Ballast Location

sackracing

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2001
Since I'm 100 pounds light for TSM at BG I'm trying to figure out where and how to add the weight. If anyone doesn't care to show pics or share ideas on where and how they added ballast, that would be great.

I was thinking of putting a mounting plate over the rear axle and adding solid steel plates there.
 
Scale the car and find out where it's needed, not where it looks best. Scaling will give you a better balance on the chasis and help rather than hurt performance.;)
 
What should the weight distribution be?
Not being mean but what is it now? Unless you scale the car you won't know what it is now or where the weight will go for the best benifit. There's no set method for figuring out where it should go but some one that's used to using a set of scales will be able to tell you the best place to put it, usually within a few inches.;)
 
Do you like how the car leaves (weight transfer) now? It looks good in the picture. Personally, I would make provisions for mounting the weight in a few different spots around the car; bumpers, front frame horns, above rearend, frame rails. etc. That way you can use it to tune. Start with them as close to the middle of the car and as low as possible. If you can get some bars, you can bolt them inside the frame rails on each side under the front seats. If the car wheel stands, move weight up front and low. If it blows the tires off on the hit, move weight back and up.

The NHRA has rules on how the weight should be mounted, but in most cases as long as it's not bolted directly to sheetmetal and you use sufficient sized bolts, you'll be fine.
 
The car has not been scaled on four corners, the weight I got was from the scale at the track.

The launch in the pic was a 1.5x, only leaving at 10 lbs. All four shocks are set at nominal.

I don't see how I am going to be able to get it four corner scaled before BG. I can fab some mounts before then, should I focus on front framerails, middle, and rear and high?

Thanks,
 
If you've got a local circle track ask some of the racers. One of them will either know somone that can scale it or may have a set so you can get a better idea of what the corner, cross bias, and front to rear ratio is.
 
The car has not been scaled on four corners, the weight I got was from the scale at the track.

The launch in the pic was a 1.5x, only leaving at 10 lbs. All four shocks are set at nominal.

I don't see how I am going to be able to get it four corner scaled before BG. I can fab some mounts before then, should I focus on front framerails, middle, and rear and high?

Thanks,

Only needing 100lbs. you won't have a lot to play with so, just make a front, rear and middle mount. Start with as much in the middle as possible and make a pass and go from there.
 
started playing with the shocks a little last time out, it seems like it kinda unloads a few feet out and front end comes back down quick. I softened the compression on the rears and stiffened the rebound. I also softened the rebound on the fronts. It then spun the next two passes.

What's rule of thumb on adjusting the shocks?

I'm new at this.

Thanks,
 
Since I'm 100 pounds light for TSM at BG I'm trying to figure out where and how to add the weight. If anyone doesn't care to show pics or share ideas on where and how they added ballast, that would be great..................


When I was racing NHRA, my car was about 100#'s light.

Our solution was to remove the rear bumper support and weld on a piece of channel filled solid with metal which added about 80#'s. Traction was great! :)

On the Gallina NHRA car, we bolted a "custom" weight to the roll cage bars inside the car.
 
Tom Rix gave our Chapter a tech session in using four scales to balance a car. I would add weight over the right rear tire to off set the weight of the driver on the left side. He used little bags of lead shot to distribute weight. The spare tire well would be a great place to start
 
started playing with the shocks a little last time out, it seems like it kinda unloads a few feet out and front end comes back down quick. I softened the compression on the rears and stiffened the rebound. I also softened the rebound on the fronts. It then spun the next two passes.

What's rule of thumb on adjusting the shocks?

I'm new at this.

Thanks,
I think you went the wrong way.

I haven't tuned suspension on a fast radial tire gbody yet, so maybe you can get better advice from someone with experience. Everything I've heard and read says you want stiff compression in the rear. Most say you can hardly get enough comp. in a qa1.

Generally in the front, you want the front loose enough on extension that it transfers weight, but if it wheel stands you have to tighten it back up.
 
As you can read there are a lot of places to add it and it all depends on what the car likes so testing will be your best bet.

