The New Wheels for My BelAir

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Once again, this isn't a very exciting post.... but I'M sure excited:deal

Being someone who has never really had much more than one step above junk:doh ... my new wheels are a bigger deal to me than they would probably be to regular car guys.
I took a few photos, including a couple detail shots to show what they're like.
I've never seen wheels like this:beerbang
American Racing Pro Series TrackStar... 15X4 & 15X10 ( 5" back space ).
The slicks are new M/T "stick compound" 29.5" X 9".
The reason for the slightly wider wheel, is to allow more air pressure to keep the tread flat on the pavement. Flatter contact patch... less rolling resistance... go faster ! I'm told that I should expect to run about 16 pounds ( my other slicks were best at 14 ).
With these fat wheels and the disc brake flange that fits over the axle flange, I need to fool with axle length a bit. Rules stipulate that the distance between back plates cannot be altered. This leaves "adjustment" in the area of flange-to-bearing. In my case, I have to shorten the distance from the flange-to-bearing by about 3/4".
Anyhow, a few photos:

[tripower]

Okay, the wheels look great...:brow Now lets see them on the car...:brow

[fatride]

Aubrey, what is the weight difference between the stock wheels and the new wheels?

[chevymusclecars]

Aubrey

I would be excited too and the wheels look great but like Fatride said Lets see them on the car.

Bill

[Ronnie Russell]

Aubrey, Nice, real nice. Good choice. Hope they hook up for you. :)

[Skip FIx]

So Aubrey, with a 29.5 will you have to massage/radius the front of the wheel opening? Seems I had to on my old 64 to run a 29.5 tire.

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Yes Skip... M/T reports that the tire has a diameter of 29.3" ( actual static measurement that I got was about 28.7" ).
Front LOWER edge of wheel well will have to be moved ahead about 3/4 inch. That's OK... there's a touch of rust showing up there:p .

On the car ?
That's the trouble... getting slightly shorter axles made, so I can just set them in there to see.
DEFINITELY makes the rest of the car look like a wreck:scratch :doh

What's the gain ?
Ah yes:deal ...
I did an extremely tedious series of calculations before spending this money.
The new set of wheel/tire combinations, has removed 82 POUNDS of rotating mass from the car:deal :deal ! Add about 2 pounds back for the fancy wheel nuts... overall... 80 pounds gone just in the wheels/tires.

Oh, about the front tires...
I got them too. M/T "ET Front", 27.5 X 4.5.
Actually measured 25.75 in diameter:scratch
Took them back.. have bigger ones ordered.

[jim_ss409]

Nice wheels! I read an article a while back where they tried to measure how much lightening the wheels and tires would affect elapsed times. I'm pretty sure the tests showed that for each pound removed from the wheels there was an improvement equal to removing 1.7 pounds of weight elsewhere on the car.
So 80 would equal 136 which should be good for close to 1.5 tenths.:beerbang
With a little luck those new slicks will help get those 60' times down where they need to be. I can't wait to see how it does when you get it to the track.

[DIV1RACER-2]

Aubrey if you keep those slicks off of the rough highway pavement you won't rip the soft compound rubber off of the tires . This might Pi@# you off but it is a good "TIP"!!!!!!!!! There only so many good runs on a set of slicks , don't waste them! :bang :bang :bang

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Doubt I will "tune" on the highway again, Denny. If I do, it'll be with the old tires, just to make sure the car runs straight, without vibrations, ect, and is safe.
( it IS licensed and insured )

I have these dates and events to tune the car:

April 28 Edmonton Test & Tune IHRA ( 240 miles )

April 28-29 Kamloops B.C. Test & Tune NHRA ( 550 miles )

May 11-12-13 Medicine Hat Test & Tune NHRA ( 150 miles )

May 27 Saskatoon Test & Tune NHRA ( 250 miles )

May 25-27 Mission, B.C. NHRA Div 6 event C / Stock ( 750 miles )

June 2-3* Kamloops B.C. Eagle Motorplex National Open NHRA C / Stock ( 550 miles )

June 23 Edmonton Test & Tune IHRA ( 240 miles )

July 6 – 8 Edmonton Rocky Mountain Nationals IHRA D-E / Stock ( 240 miles )

July 14-15 Mission B.C. Raceway Park National Open NHRA C / Stock ( 750 miles )

August 4-5* Medicine Hat Drag Strip National Open NHRA C / Stock ( 150 miles )

Sept. 16 Saskatoon Test & Tune NHRA ( 250 miles )


Calgary, which is my closest track ( 140 miles ), hasn't posted their schedule yet. They have test & tune days.

[Ronnie Russell]

Aubrey, I will not be complaining about my 45 mile trip to the dragstrip anymore. Man!!, that is some fuel bill you have to endure. Requires dedication to the project. Hats off to you. I , for one, look forward to your participation in one of the NHRA sanctioned events. Your success will make it all worthwhile. Good luck to you.

