The Inner Working Of A 10,000 Hp Handling Big Black Rear End Explained!

This video explains the inner workings of a 10,000 hp handling Top Fuel Rear End. It shows how Exactly how 11,000 ft lbs of torque is transferred to the asphalt from a Top Fuel NHRA dragster and funny car.

[@fredygump5578]

I never imagined I would get to see this stuff up close! Very cool.

[@yattaran1484]

I'm so impressed ! There are so much technology involved in Top Fuel World !

[@mycowboyways915]

Driving the wheel off those lugs seems so simple. Yet it took years for someone to think it up. Thanks for the explanation of how a top fuel rear goes together.

[@edwardmyers1746]

Fantastic knowledge for the fans!

[@robwendland]

Thanks brother.

[@matthewerwin4677]

I've always craved in depth videos on top fuel. NHRA never did it for me. Thanks for doing this.

[@robwendland]

You bet!

[@jenswoody4683]

Always been fascinating with top fuel since my first drag race as a kid, thank you for bringing this videos out!

[@robwendland]

You bet! There will be plenty more. Next weekend we are running Larry Dixon’s Two seat top fuel car. Will make great content!

[@loscuraracing]

@@robwendland 💪💪

[@dmeemd7787]

I have a ring gear in the garage, love seeing people's eyes when I show them.. never gets old, lol

[@robwendland]

Hell scrap it now while metal is so high!! 🤣🤣

[@nitrofumes2012]

Thanks Rob! I never knew they changed the drive hubs to drive with the ribs instead of the studs. Interesting!

[@robwendland]

Definitely way safer!

[@teamdrama6251]

Nice explanation. Keep up these videos really interesting stuff .thanks

[@robwendland]

You bet!

[@Maconjacksonracing1]

Rob , thank you so much for taking the time to do these videos. Please keep them coming 🙏

[@robwendland]

You got it!

[@ChuckHickl]

just replaced the front axles on my Polaris 900 UTV, a little smaller than these! 😳 As a gearhead, I am watching this because I enjoy the science behind the numbers and to see what size of parts it take to put 10K+HP to the ground. Incredible and thanks so much for this kind of content!

[@brianmitchell3477]

Thank you for taking the time to provide this information.

[@FranktheDachshund]

Getting to see these inner workings is just a treat!

[@vehdynam]

Fascinating and very informative. Thank you so much for these videos !

[@raymondhunt751]

You are a spectacular teacher! Thank you!

[@FreePowerFan]

Great insight into a seriously tough rear end, I didn't even know they ran a 12" gear, so learnt something

[@tjeffjenkins6226]

Beautiful, thanks for the great explanation!

[@samperras]

Thank you Rob

[@philipcrow3806]

Loving your videos. Cool to learn about these cars and engines more. Blows my mind what they can do

[@robwendland]

Thanks for watching sure appreciate it!

[@jeffpickett9730]

Man Rob I enjoy your videos so much. Your funny as shit. Knowledgeable as f$&@. Many of us have been fascinated with Top Fuel and how you manage 11,000hp forever. So please keep them coming!! Also the prices are really cool to know because it gives us the entire picture of what it takes. Oh and your craftsmanship is mind boggling!!

[@robwendland]

Thanks brother! Really appreciate the kind words!

[@greggolden2242]

MAAAN, YOU KNOW YOUR STUFF. ENJOY WATCHING AND LISTENING TO YOU. YOU ARE A GREAT TEACHER.

[@superslacker6152]

Great video thanks, love seeing how different this rearend is compared to a street car.

[@davidmcnerney3048]

Rob its so cool of you to take time and share true in depth content with a fuel team.

[@robwendland]

Appreciate that! It’s a crazy world out here.

[@curtiswalter86]

Your very educated at this exiting awesome sport. Thank you for making it sound so easy . Funny I haven't ran C&C for many years but I noticed strait away when your coolent wasn't working lol. Hope one day I will get to meet you a t a race track. Been long time .

[@claysmoker1]

Enjoying your videos, thank you!

[@robwendland]

Thanks for watching!

[@tobeurichard8969]

thanks a bunch, great content!!!

[@robertprice2108]

Thank you Rob. I have been going an seeing Top Fuel for over 40yrs an even had the chance to get my kids an grands kids together an go see the 4 wide which was crazy lol. Gainesville is my home track for national events and been going their for 40yrs an remember as a kid sitting on the ground watch Frank Bradly rebuild his engine waiting for him to start it an them being called up to run an him telling me dont worry son we gots this lol an go on to win the round. That rear is crazy.

