Midget setup for heavier driver

spiked · 11/3/12, 5:56 PM

Hi all,

Looking for a but of advice, I've currently changed teams,driver,chassis,engine etc. No real drama with team,chassis,engine just struggling to find a consitent baseline setup now with the new driver being 240lbs or so, having usually worked with guys just over the 100lbs mark.

Car is a reasonably new spike, running on dirt, tracks are all about 1/4mile, from flat to medium banking, we run anywhere from soaking wet & slippery to fully blown away slick condition.

Currently running about 185lbs front springs, a .825lr & .800rr bars. Blocks I've tried between 2 3/4 to 3/1/2".

My question is do I run heavier rear bars to compensate for increase driver weight if so do I go 0.025 heavier or should it be 0.050?? Also change both or just LR or RR etc?? Do I run the bars I've been running & either block the car so it's higher in the rear to start with??Block the same with the same bars & add some turns in the rear to get it back to where it should be??? I'm struggling to find an answer that gives conistency. I have found that I need to run a couple PSI more pressure in the rear tyres otherwise they basically run flat, probably running abut 7-8 in LR & about 12-16 in the RR.

Any help greatly appreciated, as I know the whole combination when it all works together will be good.

TQ29m · 11/6/12, 2:29 PM

I'll take a swing at it, sounds like you've had the guy in the car, and I think the rule of thumb, is about .025 per 50lbs, so with the .050 larger bars, you should be in the park, block it just like you have been, and measure it as you go, I wouldn't do everything at once, sneak up on it, measure it as is, with him in it, then chg bars, and put him back in, and see how much it changed. I really don't understand how you've been able to get by with a 185 RF coil, but it may not change that much, and you'll need to keep him as low in the car as you can, that 140# of added weight, will change your roll center by quite a bit, so, with that in mind, just make small changes as you go, and keep track of what you did, and what you saw change. Good Luck! Bob

stroud21 · 11/6/12, 6:46 PM

send me an email, ss5121@aol.com i am about that size and have a spike, before that had twister and a couple stealths. i will let you know what i do, just don't want to put it out there for everyone to see and comment on.

thx, Steve Stroud

spiked · 11/6/12, 10:59 PM

Thanks guys for you help. Time to go dust off some parts & go play & see how it goes

darnall · 11/7/12, 1:56 PM

My reccomendation would be to stretch the wheelbase to 87", install 4 more cylinders in the engine and put 15" wheels on it....hahahahaha...

seriously, good luck and I hope you hit on something that works well...I weigh 210-215 and have 15-20 midget races under my belt and I'm here to tell you it's tough giving up 100-120 pounds in a car that can use every bit of horsepower you can give it, especially in these series that weigh the car only without the driver.

48modracer · 11/7/12, 5:52 PM

Usually block at 3 in the rear regardless of driver. Also run a stiffer RR shock for the big guys. They get a 4RT instead of the 3RT.

Mulvaney · 11/10/12, 3:17 PM

i don't really kow how much difference it makes but i am about 215 and race a upringht mini. i would think that they would be pretty similar. i run about 50 heavier on the rr and 25 on the lr then the smaller driver that was driving my car also shocks make a huge difference to me. i run a 4 on the rr and a 4/2 tie down lr.. also with the roll center being changed i always felt like i was going to roll over any time so i run a 4/1 on the rf also. keep in mind everyone drives different. so this may not help a bit. but then again it might. if i had to choose i would say shocks over bars would make the most difference. what size tires do you run? i would never think to run over 10 psi in either rr or lr i start out around 9 rr and 6 lr then if it really slick go down 8rr 4-5 in lr . block at 3r and 2 in the front. and that should get you close. please don't hate me if it don't work. but this is my setup and it does ok for me

11/6/12, 2:29 PM	#2 Re: Midget setup for heavier driver
TQ29m Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6,217	I'll take a swing at it, sounds like you've had the guy in the car, and I think the rule of thumb, is about .025 per 50lbs, so with the .050 larger bars, you should be in the park, block it just like you have been, and measure it as you go, I wouldn't do everything at once, sneak up on it, measure it as is, with him in it, then chg bars, and put him back in, and see how much it changed. I really don't understand how you've been able to get by with a 185 RF coil, but it may not change that much, and you'll need to keep him as low in the car as you can, that 140# of added weight, will change your roll center by quite a bit, so, with that in mind, just make small changes as you go, and keep track of what you did, and what you saw change. Good Luck! Bob __________________ "Being old, isn't half as much fun, as getting there"! Ole Robert I!

11/3/12, 5:56 PM	#1 Midget setup for heavier driver
spiked Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 3	Hi all, Looking for a but of advice, I've currently changed teams,driver,chassis,engine etc. No real drama with team,chassis,engine just struggling to find a consitent baseline setup now with the new driver being 240lbs or so, having usually worked with guys just over the 100lbs mark. Car is a reasonably new spike, running on dirt, tracks are all about 1/4mile, from flat to medium banking, we run anywhere from soaking wet & slippery to fully blown away slick condition. Currently running about 185lbs front springs, a .825lr & .800rr bars. Blocks I've tried between 2 3/4 to 3/1/2". My question is do I run heavier rear bars to compensate for increase driver weight if so do I go 0.025 heavier or should it be 0.050?? Also change both or just LR or RR etc?? Do I run the bars I've been running & either block the car so it's higher in the rear to start with??Block the same with the same bars & add some turns in the rear to get it back to where it should be??? I'm struggling to find an answer that gives conistency. I have found that I need to run a couple PSI more pressure in the rear tyres otherwise they basically run flat, probably running abut 7-8 in LR & about 12-16 in the RR. Any help greatly appreciated, as I know the whole combination when it all works together will be good.

11/6/12, 10:59 PM	#4 Re: Midget setup for heavier driver
spiked Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 3	Thanks guys for you help. Time to go dust off some parts & go play & see how it goes

11/7/12, 5:52 PM	#6 Re: Midget setup for heavier driver
48modracer Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 61	Usually block at 3 in the rear regardless of driver. Also run a stiffer RR shock for the big guys. They get a 4RT instead of the 3RT.

11/10/12, 3:17 PM	#7 Re: Midget setup for heavier driver
Mulvaney Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 168	i don't really kow how much difference it makes but i am about 215 and race a upringht mini. i would think that they would be pretty similar. i run about 50 heavier on the rr and 25 on the lr then the smaller driver that was driving my car also shocks make a huge difference to me. i run a 4 on the rr and a 4/2 tie down lr.. also with the roll center being changed i always felt like i was going to roll over any time so i run a 4/1 on the rf also. keep in mind everyone drives different. so this may not help a bit. but then again it might. if i had to choose i would say shocks over bars would make the most difference. what size tires do you run? i would never think to run over 10 psi in either rr or lr i start out around 9 rr and 6 lr then if it really slick go down 8rr 4-5 in lr . block at 3r and 2 in the front. and that should get you close. please don't hate me if it don't work. but this is my setup and it does ok for me