Does it help when your head touches the roof

[McLovin]

If you sit up high in the car does it help with the weight transfer of the car ? Dirt small metric chasis

[NickHolt]

If you sit up high in the car does it help with the weight transfer of the car ? Dirt small metric chasis

 

It all depends...

 

In a very oversimplified nutshell, the distance between the roll-axis height and the center of gravity height forms a moment arm. The longer that moment arm, the higher the proportion of weight that transfers from the left side of the car to the right side in the turn will transfer over the roll-axis and is fed down in to the suspension. That "over the roll axis" weight transfer also produces body roll. Sometimes lots of body roll is a good thing, like on a sloppy track where 'side bite" is the order of the day.

 

Hand-in-hand with this type of weight transfer over the roll axis, is left side body lift created by the jacking effect. The higher the roll centers in your car, the more jacking effect takes place. This jacking effect, together with the long moment arm can produce a significant amount of body roll which can help produce the side-bite needed on dirt tracks - until they go dry slick.

 

On the other hand, if you are racing on a dirt track that is black with rubber, you probably want to be low in the seat to lower the center of gravity height and lower roll centers.

 

So.. the answer is: depends... LOL

 

Nick

[dancer52]

As usual..I disagree with Nick..lol on a slick track side bite is good...(dryslick) is it worth putting your head closer to the roof? No....the cage can collapse in a hard roll...raise your fuel cell or your bolted on weight...keep your head low...JMO...AJ

[kingracing76]

As usual..I disagree with Nick..lol on a slick track side bite is good...(dryslick) is it worth putting your head closer to the roof? No....the cage can collapse in a hard roll...raise your fuel cell or your bolted on weight...keep your head low...JMO...AJ

Agree with AJ, dry slick high and right, wet low and left. Keep your head away from the cage for obvious reasons, at least 2 inches below the halo is safe.

[sm44]

i prefer to have my seat as low as possible. This limits your exposer to flying debris, rocks, cats, dogs, rattle snakes, children and anything else the dirt tracks in south texas may throw at you. You can always add some lead up high when needed and remove when not, can't lower your seat that easy.

joe

[Wayne Walker]

sm44, are you still sitting on that phone book?

[sm44]

sm44, are you still sitting on that phone book?

only when i want to see where i am going, otherwise no....

[usra43]

I would never raise the seat. Big no no. Like A.J. said, raise the cell and weight. That's all you really can do without putting your self in harms way. I have seen cages to where the drivers head is flush or sticks out past the cage and that's just asking to get hurt or killed.

[jwmbishop]

But if your head is touching the roof it may turn your helmet into an antenna and then you can hear your competitions strategy over the radio....

[JohnnyT66]

There was not enough input there Mclovin...The car you are building is an I Stock from some of your older post..Added weight is not allowed in the I stock class..That is why you see many i stock drivers sitting so high up,THEY CANT ADD WEIGHT where they really want it..You still gotta be safe,But look close at there designed structure...Look at the winning cars at the TEXAS tracks,(Pritchett,Estes,Batt ETC) and go from there...Yes they do sit high, and i explaned why..........Frank t