• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Tire Selection / LSD and Axles.

Share this page

B

blkcorvair

Jedi Knight
Offline
Just a few more inquiries.

When using the Quafie diff do you guys think the stock Midget Axles will hold up? (Late model axles) Already have the WC double Bearing hubs.

Also looking into another set of tires. Just picked up some 8 lb wheels and wanted to mount some dry DOT tires on em. Been getting mixed reviews. My Toyo RA-1's are gonna retire to Wets.

Been told that Bias DOT's are better. Also that the radials are better. Been looking at the Hoosier R6, the Yokohama A048, and the Hoosier TD's.

Thanks for your input guys.
 
I've only run the R6's but have a couple sets of A048's you can try. You need to look at the section width of the tire because a Hoosier 185/60-13 is a lot wider than the same size in an A048. With a non flared car the 185 is as wide as I can go but you can probably stuff 225's in your car. I'm sure I'll get folks that disagree with me here but I don't see the benefit of anything wider than a 185 in the R6 for a Spridget because we don't have enough weight to get the wider tires hot enough. If you were running slicks that would be another story.

I'll let other comment on the LSD - I run a welded diff. You will need race axles though if you want reliability. I ran one event with DB hubs and stock axles and broke them at the diff. The DB hubs take car of the flange flex but the stock axles still twist at the diff.
Twisted_Axles_Tmb.JPG
Full size here.
 
Stock axles seems to be a horsepower related thing with racing Spridgets, the more HP you got the better axle you need. I say that most broken axles are driver inflicted, if you run off course, and are the grass spinning the rear wheels a gazillion mph and then reneter the pavement, chances are you migt snap a axle, also gassing over gator teeth is another good way to snap a axle. You'll probably be fine with stock axle to begin with, if they are the original axles to your car, then they are the better stock ones anyway.


As for tires, I can really only comment on the cantilever slicks used in SCCA racing, if you can run them with the group you plan on running with, then this is the most unbeleiveable traction you'll ever get.
 
I actually have a new set of Hoosier R45A with two Track sessions on them but I am suppossed to run DOT tires in my class, so these wont do. (If anyones looking for a set let me know before I throw em up on ebay)

205 Series tires seem to be the way on mine so far.
 
I'll let other comment on the LSD - I run a welded diff. You will need race axles though if you want reliability. I ran one event with DB hubs and stock axles and broke them at the diff. The DB hubs take car of the flange flex but the stock axles still twist at the diff.
Twisted_Axles_Tmb.JPG
Full size here. [/quote]

OUCH!
 
Scott--

YOU DOG!

You just outbid me on the Quaife diff ebay auction so it looks like I will be stuck running my welded units at least for the near future. BTW the Winner's Circle axle is not immune to breaking--ask me how I know.
 
you must be the guy who asked kendall about them double bearing hubs. Sorry Michael. I must tell you I did that cash back on both his auctions and took his kodiak wheels and that diff for $200 off ea. Saved $400 for the whole package. (just a little salt for the wound.)

Funny thing is I just gave my wife my xmas list earlier in the week.

Consists of wheels, tires and a Quafie. (My dream list) Almost knocked it off. Something tells me there wont be anything under my tree this year.
 
No, that wasn't me asking about the hubs.

BTW I have bought some diffs from Kendall in the past and he is a good fellow--you just got back to him quicker than I could.

Congrats on your purchases and another missed opportunity on my part perhaps. When my ship came in I was at the airport!
 
My low-HP Spridget seems fine with Toyo 888s (185/60-13 size).

No shaving required and they are pretty sticky but seem to last pretty well.
Treadwear grade number is 100 and traction is AA.
Available at Frisby for $143 each, so not too bad.
 
Scott-

We can only run bias-ply in the SOVERN vintage grid I'm in. Most guys prefer the Hoosier Vintage TD's. Their the best tire for the price. Some of our tracks are pretty rough and with the weight of the Big Healey I may only get 2 weekends out of a set. The performance is great thought, very predictable.

Unlike radials that grip, the TD's allow you to slide or drift through the corners with the required steering input to keep the whole dance moving in the right direction. It's really old school racing in the true vintage spirt.
The bias-ply also provide cushion for the whole suspension system and we have almost no axle problems.

Dougie
 
Back
Top