Using Scales and Setting Ride Heights on Your Dirt Track Racing Street Stock to Improve Handling

If your new to racing or have a new to you car you just started out with, how do you figure out what to set ride heights at and how to scale the car? In this episode I focus on just ride heights and scaling the car to make adjustments to the leaf spring camaro after Rachel's last Dirt Track Racing Street Stock practice. If you don't have any scales you're going to want to stay tuned because I am showing what left rear bite looks like when I used a socket on a jack under the rearend.
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[@kennelson5214]

Having trouble exit middle off corner.

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Can be a lot of different things causing it. I know the big one that used to really trip me up wad how it was actually an entry issue. I would be too tight into the turn and snap the car loose and of course then I had no drive off the corner. But the issue wasn't middle exit.... really it was an entry issue.

[@dylanmcdonald7765]

Did you make the rear spring shackles? I can’t find any with more than 7.5” of adjustability from center to center on the bolts.

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

I did, I build my own using 12 inch long flat steel that is 1/4 inch thick.

[@DUKESRACIN]

Jason as always on point with explaining things! The shopping cart analogy was great! Always enjoy your content brother!

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Thank you sir, we tryin!

[@codyson1348]

Just getting into racing and I have a rocket black late model chassis with a 4 link type rear end would the way you are showing be about the same way to set it up

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

No sir, not at all 😞 If you are new to dirt racing and starting out in a Late model you are definitely going to want to go exactly by that chassis original setup sheet. Get the serial # on the chassis and get on the phone with Rocket. Get that sheet even if they ask you to pay for it. Not a general "uh just do this and it'll be ok conversation" nope get the dang full setup sheet with everything. Get it from Rocket or get it from someone who has that year/make and knows its the right one. Latemodels can be a real hand full if you are way off on what that chassis needs. Just starting out you need a consistent driving car where you know that the issues will be you learning to drive it and not the car being messed up on setup. Without that baseline you could easily end up very very frustrated and thats how we lose people in this sport before they ever get going good. dont want that, we need ya!

[@tristanlabarge5289]

Grain scales what I use so I can crawl under it they are cheaper but they take up lots of room 😂

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Never have seen them in action but have always been told they are just as accurate as the latest greatest wiz bang set of digitals out there.

[@DylanBetts-v7s]

I've always measured ride height on my leaf car from bottom of frame to floor, it definitely seems as if it would be more accurate to go from the center of bolts rather than finding a flat spot on the frame just beyond the turn where it gets straight to run the length of the car. I've always kept 1"-2" of rake in the car and end up being 5"+ (front) and 6"-6.5" (rear) but the bolt numbers are going to be "higher". Your thoughts on this and should I start measuring from the bolts?

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Those ride heights sound normal. But yes, I much prefer to do rideheight from the bolt heads. It's accurate and repeatable

[@JamesDedmon]

We must race at one of those tracks, because we’re not allowed to notch the front spring buckets. By they way the old way I seen that done back years ago

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

What a pain, I know on mine I have to practically take the spring out to get them loose enough to turn by hand. Slotting is just making a racers life a little easier. . . . geez hate that for yall Mr James.

[@Darrin_Wyatt]

By far, it is the best channel for dirt tracking. I never feel like you're explaining over people's heads

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Thanks Darrin, Being a 1st generation racer with nobody to guide me I struggled terribly for years and thats why I work so hard to try and make these videos useful to normal folks like us. I love this sport but it can be very frustrating for new racers when they don't have that expert in their back pocket.

[@CherezianRacing]

Very helpful video. Love learning the old school ways like the socket under the jack. Have you ever done a video on how to string the wheel alignments? Always wanted to know how racers used that method.

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

The closest I got was where I explained center stringing in the previous video on offsets, pressures, and stagger. So yeah, I need to do that one as well Ryan.

[@russwagner753]

Love the info, this is exactly where I am with my new car and this is extremely helpful. I do have a question tho. I see a stock inner tie rod but what do you run for the outer? I’ve been having problems with breaking tie rods and your setup looks a lot more stout? Thanks again!!!

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Ok, so here's the deal. It's a special 9 inch long swedge tube cut 11/16-18 LH on one end and then 5/8-18 RH on the other. The only place I have found it is Speedwaymotors: www.speedwaymotors.com/SSR1-9-YZ-9-Steel-Tube,249840.html This is the tube needed for connecting a stock inner tie rod end used on a camaro or 73-77 coil car to a standard 5/8-18 RH hiem joint out at the spindle. It is NOT for a metric though. Those inners I believe are a 5/8-18 LH and so you would just use a 5/8-18LH 5/8-18 RH swedge tube instead if you have those inners. The 9 inch is perfect for Camaros. I am not sure about the metric so if you are looking for that one you better measure first to see what you need.

[@tommyhitt9071]

We’re all human and I was in a hurry one day and did same thing. Hooking the wrong cord to the wrong pad and me and Dave were scratching our heads because the air pressure changes didn’t make no sense ?

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Easy to do Tommy for sure. Kinda hard to admit sometimes but that's part of learning as well.

[@krisfielding1685]

The shopping cart is a great way to explain the bite. I’m a new racer with a Wissota super and I found your video helpful. Thank you sir!

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Sure appreciate the feedback and you watching

[@mnburney]

What's your thought on scaling with or without gas Left Rear shock hooked up? I have always been told to unhook it but that's not what the track actually see's because the shock does put a certain amount of bite in the car. I am interested to hear your opinion.

