PART 2 “LET’S FRONT HALF A 330 MPH TOP FUEL DRAGSTER!”

This Is part two of the series where we are replacing the front end of a 330 mile an hour Topfuel a Dragster to a new specification That will be implemented for 2022. Follow along as we create jig fixtures, engineer, problem solve and talk top fuel do’s and don’ts!

[@bravofoxable]

Therapy watching these 👍🏻

[@oldschoolmotorsickle]

Where would we be without mentors, the guy that tells you to observe the chips for color and preserve your tooling? That knowledge is beyond a price. Good video!

[@alftech]

>people I o u⁸uh ul)up huh

[@carmisti]

You're a living legend, Rob, thank you for sharing.

[@Bradley_Clark]

Thanks for taking the extra time out of your schedule to show us this. Much appreciated. thumbed

[@stanlucas665]

I watched Norm Porter build a pair of fuel altereds side by side back in the 80’s, and Ken Cox front halved my dad’s altered in the mid 70’s. Watching those guys was amazing. I’m not taking anything away from you Rob, you do awesome work yourself. Thanks for the videos. Now I’m waiting for part 3.

[@robertwagner8596]

you,Rob,are one talented individual

[@zmotorsports62]

Great work. Thank you for sharing your thought process throughout. Mike

[@nitroracer-rollingthunderm9033]

Always enjoy your videos Rob ... keep 'em coming - Hutch

[@Amaysing79]

Man that is one nice surface plate, Thank you.

[@vehdynam]

Thanks for the insight , much appreciated !

[@davearthur8656]

Great Video's Rob. Im an old school 1st class fabricator.....arc / fusion /oxy.....but I never could get my angles correct and consistant with Mig / Tig.....thankyou for inspiring me to never give up. G'Day from South Australia

[@gregschultz2029]

Very Nice Job ,You Fabricators Are Impressive To This Toolmaker !!!

[@peterman4118]

Thanks for sharing. Great content!

[@robwendland]

Appreciate it thank you

[@advorsky1]

I wish I knew HALF of the stuff you’ve forgotten about sir! Thanks for the amazing videos and sharing your knowledge with us lowly viewers!!!

[@johnbecay6887]

my new favorite channel

[@DJ-yp4kc]

Great Info

[@danielsmith-ze3wy]

Great info great video thank you

[@larryparrish4742]

Great videos

[@davidgansert7542]

Watched multiple videos of yours and deff diggin them so far. I live about 5 mins away from you. Ride by almost everyday! Deff gonna binge watch the rest of your vids! Keep up the awesome content!

[@MakinSawdust]

Can't wait for part 3 :)

[@nhra7110]

Gotta get me some of those "Plumbrobs" :-) Awesome videos!

[@FCR701]

Thank you!

[@erniehenshaw4066]

Good Stuff.

[@georgef1176]

Damn that belt sander is sweet. More tools I’ll go broke buying

[@quickdeuce]

@11:00,, that face shield is AWESUM!! Too bad other fabricators we see on YT don't use one similar. THAT is PROTECTION! Using the angle head grinder without the guard though,, that is something I do not like to do. Yeah I know, some will say "you can't always use the guard" and I agree, there's sometimes you have to take the guard off BUT I HATE to do that. Ever have a disc disintegrate on ya? Well I have as have many others who've used these. It happens and when it does if you didn't have PPE on,, suffice to say the flying pieces can be devastating to a human being.

[@tomanycooks]

so interesting

[@juansimon5802]

awesome video as always. you have my dream shop.i would love to work with you.i would love to have just a little of your top fuel knowledge

[@moonrockslol9619]

Part 3 please ❤️

[@SC457A]

I have always been curious on the tension of the tubing on cars. Give the chassis almost a spring effect and memory. My builder of my super comp cars used a slight bow on the lower main bars for almost a spring effect. Car worked fine, but I always wondered if needed. I figure it just made the body bend a lot on the lower edge if high centered while loading or unloading in the rain.

[@djfaber]

Great video Rob, very informative. Do you think that the contraction from the prior welding caused the tubing to shift like that?

