Offroad Track Build Thread
06-20-2007, 02:41 PM
#33
OK, now I am jealous. 
06-21-2007, 04:53 PM
#34
no actually the soil through Az contains alot of alkaline in it. is what it actually causes it to be light looking in color. it is especially high in scottsdale. there really is not enough lime in the soil to have cuased that. it really is time to add more to it. if there is enough lime added in and it is properly compacted regular attention is not needed. but the build procees has changed there a bit lately with the new owners. and i help out wwhenever i possibly can when they do a rebuild. but as we started the cactus track three weeks before the race it started to rain on monday. well that was the same day i went over to the nitro pit to help out there as you saw in the pics it needed every avaliable person. and dirt work is my life and my living and i truly enjoy it. so helping out in operating the equipment is a joy for me. i felt really bad i didnt get back to SRS to finish the help with their track but it took Joey and his boys from The Dirt and myslef alot of man hours in two days to fix the track so THE NITRO CHALLENGE could be raced.
as for lime and traction the way it helps out is that when running a wet track since it holds the moisture so much better it makes it very tacky, thus traction. and for blue groove since it keeps the track from cracking and stays very hard like a low grade concrete it grooves up faster and thus more traction with more rubber on the track.
as for lime and traction the way it helps out is that when running a wet track since it holds the moisture so much better it makes it very tacky, thus traction. and for blue groove since it keeps the track from cracking and stays very hard like a low grade concrete it grooves up faster and thus more traction with more rubber on the track.
06-22-2007, 08:40 AM
#35
I have had my track for a couple months now. I know that everybody waters their tracks, but since I built it, I have not watered it -- only the rain has. If I were going to water it, it would only be because everybody else always does. This dirt seems to be good even when it is not watered. Does anyone else have a track that they think doesn't need watering? Do I just enjoy sliding around in the dust too much?
06-23-2007, 11:31 PM
#36
depends on where you are at. different soils in all parts of the country. some not watered can be what you may consider dusty to in fact be very tacky and perfect. meaning your soil may have a really high amount of clay in it. it is whatever works best for you and your racers. i think slightly you might be spaeking of a track in your own backyard that is not raced on by hundreds of others. that will have an effect also.
07-11-2007, 06:48 PM
#37
Hey AZBobby,
Any suggestions for our track? http://www.sidsraceway.com/gallery.htm
Our track has become a moonscape as you can see from some of the pictures. Not sure how to make it better. Any help would be great!
Thanks.
Any suggestions for our track? http://www.sidsraceway.com/gallery.htm
Our track has become a moonscape as you can see from some of the pictures. Not sure how to make it better. Any help would be great!
Thanks.
07-11-2007, 07:16 PM
#38
the pics do help but it is still a bit tough to tell. it looks as though your track/soil is mostly sand like nearly 70% or even more? also is the water from rain or from watering the track? if your track is mostly sand it will end up breaking down no matter what you do with it, as far as watering and compaction during build. if you bought pure screened dirt that has next to no rock in it there is nothing to bind the soil together? if that is the case or if it is sand you can try buying like 20 tons of 3/4"minus dirt, that way there will be some rock in it? this help the soils to bind and hold together. you can also try the lime adding process i described earlier in this thread. but it will take twics as much. but if you getting rain alot that will help also as it will suck up the water and dry out enough to race on in a very short time.
also are you using anything to compact your track as you build it? also if you could get me a close up pick of the soil itself may help me a little more as for some other suggestions. also where is your track at?
also are you using anything to compact your track as you build it? also if you could get me a close up pick of the soil itself may help me a little more as for some other suggestions. also where is your track at?
