question for the funny car crowd

we have an altered, and i need some help with this one. the car is basically a roots ta/fc with a 140" w.b. we run a 7/16 thick motorplate(aluminum) in the car. here's my problem.....for the blowback tubes on the can we run them dead center of the can on both sides, attached to the upright at the motorplate on one side, and the flat side of the can on the other next to the trans. the can side uses a cromemoly heim end with a pin thru it. we were having a problem breaking the heim joints last year. i called scott at S&W (we run a S&W chassis) he told me to open up the holes to let the tubes float a little. well, i did that and they stopped breaking. i noticed the other day that 1 of them is bent about 3/8". its only on the left side(when you are in the car) because of the way the motor torques. scott said he uses a rubber grommet now in most of the blowback tubes. anyone have any experience with this? any quick fixes, or should i just keep watching them after the car shakes?

 

Try getting the shake out of the car. Most of your breaking problems should go away. Tire shake is like a bad tune up, it will destroy anything.

 

i completely understand what you are saying, believe me i do. but that is easier said than done sometimes.thanks for the input.

 

I believe that your blow backs are 1/2 bolts in the can . This side should't be solid. The ones I have the tube is like 1" od. and we have a ruber bushing inside so the shake will not destroy it. Also who has magic solution to tire shake? I need one too...

 

i have a 3/8 heim on the can side that screws into the blowback tube. the tubes are 1" o.d. i'm kind of stuck, my can has 2 brakets that sandwich the heim, and i use a 3/8 bolt to hold in place. i guess i could make new tubes and put a bushing in the can side. anyone else have any suggestions?

 

Hello Hemi Altered 378,
JP is right on target with his suggestion and Scott too. My S&W car is set up with rubber bushings in the end of the blowback arms that attach to the can, the other end has a heim to the frame rail. I've had some triple vision shake at times and no broken parts (other than some re-arranged grey matter and a bunch of loosened nuts and bolts). It's the way to go as far as correcting your current breakage/bendage problem and not that much work to fabricate. As for shake? I'm in the same lineup as JP for that magic answer. Hope this helps.
Mike Etter
Nerves of Steel AFC