[@robwendland]

Right on! I won Gainesville in 2013 when I tuned Johnny Grays Fuel Funny Car. My second best win ever!

[@robertprice2108]

@@robwendland yes I remember that an wish he was still racing. You had his dragster flying back then. I always go for 4 days. Thanks for replying have a good an be safe

[@robertprice2108]

@@robwendland sorry to bug you but wanted to say 1 more thing is that it was a shame to see the Gray family leave the sport of drag racing. My family always cheered them on. I drag race still today and hope that 1 of my grandsons get it the seat an I just tune the car. I wish all the best for you guys an have always routing you guys on and Terry McMillan is a great guy an remember when he almost quit from all the engines exploding but glad he stuck with it.

[@davearthur8656]

Thanks for breaking it all down..... wow it is incredible engineering ....for Top Fuel / Pro Drag racing.

[@powellsa]

Great info, Rob. Thanks, and keep the videos coming!

[@robwendland]

Thank you brother! Will do and I’ll get that camera turned! Didn’t know it looked like that. Sucks!

[@powellsa]

@@robwendland And I know the knowledge is vast, but it would be awesome to have you do a series on actually tuning the car. I'm sure there are a lot of others who would LOVE to see everything that goes into making a good, solid run.

[@davem3789]

Nice information. Thanks

[@erichuff3572]

Great video sir.

[@mikeschwindt7407]

That's amazing.. I had no idea of the size of the parts. Thank you very much for sharing I really enjoyed that

[@Zen_Modeling]

Rob- Thank You So Much!!! I built these in a 1:25 scale Replica model- & attempt to get ALL or as Many of the Details possible with the 1:25 Top Fuel Dragster I’m attempting to Replicate. Each new build I try to dive I. Deeper & more Accurately than past build. I’ve been attending NHRA Natl events since 1986 & spend a great deal of time in the pits taking photos & learning what I need to know. However this Tutorial was SPOT ON EXACTLY what I needed to know for my newest build !!! You’re a great teacher & the humor on your opening was 😂 Respectfully, Lee aka: ☯️ZenModeling☯️

[@eliotmansfield]

Excellent explanation

[@rctopfueler2841]

coolest video of the week ,month,year thanks

[@danielsmith-ze3wy]

Thank you Rob great video

[@robwendland]

Appreciate it!

[@Stephen198600]

Right on man keep them coming

[@robwendland]

You bet!

[@steamn51]

Great info Rob, hard to believe the spool being aluminium with a spline for the axle and 11000hp! The drive lugs on the hub reminds me of some motorcycle sprockets mounted on a cush drive, lugs into rubber sockets. Well done mate.

[@remcovanvliet3018]

I never thought I'd like to know about, let alone see, the inner workings of a big black rear end. But there ya go...

[@charlesmitchuson9884]

Good job Rob!

[@robwendland]

Thank you!

[@calvincandie5344]

Good lawd look at that axle!

[@jeremymurphy7320]

Now THIS is the video I was waiting for rather than the external stuff in the last rear end video

[@robwendland]

Right on. Thanks for watching brother!

[@Questchaun]

Installed one of these in my sohc civic. She rips boys!

[@mikewest5529]

Subbed!! Amazing!! Holy cow those are some lugs!! Wow! Jeez I could not stop thinking about the weight of that rear!! She’s thick!! 20 pounds every where!! All that power and the shop I called said They can’t tune my 2018 gmc G4500 cube van!! What a cruel world we live in!! Well keep up that super great content and I’ll be awaiting the next upload!!

[@robwendland]

Sure appreciate that! Thanks for watching!

[@chuckh8800]

So cool great video

[@ccrx2640]

Very informative Video.! Thank you Sir

[@robwendland]

You bet! Thanks for watching!

[@Demon-bk4kc]

I love them big black rear ends too

[@horsedrag2468]

The drive lugs are interesting. In most situations it's friction not the bolts that drive the pieces.

[@dezertraider]

VERY COOL ROB,,,IM GLAD YOU GO TO WIDESCREEN,,.....YOU STAY WELL..THANK YOU

[@klaasover]

Great video sir !!

[@robwendland]

Appreciate it!

[@-Dark-Side-]

Flat out knowledge.

[@DennisTotman]

I miss the regular stream of Rob’s videos. Please keep them coming!

[@robwendland]

Appreciate it! Had some health problems but back on track!

[@teamidris]

I like it and I’m almost surprised the drive shaft doesn’t spline direct into the wheel centre.

[@jamesdash1906]

Learned something new today !!!! 😋

[@robwendland]

Right on! Thanks for watching!

