Ok today I finished my wheelie bar and tried it out. I like it alot on asphault. This is the only smooth place I have had to try it out so far. My question is when I launch it picks my rear tires up off the ground for a split second. How do I fix this? It is made very crude and is kinda heavy but this is really just a trail run. It bolts to my swingarm and to the grab bar, and uses, don't laugh please this is just a test, a wheel off of a wheel barrel. Should I let some air out, change the angle to let my front wheels off the ground more, make it longer or what? Any suggestions would help. How about it Moose I know you have an answer.

 

You need to get with The Moose on this one. I have the exact replica of the one Dave built for his machine and it works perfect. Hope this will help. You don't want your back tires lifting on your launch because that will cost you time on your runs.

 

Your front end is coming up too fast. A quick fix is to lean as far forward as possible when you launch like you have no wheelie bar. Then move back as the front end comes down.


My next mod is for the same reason (a slight bounce)
I'm going to slam the front end by replacing the front shocks with a set of solid struts. I haven't done the mesurements yet (I'm doing that next week) but I am thinking a set of 12" struts will put the front end about 3" off the ground.

The front springs are going to be compressed when your sitting on it & when you launch the spring throws the front end up fast & easy. With the solid struts the front end has to be forcibly lifted off the ground with no help from the springs. If you have ever tried to lift the front end of a Raptor you know there is some heft to it. Having the front end solid & as low as possible multiplies the torque needed to lift it.

Biggerisbetter was at the test & tune at Atoka friday night & was watching me launch, & even with 5psi my Extreme Haulers were "wrapping up" He could see the wrinkles when I launched. That much power combined with the spring action of the shocks can bring up the front end up fast enough to lift the rear tires when you hit the wheelie bar. I imagine your getting some good hook on asphalt too.

It will still come up (the Raptor has plenty of torque!!) but it will come up much more slowly. That should fix the bouncing problem (at least that's my theory) & a slammed raptor should look very cool!!!

I'll keep you posted on my progress but my next race isn't till july 13th. So if you get a chance to try it first let me know how it works.

I'm figuring a 2/10ths gain with this mod, because I don't know about you but when I get a bounce it will also throw me a little sideways & that also costs time.

Sorry about the long rambiling post but it's 2AM & I just got back from Atoka so I'm not thinking with all my brain cells!!.

 

Ok I'll give it a try. When you say solid struts are you talking about a solid metal bar? Also how high does your front end lift off the ground at its highest? I have mine where the wheels still bairly touch, and I mean just a little. I thought this way if I launched sideways that it might be easier for me to correct while still gassin it.

Your right on the asphalt it grips hard. Second time I launched there was a little sand where I was, you should see the black marks I left there. I built this for the road so I am glad it works well. Even with the bounce I can still start off way faster than before. This might be crazy but a buddy of mine has a LT-1 vette and I want to beat him in the 1/8. He runs it in 8.0 with a 150 shot. I don't know what I'll get but I am gonna try.

 

A solid bar will work fine. I want to be able to adjust mine so I'm going to use an aluminum strut with with rod ends. That should give me a 2" adjustment range & shorter or longer struts are readily avalible at about $10 each.

My front end comes 10~12 inches off the ground when I launch, But I want to transfer weight so that works for me. You may not need to transfer as much on asphalt as I do on sand.

Also I built in a little flex to my wheelie bar, I can pick up the rear of the quad with the bar & it flexes about 1~1 1/2 inches. With yours on the grab bar you might not have any flex.

ward660R & velocityraptor, if you can email me some pics of your wheelie bars, I'd like to see how others built their bars.

 

I never thaught about the transfer of weight, thats a good point. I am still a little confused about the strut. Do you know where I could see one at? I just finished my wheelie bar, for the first time, so when I get pictures I will let you know. It is deffinately not something to help the looks at all, not this one any way. I would have liked to make a copy of yours because I know how well you say it works but I had to try something different, plus I am not very skilled at welding anything round.

 

I don't have any pics yet but I should have something later this week (If I get off my A$$ & get after it!!LOL)

I'm going to measure the shock bolts & pray they match with a SAE size (come on 11mm!!) as metric rod ends are going to be difficult to find!!

 

Like I said I am still a little confused but if you are talking about the threaded end of an 11mm matching a SAE size I don't think you will have any luck. I think that the thread pitch is different.

 

The strut will have all SAE threads, I was talking about the size of the bolt that goes thru the top & bottom of the shock.

The strut is an aluminum tube that has right hand threads on one end & left hand threads on the other, The rod ends screw in to the strut & with the right & left threads it can be adjusted without removing the strut.

The shock bolt is 10mm, That's close enough to 3/8 for a 3/8 rod end to work.
I've got the shocks off & with a 11" strut it puts the front skidplate 5" off the ground & the ball joints are still 1 1/2" from binding. I'm going shopping tomorrow & if all parts are in stock I'll email you a pic tomorrow.

BTW a slammed Raptor looks good!!!!!!

 

Ward & velocity, I emailed you guys some pics of my Raptor with the struts installed. Let me know if you got the email & tell me what you think.