[@MisterAjxr6]

Love these videos.. So informative

[@robwendland]

Appreciate it brother

[@bdubz5150]

Hells bells 👍

[@davidaarons2488]

The extra time is worth a lot. I see what ya mean, like it was forced. Love to watch Rob. Jesus Saves

[@timothymilam732]

Great content you're presenting to everyone, and I for one have always been curious about everything at this level. As TV only goes so deep, even in the documentaries about this, and funny cars. Even though you both have things in common, you're still worlds apart in more ways than most people think. I'm also curious about how ya'll convinced NHRA, to allow two seat dragsters. I remember as a youngster outside of Dallas, Texas back in the early 70's when Dallas International Motor Speedway was opened up, cause my neighbors son use to take me to watch races there, and let me help on his SS El Cimino, and his Chevy 11 Nova before that. Living just a few miles from the track back then, it was big news when The Green Monster, driven by Art Alfons blew tire in his rocket powered car, and killed the passenger, and two track crew members that morning. I honestly didn't think NHRA would ever allow passengers in a vehicle capable of those speeds ever again, because the Green Monster was capable of 300 mph plus too even back then. Not to be a negative person about it, because I think it is great that something of that nature is available to whomever has the financial resources to afford a ride in something of that caliber. I'm sure there's folks everywhere that love a chance to do that themselves, as I would, but realistically I understand that it's above my pay grade too. Anyways I thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge with everyone, that's a very rare thing you're doing for us.

[@kadenwatt2033]

I also say "may-sure" instead of measure. Not sure where you're from but I picked it up from family in Southern Indiana. Good to know I'm not the only one who says it like that lol

[@3800TURBO]

Does notching the lower frame rails cause these to fold in half mid track? The notch seems to take out over half the pipe width.

[@mikeznel6048]

You ever use the rod eye for your grade laser? Talk about a versatile tool!

[@quickdeuce]

@4:05 I'm look'n at that wall of rollaways and I'm betting there's no junk tools in them. HIGH QUALITY Mac and SnapOn tools are in those drawers I'm betting.

[@soulcontractor1641]

Rob, Keep Doing what you Doing!! Sharring the Tribal Knowledge"!! Spreading your Wisdom ( love) to the Next Generation( Kids)!! I See you have Pretty Wife!! (LOL)!! Know need to respond just having some Fun but I like what your Doing!! Dean( Soul) Toronto

[@budd1814]

Have you ever welded something using the welds to control the shape? (adjusting the square measure with a weld or sequence of welds) sort-of steering a chassis with heat of the welds. It will move around when you weld it. It will be clamped-in while tacking up only.. I have seen a chassis move when unclamping from a jig.. (then cutting tacs to relieve stresses) The trick is to know what tac weld is (the) offending tac weld. It's not always the one you think or,,, something like that:)

[@georgef1176]

Rob I’ll come work with ya!

[@djhigh392]

I love your videos, I'm a boilermaker in Australia and am wondering how much the welding sequence affects the performance of the chassis? Cheers

[@robwendland]

Quite a bit it really does especially when I’m putting the uprights on the four main rails

[@djhigh392]

I suppose the weld sequence will allow the chassis to flex to attain maximum traction on launch.

[@claysmoker1]

Where did you learn to do this Rob? Really love the vids you're putting up, thanks again.

[@robwendland]

KZbin😜

[@claysmoker1]

@@robwendland Me too!!!!

[@claysmoker1]

@@robwendland My son is an ME like you. He thought your answer was perfect!

[@MattSarafin]

Maaan you’d hate how we do the pulling trucks with OEM chassis lol!

[@robwendland]

Oh I’ve seen how they do it and it’s perfect! 😜

[@StuartKaufman]

$10.99 harbor freight grinders can't be beat

[@robwendland]

No extended warranty needed🤣🤣

[@rogerj7327]

The worst angle grinder I ever had was a Makita that I bought at home depot or Lowe's.. Had a friggin plastic gear in the head that destroyed itself after a couple weeks of light use.

[@NvTwist]

Guarantee when you inject “I know” into a topic they could put their entire life savings down on your correct without worry. Setting up the base line accurately takes quite a bit of time but every thing that follows is fast, smooth & correct the first time.

[@bigharrykochenbauls4567]

3:00 ...something about those "black-guys" being faster 😏🤭

[@robwendland]

I knew when I said that there would be something

[@DodgyBrothersEngineering]

No where near enough coolant for that kind of cutting. Chip size is inconsistent like it is chattering. Feed speed looks OK.

