Guys, I know most of us are using old and used parts on these HA/GR's that we are running and building, just a word of caution. I have been running the same rear end in mine for the last three years and have never had a problem. I did some work on the rear end and went to the track to see if I had made any improvement. The first pass went ok as I drove it out of the hole and granny shifted, no problems. The second pass on the burnout, I heard a pop out the rear end. As I had just installed a locker, I thought this was what it was. The brake handle kinda of pulsated when I used it to stop at the tree, but it stopped. Launched the car and everthing seemed fine until I grabbed the brake handle after the lights, I had no brakes! The track I use to test and tune has a short shut down area, I used the tranny and got the car stopped before I ran off the end. When I got back to the trailer(cleaned out my drawers!), I pulled the rear wheels off and found the drivers side brake drum had split. Keep in mind that I had these drums in my hand the day before and nothing was wrong with them. Just look over some of these old parts and double check them. I ordered a new set of drums for mine. Robert.
Robert, Do you think the drum was simply fatiqued from years of use? Had it been turned? On your carbs: Did you rejet the BBD's you are using? Or were you able to leave them with original jetting? I finally found a few good carbs to use if I ever get my healthy engine together. Thanks, Bob
bob, I do not know if these had ever been turned. I measured the one that broke and it measures at stock. It looks like a weak design that Jeep came out with. The drums have ribs on the outside and in the bottom of these ribs, the drum is less than an 1/8" thick and that is where it broke at. The new ones that I ordered do not have the ribs in them, they are flat on the outside. As far as the carbs, all I have done is rebuild them, have not changed anything as far as jets or anything else. One thing I have found out is that if you get a hesitation or bog with these carbs, the ball in front(over the venturis) has a little piece of trash in it and it effects the accelerator pump and it will not squirt, it will dribble. Robert
Hi Robert, sorry to hear about your scarey ride. What jeep rear end are running? Has anyone in your area started to build one of these? Joe
You're right on with your point about old parts, we don't use'em in safety related applications. Every wearing component of our wheels, steering, suspension and braking systems are new as a matter of policy. In addition our cage follows modern practices, our belts and clothing are modern as well, per NHRA's dictums. We don't skimp there either (they may be thoroughly clueless about the class but they do have some experience in safety concerns, so in that they're worth listening to).
First "new parts purchased for our HA/GR were the brake drums and other parts for the brakes...The car may not be fast when we get it done, but it damn well will stop when the need arises!
Joe, it is a dana 44 out of a 60's model Wagoneer or Cherokee. It has the 19 spline axles which have not been a problem at all. The whole rear has been no problem and there was no sign of a problem until the pop that it made after the burnout. I now know that is when the drum had to break. As far as another one being built down here, the only one I am sure of is the one sitting in my shop that me and my youngest son started for him. He has since moved to Calif. but I'm slowly working on it. I've got to get it done so I can find out if it runs better than mine. I may have to do some switching of parts if it does. I have heard some talk of another one, but no concrete evidence of one yet. I'm still having fun with mine on test and tune nights. It has got to where they know the car and I get to run by myself anymore. None of the imports want anything to do with it and since I out ran a new Dodge truck with a hemi in it, none of the later model vehicles want any of it either. Robert
Not really hard, but if one side failed the "surprise turn" could be worse than running off the end. At the speeds these cars are running I'd feel better slowing down with compression. Just make sure your parts are good and there shouldn't be any problems. My $0.02
I don't know of any HA/GRs with front brakes, have I missed one? Yeah, I think a laterally split dual pot would be looking for trouble.
I do not believe that I would want a laterally split system. At 86mph in the 1/8, I sure do not want to try and stop with one wheel in a short distance. As 440 said, the surprise turn may be more than you bargained for. Everyone laughed at me on my first rear end when they found out that I had installed an emergency brake. If this rear had provisions for one, I would rather do that than anything else. You have to remember that all of us are running only rear brakes, when they fail, we have only gearing and compression to slow us down. I wonder how big of a parachute I would need?? Robert
Small 6'er should do, but you'll have to hang the laundry by hand. I don't think we go fast enough to get a drogue to pull.
It would be pretty embarassing to pull the laundry and have it fall on the track because of the low speed. I 'spose using good, new, quality brake parts and inspecting the system frequently is the best insurance against a trip into the sand trap. Robert, thanks for the carb information. Sounds like you are having a good time at Test and Tune.
I've seen 'chute packs on lower speed cars that had a spring inside to launch the laundry and worked quite well. If you mount the pack up on the cage in the airflow it shouldn't be a problem. The concept of "good, new, quality brake parts and inspecting the system frequently is the best insurance against a trip into the sand trap" makes the most sense, but I love the idea of going through the lights at 100 and poppin' a 'chute.
I was seeing a Roadrunner carton where the Coyote pops the chute and it falls on the ground. That's the kind of stuff that happens to me. On a more serious note, last Sunday at a local drag strip a roadster popped his chute and a very strong crosswind caused the lines to wrap around the rear axle. It severed a brake line and the driver did some trans damage downshifting to whoa the thing up.
You better not be standing behind my Fiat when the chute release is pulled.. Or you will be getting a chest full of parachute..And it's hell to get back into the pak.. Spring pressure you know.........
True story, first hand. Back when I was in jump school at Benning we had a small guy that wound up riding a T-10 on a non-equipment jump for about 15 minutes when they dropped us a bit too close to a dry field in summer. I also well remember a balloon flight up in Camarillo, first anniversary of my second marriage, that didn't want to come down, went a bit further than the pilot wished. He finally listened to my call on a favorable wind at a lower altitude and we made it down just short of an avocado grove and it's (known) shotgun toting owner. Summer ground heat updrafts can be entertaining ........ So I have little trouble extrapolating a nice mental picture of a HAMBster floating off across the groves at Famoso in June, the driver still tucked safely in his five point, looking straight down.
A good reason to use heavy mild steel instead of Chrome-Moly. Since it looks like I won't get my engine parts back any time soon, there's no worry about going very fast. The chute can wait for another year.
Perhaps Joe Hamby should expand the "Burnout" thread and add a "Lift Off" section for those who pop a wheelie.
I think we would see more action with a broken parts list. I have a lot more of those than wheelie's (O).
Question about the duel chamber master cylinder...... If you are running a spool (in the rear end) and have one chamber hooked up to each wheel, would there be a problem braking?? Seems like a good safty idea to me....if one brake let go ..you would still have rear brakes......yes..no?? Uncle dave
REJ "As far as another one being built down here, the only one I am sure of is the one sitting in my shop that me and my youngest son started for him. He has since moved to Calif. but I'm slowly working on it. I've got to get it done so I can find out if it runs better than mine." Whereabouts in California? We can always use another one out here. You figure which one goes faster and send the slower one out to him........
I don't know why that I said earlyer about the double master cyclinder. What I was thinking was run the two chambers into one line. I am not sure that running the chambers to each side would work, the chambers might be different sizes. If this would work, there are plenty of small master cyclinders out there. I have one from a neon thats small and looks great.
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