Ford Racing ABS Installation

[MPHoldway]

Interesting idea putting the ballast under the car....I like it! Never occurred to me but the lower the better right? Just watch out for those curbs

Running no ABS and having a passenger seat now essentially lets me pull all the ballast out and add 10hp. Curious to see how that changes the balance of the car though. It "felt" better when I first put the ballast in for ECR but I made a few other changes at the same time so who knows? Should be amusing to see us all scratching our heads and thrashing around to dial things in those first few sessions

Edit - dammit, keep forgetting which computer I'm using. This is Casey, not Mindy.

[GlennCMC70]

I have never liked the idea of balast under the car. If it comes unbolted while under the car, it puts your fellow racers at risk. If it comes unbolted while inside the car it really only puts you at risk. And since you are the one who is likely at fault for the poor install, you should be the one at risk instead of those who had nothing to do w/ the install at all.

That said - I'll be very strick w/ ballast installed under the car.

[Rob Liebbe]

I have never liked the idea of balast under the car. If it comes unbolted while under the car, it puts your fellow racers at risk. If it comes unbolted while inside the car it really only puts you at risk. And since you are the one who is likely at fault for the poor install, you should be the one at risk instead of those who had nothing to do w/ the install at all.

That said - I'll be very strick w/ ballast installed under the car.

Yeah a twenty pound block of steel coming through the windshield would suck. But so did a 3000 pound block of Camaro come to think about it.

Make sure undercar ballast is SECURELY restrained, like welded, bolts can break, even really big ones.

[marshall_mosty]

Guys,
There are two 5/8" grade 8 bolts holding four 20# plates. I have this setup on both sides of the car. There is a 0.100" steel backing plate welded to the inside of the car and the bolt head/washer combo is welded to that. I have nylock nuts, loctite, and torque seal on the nuts holding the ballast plates, so I can use the torque seal to easily do a visual for tightness. I'll invite anyone to crawl under the car and bitch...

If I get a bunch of backlash, I can add a "ballast safety loop" out of steel strap, welded to the car. This ballast, for me at least, will be considered permanent because it was a bitch to install.


I DID try to convince the AI Directors to allow me to build a ballast "tub" that would fit through a hole in the floor, so the ballast would be contained. The directors didn't like the idea and thought bolting it under the car would be fine.

[David Love AI27]

I'll invite anyone to crawl under the car and bitch...

Be careful the next time you let the car down... never know who you might find under there

[michaelmosty]

Did Jeremy drill your ballast plates??? :^0

[marshall_mosty]

I drilled the plates, by Jeremy was trying to give me advise. I acted like I couldn't hear him...

[mitchntx]

Guys,
There are two 5/8" grade 8 bolts holding four 20# plates. I have this setup on both sides of the car. There is a 0.100" steel backing plate welded to the inside of the car and the bolt head/washer combo is welded to that. I have nylock nuts, loctite, and torque seal on the nuts holding the ballast plates, so I can use the torque seal to easily do a visual for tightness. I'll invite anyone to crawl under the car and bitch...

If I get a bunch of backlash, I can add a "ballast safety loop" out of steel strap, welded to the car. This ballast, for me at least, will be considered permanent because it was a bitch to install.


I DID try to convince the AI Directors to allow me to build a ballast "tub" that would fit through a hole in the floor, so the ballast would be contained. The directors didn't like the idea and thought bolting it under the car would be fine.

I welded a 6x6 piece of 1/8" steel on the inside of the car as backing plate, drilled a hole and used it as a spintech muffler mount.
The weight of the muffler ripped the sheet metal where the outer edges of my backing plate was attached.

I can only imagine what 80lbs of steel is going to do to 20g sheet metal.

Oh wait ... this is a Mosty car. You guys are used to shit falling off ...

[marshall_mosty]

I welded a 6x6 piece of 1/8" steel on the inside of the car as backing plate, drilled a hole and used it as a spintech muffler mount.
The weight of the muffler ripped the sheet metal where the outer edges of my backing plate was attached.

I can only imagine what 80lbs of steel is going to do to 20g sheet metal.

Oh wait ... this is a Mosty car. You guys are used to shit falling off ...

Not quite sure how to take that, but I will take it in jest and just put this is a "watch item" for each weekend...

[mitchntx]

Not quite sure how to take that, but I will take it in jest and just put this is a "watch item" for each weekend...

My - my ... sensitive bunch aren't we?
Take it for what it's worth.

But also realize, you were warned of how reckless that decision is based not upon assumptions, but rather real lessons learned.
It opens you up to some serious liability if that chunk of steel goes through some one's windshield or worse.
At 120 mph, if it comes off, I bet it has enough inertia to get in the pits at TWS ... you know, where families are watching.

You are an engineer and a smart one, at that. Do a risk/reward analysis.