would it work??? i mean my uncle use to do it in his old fords but iam afaid of the hole thing blowing out.... i know that it kill's your turning radius but you only need to go strait on the track. or should i go with a locking mini-spool?
chris, always glad to see someone interested in going to the track. i would reccommend you get a copy of the rule book for whatever association that is used at your track. when i circle track raced we used to weld the spider gears too. however, the NHRA rulebook states in general regulation 2:11 (rearend) "welded spider gear rearends prohibited in all classes." also " after market axles and axle retention device mandatory on any car (regardless of class or e.t.) with a spool. are you using an 8" or 9" rear. i used an 8" in my 64 fairlane and had a mini spool in it. the NHRA tech director at that time told me not to worry about after market axles since i wasn't making a lot of hp. i now have a 9" in my maverick with a moser spool and 33 spline axles. beats having to worry about when something will happen. good luck and check the rules for the organization and also whatever track you are going to run at. if you call them they will probably answer any questions you have or point you in the right direction.some classes require certain tires (dot approved) , mufflers, no electronics etc. if you ask beforehand you won't be disappointed when you show up at the track. if you know what class you are going to run and have any other questions i will try to look them up in the nhra rulebook for you if that will help. good luck and have fun.
Welding Spiders Chris, I did the same when running dirt tracks in the 60's but this is not a good idea for street or strip. Very unsafe and being you have to disassemble the ring gear carrier anyway, go with the mini spool. I buy them from GRT racing here in Arkansas for less than a 20.00 bill. Have never had problems in 8in rears, to bad can't buy a full spool to fit them, much better and lighter too. Have you thought about getting another complete 8in "punkin" and setting it up for the track? You could then use your stock setup for street. They are plentiful and fairly cheap, running a mini spool on the street is not a good idea. Hard on axles, gears and tires besides being a safety issue. Don is right about rules at the track, check into them first. Setting up the rear gears is fairly simple if you take the time to ask or read about the procedure, that is where a second punkin would help for practice and learning while being able to still drive your car daily etc. Way back when, used to take a piece of paper and stick between ring and pinion, rotate and if it folded up needed to tighten up. If it sheared it clean was a bit tight, usually need about .008 to .010 backlash. Harbor Freight has dial indicators and magnetic stands fairly cheap, can also be used for engine building etc. Ask some other racers at the track, am sure you can find a good helpful friend to assist you. Have fun racing but always put safety first.
