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Getting a handle: All shocks and tires

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Posted: Tuesday September 07, 1999 04:15 PM

NASCAR Know-How CLICK THE IMAGE TO LAUNCH CLIP Shocks and speed Start (1.5M .mov) Archives • Click here for past editions of Rusty Wallace's NASCAR Know-How

How a race car handles is the most important issue at nearly every track. Today there are so many things that can make a race car handle better.

Ten years ago, though, weight and more specifically the amount of weight on each wheel was about the only thing that teams could use to help their car handle better. Springs used to be the big tool that everybody used to gain an advantage. Lately however, shocks and tire air pressure have become the vital pieces to making your car handle better.

Probably the most important adjusting tool these days are shocks. It wasn't too long ago that you literally bolted on four yellow Monroe shocks and went at it. Now shocks are built and rebuilt at the race track. Sometimes a shock technician will build as many as 40 shocks for practice, qualifying and a race.

Shock work is so specific that all NASCAR Winston Cup teams now have a full-time shock technician who does nothing but build and develop new shocks. By far, shock technology has seen the greatest advancement over the last five years.

Since the introduction of the radial tire, tire air pressure has become almost as important. Increasing or decreasing air pressure can help your car turn better in the corners. Teams will also use air pressure build-up to help their car.

At the shorter tracks, teams may only inflate their tires with 10 pounds of air, but once the heat builds up in the tires and the air expands the tire basically inflates itself. Once the tire is at its maximum pressure, the car should be performing at its best.

Shocks and tire pressure may be the keys to fine tuning your car in the '90's but what will be the key in the 21st century? Who knows, but I'm sure that someone will discover something new to make their race car go faster.

 

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