07-12-2007, 06:57 AM
#39
the pics do help but it is still a bit tough to tell. it looks as though your track/soil is mostly sand like nearly 70% or even more? also is the water from rain or from watering the track? if your track is mostly sand it will end up breaking down no matter what you do with it, as far as watering and compaction during build. if you bought pure screened dirt that has next to no rock in it there is nothing to bind the soil together? if that is the case or if it is sand you can try buying like 20 tons of 3/4"minus dirt, that way there will be some rock in it? this help the soils to bind and hold together. you can also try the lime adding process i described earlier in this thread. but it will take twics as much. but if you getting rain alot that will help also as it will suck up the water and dry out enough to race on in a very short time.
also are you using anything to compact your track as you build it? also if you could get me a close up pick of the soil itself may help me a little more as for some other suggestions. also where is your track at?
also are you using anything to compact your track as you build it? also if you could get me a close up pick of the soil itself may help me a little more as for some other suggestions. also where is your track at?
- There is a lot of sand in the mix I think, although they tell me it is a 90% clay (in the spring it was really mucky clay (sticking to your boots type) after some rain storms)
- Not a lot of rain lately. that was from some patch work we tried to do on the blown out sections.
- Wasn't pre-screened dirt. There are actually a fair amount of rocks in it (too many?)
- We have not used anything too heavy duty to compact the track (small roller). Although we had a pick up truck driving around a weighted skid in the spring when we rebuilt the track (made it bigger)
- Will get some better pics for you in a day or two
- The track is just outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada (hour north of Buffalo, NY)
- The track is owned and on the spare land of a Pond and Garden Center so that might help if we need specific dirt or whatever?
Again, thanks for your time! Hard to find dirt experts anywhere!
Cheers,
John
Last edited by johnnyboy; 07-12-2007 at 09:10 AM.
07-14-2007, 10:15 AM
#41
sry it took so long to get back to you. but the info you gave me is a big help. dont get rid of any of the rock in your soil. it is really a big help to have it. it sounds as though your issues are due to lack of compaction. also are you running both electric and 1/8 on your track? if so it is very important you compact it till your are blue in the face.
Ingersol Rand offers steel wheel roller model DD-24 that is what you need to use. also if you are running both mixing in some lime will help the compaction also. it basically makes it like a low grade concrete but also since it holds more water also provides more traction in the wet. and yet since it binds its together so well and keeps the track from cracking and breaking up, it blue grooves in alot faster and again more traction. it is also important as you build your jumps you campact as you build them up. this is where alot of people fall short a bit and then your jumps start to break down. it takes a bit of time to get it right but the payoff is huge. built right you could run a lay for like 5 to 6 months if you really had too.that would depend on weather though if you get alot of rain in a period of time it will eventually break down.
for your track size i recommend 100 bags of lime from home depot or similar. they are like 3.00 bucks a bag. dont have to add them alll at once but during the next couples of builds put in like 30 bags a time and then you'll be good. then after your next three builds, each one after that i would use like ten bags mixed into the extra dirt you get after you grade your track flat. this would be what you use to build your jumps and such. it will help to keep them from break down fron nose landings and such, along with compacting the jumps. but not necessary everytime.
Good Luck with it and if i can help any further pleased let me know. and also let me know how it goes after your next build.
Ingersol Rand offers steel wheel roller model DD-24 that is what you need to use. also if you are running both mixing in some lime will help the compaction also. it basically makes it like a low grade concrete but also since it holds more water also provides more traction in the wet. and yet since it binds its together so well and keeps the track from cracking and breaking up, it blue grooves in alot faster and again more traction. it is also important as you build your jumps you campact as you build them up. this is where alot of people fall short a bit and then your jumps start to break down. it takes a bit of time to get it right but the payoff is huge. built right you could run a lay for like 5 to 6 months if you really had too.that would depend on weather though if you get alot of rain in a period of time it will eventually break down. for your track size i recommend 100 bags of lime from home depot or similar. they are like 3.00 bucks a bag. dont have to add them alll at once but during the next couples of builds put in like 30 bags a time and then you'll be good. then after your next three builds, each one after that i would use like ten bags mixed into the extra dirt you get after you grade your track flat. this would be what you use to build your jumps and such. it will help to keep them from break down fron nose landings and such, along with compacting the jumps. but not necessary everytime.
Good Luck with it and if i can help any further pleased let me know. and also let me know how it goes after your next build.
01-24-2015, 02:38 AM
#42
Tech Rookie
my backyard clay track...unfortunately I did this all with hand tools
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