Hi all, just thought I'd chime in here with a few thoughts on autoxing a
pickup truck...
Here in CalClub we've got a "Sport Truck" class that I've been running my
'97 Ranger (2.3L) in.
At one point, I had thoughts of running in HS...
And as someone suggested, the weight balance made for a huge amount of
understeer yet a rear end that wanted to dance all over the place. Trying
to drive it stock a few big things came to mind: "this things needs a rear
swaybar... bad!", "this thing needs a limited slip.... bad!", and "this
thing needs some weight in the back... bad!".
Of course my stock setup is nothing like the S10 that's been described, or
what I had thought might have made a decent HS truck: the "Splash" version
of the Ranger.
The HQZ S10 sounds more like the setup I've got now... Lowered 2" all
around with springs, front (1 1/8") and rear(7/8") swaybars, 16x8" wheels
and Bilstiens.
I started running on 255/50-16 R1s after I did the springs. It wasnt
really _that_ scary... ;) but I only ran it one event like that before
adding the shocks and swaybars. I did manage to get it on 2 wheels at one
point (an observer noted a few inches of daylight beneath both passenger
side tires). The section of course where it happened was a chicane just
before the finish and at the end of a good sized straight. I was a bit
"unsmooth" coming through the chicane, got a little sideways, and when I
corrected I felt the thud of the right side of the car landing back down.
"hmmm... that felt funny..." The real danger, I feel, was the too soft
shocks and the lack of the rear swaybar. The back end could really get
loaded one way and if you made too quick a transition, it would really snap
back.
With the shocks and swaybars, it's now extreemly well mannered and is
pretty flat in a corner. I've since gotten it sideways at fairly high
speed at an open track event at Willow Springs (the small course) but never
felt for an instant that it wanted to go over.
Regarding the huge amount of push.... all the mods and a liberal amount of
negative camber have cleared that right up. The read end doesnt "dance"
like it used to, but it can get a bit bouncy under braking in a rough bit
bit of track. Thoughts of filling the spare full of water have definatly
crossed my mind. I definatly try to run with a full tank of gas...
I still need that limited slip... but when I get it... look out DSP... hehe.
I havent seen a lot of HS competition in my region, so its hard for me to
say what a truck like mine with an LSD and 190hp could do... but I'd say
"go for it!" :)
cheers!
jason keeney
'97 Ford Ranger Type-R
jasonk@neversoft.com
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