FrontEngineDragsters.Org Forum

Technical => Roo Man's Room => Topic started by: We Bad on January 25, 2016, 05:43:08 PM

Title: nostalgia top fuel wheelie bars
Post by: We Bad on January 25, 2016, 05:43:08 PM

How can the front engine top fuel cars leave the starting line without wheelie bars?

Title: Re: nostalgia top fuel wheelie bars
Post by: JrFuel Hayden on January 25, 2016, 08:26:34 PM

My thoughts on that is N/TF are limited to 12"wide tires, so they slip the clutch more at the hit so they don't smoke'm, which in turn limits the traction,
 and the need for wheelie bars.
If you also watch Heritage A/FD, you'll see the injected nitro cars don't use bars either.

Jon

Title: Re: nostalgia top fuel wheelie bars
Post by: rooman on January 26, 2016, 04:34:48 AM

Jon hit it on the head. With direct drive and that small tire the NT/F cars slip the clutch pretty hard leaving--just look at the dust cloud that they leave behind.

Roo

Title: Re: nostalgia top fuel wheelie bars
Post by: dreracecar on January 26, 2016, 08:25:33 AM

besides that they are very front end heavy carrying almost 150# of fuel, drysumps, 20lbs of firesystem

Title: Re: nostalgia top fuel wheelie bars
Post by: ricardo1967 on January 26, 2016, 09:34:26 AM

Just curious.. are there Powerglide cars in NT/F, or they're all clutched? (if clutched, how many gears typically?)

Title: Re: nostalgia top fuel wheelie bars
Post by: dreracecar on January 26, 2016, 11:24:48 AM

2 speeds are only allowed with a 426 engine, but cannot be automotive (OEM) based
Nitro hammers the crap out of the converters and you need the sliding of the clutch to get the pump speed up to give it enough fuel at the hit

Title: Re: nostalgia top fuel wheelie bars
Post by: ricardo1967 on January 26, 2016, 03:27:43 PM

Thanks for the good info Bruce.