Laser XE coming back

[Warren Stramer]

Superb fabrication. Check
Another Stramer innovation. Check.
Envy of all us TM.com'rs. Check again

Might be the lighting but I cant see how you adjust intial wheel height? Is the undercar bar hiem joint threaded into the lower rod? I think that's what I see. Fantastic

Looking at the bottom of the lower tension tube, the rod end is connected to a square shaft that is inserted into the square tube with the pit pin. That square shaft has four holes for major adjustments, and the lower tension tube with the rod ends is like a turnbuckle for fine adjustments.
Full range of adjustment is +- 14inches.

[Warren Stramer]

If you look closely, I think Warren's anyway is linked to rear axle in such a way that it will push the wheel down as the rear tries to squat. It transfers load from the rear tires to the wheelie bar, essentially extending the wheelbase and keeping load on the front tires.

Actually Rob the bars are nowhere connected to the axle, only the body structure, but yes, it is essentially a wheelbase extension, And the longer you can make them, the more effective they will be. So long as you can construct them to be ridged and not deflect or bend.

[shackwrrr]

Can also act as a wheelbase extension. Wheelbase is a way to reduce weight transfer from the front to the rear.

[ShelGame]

Actually Rob the bars are nowhere connected to the axle, only the body structure, but yes, it is essentially a wheelbase extension, And the longer you can make them, the more effective they will be. So long as you can construct them to be ridged and not deflect or bend.

The one pic is a little dark, I wasn't really sure. Nice work anyway...

[turbovanman²]

Wow, wow, wow,

Is the roller wheel rated for 170 mph?

[Ondonti]

A wheelie bar on a front drive or rear drive car perform the same function; they stop pitch rotation. At the moment of launch the front of the body rises up unloading the front tires as the rear of the body tends to squat.
For a wheelie bar to be effective on a fwd the wheelie bar wheel needs to be touching, or nearly touching the pavement on launch. or if you can get away with it, it can even be preloaded.
Also, as the car accelerates down track, and the front tires grow in diameter, more body weight is retained over the front drive wheels because the wheelie bar continues to resists rearward weight transfer and front body rise, keeping the front tires hooked-up.
It will be trial and error to see what adjustment it likes. Or I could just ask Brian Slowe. Maybe he will comment.

Is it possible to rely on sidewall sag to help bring the traction bar off the ground and then connect when the tires grow and weight transfers a bit or can you do this all with weight transfer? BTW, will the preload become excessive and unsafe for handling at the top end if set up wrong?

[Warren Stramer]

Is it possible to rely on sidewall sag to help bring the traction bar off the ground and then connect when the tires grow and weight transfers a bit or can you do this all with weight transfer? BTW, will the preload become excessive and unsafe for handling at the top end if set up wrong?

Good questions. They are the same questions I have. This is new to me so I plan on testing it very carefully. It was a lot of work to build but I made it so it can be detached and removed in about 5 seconds by pulling two pins. (if it doesn't work out)
How it will handle on the top end with the live front axle?? I don't know. I'm glad I still have full size rear tires.
BTW, the entire unit including all hardware only weighs 16lbs 14.5 ounces.

[turboshad]

It looks absolutely great Warren! I wouldn't be surprised if you had more than 20hrs just in the rear wheel/bearing mount detail. Thanks for keeping the bar high.

[dwh4784]

Wow, wow, wow,

Is the roller wheel rated for 170 mph?

Not only that, it incorporates a .0025 hp electric motor. Every last bit helps right!

