[mshanahan]

I am a tech inspector at a mud racing track in South Carolina. We race in a 200ft long pit with 1+foot of red clay mud. Typical times are from 3 seconds (nitro trucks) to 8+ seconds (pure 4 wheel drive street trucks.) The competitors are all 4 wheel drive trucks. Check www.wagenersalleymudrun.org In some classes we allow tracktion bars, in other classes, 4 links, and ladder bars in other classes. What I need is a pointer to an official (manufacturer) definition of traction bars, 4 links, and ladder bars. (yes I know every knows, but no one will agree.) I need this to ensure the inspections are accurate and that competitors have something to read that's official. (They won't take our word on it, and honestly think they are all right.)

Thanks in advance.

[TurboS10]

Go to competitionengineering.com. They should have what you are looking for.

Chris

[willys36@aol.com]

Wouldn't it be to just define the categories by their effect on up and down axle movement?

1) For traction bars, the axle follows a path defined by the suspension that is divorced from the traction bar.

2) For ladder bars, the axle rotates around an arc defined by the front mounting point of the ladder bar.

3) For parallel linkages (4-bars), the axle moves up and down with no rotation.

Defining it this way frees you from trying to categorize creative suspension designs. Just determine the effect on the axle movement should put a suspension in one of the categories.

[bullheimer]

or how bout by the number of pivoting points?

[willys36@aol.com]

Originally posted by bullheimer
or how bout by the number of pivoting points?

I thought about that too but leave it to some yea-hoo to come up with a design with "X" pivot joints that acts like the next better system. I thought by defining what the axle does, you might have a better chance of normalizing the categories 'cause it is the axle dynamics that defines how the chassis works, regardless of how it achieves that motion.

[mshanahan]

Thanks for the great ideas. I have enought to run with here. I will meet next week with the committee and we will discuss the proposal to define what the axle does.

thanks again
Mike Shanahan