Jeepspeed engineering

[Zuul99]

Is Jeepspeed like most motor sports where a low power to weight ratio rule. and precision made parts make a difference in the engines performance, and do the big teams replace steel with Al., fiber glass or maybe Carbon Fiber(mmm carbon fiber). Essentially are Jeepspeed rigs built like race cars or are they slapped together with what ever fits and strong.

 

[bandit455]

one of the big differences between offroad racing and regular racing is you dont know the terrain your gonna be racing on because it is ever changing.

power to weight is always something to think about, but having a car that is reliable always comes first, so you want to over build in some cases because you want the vehicle to last.

 

[Zuul99]

Rally cars come to mind. there built like any other race car, aerodynamic, light. and they deal with changing terrain, and there pretty much built proof. IDK what your exp. with WRC is, but those little hatchbacks are pretty strong. and in a given stage the drives can drive up 250miles. This seems comparable. so in theory a Jeepspeed rig could be built like a rally car

 

[MrGucciGod]

Check out the sick dog racing thread on this jeepspeed forum. its not really just thrown together.

 

[DieselSJ]

Go check out the builds in the forums over at www.jeepspeed.com.

 

[Zuul99]

When I mean built like a race car i mean. instead of just welding metal plates were needed, does any math, physics, and thermodynamics involved in the build. are exotic materials like carbon fiber used.

 

[tone]

Chrome won't get you home...

 

[DieselSJ]

When I mean built like a race car i mean. instead of just welding metal plates were needed, does any math, physics, and thermodynamics involved in the build. are exotic materials like carbon fiber used.

Math - yes
Physics - yes
Thermodynamics - lol, this isn't formula 1
Exotic materials - some guys get fancy with carbon fiber dashboards. The rules are pretty restrictive on what materials we can use and where we can use them.

Sure, a rally car can go 250 miles in a stage. Then it gets rebuilt overnight for the next stage. We can go 1000 miles nonstop over terrain that would tear a rally car apart.

Again, go over to the forums on the Jeepspeed site and look at the builds there and all your questions will be answered.

 

[chris_amrein]

When I mean built like a race car i mean. instead of just welding metal plates were needed, does any math, physics, and thermodynamics involved in the build. are exotic materials like carbon fiber used.

Can you elaborate when you say "math, physics, and thermodynamics" and their relationship to materials used on race cars?

I would estimate that the majority of all race cars are built somewhere between "welding metal plate where needed" and "math, physics...".

 

[Zuul99]

Go find a picture of a Dakar Rally truck; we will use the VW toureag that won this years rally. A WRC car is to different, Look at those pictures, take note of the materials, and build quality now go look at the builds. There seems to be a huge difference and i want to know why Jeepspeed rigs cant be built like that.

 

[XJLI]

i want to know why Jeepspeed rigs cant be built like that.

you should take a gander at the rules of the jeepspeed series for starters, then come back. jeepspeed is made to be cheap- a buddy of mine preps cars for stage rally... they're stripped bare, spot welds drilled out, fully welded then you add a moly cage worth $3k+ in just material. not to mention all the custom bracing and stiffening throughout the chassis. time=$

 

[1990JEEPXJ]

different classes of racing shouldnt be compared in the manner you are trying to do, for the reasons stated. they are completely different vehicles with completely different terrains, and that have to adhere to completely different rules. but yes they are well engineered, strong and durable vehicles. no they are not a dakar racer or a rally car, but nor are they trying to be.

 

[karstic]

Is Jeepspeed like most motor sports where a low power to weight ratio rule. and precision made parts make a difference in the engines performance, and do the big teams replace steel with Al., fiber glass or maybe Carbon Fiber(mmm carbon fiber). Essentially are Jeepspeed rigs built like race cars or are they slapped together with what ever fits and strong.

