Slow Build by Engineer

[fabr]

WIth driver is all that matters. Empty doesn't mean shit.

[LiveWire]

Then you have to specify which driver though. There was a guy in a local tractor pulling club that had to have someone else drive his tractor or he could not make weight. He finally got the club to bump up the class limit since he could not get the tractor weight down. The steering wheel rubbed his belly when he turned.

[Engineer]

Wanna start taking bets on final weight?  That light bar didn't help.....  However most of the tubing that I have added in the last month has been paper thin.  I have a jockey that will drive it across the scale for me as well. 

[RC51 Rhino]

I really like the way the 40 looks on your car! I have the same spot for the same light on the RC car...hope to have it soon!

[trans man]

1800# is my guess.

[Carlriddle]

1650# w/jockey    I love the light bar video where guys drag light behind vehicle asphalt dirt into curbs damn thing still works at end.

[fabr]

Then you have to specify which driver though. There was a guy in a local tractor pulling club that had to have someone else drive his tractor or he could not make weight. He finally got the club to bump up the class limit since he could not get the tractor weight down. The steering wheel rubbed his belly when he turned.

The only way to make it fair in competition is to have a weight limit including driver. That's why car weight with a full payload including driver is all that matters when it comes to performance. These things aren't radio controlled ya know.

[sandycrack]

#1800 for a 2 seater now has me worried that I may be more like #2500 on my build!

[sandycrack]

What thickness and type of aluminium did you use?

[LiveWire]

The only way to make it fair in competition is to have a weight limit including driver. That's why car weight with a full payload including driver is all that matters when it comes to performance. These things aren't radio controlled ya know.

I agree for competition. For personal use, it would be to compare to their own machine though.

[Engineer]

What thickness and type of aluminium did you use?

I am using .063 on the side panels, firewalls etc and 1/8" for the floor.  It is all 3003.  I chose it because it is what the local material company carries and would deliver.  Actually the 4' x 10' x .063 ran about $88 a sheet but I had to order the 1/8" in 5 X 10 because I wanted it to be structural with no seams and it cost $322.  I really don't know what grade of aluminum would be best for this application but the 3003 seems to be working fine.

Did you weld that flange on the bottom of your dash or did you form it?  It looks real good.

#1800 for a 2 seater now has me worried that I may be more like #2500 on my build!

A four seater has to be weighed with four people in it right? 

[Engineer]

I agree for competition. For personal use, it would be to compare to their own machine though.

I agree with this.  In racing competition the weight limits have to be with driver to make the competition equal amongst different sized drivers.  Actually a lite driver still has an advantage by being able to move ballast around but so be it.

In our recreational builds, I really want an idea of the machine weight more than caring about machine and driver.  When we race four wheelers at the dunes it is fairly obvious the advantage the 95lb jockey has over a 225 lb guy but if they are running neck and neck I can tell you who is making more power.

The first problem is I don't believe anyones weight claims unless we roll across the scale back to back.  Not because people are necessarily dishonest but scales can vary widely and some people exagerate.  I saw a single seat build a while back that finished was claiming 680#.  Is that even possible?  If so where is my extra 1000# coming from?  Air shocks vs coil overs, bead locks and 31" tires vs 26" atv tires, Busa vs 600 I guess it all adds up.

I don't think it will weigh over 1500lb with no driver, but I have been wrong before.  Durability per pound I think will be very good. 

[BDKW1]

Speaking of weights......... The new Racer 1 car at Laughlin weighed 2950# with a full tank of gas.
 
Car has an LS3, Fortin and 35" tires. According to Bill Savage, "This isn't possible" and he is going the weigh the car every race............
 
Main part of the frame is 1.75 X .095, hence the scrutinay.......

[fabr]

A car needs to have a favorable unsprung to sprung weight ratio for the suspension to work well. If you have a heavy unsprung you will NEED a heavier sprung car to keep the ratio in a working range . Otherwise the unsprung weight will begin to control the sprung instead of the other way around. Hence the need for a 2900# car. Those things unsprung weight is substantial .

[sandycrack]

OK now I am thinking that #800 of people the buggy will be way heavy.  With that much additional weight tuning of the bypass shocks and suspension will be tricky.  I will not be jumping big as I have broken my back 2 times and have a chipped vertebrae from an older injury.  It does not bother me I just do not want to do any more dammage.  I plan on tuning for optimum suspension performance with 2 people.  With 4 people the ride will still good just not at peak.

The bottom flange is tigged on.  Don't look too close as my tigging skills are novice at best.  I bought a Miller Matic 185 and learning now.