slusher Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 C`mon, anybody interested in having THE stand-out rail at the next get-together? How was the car steered, by brakes? Drag Racers are brave men but to drive this one is way on the edge...
Joe Handley Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 How was the car steered, by brakes? Drag Racers are brave men but to drive this one is way on the edge... Probably had steering knuckles and some sort of u-joints on the front axle, just like any solid axle 4wd truck would have up front.
Joe Handley Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 Yes, it was unstable to say the least, and Gabelich ended up in a hospital bed- "While four-wheel-drive had been tested most famously and successfully on Tommy Ivos four-engine Showboat it didnt work for Gabelich, and the car was destroyed on its maiden outing at Orange County Intl Raceway in early 1972, severely injuring the worlds fastest man in the process." http://www.nhra.com/blog/blog.aspx?BlogAlias=dragster-insider&BlogPostYear=2011&BlogPostMonth=12&BlogPostDay=6&BlogPostAlias=getting-our-rears-in-gear&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 I read that while finding the pics I posted, I just have to wonder how safe that thing's chassis was in general. There isn't much cage around the driver and the whole construction looks too sparse for the power being forced through it, sounds like the front drive shaft ran next to him, with the front diff sitting offset, torque steer would be insanely vicious, I even wonder if the throttle hanging up like it did was do to chassis twist.
Joe Handley Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 This is one of those cars that made people realize what NOT to do. all that weight out in front of the steering axle is just asking for trouble. Now, what I want to see is a 6 engine unlimited class tractor pull tractor on slicks at the drag strip! 6 9000hp top fuel V8s going at one time on pavement! do the math....54THOUSAND HORSEPOWER!!!!! Now THAT would be worth the tickets to see it run! Actually, all production front drive cars are like that to a lesser degree as are the ProFWD drag cars and purpose built 4wd pulling trucks. The weight sitting forward of the axle helps fight front end lift in the drag cars as well as adds forward ballast to those and the 4wd pullers to keep weight on the front tires so they have traction.
Joe Handley Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 I wondered about that too. This is what I came up with. It would have to be rear steer. The body work would create down force. It's pretty low on a long to-do list model wise. Hosted on Fotki I was thinking leaving the dragster a rear-mid layout as they currently are, then adding a second, matching drivetrain up front that is mounted the same way as the above car. That way it has ballast on the front axle to try and plant the front tires, while the rear should work in a similar manner to the typical rear-mid motor rail.
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