Would running 15" wheels front and 17" rear help bias the weight forward over the drive wheels and improve launch? Just an idea I had.

 

15" wheels tend to be lighter than 17" wheels, so I don't see how this would bias the weight forward. Rather with heavier tires in the rear, it would move weight to the rear of the car, right?

 

i was thinking with 2" of "lift" in the back would move the center of gravity forward.

 

NO.

 

Ok, then.

 

I've seen quite a few fw drag cars and most have very thin and short wheel/tire combinations on the rear. I have not seen one with a overly large rear in relation to the front. Interesting thought though.

 

Where exactly is this "lift" coming from? You didn't say you were changing the diameter of the tires, only changing the wheels from 17" down to a 15".

 

Lift comes from bigger wheels and/or tires. But even if it was just springs/struts the question is the same. Let's pretend it's a ten foot board. Scales 1 foot from either end would read the same. Lift one end 2 feet in the air. Does the lower scale have more weight on it? If it's a car is the weight shift from front to the back lessened on acceleration?

I'm obviously no physicist. Just thinking.

 

Our Car does have a slight rake due to using the standard 15 tyres on the back and 205 50 - 15 drag radials on the front.

I was told by someone that a 1-2 inch rake helps traction.

But if you really want to help traction and stop wheelhop/shake change the bottom wishbone bush

 

Thats funny, I just posted the same query a little while ago. Nowdays rear wheel cars that win keep the back low to do the opposite so don't knock it till you try it, you might be suprised...might not. But don't rule out theorys that are not the norm.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=53601

 

I think if you look all "dragsters" have small tires in the front (look like there off a trycicle) and BIG tires in the back.

Earl

p.s. not FWD

 

And no shocks or springs and a wheeliebar. These are not cars,and yes, not FWD.

 

sepends on what kind of drag car your talking about. Rail cars have no suspension, the frame flexes, but most other drag cars run shokds or springs of some sort.

 

and the idea, no matter fwd or rwd, is to get the weight to the back of the car as fast as possible.

weight transfer is very important in drag racing

 

Yes, you are correct in your thinking. However, to do this change you're talking about, you need to change the tire's outside diameter not the wheel's outside diameter. :smile:

I'm confused by this one. Not sure what would happen here.

 

Sorry not FWD! Why would you want to do that

 

Ok, when you accelerate the weight balance moves to the back of the car. I autocross, so I know that if I lift in a turn, the weight distribution move forward off of the back tires and I may spin.

So, if the car is up in the rear, does it make the weight transfer less, therefor improving front-end grip?

 

When accellerating quickly, weight transfers to the rear wheels. In a FWD car, this is not good...because the front wheels are the ones moving the car forward. Without weight on the front wheels, the car will loose traction. In rear wheel drive cars, this weight transfer to the rear wheels is good, because it's the rear wheels moving the car. So how do you compensate for the weight of the MINI transfering to the back wheels. You can slow it down by running more aggressive shocks and somewhat limit the amount by going with a strong spring. You can also add a wheelie bar to ensure the rear dips as far as you want it to go. As far as adjusting the suspension to jack up the rear forcing more weight to the front, this is not something I've seen in my limited experience FWD drag cars. Logically to me it would make sense, but I don't know how that relates to the practical world.

 

I think it will help slightly with weight transfer & also with just shifting some ,not much, static weight foward.((pick up a couch with a buddy, then have him raise his side)

Front wheel cars front lifts when you accelerate. Its pivoting from the centerline of the rear wheels. I think if you raise it here it has more of an angle to overcome.

Ever see FWD Imports with wheelie bars? Doesn't make since does it? They run them tight to the track to act as a lever so when the front tries to lift, it has to pivot all the weight of the car from well behind the rear wheels.

 

well, the weight has to go somewhere.

why do you think they run batteries in the trunks on race cars?

either way, the weight has to transfer, i dont care if its fwd or rwd.

 

Ditto

 

i still have a hard time understanding why we are discussing this, FWD cars are not drag cars, lol

 

We're discussing this because people like us keep posting.

Earl

 

hahaha

 

thread is about drag racing a Mini which is FWD
Road racing(f/r weight dist.) or RWD drag (weight over drive wheels)

correct but its up to you to limit or increase it.