Dragster frames........picture thread.

What is the pitch or degree of angle on the spring perch? See alot of angled ( raked ) front ends

 

30 degrees on a lyndwood

Paul

 

wow,, thats alot ,,and thanks

 

GREAT topic I luv it.

 

anyone have a Chassis Research TE-440 ?? Would really like to see detail on the solid mount front axle.

 

To add what I can to this discussion:

Chassis Research frames...I had a 92 inch wb one in 1962...were not actually solid mount front ends. They had kind of a goofy thing that Scotty Fenn called a "pillamin" ( or something close to that ) front end. It consisted of a 3 inch round tube at the intersection of the two front frame rails racked back at about 30 degrees. This tube was filled with a stack of rubber donuts that looked like they were for a 1958 chevrolet body-mount package. The front axle, in turn, had a long vertical bolt that went up through the "donuts' and was capped on with a 3 inch washer and a nut.

To my rememberance most guys never ran this deal because it basically didn't do a damn thing. I think it was to meet the prevelent thought of the time that a slingshot had to have a "front suspension".

As purely advice I would say that although we ran up to 40 degrees of castor it wasnt helpful and made the car extremely difficult to back-up, make the turn onto the return road and required endless jacking back and forth to get it lined up with the trailer....even with a very short wheelbase.

That much rake means that the front wheels don't so much turn around a center-point as they do to "lay over" on a turn thus producing an incredibly wide turning circle.

I've built dragsters since and find that 12 degrees of rake works just fine goin' down the track and makes the car much easier to handle in the pits.

 

My hemi car is 40 degrees.

 

Wow,,pretty cool ( well maybe not ) but great info thank you

 

It was that front end design that started Scotty down the slippery slope with NHRA's tech people. He did switch to a more conventional cross spring design, but the bad blood had started.

 

I 2xs this is great info thank you.Maybe 1 day I can start on one and give my chevyII some rest hehe but i think no rest for it.LOL

 

Here's mine.Ive been told its a Loggee chassis.I dont have much history on it except it was stored since the 70's before I got it in 2002.The guy I bought it from had bought it for a father & son project and never really got going on it because his son lost interest right away.The engine used to sit 3 inches back from where it is now,moved forward by previous owner.It has an Olds rear end w/ a 4:88 locker,16" magnezium American Racing rear wheels with original M&H slicks,Avons in the front,old Deist chutepack,SBC engine backed by a Powerglide trans.The engine has some main cap reinforcement blocks.This was some kind of old trick to keep the crankshaft from coming out the bottom of the pan I guess.
I added the crossram intake for display.The roll cage has never been upgraded or changed to race for todays rules of safety.
I plan on getting it together someday for the Cackelfest show they have in Bakersfield.Right now it sits on top of a rack in my shop as eye candy

 

Now that is like the one i could have had about 14yrs ago.And I'd still would like to have one like that for one of my L6s

 

Nice looking chassis. It could be a Lohghe. (Well now I can't spell the name.)

The Lohge bodies were generally built by a man named Al Bergler and were aluminum.

The body on your car is, I believe, a Fiberglass Trends "Chute Body" glass body.

There are not many left.

Very nice. If it is the case I almost think you could get someone interested in splashing a mold for the nostalgia dragster market.

 

Nope....it's the rear part from a Kellison.

 

Anybody have one of the Chassis Research "v" front axles ? if so specs on it ??

 

JohnnyFast,

I think you are correct.

I forgot about Kellison.

They made a ton of 'glass stuff in the sixties

 

That angle was not given on the orginal blue prints......it omly told you to kick the 3" reciver tube back 2"..........

I will try to remember to go degree mine tomorrow and let you know..........

the orginial axles were only a single tube...........but so many of them bent that Scotty made a replacment axle with a support bar over the top.............these axles are very rare because around 1960 or so NHRA made you spring the front ends.............boy that pissed Scotty off..........so he sold a spring kit for an upgrade.

 

I ment the other axle with the spring ,,but this is wicked cool as well,,thanks for posting

 

What specs do you need ?

 

Pic for for the thread

 

In regards to caster. be careful guys, we ran 37 once, I run about 25 now. If you run a lot of caster, don't backup fast!! That butterfly wheel will break your fingers when it spins out of your hands!! Ouch! Lippy

 

Lippy, right you are.

If you have that much caster and are backing up when the front wheels want to flop over...YOU CANT' STOP THEM!.

The driver then cannot get them straightened up with the butterfly wheel. It takes one...maybe two crew members to stand the wheels up straight so the backup can continue.

 

All of them,,less you wanna sell one of those ,,then I'll have all teh specs

Thanks for posting

 

K-88 Frame

 

Isn't that ^^^^^^^^a TE-440 or TE-448?

 

No this is a TE-440

 

Here is a photo I took in 1962 or '63 at Island Dragway in New Jersey. It's the same half breed Chassis Research as Little Wings photos. I've always thought is was one of Scotty's famous running changes. TE-440 roll cage on a K-88 main frame.

I guess that is where the TE 448 identification came from. I've not seen it in any of the adds or catalogs, but we now have photo proof that at least 2 were produced.

There are a bunch of new and vintage photos on both the Chassis Research and Lyndwood social groups. Everyone is welcome to jump in.

 

this is why I ask

 

It should also be noted that the that in the catalog the double hoop roll cage is sold as a separate unit and is called a TE-440 cage ,,even though it was not on the original TE-440

The K-88 was also sold as a Eelco /Chassis Research Frame

 

You're right on the money. Bad thing is I have that same ad scanned and in my files. Please forgive my Old Fart memory.