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Drag Racing Discussions => Altereds => Topic started by: Dunc the Funk on November 03, 2019, 07:10:30 AM

Title: Wheelie bar length?
Post by: Dunc the Funk on November 03, 2019, 07:10:30 AM
I will be replacing our wheelie bars over the winter. The ones we have currently are 52" (4' 4") and their main problem is that being quite short the tolerance on the setting is too small. I'm thinking of moving up to 72" (6'). Any longer & they will not fit in the current support vehicle & I'd have to fab some way of fixing them on our open trailer. I think it's sufficient length anyway, but what do you folks run on your cars?
Title: Re: Wheelie bar length?
Post by: dusterdave173 on November 03, 2019, 07:55:13 AM
The "science class" answer is longer the better--and many here will tell you go long
but
my experience tells me 48 in is a Plenty--and I have a pal with very vintage leaf spring stupid looking 2 footers and the car will go 4.90's in the 1/8th
what we have learned is they must be centered --and by that I mean centered measuring from the brake rotor edge or best is the axle flange edge  and I mean dead on centered no slop is also big factor
truth is wheelie bars look awful on an FED  they just do but with modern tracks and tires you can't possibly drive one without  My 48 in single bottom double top bar worked fantastic and did not look silly like 6 ft does--I mean really??
keeping wheelie bar low seems to be the key to a good launch or at least it was with the three cars we played with
NO slop--flex is ok --keep that wheel axle center under 3 in to the ground and go get em
This is just an opinion
Title: Re: Wheelie bar length?
Post by: Dunc the Funk on November 03, 2019, 02:34:06 PM
Dave, when talking about length, is that the bars from the chassis end or from the axle? You have an FED & we have an altered so things are in different places.
Title: Re: Wheelie bar length?
Post by: dreracecar on November 04, 2019, 07:54:34 AM
No science out there unless every racecar is the same, Some are long and others are short, others ridged, some are spring loaded, racers leave off of them,others don't touch till the front end is 16" off the track. The only wat to find out is to make plenty of back to back to back runs to figure it out
Title: Re: Wheelie bar length?
Post by: Roger on November 04, 2019, 07:58:32 AM
The wheelie bar on my altered is 79" from the mounting point of the top bar on the housing to the center of the wheel at the end. Both top and bottom mounting holes on the axle are on the same vertical plane as the axle centerline. Hope this helps.
Title: Re: Wheelie bar length?
Post by: gregm784 on November 04, 2019, 08:44:57 AM
Mine's around 65", i like the look of a longer bar. it's very stout, and works ok.  I race with a few cars that are under 2', and they work for their combo.  Most are rigid bars, but a few have spring loaded bars.

Clear as mud? Sorry.