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

I have been back and forth on this a couple times now. Here's where I am at now (subject to change if somebody makes a better argument LOL). Leave them all hooked up! I am running 500psi of gas in my left rear and buddy that's a spring if there ever was one (Cause boy oh boy I dang sure cannot push that bad boy in). So I am with you in that it is a constant force the car feels on the track and it should be left on. The only other thing I can add is I think you should wait a full minute or two after the last shake of the chassis or climbing in the car to let any remaining valve based resistance bleed off from any shocks (like a strong Left rear or Right Front tie down) before taking any readings. When I climb in the car I notice the numbers will change for very seconds after I settle in and I know it's those shocks doing that.

[@mnburney]

I agree 100%

[@brandon42054]

Love the shopping car analogy. So I’m scaling a new car and my book has a certain percentage for left side and rear weights. I know how to get to that percentage but what I’m trying to learn is how those percentages affect the car and why they recommend those percentages

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

I'd like to do something along those lines talking more about percentages and setup changes in leafers specifically. May be the next live youtube? I'd like to get that done and it be more of a back and forth interaction.

[@patricklangley7516]

Very good video Jason as always! The shopping cart analogy makes sense. Ty so much. Keep up the good work

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Sure appreciate it Patrick!

[@DakotaN24]

One thing I do and it’s not necessary but we built 4 stands for the scales to sit on that are all 10 1/4 inches off the ground. We can roll the car on and off the scales with these and anytime we need to change something like for instance adjusting a cup on the lr we can roll it backwards and never have to jack the car up. Not necessarily needed but makes life easy

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

10 inches? Shoot I was thinking how much better 4 or 6 would be. You guys can crawl under that sucker and work on it. I wasn't thinking big enough!

[@DakotaN24]

@@DIRTRACELIFE Yessir we have all the room in the world. I’ve used them to pull gears while I’m there, don’t have to find the right angle to attack you can’t sit up and pull the chuck out!

[@jsouth1998]

Your videos are really good. Thank you for putting in the effort.

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Thanks John, Glad you find them helpful sir.

[@87MustangGT5o]

The shopping cart is Absolutely a great way to put it.

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Hey if it works to get the concept right!

[@rickjones6798]

Yeah we do that trick you did with the socket we do it Jackie in the car up and then being able to slide a pack of cigarettes underneath the right rear tire band can figure out whether we have rear brake or not good video bud keep up the good work let me know how they are dry flange works and whether you figured out how far your shafts going into it but have a good one buddy

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Thanks Rick. When I was told about the socket deal years ago the man said and I quote "Marlboro's laying flat is your minimum and Marlboro's turned up on their side is your max" It sounds to nuts folks now but yeah buddy it does actually work when you don't have scales and need to know :)

[@rickjones6798]

@@DIRTRACELIFE yeah sorry man my talk-to-text sucks

[@dayno82]

Watching from Australia 🇦🇺 👌

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Best dirt racing South of the Equator!

[@gregoreberhardt7453]

fantastic in depth explanation, thanky you !

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Yes sir

[@josephanderson4613]

I run a limited, mod open wheel stock rear end just like a street stock how do I know where to set my RR before I start adding bite to the left rear

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Joseph, I am strictly a street stock guy but the first I would go is the mfg setup sheet if you can get one. If it's a homebuilt I would try to find out what it is modeled after / similar to as a starting point. Basically you are setting the ride height to start with and creating the rake desired. on stock cars I have always like 2 degrees rake back to front. so that's always where I start.

[@kennelson5214]

​@@DIRTRACELIFE6

[@keithmarson4245]

Do you set ride heights with the driver in the car?

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

I do not, Ideally you always would but it's just impossible when you work alone.

[@gregoreberhardt7453]

love those technical stuff...

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

That's the stuff I really enjoy doing as well

[@dustinandersen1405]

Love it!!!

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Thanks Dustin, working on a new one using the Orange Crush. Hope to get it out by the weekend.

[@michaelvanparis9236]

Jason so what you’re saying is Raising or lowering the springs is like shimming valve springs to get the right pressures. So one valve spring might have .030 shim and another .015 to get the pressures equal. Center to center 9” on right and 10” on left which is different but it makes no difference because the idea is to worry about the pressure not the center to center height.. am I kind of tracking?

[@DIRTRACELIFE]

Well no I don't think we are in alignment on the thought. What I have learned (some of the learning comes from much smarter people laying it out for me), is like this: when you set the top left side spring at a higher point in the car than the right side spring you are creating a difference in how the center of gravity is leveraged in compressing that spring. It is not needed for one spring to be longer than the other just for the cars weight to be higher up on that spring. I know it's confusing but here consider this. If I had two 13 inch 200lb springs on the rear of the car and I was to sit the right one directly over the axle tube but I welded a 3 inch spring spacer on top of the left side tube, I have "raised" where the car sits on that left side by three inches. Now that car has a bias to want to roll easier to the right than to the left. I didn't understand this for quiet a while but now I can see it. It's not about how tall the spring is as much as it's where the top of the spring is at. Using two different length springs is the easiest was to do this. Hence the very common 16" lr and 13" rr setup.

[@michaelvanparis9236]

@@DIRTRACELIFEthat makes more sense to me thank you for the clarification sir.