[@BEYTEK]

Man. Its me again. In for my daily bit of drag knowlege gaha.

[@robwendland]

Awesome! New one up tomorrow. Just finished 4 runs the the two seat car.

[@exit9mastertec7]

Street outlaws you keep it alive brother

[@TheBluegoatman]

In loving this content. Thanks for giving us an inside look at these horsepower monsters. Can you cover the fuel system? What mix of nitro methane to alcohol? What is the adjustment made after the burnout to the blower on every run?

[@vihreelinja4743]

They limit the power for burnouts... aka fuel supply

[@galenbarga1218]

Rob, these videos are great. Always wondered about how that rear end was put together. Thank you. How does a top fuel dragster or funny car only spin / smoke one tire if the axle connects both tires and does not go through a differential?

[@robwendland]

They always will smoke two tires unless it breaks and axle.

[@ben68442]

nice big black rearend

[@billclark5943]

I'm sure the spool and hubs are 7075 or 7050 aluminum which is bad ass and has similar mechanical properties to steel

[@grifftech]

I was wondering how aluminum could hold up to those forces

[@uglyfxxx6981]

Cool video

[@robwendland]

Appreciate it!

[@ldtenenoff]

TOP FUEL VIDS ON APRIL 1ST THIS SERIOUS OUTGHT TO B GOOD LOL SUPER VIDS MAN ITS 7/28/2021

[@LichaelMewis]

Awesome

[@michaelgrubbs1618]

Nice video thank you. Would love to know what your ring and pinion clearances are, side bearing clearances pinion depth etcetera

[@robwendland]

Side to side is preloaded is to a turning torque number. Pinion depth is not changed. Backlash is .009 to .011

[@Cneal83]

As soon as he said it’s designed like your dually 1 ton big trucks I’ve done brakes and rear ends on fords for so long I immediately saw it’s exactly the same

[@FactConspiracy]

Amazing

[@robwendland]

Right on! Thanks for watching!

[@rocketscience777999]

As a mechanical engineer, I love how racing cars are optimized by trial and error as opposed to computer models. Both of them have their place, but the real world never lies to you. If the wheel studs get sheared off, the drag racing mechanics just figure out a simple fix that solves the problem instead of spending months analyzing it, having meetings, and debating what the optimal fix is. Also, since the rear tires are spinning the entire way down the track and you only care about straight line speed, why bother with a rear differencial which is just going to add weight and complexity that will just be another point of failure?

[@graham2631]

That is one hell of a rear end! Any reason the spool isn't splined right through and axle spines to match? Is it so axle can only carry force in one direction preventing case hardening and breakage like bending a wire back and forth?

[@robwendland]

I should ask Steve this. I’ll get back with you but that is my first thought. When the cars goes through tire shack it basically is reversing torque so I don’t know why you couldn’t flip the turning torque.

[@JohnReynolds661]

Bad-ass video. What's the diameter of the axle shaft? Is it made of 300m? How many splines? What's the wall thickness? I like all the nerdy detail.

[@bigwally1718]

Youre right, nobody does these videos. Can you do some engine vids.

[@zakaroonetwork777]

Id like to see a full detailed assembly of big axle

[@robwendland]

I’ll see what I can do

[@MaDuceRules]

Rob, please turn your phone sideways (landscape)! You videos are awesome but hard to watch.

[@robwendland]

Will do gentlemen. New to this and trying all formats of social. I will get er done

[@pat_welsh]

Was the hub a result of Antron's crash in Phoenix a few years back?

[@94carbonteg]

I'm amazing, even with how big the ring gear spindle is, that the aluminum splines don't shear. Is it 7068 aluminum?

[@COALEDasICE]

It looks like a steel sleeve insert there. You can see it behind the closer bearing.

[@robwendland]

It is. No steel sleeves here as well.

[@COALEDasICE]

@@robwendland well I agree with the original post then, the fact that the threads don't get ripped apart is impressive.

[@joshwilliams9248]

2 questions - 1 How the hell do you not have more subscribers? And, 2 how the hell does 10,000hp not Completely destroy those aluminum parts. Would have bet they were titanium, never thought aluminum. 🤯

[@areyouundoingthatorwhat9181]

On a road car the clamping force between the face of the disc or hub and the back of the wheel drives the wheel not the studs,lugs or bolts.

[@robwendland]

I bet you don’t have the torque or shock loads like we have either. Add that and I bet you will be driving off the studs them. No amount of “clamp load” could hold this torque. Measure the wheel stud holes in the wheel. I bet they are not perfectly round.

