FrontEngineDragsters.Org Forum

Drag Racing Discussions => Front Engine Dragsters => Topic started by: retroboy on October 19, 2019, 05:07:14 PM

Title: Bent chassis
Post by: retroboy on October 19, 2019, 05:07:14 PM
Hi All.
I've bent my chassis a bit. I would like to think it's from show business wheelstands but I think it's more from the way I've been tieing down on the trailer LOL. I'm about 155" WB with a solid mounted front axle. My first upright is 48" back from the axle and has no diagonal going to the second upright a further 20" back. I put it on stands and jumped on the axle and have pulled it back into shape. I'm going to ad a diagonal between the first and second uprights. I have no left to right bracing before the second upright 68" back from the front axle. Do I need any? Will the two proposed diagonals be sufficient to stop further trouble. Yes I will revisit how I load it on the trailer.
Cheers
Title: Re: Bent chassis
Post by: Curly1 on October 19, 2019, 06:59:44 PM
With those bars so close together and no uprights and diagonals it is going to be very flexible.
Title: Re: Bent chassis
Post by: dreracecar on October 20, 2019, 09:23:35 AM
Is the chassis 'Moly or mild steel??? and how are you tying it down?  Should be strap around the front axle to the front of the trailer and straps over the rear tires, blocked in front of the motor.
Title: Re: Bent chassis
Post by: retroboy on October 22, 2019, 03:13:06 AM
It's MS and I don't know why I changed the way I tie down. I used to leave the front axle on the winch with an elastic strap over each side of the axle to stop it bouncing with straps over each rear tyre and must have done 25,000 miles on rough Aussie rural roads and never had a problem!
Title: Re: Bent chassis
Post by: dreracecar on October 22, 2019, 08:12:51 AM
Mild steel is just dumb metal without the "springiness" of moly so in order to keep it form moving it must be braced more, you cant build a MS car like you would out of moly. Plus you need to run some sort of chassis support between the trailer floor and the front of the motor because that's a lot of weight bouncing up and down without it and wears out the chassis rather quickly, One trip is like 100's of passes