UNCLE BOB....Chassis Question ( MEYER RACE CARS SINCE GOD KNOWS WHEN )

OK , Just a Welder,Can you tell me if in fact Force's people are actually building their new "SAFER CAR " as has been hinted at on the "Net" ???????? Are they telling a Builder how they want it done or what ? These cars, as I have always understood , are supposed to break off at the firewall so the driver is still in a " Cocoon ", no reference to the folks who now say they were " Kidnapped " LOL..................I dont ever remember seeing one of Steve P s cars break off beneath the seat and leave the Drivers Legs exposed do you ??? You probably won't want to reply on here for reasons we both know so how about E-mailing me at lawade618@msn.com.....! I have had Dragsters since 1957 , thankfully no Floppers, and have always had complete confidence in the Chassis Builder but this deal is just plain WRONG !Good, Bad, or Indifferent I believe you will be the only Honest Person to answer my Question ! ! ! ! Happy Trails, The Oregonian...........

 

For a full discusion including what Bob thinks, go here:

http://www.nitromater.com/nhra/10412-f-c-chassis-integrity.html

If you have about 2 hours and don't mind wading through posts from multiple keyboard crew chiefs, go here:

http://www.nitromater.com/nhra/10396-did-force-kb-crash.html

 

Bob Miner

Larry; some are too young to remember, but sometime in the mid 80's at Fremont, the run that retired Bob Miner was similar, in that the chassis broke in half from violent tire shake at about 400 ft. The body flew off and I was at the fence to witness (kind of like slow motion) that when Bob grabbed the brake, his feet did a rickshaw deal, so he let go then,and each time he tried, the same thing happened. It then did a slow turn into the dirt (no gaurdrails yet) and stopped. Bob does not remember any of it. The safety people chased the most of the car, then realized he was not there. Very similar to the Force deal, but at a much slower speed.
I guess it's stuck in my mind so clear that that's why I've always prefered dragsters.
Bob's car was TAFC, so your thoughts do belong in this forum, and built by someone I still respect to this day.
Bob

 

Hey Uncle Bob
Did ya ever get that all titanium shopping cart built yet
In reading the link Randy put up for nitromater it is unfathomable the SFI and/or NHRA would not want yours, Dave's and Don's advise/input about chassis design.

 

What I saw on tv was kenny hitting Two blockes and the second one going trough the body on forces car in front of the rear right tire. after that all hell broke loose. the first one went behind the car,

 

Gene; although it sort of looks that way, Dave Densmore (Forces PR guy) said in a press release somewhere that after reviewing tape from several different angles, neither of the foam blocks hit the car.
My thoughts are that the first stuff you see in the air behind the car is body shards (carbon chunks) because the chassis is already drooping, causing the rear body tree to push the rear bodymount area off. Some people have said a narrow strip in the air was the blower belt, in perspective it was too short, beside the fact that a few hundreds later the motor bangs meaning the belt had to still be on for it to bang.

 

The frame breaking and the body dropping could have been what cut the tire. But in all susequent pictures the tire is still attached to the wheel and is only missing the air to inflate it.

At 300+ miles per hour a tire *coming apart* (and not just cut) likly would have come off the rim and exited the wheel. The video you are talking about was evidently shot from the rear and the foam blocks can be seen missing JF's car all together.

 

I gess thats why at an acsident peopel see things differant from differant views, But let me ask a question, are the tubing sizes the same now as they were back in the 70's ?

 

No.

Bob

 

Just A Welder !

HUH, Imagine that the National Horse___t Runaround Association not wanting Input from three of the Best Chassis Builders on the Planet Earth........aint that a suprise ! Hope you are watching this Slick !........................Happy Trails, The Oregonian ( waiting for a knock on my door from the Gestapo LOL.

 

The poop already hit the fan on this. It will be interesting to see what gets said out loud for everyone to hear.

 

Bob Meyer:

Check your PM's, please.

RG

 

chassis failure

does anybody think that possibly the chassis failure could be related to the changes made after the death of Eric Medlen? Maybe an oscilation (sic) started from a tire problem and caused the failure? The tires have been changed so they won't come apart taking off wings ect... maybe this has combined with the chassis changes to cause some other type of failure by flexing the chassis at a different location, if this is the case maybe adding weight to the housing ends would dampen the vibrations and limit the damage it could inflict. any thoughts?

Henry

 

Will; why are you still talking about cones or foam blocks then. JFR official statement was the tapes they saw showed the foam blocks had nothing to do with it ?
Also, Todd Paton has apparently finally sold his shiney brand new Plueger car, although I doubt the new owner saw it in your classifieds, maybe we'll find out in Virginia?

 

Could it be possabel that when the two cars came close to each other in the last 200 ft. that the heat from Kennys hedders melted the tire / body on Forces car? or droped a valve out the ex pipe.
Any way what should happen ,The car AND the body should be put back together like they do to an airplane after a crash. NHRA's insurance co. should hire independent contractors to do the job.

 

Originally Posted by WADE RACING
HUH, Imagine that the National Horse___t Runaround Association not wanting Input from three of the Best Chassis Builders on the Planet Earth........aint that a suprise !
( Hope you are watching this Slick !)
........................Happy Trails, The Oregonian ( waiting for a knock on my door from the Gestapo LOL.

Wade,..I am watching,..what am i watching for....L<<<.>>>R


Maybe this chassis issue has been going on for the last 5 months
and JFR hadnt resolved the fix yet...cracking in that same spot
of the chassis. How many chassis has John gone threw in the last ????
(1 a race) or atleast needing to be rewelded ?????At that area that
finally broke completely in Dallas,..
makes sence the car would break there, with the upper tubing coming
from the motor plate being slip jointed right at the front of the cage.
I would think that a dual wall tubing upper and or lower to be extended to the rear motor plate from the back of the cage forward.

.........my .02cents

 

i dont know much but as soon as i seen it i thought of the reflector in the cone( foam block ) cutting the tire down thus causing the viberation that may have caused the frame to break apart just my thought i do know when you hit one the little round reflector makes some severe guages in the body

 

Will; something is being done...........
but you missed my sizeable hint above !!!

Let's just say that some people that are nervous are thrashing to mount a blue and white body right now...
more to come at Richmond !!