[@wags9777]

Blue chips are good. The heat is leaving the part. Hot parts warp

[@DodgyBrothersEngineering]

To a degree, some discoloration is fine, and you should have some curl if you have feed and speed just right.

[@mikeznel6048]

Depend on the material you're running too...

[@dmeemd7787]

So do any Top Fuel cars use slip tubing? Also, are there other ways people front and back half these cars? I know there are different ways of doing it, and there's (obviously) chassis differences between McKinney, headman, DSR, JFR etc. but, loosley speaking, it seems like teams do a little bit more with funny car chassis than with Top Fuel chassis..but it's an open-ended and question (for replying, etc) I am so curious what all changes that Lucas, Bradman and all that, I know some chassis have more Flex, get out of the hole quicker things like that, based on the design, but I would love to have additional information on what they're doing with chassis Now versus 10 years ago versus 20 years ago. Absolutely love the channel, sorry for the grammar errors, I'm not correcting what my phone thinks is right but is not LOL

[@robwendland]

Not per se so much in the spec can you do that when you do it can only move like less than an eighth of an inch

[@dmeemd7787]

@@robwendland thanks for going through all that and responding, definitely appreciate that :-) I didn't recall much in the room of flexibility (no pun intended, lol) in regards to the dragsters. I do remember a lot of really fascinating ways to get around some of the rules when I was working on fuel funny cars. With how strict the rules are, it doesn't give much leeway... BUT it still fascinates me just how creative the Fabricators, crew chief, engineers and so on get to get a little extra performance out of everything. Everything is obviously pretty cookie-cutter compared to let's say in the 80's or something (lol) but the ingenuity all you guys and gals come up with and built upon is just plain awesome :-)

[@quickdeuce]

@3:50 Rob mentions his belt sander's "not cheap",, folks, as Rob will tell ya, when it comes to buying tools that provide your living you can skimp in a VERY FEW places BUT when it comes to power and critical to the job hand tools (kinda ignoring the Harbor Freight hoist) YOU MUST BUY THE BEST TOOLS AVAILABLE. They will give you a lifetime of service and they'll not take you half way through a project then quit and leave you hang'n. BUY QUALITY TOOLS, in the long run you'll not regret it. His old HURCO and BRIDGEPORT milling machines will be around LONG AFTER ROB has departed planet Earth, long after whomever owns them next has departed planet Earth. When it's said "they don't build 'em like they used to",, those old machines are a testament to that statement. The old machine shop equipment built in the 1930's thru the 1960's are built to perform for generations, they don't have an 'expiration date' built into them like equipment of today has. They require HANDS ON adjustments,, they don't have all that digital crap that requires mother board replacing. HANDS ON use,, it's how it's been done for generations and how it will be done for generations to come. BUY QUALITY PEOPLE, you will never regret it.

[@craig3.0]

Do you know what the actual reason was for that? It's pretty interesting actually. The reason why old tools were built to last forever is that they didn't have computers back then. Back then, engineers could figure out how strong a part needed to be to guarantee that it wouldn't ever break, but they couldn't figure out how to make a part weaker than that (and thus cheaper to make) while still guaranteeing that it wouldn't break within its warranty period, and that's because the calculations you'd have to do to find that out would have taken someone months/years to do by hand on pen and paper. Computers started becoming accessible to companies in the 70s, and while they may have been the size of a room and at least ten times slower than a pocket calculator, they were still several orders of magnitude faster at doing math than humans are.

[@alanjanderson9789]

it's a pity that front has to go in the scrap bin I would take it if I was in the US

[@rodgray2609]

Man I wish you were local. Unlike today’s generation I would be sweeping floors behind you for free just to learn.

[@robwendland]

Thanks brother appreciate it

[@jackprice6599]

Why do you say height "heigh-th"?

[@mikeznel6048]

Why do you care? Why is your name Jack?

[@kyleheppell2064]

Thank fark! I'm not the only person that's noticed!

[@nikl1604]

Rob do yourself a huge favor. Put the guard back on the grinder before you get hurt. They come with one for a reason. And yes i understand you have been doing that way for years... Bla bla bla just takes one time and bam you got a blade stuck in your face

[@ronhodgkinson7683]

love the videos