Author Topic: Over tiring a FED for bracket racing  (Read 1989 times)

Offline wideopen231

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Over tiring a FED for bracket racing
« on: May 29, 2022, 07:36:15 PM »
A lot of bracket guys swear by over tired and llose converter for consistency. They also swear a FED is the wrong car for job. So why listen to them on tire?LOL

I know most feds run less tire than equal power RED, but for most it is because quicker et. Wondering if any of those who bracket race agree with over tiring or do you find less tire gives more consistent wheel speed and inturn more consistent et's?

At present, I have MT's that are 14x15 32. Looking at cpl options and would love to try narrower but a taller tire, the problem is that would require new wheels. I love the idea of both and added benefit of less weight is great, problem bifold already running on ultra-lite. I have plenty guys around with bigger wheels I can try for nothing unless putting new tires on them and can always sell tires for most of money back
Relecting obama is like shooting right foot because it did not hurt enough when you shot left foot

Offline tcoupekyle

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Re: Over tiring a FED for bracket racing
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2022, 01:23:48 PM »
I had an over tire on my FED . 13 or 15 wide. It would dead hook anywhere but it would also shake like mad. Have since changed tires but have not ran with the smaller units yet.

Offline Curly1

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Re: Over tiring a FED for bracket racing
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2022, 07:41:29 PM »
There is nobody that can tell you what tire you need here. A FED is a different animal than all other cars. Your car and mine to are different than even all others here. Depends on how stiff your chassis is, how much it flexes, weight distribution, power, converter, tire, wheelie bar, weather, track and a bunch of other things. I had to go through 5 different tire combinations to get one to work good and you have to do a bunch of testing with tire pressure and moving weight around before you know if that combination will or will not work. I had to go back and stiffen chassis, add bars, lower rear end in the chassis and raise cage.  I had to move a bunch of weight up to the nose. After all that work and money my FED would hook up and go right down the track every time. Still it is difficult in the short, rough shutdown tracks.  Some of these FED's are flimsy and flex like crazy, some weigh less than 1300 race ready, some have stiffer chassis, some have full bodies that may stiffen chassis up some. Just my battery alone I started with it in the nose, then moved it to the middle and then moved it to very back of car and now it is back in the nose with additional weight.

Even some cars that look similar are nothing alike when you look at all of the variables. If you want someone to tell you exactly what you need then get you a generic 4 link rear engine dragster with a BBC. They are all basically the same but you can pick your own colors but you still have to paint it with the tribal swirls paint job. (you choose colors though).

If you want to make your FED work you are going to have to take it out, try different tire pressures and move weight around and work with wheelie bar until you get it hooking good with out hitting wheelie bar too hard and no bouncing. Then if it does not work you may have to add tubes and if that does not work you may need to change to a different tire. Even with the weight I added up front I am sure under full throttle at the finish line there is very little weight on the nose. Our cars are a 150 MPH unicycle basically and weight distribution is critical. I think in the end you want front wheels to come up a little, chassis flex some and hit wheelie bar light then keep the chassis flexed under full throttle and enough weight on front tires to steer as you are going down track. Basically I am trying to keep almost all weight on the back tires until I let off the gas with out pulling big wheelies. I could set up my car where it bulls big beautiful wheelies but it would pop out of beams and go red and you could not steer it.

Offline tcoupekyle

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Re: Over tiring a FED for bracket racing
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2022, 07:35:49 PM »
I just died laughing. I hate those paint jobs so much.

Offline wideopen231

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Re: Over tiring a FED for bracket racing
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2022, 05:42:33 PM »
I never asked anyone to tell me exactly what my car needs. I asked about running more tire for bracket racing since that is a common bracket racer statement/Over tired and loose converter. Asking other opinions and what they have seen or experienced is not asking what will work on my car. It is also common knowledge that a FED reacts different than RED and normally need less tire. I rarely,heck never have the same thing as someone else. Never used someone else combo,fuel system,clutch setup or tuning approach. I do however listen to thier opinions and experiance and analyze all for what might be useful info. I rarely ask question on what to do, but at same tyime all data gathered can be useful at some point. If I listened to what others said I need to do motor would be behind me and not look as cool. LMAO
 
 Car has been out and results are another part of why I asked question.  Although getting out around here is hard to schedule with rain or 95* weather every weekend and nice mid-week so I can work.LOL Add in that most all tracks have done away with weekly racing and had to add other forms of motorsports activity to keep their heads above water.The few runs have been decent just not what I want consistency wise and most of the data point to tires or power control. I find it nhqard to believe saying tires may have too much bite.Would never say its the Mickeys causing issues if on drr, but since other have same similar issue with them. Changing them not an option right now. Working on borrowing some test wheels and tires from local guys. If can arrange cpl sets I am thinking about renting track with cpl guys for testing  all back to back/ Knowing the results others have had and how they tried or worked them out might shortcut the answer. One thing I have never done and never will,leave car alone no matter how much run time or how well it is working. As Mr. Coil said once.No such thing as perfect run.always room for improvement.

 I agree the goal is to pick up wheels up a little and set back down while keeping rearend loaded. Pretty much the same as a RED except not carrying them as far out.  Keeping tires in lights is also a good thing. Agree my chassis is like very few others. Good or bad? built rigid but with options to loosen it up a little or a lot.

Now as for the paint I would rather have patina than a freaking tribal paint job and I HATE the patina/rust look crap. So for not I am running the bare aluminum look also known as broke dyck look.(DRR joke). I will say Curly is on right track with paint color of choice.  Hey blue has to be good God choose it for water and sky which covers 2/3 earth and surrounds it. LOL Plus Great taste in classic autos.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2022, 06:28:24 PM by wideopen231 »
Relecting obama is like shooting right foot because it did not hurt enough when you shot left foot

Offline tcoupekyle

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Re: Over tiring a FED for bracket racing
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2022, 05:57:02 AM »
That's awesome!!

Offline Curly1

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Re: Over tiring a FED for bracket racing
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2023, 05:44:35 AM »
Well the thing is you know what makes the car work, you want it to wrap up the tire some, barely hit the wheelie bar to help it get up on the tire and keep it from getting front wheels too high or climbing too fast. Sounds simple but it is not. I had to try a bunch of different tire combinations, one thing well worth trying is putting tubes in the tires. It stiffens them up some and on my car it really helped.

Offline buickfed

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Re: Over tiring a FED for bracket racing
« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2023, 03:38:46 PM »
lack of memory is not rewarding. lol
our fed is 1968 from cali. had m/t's 10.5x33-15. have no idea what they did on the left coast.
but ordered the same tires and have no issues. run 8.5lbs pressure. 350 671 buick launches at 3500.
goes straight. carries about 5'' about 60'. tried 4000 rpm launches. never seem a chassis twist all over. ugly