ground clearance

[wideopen231]

Wondering how much ground clearance others have in their FED?Looking at some pics on sit of others cars it looks like most have quite a bit more . I'm at 3.5" at nose and 3 at motor plate.Legal yes.Wiil I have issue with any bounce causing rubbing problem  is another story.

[dreracecar]

You are fine with those numbers

[nostalgic371]

Ok - a dumb question, just how low is considered too low, anyway?

[rooman]

Ok - a dumb question, just how low is considered too low, anyway?

When it wears holes in the lower frame rails 

Roo

[wideopen231]

That's funny Roo Man.Well unless its your car with wholes in i.

[dreracecar]

If you mount Ti skids to the frame, you will give the fans a show when you click it

[nostalgic371]

Ok - a dumb question, just how low is considered too low, anyway?

When it wears holes in the lower frame rails 

Roo

Ok - a dumb question, just how low is considered too low, anyway?

When it wears holes in the lower frame rails 

Roo

Stocking up on skid plates.   

[wideopen231]

Well I am a show man. Wait maybe that's show off, well which ever .I have fun.

[PSweeney]

build in sufficient ground clearance so a drop tire size doesn't materially affect the ground clearance.   Not so much an issue on a funny car but diggers can run anywhere from 30in to 33.5in tire. 

[rooman]

build in sufficient ground clearance so a drop tire size doesn't materially affect the ground clearance.   Not so much an issue on a funny car but diggers can run anywhere from 30in to 33.5in tire.

Actually the spread can be anything from 28" to 36" depending on how much motor you are trying to hook up. And if you are making that big of a change you either guessed very wrong to start with or made a radical change to the overall powerplant package. If anything, you should build for the smallest tire that you might run and live with the subsequent change in motor angle etc if you go larger. Depending on the wheelbase and  how far out the motor is in your 30 to 33.5 example the ground clearance will vary by more than an inch at the mid plate.

Roo

[wideopen231]

Mine has 32" tires and doubt I will ever go below that.If anything I will go up in tire size and hopefully no time soon since these are new slicks.

[PSweeney]

build in sufficient ground clearance so a drop tire size doesn't materially affect the ground clearance.   Not so much an issue on a funny car but diggers can run anywhere from 30in to 33.5in tire.

Actually the spread can be anything from 28" to 36" depending on how much motor you are trying to hook up. And if you are making that big of a change you either guessed very wrong to start with or made a radical change to the overall powerplant package. If anything, you should build for the smallest tire that you might run and live with the subsequent change in motor angle etc if you go larger. Depending on the wheelbase and  how far out the motor is in your 30 to 33.5 example the ground clearance will vary by more than an inch at the mid plate.

Roo

Your right Roo, I built mine to run a 33.5in tyre and I don't like it, too much sidewall for a 138in car. If I were building again I'd mock up based on 30-31in tyre.

[dreracecar]

Altered chassis dont flex and respond better to a bigger tire, dragsters work better with a smaller tire

[PSweeney]

Just bringing this one up again.  I've currently got 3.5" at the motor plate and 2.5" at the lowest point (which are actually rub blocks 3/4" off the frame rail).   I'm going from a 33" tire down to 31", so that's 1" reduction in rolling radius.   Tires are MT ET's , do you have any idea of the likely ground clearance on the 31's ?

[rooman]

It depends on where the blocks are relative to the tire contact patch. If they are in the middle of the wheelbase you would lose 1/2"--further back would be more and forward would be less--you are basically rotating the car around the front spindle with different rear tire diameters.

Roo