Great way to start the season at Thunderhill Raceway- sunny and 70, car ran great, good racing, hanging out with your racing buddies, what else could you ask for?!? The SFR (San Fran Region) SCCA Group 4 is a mix of open wheel race car Classes, from FV (Formula Vee) at one end, to FC (Formula Continental) at the other. In the middle it includes the current generation FF (Formula F) that uses Honda Fit motors, hi-tech inboard suspension, and very aerodynamic bodywork, as well as the older, second generation FF (Club Ford, ie. me) from the 70’s and ’80s that use the Ford 1600cc pushrod motor and outboard brakes and suspension. The speed differential between Classes means the faster car/driver combo from one Class will often be dicing with the slower car/driver from another. In other words, there is always someone to race with.
This weekend we found that under high side loads the rear tire sidewalls flex enough to rub on the washers surrounding the lower link-to-upright joint. Multiple solutions were discussed: wider wheel spacers and longer wheel studs (we had neither), higher tire pressures to reduce flex, or grinding down the washers until they were of smaller diameter than the helm joint end. So we went with what we had, a Dremel and an air tank. Problem solved (well, mostly…)
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