Something to think about: When adding weight in the rear bumper this can make the frontend feel/act lighter because the extra weight will be pivoting around the rear axle like a teeter-totter. Adding weight to the floorboard in the back seat right in front of the LCA mounting points will make the suspension react quicker b/c the LCA's are pushing directly on the weight so the body/chassis won't be moving "around" the added weight. If the car transfers weight too quickly then adding the weight to the nose of the car can help slow it down.
Make room for it in several places and test it in all them at some point to see what works best adn you may want to spread it out in several areas.

I read that some people stay away from shot pellets b/c if something broke and caused them to spill they would be all over the track like little marbles.

KS
 
My battery is still in the front as well, which offsets my fat ass a little.

I'm thinking of getting clamp collars and using the bars behind the front seats for the time being. I'm putting the weight in at BG and taking it back out. That's the only time I will need it for the forseeable future. My plan is to get lighter this winter for the local heads up races.
 
I would also say you went the wrong way on all of the shock adjustments, and if the launch pic is only a 1.50 60ft you probably need more air in the tires. What are they at cold?

Does the car have a stock fuel tank? I can add quite a bit of weight to mine in just fuel. 10 gal equals approx 60lbs.
 
That was at 14 in the tires cold. I took it up to 16 last time out. I was leaving at 10 lbs, 4300 rpm. I'd like to get the launch up to 15 lbs.
 
Looks to me as tho the pitch rotation is good. Once the ft wheels are off the track, wt transfer is as good as it's going to get.
You can look at the location of the tire wrinkle, and gather some good chassis setting info. [I've got some drawings that I can scan and post, later]
Videos are a good way to ID chassis issues. A direct side, rear, front, footage would help.
AIRC, loose items such as shot bags have to be in a sealed box. There are also limits as to how high the wt can be, vs top of the tires...

Here tis:
4.2 BALLAST
As permitted in Class Requirements. Any material used for the purpose of adding to a car's total weight must be permanently attached to the car's structure and must not extend behind or in front of the car's body or above the rear tires. No liquid or loose ballast permitted (i.e.: water, sandbags, rocks, shot bags, metal weights, etc.). Weight boxes (2 maximum) made of 1/8-inch (3.2 mm) material (see illustration - drawing 9) may be constructed to hold small items such as shot bags, lead bars, etc., as long as box and contents do not weigh more than 100 pounds (45.36 kg) or as outlined in Class Requirements. The box must be securely fastened to the car's frame or crossmember with at least two 1/2-inch (12.7 mm) diameter steel bolts. Any liquid other than engine fuel being used, located behind the front firewall, (on a front engine car) is considered ballast, and is prohibited. To permit "making a class" due to the difference in scale calibration, a maximum removable weight of 100 pounds (45.4 kg) (or as outlined in Class Requirement) is permitted. Removable weight must be securely mounted to the frame or frame structure by a minimum of two 1/2-inch (12.7 mm) diameter steel bolts per 100 pounds (45.4 kg) , or one 3/8-inch (9.53 mm) bolt per 5 pounds (2.3 kg). Hose clamps, wire, strapping, tape, tie wraps etc. for securing weight or ballast prohibited. See illustration for attachment method. Permitted forms of ballast are: 1) Heavier gauge steel floors such as 16 or 18-gauge (1.30 or 1.00 mm) (heavier gauge and/or plate steel prohibited); 2) Frame reinforcing crossmembers; or 3) The addition of protective equipment such as roll bars, flywheel shield, etc. If additional ballast is needed, and is permitted according to class requirements, it must be permanently attached to frame, bolted with two 1/2-inch (12.7 mm) diameter bolts per 100 pounds (45.4 kg), with nuts welded to bolts. Maximum amount of removable and/or permanent ballast, regardless of class, is 500 pounds (227 kg).
 
I run 17-18lbs in the hoosier 275's. I cant imagine launching my car at 10 much less 15psi, I've been 1.25 60ft on a 7.9psi launch.
 
Top