Expert: Dan Liddy - 5/31/2008

Question
QUESTION: My father and I have been racing at the Barona Speedway 1\8 mile dirt oval
In our 1973 mustang grade it has a 351 Cleveland auto trans the car handles like carp we don’t know were to starts the adjusting we have 50 pounds in driver door and about 150 above rear axle what doe you suggest
thanks for your Help
Cory Evangelou

ANSWER: Hi Cory:

Start by moving the 150 Lb. in the rear to the extreme left rear.  Change the RF camber to about 3 degrees negative and the LF camber to about 2 degrees positive.  Then make sure your front end in aligned with about 1/8" of toe OUT. Experiment with as much as 1/4" toe out  until you start to get better lap times. Adjust in as much caster as you can. Caster is faster ! You can do this by moving the top mounts of the McPherson struts back, but do it with a caster camber guage. Try for 4 to 5 degrees. When the car gets impossible to steer in the pits and paddock , you have too much, back it off a degree.   

Check for stagger, and make sure you use your largest tire on the RR. Measure the circumference for this.  

Install a stiffer sway bar in the front, and add one to the rear. Use all metal bushings , even if you have to make them.

Put a stiffer spring in the RF  - - -perhaps 75Lbs. stiffer.

Adjust your LR shock for max rebound, the RF for max bump and med rebound, the other two should be at 50-50.

That's all I can offer at this time , but be sure and get this book:
"How To Make Your Car Handle" by Fred Puhn, it's available at book stores or they can order it for you, cost is about $16.00.

Good luck

Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: what amount of weight do you recommend to have in the trunk
p.s. thank you for your help Dan Liddy

Answer
You will have to weigh the car on a set of racing scales, that weigh each corner. The goal is to get each corner to weigh the same, front to rear, and get the car to be about 10% heavier on the left side.

For now, put your 150 Lb weight in the trunk, on the left, and see what happens, it should improve some.  Then find the local guy who has a set of scales, check the corner weights and go from there.

Good luck

Dan Liddy