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Thanks for the encouragement, Ronnie:bow

Success ?
HEEE HEEE HEEE !!!
Won't be any success. I'm just not that good of a racer.
My quest for success will be limited to having the car work like it's supposed, and making that pass in Mission BC, which hopefully will back up what I claim about this car ( fastest STOCK 409 Chevy ). I'll never win anything... but I hope it inspires others to give it a go, and help get our cars back in the thick of it:beerbang
THAT would be success:deal

[wrench]

Aubrey, I will not be complaining about my 45 mile trip to the dragstrip anymore.

Ya gotta remember though, Ronnie..... Those are 'Canadian miles'!

:rofl :rofl :rofl

Great looking rounders Oz.......can I have your old ones?

:beerbang

[Tom Kochtanek]

CPG: Wow, those really look "slick" (pardon the pun :))!!!

Best of luck in the upcoming events, that's one heck of a proposed schedule!

Cheers,
TomK

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Oh Tom... I don't have anywhere NEAR the time or budget ( not yet anyhow;) ) to attend all THOSE events:p
no no....

Here's how I see it actually happening ( weather permitting ):

First time out ( mostly because I won't be done any earlier ), will be:
Medicine Hat on May 11 & 12.
This would be the test and tune event... no racing. Simply tuning to make the car work. I know what ET/speed I'll be looking for, and I must take into consideration that the track has an altitude adjusted Index... from 11.65 up to approx 11.95.
Anyhow, I hope to do all tuning there.

Next, with luck and weather, the big one:
Mission BC, May 25-27 Division 6 Event... running C Stock
I'll have to "fatten up" the jetting slightly. This will be the place and time that I'll be looking for the "official" fast run.

Then, the big IHRA event in Edmonton...
July 6-8. I'll likely end up adding about 95 pounds of strategically placed ballast to the car, and running in E Stock, on an altitude factored Index of approx 12.20.

And last, back to Medicine Hat for the NHRA National Open Stock / Super Stock combo race.
August 4-5
The 95 pounds back out ( back to regular weight with me in it, of approx 3725 ), qualifying and running in C Stock.


With a bit of good fortune and a fair amount of sheer luck, that's what I hope to do.

Tom C...
If you'd like my 28"X9"X14" sllicks ( 50% ) on the RARE 14"x8" chrome reverse wheels ( 3.75" back spacing.... fits right in stock wheel well )... they'll cost ya':deal

[Mike-Casella]

I wish you all the luck for the upcoming racing season.

[jim_ss409]

Aubrey, This isn't the article I was thinking about but I thought you might find it interesting anyway... http://www.carcraft.com/projectbuild/116_9905_light_vs_heavy_wheels_comparison/index.html

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Gee, THANKS Jim !:bow

MAN, couldn't have found a closer comparison :deal
Same 82 poundweight reduction ( my wheels are actually a pound or two lighter... but my originals were lighter than those 15" ralley wheels ).
The drag racers that I've spoke to, say that the quicker the car accelerates, the more dramatic the difference with lighter wheels. At see level, I was hoping to see a 2 MPH increase in trap speed, and about 2 10ths quicker. I should be able to reach 120-122 MPH.
Looks like I may not get quite that:dunno

Gotta love Stock / Super Stock...... I mean really..... $2000.00 ( wheel cost ) for 2 10ths ?:bang

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Just got my "correct size" front tires in today.
28" X 4.5" X 15"
They actually measure just a touch under 27"... which is EXACTLY what I wanted:deal

Here are a couple pictures:

[chevymusclecars]

Aubrey

The wheels look great and the fact that they will shave some time is even better. When do we get to see pictures of them on the car?

Bill

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Well Bill... I bolted the front ones on.
I like it :deal

[MRHP]

Nice nice nice nice nice nice nice! Where are the rear pictures.:)

[Dick MacKenzie]

DYN - O - MITE !

http://www.tvland.com/shows/goodtimes/images/JimmyWalker.jpg

They are first class Aubrey ! :clap

[chevymusclecars]

Aubrey

Looks great, you probably don't let it setting around on the slicks but when you put them on we want to see the whole picture.

Bill

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Thank YOU, guys:bow
little bit overkill for my old beater though:p

Had to order a set of axles 1/2" shorter ( bearing to flange ), so it'll be a while before the rear is ready to install. Going to a set of 4 wheel Wilwood aluminum disc brakes, and one of the problems is that the "hat" that goes over the axle flange, moves the wheel out about 1/4" inch.
Losing more rotating and un-sprung weight though:deal

[models916]

Are you going to have to screw the slicks to the rims?

[CDNpontiac409guy]

What a TERRIBLE question, Models:nono1: ...
I'm trying to avoid even THINKING about that:dunno

I've been told that if the pressure is up, I probably won't need it. I'm expecting to run 15-16 pounds... I hope that is enough:dunno . It's not as if the car has big power:coffee:

[bubbletop1961]

DYN - O - MITE !

http://www.tvland.com/shows/goodtimes/images/JimmyWalker.jpg

They are first class Aubrey ! :clap

:rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl :rofl