Thistle

Hi all,
I'm searching for alternatives to use, to tech cars for ride-height.
Currently, our club is using steel rods that are slightly larger than the 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm required for ROAR rules. I've been trying to get some ideas, for other (more accurate) things to use.

What does your club use? What do large races use? Any thoughts?

Joel Lagace

iTrader: (4)

We have a slab of marble and a machined aluminum ride height gauge that we run under the chassis.

The accuracy is not really the issue but rather the repeatability, whether your gauge is 5mm or 5.0000113412mm don't mater. Just make sure the surface is flat and the tools are strong and flat. everyone should self tech at the beginning of the event, to adjust to the tech tools. After that there should be no excuses.

I have gone from club to club and bigger events where my 5mm at home was too high or too low for the gauges used at the host race.

Joel Lagace

iTrader: (4)

ps: Where in Manitoba are you racing? When i was a kid i live in Winnipeg and Gypsumville.

Thistle

Right in Winnipeg.
Here's our web-site: http://www.midcanadarcautoracing.com/

The bars we are currently using, are 3.2mm, 4.6mm, and 5.7mm respectively... this is simply too large compared to the rules. (Guys use their own tools to set the height, then get DQ'd for not meeting the bar in tech.) I have taken on the task of finding new gauges for the club.

Trips

iTrader: (16)

My local track uses brass tubing, but they're using inch sizes. the 4mm checker is 5/32" tubing,which is within a thousandth of 4mm, the 3mm checker is 1/8" tubing which is a few thousandths oversize. I don't think anyone even notices, but this weekend I was right down at 3mm before the start of the first round. The guy checking realized that the rod was a few thou oversized and didn't worry about it (thanks, G). I was back at 3.5 before round 2 ( I normally don't run right down at 3mm) so it wasn't an issue the rest of the day.

CarbonJoe

Drill rod from McMaster-Carr, it is available in 3 foot lengths. Do a search for "drill rod", then find your desired ride height (diameter) in decimal inches.

3mm ~= 0.118 inches
4mm ~= 0.157 inches
5mm ~= 0.197 inches

http://www.mcmaster.com/

Joel Lagace

iTrader: (4)

Cool!

We had a guy mill out our tools, but i think we also have an asortment of rods as well. The thing is club members need to use those tools and if it means that on there hudy guage they need to look for 6mm to clear the 5mm guage then so be it..

the other thing that we found can DQ a car was the way we teched. Everyone checks there height from the rear and front of the chassis, while in tech we run the bar under the entire chassis, meaing thick tape or loose screws could dq a car. ITs a matter of setting a standard and sticking to it. The racers have to all use the tech station and become familiar with the tools and teching proceedure. It dont mater if it was legal in the pits. if after a 5minute run the springs have sagged or worse the foam tires have worn down. Tech must be met.

Trips

iTrader: (16)

As long as the tool is an actual 5mm I agree, but if a racer has to run at a higher than specified height to clear an oversized gauge I think the track needs to get a proper gauge.

We get this issue in 1/12 a lot, guys will check the front and rear, but the car sags in the middle... I see a lot emergency center shock adjustments at the tech station to get the sag out...

I don't know how your track interprets the ROAR rules, but there is a clause in the rulebook that allowances should be made at post-race tech for normal wear... here's the rule, fron the 2009 book:

5.4.13 During post race inspection, the effects of normal wear and race distortion or damage should be taken into consideration. For post-race inspections, a “cooling-off” period of no more than 10 minutes may be allowed to eliminate any temperature effects on sizes, capacities, etc.


At our track, we interpret this to mean that a car that passed the pre-race tech can be a smidge too low in post race tech and we chalk that up to normal wear of the tires. If I'm teching, I'll pass a car in post tech if the gauge goes under and feels tight. It's a little subjective, but it's worked so far. I'll also allow a 2 gram underweight car to pass post race tech if it was at or above the minimum pre-race. Any more than that, I look at it as a part came off, or a piece of weight fell off and I'll fail it. This is in foam classes, rubber tire cars don't get lower or lighter after a run due to any normal wear that I know of.

tc3team

Just a thought, but wouldnt a ride height gauge used under the chassis yeald a good solution?

they are usually in .5 or 1mm increments

Trips

iTrader: (16)

Two probems... Not all ride height gauges are equal, My Yokomo gauge measures 3.12mm at the 3mm step... it would fail a car that came to the tech table at 3.02... I haven't measured any other gaudes, but it wouldn't surprise me to find variances among them.

The other issue is the sloped or stepped gauges only measure the edges of the chassis. You can't check for protruding screws under the car with them. That's why the rods are popular. You can pass them all the way under the car and see if anything is protruding below the minimum height.

Carbon Joe's answer is GREAT... I don't know why it didn't occur to me, I've bought drill rod from McMaster Carr to use for hinge pins, it's a natural to get some for ride height rods as well. I'm going to order some up... cut a foot off each for my pitbox, the other two feet of each will live at the tech table. THANKS Carbon Joe for the idea!

tc3team

True, i guess there are some tolerances to take into account between gauges...

kn7671

iTrader: (16)

Ummm .... Right.... We don't tech anyone's car for anything. We leave it to each person to be honest and tech themselves.

Unregistered

There aren't enough onroad racers left around here to worry about tech. Everyone's running dirt except a few of the die hard onroad guys.

Thistle

Carbon Joe... Thanks, that should work perfect.

Joel Lagace

iTrader: (4)

TRIPS: We are not a ROAR track we look at roar for most rules, but we are not racing for money. We dont beat down a guy if he is skimming the guage..

But lets get real here, if you do tech, its really easy to pass tech, use the tech station to verify your car is legal. When we used to really crack down on tech i would hear all the excuses, and yes we have 5mm guages. Our goal is to protect the carpet first and formost. What racers have to realize is the tech station is the final say on wether or not your car is legal. So regardless of what the guage size is make sure your car is legal, i was at a track that ran a 6mm rule so i adjusted to suite the tech rules of that track.

Common sence needs to be used as well. If you want to piss off racers tech really strict. Our clubs numbers are so low that we run with the honor system, we dont tech anymore, its not worth the arguements. We simply ask that guys keep 5mm be mindfull of the carpet and run 1500gms. For the most part everyone complies.