Neil, et al,
Thanks for the discussion, as usual you have given me good ideas to pursue.
I think that measurement of the weight on the front of the car rather than
physical lift movement is what I'd like to see. We don't have
suspension....So the straingage method applied to a frame member is the
direction I will head. That way I hope to measure gradual changes in weight
before actual physical lifting of the car happens. I guessed at how much
weight can be lost to lift before the "bad ride" occurs (about 50%?) This
data would be collected on runs with incrementally increasing speed (which
will happen anyway), recorded on the data logger and studied between runs.
Rose's shape should be almost neutral (lift-wise) when going straight ahead
or in a slight drift which helps me but this doesn't help others who use
body shapes that create lift. For cars with suspension a gaging system
measuring actual physical lift is probably the best. Rich's 4:1 ratio
hooked directly to the suspension and watched carefully could be the
suspended car answer. Or do it electrically. In any case, a banzai run into
a new speed regime might result in trouble no matter what......so gradual
speed increases are a must and most folks do this.
Dr. Mayf has loaned me a neophyte's introduction to strain gages so I must
get to reading. Keep ideas coming so we can refine the system(s).....safety
is the goal!
Skip
At 10:35 AM 10/28/2003 -0600, Albaugh, Neil wrote:
>Skip;
>
>It should be possible with either an ultrasonic or infrared ranging
>detector. These give a voltage output that is proportional to the distance
>to a reflecting surface. These are used in industrial applications.
>
>Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Higginbotham Land Speed Racing [mailto:saltrat@pro-blend.com]
>Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 5:45 AM
>To: Keith Turk; land-speed@autox.team.net
>Subject: Running Weight Measurement
>
>Keith,
>There are several ways to measure ride height with a suspended car but I am
>trying to figure out a way to measure it with an unsprung chassis. May be a
>way with a walking beam frontend. Anybody have an idea they want to share?
>With Rose's body shape......I doubt if there will be appreciable lift but
>I'd like to know.
>Skip
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