Probably a little bit of both. The Jeepspeed series started out as a Sportsman budget class. The purpose was to limit the vehicles to keep down expense and keep the vehicles on an even playing field. Originally parts used on Jeepspeed Cherokees had to be available to the general public. There was little room for custom fabrication and engineering.

That has been loosed with some of the new classes.

 

[DieselSJ]

Go find a picture of a Dakar Rally truck; we will use the VW toureag that won this years rally. A WRC car is to different, Look at those pictures, take note of the materials, and build quality now go look at the builds. There seems to be a huge difference and i want to know why Jeepspeed rigs cant be built like that.

Why don't we just build a Jeepspeed like a Trophy Truck? Ya, that is great, we should do that.

If you REALLY want to know, go over to www.jeepspeed.com and read the rules. Then go to the websites for SCORE, MORE, BITD, SNORE, etc... and read the rules for each different class.

Then you need to ask, why didn't Robby Gordon just use his desert Trophy Truck to run the Dakar? Why did he build a totally different vehicle? And why didn't he run his Dakar truck at the Baja 1000?

Why don't you build a circle track car like a funny car?

 

[Zuul99]

I remember I did read the rules for jeepspeed awhile back, and did research on the topic and i do remember reading that the it designed to be sportsman racing, similar to spec. racing. Sorry for wasting any of you guys time on something silly, Just a High school senior over thinking something. My problem was is that I miss-used "jeepspeed" I used it as a term for racing jeeps not a specific class of racing my bad. And FYI im new to jeeps, and made myself look stupid ouch
lets restart: What does it take to build a top preforming Jeepspeed racer.

 

[silverslk]

Don't worry dude. These guys get a little sensitive with the Jeepspeeds. haha

You are still in the learning stage and questioning the status quo and thinking "out of the box" (I hate that term) is what pushes the next level (of anything....sports, racing, design, you name it).

 

[Mike1331]

lets restart: What does it take to build a top preforming Jeepspeed racer.

killing me smalls... one example is currently the first thread in this section.


http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1020245

/\ clicky linky

 

[chris_amrein]

I think 1700 Jeepspeeds have not reached their full potential as far as materials and components go, but like it's been said, who's going to build a Jeepspeed on a Trophy Truck budget? If you have Trophy Truck money you'll build a Trophy Truck.

A few years ago some friends and I built a Jeepspeed with a fairly decent budget. Now I'm building my next car and I'm half way through and I already have bigger, better ideas to build an even faster car. I'm on a shoestring budget, but I'm trying to make it fast using the right materials and good weight distibution.

Former Stock Full racer Greg Foutz told me he "hot tanked" the body of his truck to remove about 100 lbs of glue and body filler. I have also heard some awesome stories of the Macpherson race team and what lengths they went to to build their ultimate 7s. I'd settle for a $50k budget to build a Jeepspeed to it's full potential.

Chris

 

[Zuul99]

What is needed to tune the chassis? we'll start there. the XJ is a SWB vehicle so going over bumps will easily make it slide going down a bumpy straight line. and how stiff do you want the chassis, i would imagine that you don't want it to stiff because it to absorb energy, not reject it . and since these vehicles are gutted to the bone and being front heavy the rear end has no weight and will slide around corners so would a ballast, or even a wing to produce down force, help keep the rear planted to the ground. and what about center of gravity? does the driver sit lower and the roof replaced with a light weight material ? do teams thinks of these things
As for Mike1331, your link was not the answer, sorry man

 

[Clean Racing]

To the Original Poster of this thread. You could build a jeep to race like a rally car.. But why? As Andy said if you "think outside the box", anything could be done to the spirit of the rules. I honestly see most of the Jeepspeeder's on a limited budget, so the use of exotic materials would be non-existant. I would like to see a Jeepspeed rig built with the full body lightening, and structural stuff we do to conventional Rally cars. But then again If some one spent the time and money to build such a Rig, they would be protested at the first event they showed up at.. So save your pennies, and dream big..