8 track size when i go to 1/4 mile i use 185/60/14 the same on 1/5 mile

 

[gearhead4444]

has anyone ever tried racing with bigger tires on the right side? or atleast right front?
I have an enduro race next weekend and was debating trying it

 

[dirttrackracer25]

has anyone ever tried racing with bigger tires on the right side? or atleast right front?
I have an enduro race next weekend and was debating trying it

i wouldnt do it you could mess your tranny up because you will have your front wheels running at diff speeds

 

[racerboy]

has anyone ever tried racing with bigger tires on the right side? or atleast right front?
I have an enduro race next weekend and was debating trying it

i wouldnt do it you could mess your tranny up because you will have your front wheels running at diff speeds

I've tried this before on asphalt. It just slowed me down. (I ran a 175/70R13 left front and a 185/70R14 rf at the time.)

 

[gearhead4444]

ok, well my car isnt handling very good in the corners at all. its pushing really bad. I was wondering about toeing both rear tires to the right alittle bit? But dont want to go too durastic to where it doesnt handle at all.
Also about disconnecting the front sway bar? Ive read on here that alot of people love it but i thought i read somewhere that some guy tried it and their left rear tire came off the ground like a foot! i dont want that happening at all.

 

[LOWETGT]

Also about disconnecting the front sway bar? Ive read on here that alot of people love it but i thought i read somewhere that some guy tried it and their left rear tire came off the ground like a foot! i dont want that happening at all.

If the left rear is lifting, then I bet the car is not pushing at all but digging hard. On pavement, I can almost lift the rears, but with my setup I stay too flat to get completely off the ground. But that is biting crazy hard; and on dirt, I bet that is hard to do. Undo the front endlinks and see if you like it sometime. You can always go back or leave them more loose.

 

[gearhead4444]

the problem is i only race enduros and once u get on the track u dont stop racing for 2 hours or until u crash or car breaks down. so thats why i dont want to unhook them cuz if it makes the car not handle at all or the body rolls severely then you stuck on the track for the rest of the race.

(about the left rear coming off the track, its not happening to me right now, I was just saying ive read on here that happened when someone took there front swaybar off, and i dont want that happening to me)

 

[dirttrackracer25]

unhook that front sway bar and toe the rear wheels to the right about 3/4 of in inch heres a video of my car this season before i sold it watch how it handles i dont get not one bit of push and now since i got new front struts on it it dont lift the lr like it used to but i liked it when it lifted it showed you was getting some grip..lol but never rolled it not even close

 

[racerboy]

unhook the bar and toe it. I just ran a 2 hour enduro with my car with lots of toe and no front bar. It handled like a dream, but I had tons of unrelated problems and crashed, so I didn't finish.....

 

[gearhead4444]

ok, tonight me and my dad worked on my car for a couple hours. i got the rear tires toed to the right 3/4 of an inch and unhooked one side of the sway bar. but we got measuring on the frontend after messing with the toe on the rear (because it looked alittle weird) and found out that the front tires are toed in like 1 and 3/4"!!!
I think i read on here once to toe the frontend out about 1/8 to 1/4 inch?
does that sound about right for running on a clay oval 3/8 mile with i would say medium banks it the corners?
thanks everyone for advice

 

[dirttrackracer25]

ive never been a big fan of toeing the front i make them dead on and check it every week and you wouldnt believe how much they get moved from hitting those ruts or another car litely. also i camber my front tires kick the top of the rf in and the lf out. just hollow the holes alittle on the struts and on the strut tower under the hood this helps alot too