Anything I can do to help....just let me know.

One of the most important thing in a drag sled is building it so as the weight starts behind the hind wheels, in this mannor it acts as a counter weight to the plate... so you can get started and room to build up to speed before it start putting pressure on the plate.

The sled that was used looked like a nice sled. They need to gear in down a tooth or two and add some counter weigh to the back.

I wish I had some video to show you the difference. Not that I'm right and they're wrong, it just seems like more fun, when everyone is pulling it about 10-15 mph and the weight come on it and slows you down to a stop.

 

I was hoping DWB would be able to post the last pictures I sent him. ( there are some detailed pictures of the sled ) .. but he must be working on that new garage or ??? ... In looking over the detailed pictures of the sled that they used in Fort Dodge, it looks like the weight transfer is fully transfered by the time the sled goes just over 100ft, this may be why they only ran 100ft, rather than 300ft... I don't think they could stop the bigger quads, if they didn't add the extra 3ft of chain, or allowed anything higher than stock hitch height... for the large quads, they appeared to have 900lbs on the plate, & 800lbs on the transfer...

SHOTGUN... can you p.m. or e-mail me a copy of the rules you guy's use out there ( I'm all for standardizing rules like this ), it makes it easier to compete, on a larger scale...

I may design my own sled ( I like to do things like that ), unless someone had plans for a good, versitile sled they would be willing to share...

I think the 300ft pulls would be more entertaining to watch, & participate in... so a sled like they used in Fort Dodge, is likely too small or incorrectly engineered to work for a weight added open class, pulling 300ft...

 

wam.

I'll get you a set of rules, and I can help with the design if needed, the gearing and release clutch is the hardest part.

Over design the sled, bikes will only get bigger.

Here is a site that tells how to make a drag sled, and some tips on pulling. this is a garden tractor site, so size it up.

information on drag sled, almost to the bottom.

One of the most important things to consider is how to move it, if you plan on going place to place, mine is heavy. it is easy to pull once the plate is off, but we have a 24' diesel truck with a lift gate to move the plate with....that part isn't fun.

later.

 

SHOTGUN... thanks for the info... as the Fort Dodge pull was my first, I only got a good look at that sled... it was much much less complex ( reads versitile ) than the plans on that website... I have an old dock plate I could use for the skid plate... it may be overkill, as it is 1/2" or 5/8" steel... I'm assuming that they use the 2nd ( narrowed rear end to wind up the weight box, & lock the brake on slightly ( enough resistance to raise the weight box, but loosely enough to act as a slip clutch through the diferential, if the weight box is fully to the top )... I was hoping DWB would be able to post those pics, but since we didn't hear from him after dark, I'm assuming that there was more conflict there than working on his garage ??? the sled down there had 900 lbs dead weight sitting on the pad, & 800 lbs on the transfer... it only had one speed, & a spool on one of the axels pulled the weight box up, through a block & tackle cable set up, with 3 lengths of cable ... no adjustment... I may look for an auto frame with the axel / drive shaft / transmission, already connected, then build the rigging for the weight transfer box on top of the frame section, the add a removable pad... it may work out to be able to swing the pad over & on top of the frame, eliminating the need to handle the heavy plate... a disconnect on the drive shaft, & it may be possible to just convert the sled to a towable trailer, for after the pulls ??? I have a few ideas rattling around in my head right now... I'd still like a copy of the rules you are using out there, to aid in standardizing the pulls... thanks ... WAM

DWB... where are you ??? LOL...

 

LOL. I'm here. Just tired, beaten and sore. We were supposed to pour the slab tonight, so I was busting butt to get everything done. I just got word that we can't get concrete for tonight though... Grrrr. They are all booked up with the last two days of rain. Everybody is pouring today and we waited too long to schedule. So, now we pour on saturday. I need to set the final grade, put in some curb rebar, and lay the wire mesh today. Almost done.

Here are the pics.


Sled

sled

Pull

Pull

 

thanks Bob... good luck on your concrete project... when you finish there, come on over & you can start on my 3.5 car garage...LOL

 

Wam

I used an up side down loading dock plate just as you said. I also used a cable on a winch to pull the box up. I used a 350 gal fuel tank for counter weight and it is filled with water. I drain it and fill it every time we move. no weight to carry.

I have no tranmission just a 16-1 gear box. my rails are 20 feet long.

I have a sprocket on the rear axle that chain drives the 16-1 gear box that goes through a harvester clutch and turns the winch drum....that's it.

Remember if you use a car with the tramission and rear end like you said, that the rear wheels are now what is driving, instead of being driven. In a car the motor drives and is geared down to the back wheels. When the back wheels drives, you are going the opposite way and are gearing up as you go back up through the transmission. low gear now becomes the faster and high the slowest, but any of those gears would be way to fast, that is the reason for the second transmission in reverse on the web site.

With the 16-1 gear box that is chain driven between the axle and the gear box I can change sprockets if needed to adjust for distance.