[@areyouundoingthatorwhat9181]

@@robwendland our road cars in general don't apply nearly enough torque to overcome the clamping force exerted by the studs,yes the stud or lugs are holding the wheel on providing the clamping force but the turning force is provided by the clamping between wheel and hub or disc,having been removing wheels for the best part of forty years the only reason I have had to change a rim because of hole issues are older steel rims where the nuts would chew through the tapered seat cutting them away after being continually overtightened.Indeed many European ford wheels from the eighties,Sierra alloys in particular had huge bolt holes probably nearly twice the diameter of the stud again but even with those you never saw elongation from movement,some MG ZR models came fitted with those diabolical wobble nuts,they would loosen in about five minutes if they were relied on to transfer torque directly.Im not arguing that a 10,000hp car needs more than just clamping force alone,I find it incredible that the application of that much power can be applied instantaneously to anything that isn't agricultural in appearance without it exploding every time and actually watched this video in the hope of seeing the actual wheel to hub interface,I appreciate that when you are pushing the extremes every little helps but given that your stated that some of the cars sheered studs leads one to believe that it only happens to the most powerful stuff so therefore probably not a problem on a 2000 hp car for instance,so most certainly not even a consideration for something that's churning out 200ft lbs torque before the transmission and drive line take their bit. Yes some road cars,the most powerful ones almost certainly have titanium or some other trick stud,lug,bolt but only to maintain clamping force.

[@godwhymenowman]

Once You 'Handle Big black' You never go back

[@robwendland]

You got that right!

[@OCT566]

And because of the cost of all that specialized assembly, these racers today are at the mercy of corporate America. Bad Bad Bad

[@robwendland]

It’s been self-inflicted because we’ve always strived to run faster which is harder on all the parts

[@Natedawgontheright]

I can't imagine the torque/traction needed to sheer lug studs that's crazy.

[@robwendland]

It was an unfortunate incident. The problem is rust. Where the studs were in the hub, at some point had seen moisture. Just a spot of rust can cause breakage on high yield bolts and studs under tension.

[@Natedawgontheright]

@@robwendland I would never think of that. Thanks for the reply and the cool vids 😎

[@superdave2403]

Actually on a stock automobile the lugs do not spin the wheel either! The wheel is driven by the friction created by the clamping force of the lug nuts and studs! The lug nuts may assist but it’s friction of the clamping force. Although I will agree on the race rear end the raised areas are a better way to drive the wheel!

[@ryanjacobsen9557]

Holly cow

[@robwendland]

Right?! Damn things about as big as it’s in my rear end

[@ryanjacobsen9557]

Looks like something out off a dump truck big tough stuff

[@AgiDaKinG]

That's a damn fencing pole for an axle lol

[@jeffmorrison5274]

Im wondering if you using Ceramic and Ceramic Hybrid bearing ?

[@robwendland]

We do not but I think someone told me that ceramic bearings don’t like Impact and this thing when it’s shaking you might as well be hitting it with a jackhammer

[@jimmyp6443]

Just a cog in the wheel !

[@aaronanderson7619]

I have a few bad experience jokes..... but I understand we are all being professionals here.

[@robwendland]

We can lighten it up anytime! 🤣

[@exit9mastertec7]

This guy needs to work for Ford racing I swear

[@vihreelinja4743]

Looks ridiculously EXPENSIVE

[@AliasUndercover]

The pinion looks like an oil drilling bit.

[@exit9mastertec7]

Big Chief needs your help

[@exit9mastertec7]

Bout to hit the god dam junkyard

[@loscuraracing]

Klk broo

[@NvTwist]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@dr.hugog.hackenbush9443]

How long will this application last in my 300hp street car? 😁

[@robwendland]

Couple of runs anyway s! 🤣

[@ilovemydad1416]

For the grithim

[@capnskiddies]

I'm surprised those gear teeth in the hubs or on the axle don't shear off or deform instantly. They look pretty anaemic for 10k horsepower & 11k lbft torque.

[@timothydillon6421]

That's flywheel or driveshaft numbers. Multiply by 3.2 to get axle torque numbers.

[@Nigel2Zoom]

I'm sure you meant rotating mass and not reciprocating. 🙂

[@SomeGuyInSandy]

This is where you end up after 500,000 rear ends have been destroyed in competition. Continual improvement until they rarely break.

[@robwendland]

You got it

[@neilwalker8686]

Is this a floating rear end?

[@robwendland]

Yes in both ways. Axle floats in the housing and when I hang it from a hoist. 🤣🤣 thanks for watching!

[@loscuraracing]

Like💪💪

[@robwendland]

Appreciate it!

[@bikebuilder8567]

Meow!!!