I have been wondering for some time now how 1/4 scale cars came to have the independent rear suspension in them and why don't we use a more conventional straight type axle. In the 1/4 scale sprint cars a solid rear axle is used. Has any one ever done any R&D of this kind with a GN type chassis. I understand that with the current setup that there are many adjustments that we can make for handling, but do we really need all of that? Would a solid rear axle be easier to setup, or just create a unstable car? I like the idea of the full cage cars because they look more like there full size counter parts, but I have yet to see a fullsize oval racing stock car with an independent rear end in it allowed in any form racing. Maybe the LONG LONG winter days and nights have taken there toll on me, but some times you just gota ask!!!...

Dave Dygon
Owner and Crew #3 Mike Dygon
MPRNN

Dave, I have wondered this ever since I got into 1/4 scales. Alot of people say the cars are easier to drive. Well The first time I ever drove a 1/4 scale sprinter, I set fast time on dirt. The second time I ran it I finished 3rd in the A on pavement at the ncs race in clover. I think you can get the Gn with a solid axle to handle just as good as they do now. It will just mean everyone would have to change there way of thinking on the cars. I have had a blast with the sprinters. I think it would be just as fun with the GN's. It would also be cheaper because you eliminate alot of parts by putting in a solid axle. 6 hiem joints,three track bars, dogbone, and 2 axles. Add that up and you save a little dough. I think it started because the raco cars had independent rears, so when terry rea built the thunderbolt, I think thats were it started. I could very well be wrong that was a long time ago. I was still in high school when I first seen the thunderbolt which of coarse in now the lightning.

Anyway the bad part about this is there is probly NO WAY you could get it changed to run solid axles. There are to many cars out there now with independent susp. Sucks though I wish they would go back to them. Then you could build four links again and other types of set ups you can do with IRS. Then all the cars would'nt have to be the same.

Oh well enough blabbing I guess.

The best I can remember Terry Rae had the first independant rear car unless the Cracker car had it I don't remember that it did back in the day.
Then WCM followed suit with there independant rear. The idea was to give the driver the ability to adjust the car to the track they ran at. it did make them handle better but then I can rememebr when 3 of us with Racos and the solid rear axles would go to Montgomery to run and we would come home 1-2-3 place 90% of the time so did the independants help those guys? From memory no I had a WCM with independant and yes it was fast but a handful to drive and was still unstable switched over to the raco Sidewinder and that car was a dream to race. That was also back when the wcm was narrowed to fit under the generic body that Carol had made for his cars. I hadn't driven the new wider cars they may handle alot better than yesteryears cars so I can't say much on the performance of the cars of today.
I do remember the independants back in those days broke fairly easy when hit in the rears and several didn't finish races due to the weak rears and again they may be stronger cars today I'll soon find out.

James

A couple years ago I tried using a straight axle in a truck . Had a Lightning and used the trailing arms , just eliminated the dog bone , drive cups and track bars and incorporated a Watts linkage for the rear . Like all cars , had to play with the suspension some to make it handle good and eventually it came around . Wish I would have stuck with the project longer than I did . Like Dave I've never seen any stock car classes ( full size ) with independant suspension on all four corners and I think when I tried to apply some of what I learned in full size to the 1/4 scales , it just threw me off , couldn't get a handle on it . Sprint Cars are more like the real thing , suspension wise . For the most part , what adjustments that are made on a full size sprinter can apply to the 1/4 scales and work . I agree with Lance , in the long run if straight axles were used on the rear the cost of replacement parts and frequecy of replacing them would be cut to a minimum . I would recommend using titanium though , pricey at first but in the long run I would think it would be better than warping the heck out of a long aluminum piece . Dave brought up another point about the full cage cars looking like their full size counter parts . How many times at races have people that visit and are walking around the pits looking at the cars ask what is it ? , because the cars don't have cages and have independant rear suspension . Obviously most of these folks are more imformed about what race cars should look like than we think . That's a different subject altogether . Dave if you want to try a straight axle , try using a softer right rear spring and a stiffer sway bar , seemed to work the best for me . Who knows maybe I'll start working on that project again . Yammered long enough . Yer right Dave the long long days and nights of winter do take a toll on us but it keeps us thinking about different thinks about this hobby which is part of the fun .
Randy