[Warren Stramer]

Finished building my new trans today, so I thought it would be a good time to update my project log and dump some photos to my archive with some commentary.
My old trans. had almost 400 runs on it and I figured it was time to open it up for a looky-see and update. I had also planned on some added strengthening to the case when the time came, so here is what I came up with... Not many original ideas(to me anyway) but some parts, and techniques I had thought about building for a long time. First the case itself. A lot of guys have welded gussets to the pinion housing to strengthen it, but I like to avoid welding in the case because of distortion and having the aluminum soften near the weld heat zone.
I tested on some old cases and just didn't like what I was seeing, so I elected to bolt in a gusset, form fitted and then JB welded in place.I also shot blasted the entire inside and outside of the case with silica balls after grinding off all sharp edges and casting flaws. I do this to help eliminate crack propagation. The red finish is Glyptal, to seal up, and hold any silica that might not have washed out.
While I never had any gear breakage, I wanted to give the factory gears every chance of survival before I resort to having expensive custom gears made, so I sent several sets of gears to an aerospace co. in Witchita Kansas for shotpeening (this company does gearbox mods for helicopters and such), and then I had them REM finished... http://www.remchem.com/services/benefits/
I had been running a welded diff. for years, and it was trouble free, but what a pain-in-the---- to drive, so I sprung for a Pelequin posi. Should help free up some MPH.

I sourced a 300M(904 spline) input shaft from David Rose, Thank you Dave and Dean! Sent my race converter to A1 Racing Transmissions for a turbine re-spline and complete update..These guys were great to work with. http://www.a-1perf.com/

Machined some case support girdles, and transfer gear cover/support that will have room for beefier gears if the need arises.

Other than a few other minor internal mods, that's about it....except a big thanks to Rob (aka Shadow) for keeping me in factory cores. If this unit works half as good as the last one, I will be happy.

[135sohc]

You have proven that factory produced parts when refined and given the utmost attention to detail can be capable of reliably supporting power well in excess of what they were ever intended for.

Excellence as always.

[Warren Stramer]

You have proven that factory produced parts when refined and given the utmost attention to detail can be capable of reliably supporting power well in excess of what they were ever intended for.

Excellence as always.

Really? I seriously just chalked it up to dumb luck. I only ran a stock four disc front clutch @ 115psi line pressure never slipped. Input shaft was tweeked and ready to twist off Clutch steels were getting burn marks, converter was wore out (about 15% slip). what finally made me rebuild it was the low/reverse band anchor support broke the case, but I still had reverse so I ran it that way last four trips to the track. Started seeing aluminum fillings from the broke casting rubbing on the park gear.

[2.216VTurbo]

Fantastic attention to detail as always Warren, sexy results too

I'm betting you didn't really *expect* 400 passes without breakage?

[135sohc]

It seems there are plenty here who cant figure out how to make their stuff last at stock or even mild power levels and your well beyond that without blowing up things.

[Warren Stramer]

Fantastic attention to detail as always Warren, sexy results too

I'm betting you didn't really *expect* 400 passes without breakage?

Thanks Alan, when I built the first trans. in 2003 I thought It would only have to take about 300HP, I thought if I could only get into the 11's I would never want to go any faster...... I never had it out of the car except to change a crankshaft. Like I always said, more luck than brains........

[Warren Stramer]

It seems there are plenty here who cant figure out how to make their stuff last at stock or even mild power levels and your well beyond that without blowing up things.

Knocks on wood

[2.216VTurbo]

Lol luck over brains, riiight. You can be humble if you want Warren, it's a good quality of yours but don't attempt to make it sound like your level of prep isn't at least 10X what the rest of us go perform. Your builds last for a reason I think a pretty standard example of your prep and planning is the dozen or so blocks you sonic checked before you picked ONE to build for your current motor. I'm thinking that there's only a handful of builders of any brand that go thru that much selection process. One look at the innovations as well as fit and finish on your new transmission case demonstrates what I'm talking about

BTW that guy Alan is dead and gone. AJ has survived. I know it's kinda weird to do a name change after 45 years but sometimes we gotta roll with what life throws our way.

[wheming]

It is a great pleasure to see updates and such attention to details.
And the results speak for themselves. I need to go through and read all 84 pages and get more familiar with your innovations.
Fantastic work!

[BadAssPerformance]

Great update and beautiful work (as always) Warren! I absolutely LOVE the case bracing. You've got the gears turning in my head...

[glhs875]

Warren your abilities and your car impress me!!! And I consider myself a person that is not easily impressed!