Question on early dragsters

In the early days of dragsters, did they couple the trannies and rear together with a u-joint? I know that later they used couplers.
If they used a u-joint, do you still have to set the pinion angle as everything is mounted ridgid and nothing moves?
Any pros/cons to this setup?
Thanks, Robert

 

We used u-joints all the way through the mid 70's on all of our cars until NHRA got nasty about it. If you have only one u-joint, things have to be kinda level with each other, but can be at an angle. I have a u-joint in the GizzleHopper today.

 

Appreciate that answer, that is what I kinda figured.
I will not be running any NHRA tracks, so I'm not concerned about that.
I did not see any reason that it would not work and hold up under the abuse.
Thanks, Robert

 

i use to run an old front motor car and used back to back u joints never a problem.....but make sure you put a guard around the joint....if it breaks and gets whippin between ur legs it'll denut ya at the least !!!!!!!

 

in the 50s we ran a single u joint.The joint might get my calves ,but not the jewels because of the seating. still need a cover. i run a cover over my coupler.

 

Actually ur correct......i sat behind and below the rear end..it was my calfs and ankels at risk.......

 

We ran an early Ford ****** behind the Pontiac engine in our dragster briefly...'til the torque monster ate 'em up. The ****** U-joint spline was the same as the pinion spline so they plugged together using the pictured adaptor which is no more than a very short torque tube.

 

Beebe and Mulligan supposedly used a yoke to yoke coupler in their Fighting Irish fueler all the way to the last run at Indy in '69....




T.H.

 

NHRA (or at least IHRA) has gotten over their "issue" with Ujoints. Some of the modern RED run rear suspensions and four links and are using Ujoints again. These are making serious power so I am sure there are some serious ones available making it a non-issue.

There is a teeny tiny amount of forgiveness in a coupler though - albeit not very much.

 

I was just trying to point out that not all modern dragsters run couplers. I think if given a choice a coupler is a preference. I don't know how long RED's have actually run suspensions - I can't say I follow them at all - I do know my buddy crews on one and their NEW car (as of last year) has a 4 link or somesuch suspension - their OLD car was solid. My buddy's car makes jillion times more HP than mine - so I was impressed when I first learned they run Ujoints.

Really? Sittin' on top of everything is different? I never knew.

 

now as i remember we welded a 1/4" x 2"wide strip of metal over where the ring gear is ......just in case the rear end blew the ring gear didn't get ya.....it was an early olds rear end...

 

You remembered correctly...i dont think ive seen a vintage front engine car without it....as for having the coupler between your legs and the rear end under your knees,...its been beat to death a million times over...as long as you have a strong cover/shield over the coupler (or a length of well casing) things are ok...the bigger problem in the early days was rear end rotation(Chrisman accident)...





T.H.

 

First thing my father in law said when he looked at my front engine dragster was "where are the hands?"

In his day he said they always painted a pair of hands on the pumpkin - not sure if it was in place of that 1/4" steel plate or on top of it, but it was to serve as the same purpose - to protect the wedding gear.