Mechanical

Alloy Wheel Construction Alloy metals provide superior strength and dramatic weight reductions over ferrous metals such as steel, and as such, they represent the ideal material from which to create a high-performance wheel. In fact, today it is hard to imagine a world-class racing car or high-performance road vehicle that doesn’t utilize the benefits of…

A tire is a tubular corded carcass covered with rubber or synthetic rubber. Tires are mounted on a wheel and inflated to provide traction for moving a vehicle and for assisting the brakes in stopping it. Today`s tires, when properly inflated, will absorb bumps on a road’s surface and give a safe, comfortable ride. Theyy…

Horsepower to ET Conversion Chart The following chart shows how much total engine horsepower, measured at the flywheel, is needed to run a particular Elapsed Time (ET) in the quarter mile at a given weight (including driver, fuel, etc.). Keep in mind this is under optimal conditions (TRaction, shifting, etc.) and assumes that your are…

Pure drag racing consists of racing two cars from a dead stop to some given distance, typically 1/ 4 or 1/8 mile. The car that crosses the finish line first is the winner. Bracket racing consists of the same type of track and starting systems, but racing vehicles are grouped by their elapsed time (ET)…

In addition to vehicle power, the overall weight of the vehicle and how it is distributed are very important to overall acceleration. In general terms, a weight reduction of 100 pounds will lower the ET by .1 second. Furthermore, the more weight that rests over the drive wheels, the better the traction and thus the…

From the back of the engine to where the rubber meets the road, the drivetrain encompasses one of the most complicated systems of your car. The drive train serves two functions: it transmits power from the engine to the drive wheels, and it varies the amount of torque. “Power” is the rate or speed at…

What is traction? Traction is the grip that your car’s tires have on the road, which is needed to accelerate, turn and brake. If your car, or more specifically, your tires have little or no grip; your car will not accelerate, turn or brake and will skid. Therefore, sufficient traction is an extremely important part…

The suspension system has two basic functions, to keep the car’s wheels in firm contact with the road and to provide a comfortable ride for the passengers. A lot of the system’s work is done by the springs. Under normal conditions, the springs support the body of the car evenly by compressing and rebounding with…

Back in the earliest days of automobile development, when most of the car’s weight (including the engine) was on the rear axle, steering was a simple matter of turning a tiller that pivoted the entire front axle. When the engine was moved to the front of the car, complex steering systems had to evolve. The…

A well-running oil system is critical to your engine’s health. Oil keeps the engine’s internal metal parts lubricated to reduce the wear and tear caused by friction. Your engine could literally self-destruct if it runs out of oil so a properly maintained oil system is key. The Engine’s Lubrication System The oil pump draws oil…

The key to improving engine performance is the intake system. As an internal- combustion engine requires approximately 14.7 parts of air for each part of gasoline in the combustion chamber, getting enough quality air to the engine is essential. By quality air, we mean the big three: cool, clean, and compact. Here are some modifications…