Someone Educate Me On Stick Combo's Please

[Dwight Southerland]

Racing a stick car successfully takes a different mindset than racing an automatic transmission car. It is more than pushing pedals and pulling levers. There is almost a zen-like understanding you need to attain with the car since you are in control of everything.
You say you know almost nothing about a stick car so my first solid recommendation is that you get one/build one and get your hands dirty. You need to know how the transmission works, how the clutch works, how the clutch linkage works, how the shifting linkage works, how the clutch engagement impacts the rear suspension, how the engine is affected by the clutch engagement and disengagement, etc. etc. etc. You will not know this stuff and have a "feel" for it unless you are involved with it. And, by the way, you need to know how to work on every aspect of the driveline because if you race a stick car, you will work on it.

[joespanova]

Originally Posted by Dwight Southerland

Racing a stick car successfully takes a different mindset than racing an automatic transmission car. It is more than pushing pedals and pulling levers. There is almost a zen-like understanding you need to attain with the car since you are in control of everything.
You say you know almost nothing about a stick car so my first solid recommendation is that you get one/build one and get your hands dirty. You need to know how the transmission works, how the clutch works, how the clutch linkage works, how the shifting linkage works, how the clutch engagement impacts the rear suspension, how the engine is affected by the clutch engagement and disengagement, etc. etc. etc. You will not know this stuff and have a "feel" for it unless you are involved with it. And, by the way, you need to know how to work on every aspect of the driveline because if you race a stick car, you will work on it.

Oh yeah......you bet your arse you will.

[Mike Taylor 3601]

Like others mentioned,you are way better off if you can do all your on work on trans,clutch and rear,but in my opinion a person should be able to maintain every piece on their car to really have a understanding and feel of their car.
Stick trans is fairly simple and for most part pretty much will only go together pretty much one way.
Clutch setup will make or break a stick car,literally wrong(too aggressive) clutch setup will break every piece in the driveline,just the better the parts will take longer but eventually break also,right clutch,setup correctly virtually no breakage and not a lot of maintenance,one simple clue on a clutch is if on launch it rips tires is what I call it cause it sounds like tires go
RRRiiippppPP when clutch is turned loose or does that or chirps tires on gear changes,clutch is TOO AGGRESSIVE.
Rear don't use a rear you can't get pro gears for,must have 9310 pro gears.
make sure you get a stick shift tire,somebody may have them working,but as far as I know Radials still won't work, I think Jim and Joe Shcaechter one told me they got close or did get them to work?
Mike Taylor 3601

[dmir55]

Be careful what flywheel you use. Smaller engines don't like the light weight stuff so much. Their are treatments out there for gears to make them last.

[Jim Caughlin]

Originally Posted by dmir55

Be careful what flywheel you use. Smaller engines don't like the light weight stuff so much. Their are treatments out there for gears to make them last.

Really? My Super Stock 4 cylinder probably make less HP than even the lower power stocker engines and I have had huge performance increases from using lighter and lighter flywheels. Heavy flywheels went away when the quality of friction materials allowed for clutch slip. In my experience, the flywheel is no more than a reaction surface for the clutch and a place to hang the starter ring gear.

Jim Caughlin
SS 6019

[older racer]

Originally Posted by Jim Caughlin

Really? My Super Stock 4 cylinder probably make less HP than even the lower power stocker engines and I have had huge performance increases from using lighter and lighter flywheels. Heavy flywheels went away when the quality of friction materials allowed for clutch slip. In my experience, the flywheel is no more than a reaction surface for the clutch and a place to hang the starter ring gear.

Jim Caughlin
SS 6019

you are correct. I've always used lighter flywheels, they RPM faster !!!!

[Ed Carpenter]

Want to know what to do in clutch racing talk to Brad Zaskowski end of story. Hell tell you about clutches too. The good ones and BAD ones to use. I used to have a BAD one until Brad showed me the light!