Competition Atten Vegas DHRA sled pullers

[Sled Puller]

TJ almost took out Rick Harvey's kid at High Desert '05, when he blew a u-joint. Hit the bleachers right in between his legs.

Are you serious? The I- pull- for- fun -only,- I- don't- need- safety- equipment TJ?



Or are you kidding, Tom?

 

[fest3er]

Sorry for my choice of wording... ... t-case output shaft u-joint and carrier u-joint, howz that?

Joe

The general rule of thumb is: if you stand off to the side of the truck 15-20 foot away and can see a u-joint, that u-joint needs a loop. I believe the reasoning is that visible u-joints can fling parts at high velocity directly at spectators. U-joints that are not thusly visible can fling parts away, but those parts will either hit the truck or the track before they hit a human, and the track or truck will absorb a lot of the kinetic energy, thus greatly reducing the potential for serious injury to a spectator. Of course, there is no penalty for shielding all your u-joints.

Similarly, the rear hubs need to be covered, in case a truck should shear any or all of the bolts holding the axle in. I don't know if the stock Dodge plastic hub caps are acceptable, but since they will take hitting a 2x4 at 60 MPH without shattering, I think they'll contain 8 bolt heads. (Yes, I hit a short length of 2x4 at 60MPH with my front wheel once. That flipped the 2x4 up and into the path of the rear hubcap. The cap is cracked and abraded, but I'm still using it several years later. )

If your engine turns less than 4500 RPM, shields/blankets are not required. Again, there is no penalty if you choose to install trans/bellhousing shields/blankets anyway.

Spectator, crew and driver safety comes first. Always. The complete rulebook can be downloaded from www.dhraonline.com.

There are other general rules of thumb to help you select the class you'll pull in. If you have 400HP or less and your engine/drivetrain is generally stock-appearing, you'll fit well into Work Stock. If you have a single turbo and 500-600HP, you'll likely fit nicely into Street Diesel. If you have twin turbos or have 700-900 HP, you'll be in Super Street. If you have a purpose-built pulling truck (like Scheid's, Haisleys' and Scott's trucks, well over 1000 HP, etc. , etc. ) you'll be in Modified Diesel. These are rules of thumb, not exact specifications. The HP numbers are based on midwest HP levels; your mileage may vary.

 

[zstroken]

Sorry for my choice of wording... ... t-case output shaft u-joint and carrier u-joint, howz that?



Joe

I was just wanting to see pictures of shields on the front u joints. :-laf

 

[JGheen]

I was just wanting to see pictures of shields on the front u joints. :-laf

That would be an interesting design covering the knuckle u-joints, if that is what your refering to.

Here is a pic of my front and rear shields.



Joe

 

[zstroken]

That was what I was referring too. I guess a kevlar wrap could be done. Typically if it is visible from the stands that means it can easily become a eye removing projectile. One of the ITPA(indiana truck pullers) said that the cadigan joint by the transfer case went and hit the stands at their event. Hence they require ujoints shields on all u joints on the drive shafts. Plus if you lose that ujoint there is a chance it can smack your transfer case and put a hole it in.

 

[BigBadDodge]

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[BigBadDodge]

CSutton's front;



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[DavidTD]

I am sure Gene and Dieter are glad to answer any questions (but you guys know Gene, you gotta be specific :-laf ) regarding where any of you currently stand or what needs to be done so you can pull. The rules we mandate for safety are common in pulling.



Like Houston last year, everyone had a blast getting a hook to the sled and we want to make sure we allocate all the time we can to the pullers so everyone that wants a hook gets one. But I have a schedule to put together so...



... if you plan to hook speak up... :-laf

 

[Tcolesanti]

Are you serious? The I- pull- for- fun -only,- I- don't- need- safety- equipment TJ?



Or are you kidding, Tom?

I have been accused of a lot of things but two things I never do is lie and kid. Yes that's the god honest truth Gene.

 

[Sled Puller]

Well, TJ, that was 05, and I'm pretty sure you have gone up in power since then. I think you should take the time and put some u-joint shields on.



I thank you for bringing safety up,TJ, its something a lot of us tend to forget, in the rush to get that new turbo, tires, etc on before the big pull.



I'm guilty, I spent all winter in 2004, buying and installing power parts, and the day before a pull, I was putting my shields and air shutoff on- local hook, a year before DHRA required them.

 

[Brandon]

hey shortrod, safety while pulling is important... when my son is out on the same track in turlock and some dummy goes by and lets a motor loose it scares the hell outta me for HIS safety. . think about it

 

[fest3er]

... I understand you guys have rules but I only pull for fun. TJ

Some food for thought. Please don't take this post in any negative way; I really mean it to be food for thought. I think others may have responded to you in a much more direct fashion. I favor the 'intellectual' approach.



Ponder how it will feel should a spectator lose an eye. It won't be any fun for that spectator (or her parents if she's a kid). And when you find out it was *your* part that caused the injury/loss, I'm sure it won't be much fun for you any more, either.



In general, safety rules are based on industry experience. They are generally *reactive*, rather than pro-active. U-joints disintegrate; hence we require containing shields. Axle end-bolts are sheared off; hence we require shields for them. Clutches disintegrate, so we require blankets/shields. Turbos have been known to explode, so we require metal hoods and fenders (fiberglass is prohibited, though it might be allowed if a sturdy metal shield is well-fastened around the turbo).



Can safety rules eliminate *all* danger to spectators, crew, and drivers? Yes, but the cost would kill the sport. Safety rules are intended to minimize the danger to all, while allowing the sport to flourish. In motorsports, there is *always* the risk of the loss of life and limb. Safety rules are man's best attempts to manage that risk.



In the case of sled pulling, think of safety rules as being based on power and RPM. The more you have of one and/or the other, the more safety equipment you will be required to have. This is the same in sled pulling and drag racing. Under 14 sec. ET, you need a helmet and forward driveshaft loops. Under 12, you need a roll bar. Under 10, you need a full cage. The more exotic your fuel is, the more personal fire safety gear you need. You hit the wall laterally at 120MPH, or a piece of tire hits your helmet and breaks your neck, you'll probably die; that's part of the risk we all accept in motorsports, because they are ... 'one-in-a-million' occurrences. U-joints explode on a far more frequent basis; installing shields for them is a no-brainer.



Rules are never created in any sport just to be a PITA for participants. Safety rules are created to keep the sport fun for all involved. Class rules are created to attempt to maintain a level playing field, as it were.



Again, this is food for thought.



So, how many west coast pullers will be pulling at LVMS? Let Dave or Gene know, so they can plan the best event possible!



Neal

 

[TJSHOTROD]

I already said I would get to some of the safety stuff like u joint shields and bolts in the exhaust. I was refering to stuff like the air and fuel shut off and full drive shaft loops. I really don't care if you let me pull or not. If I can great if I can't who cares.



Tom unless you know something I don't my u-joint cap was in the dirt and never made it to the stands.

 

[TJSHOTROD]

hey shortrod, safety while pulling is important... when my son is out on the same track in turlock and some dummy goes by and lets a motor loose it scares the hell outta me for HIS safety. . think about it

Do you think about his safety every time you strap him in a car because that is the most likely place he will get hurt and that is a fact.

 

[JerrodGlover]

I already said I would get to some of the safety stuff like u joint shields and bolts in the exhaust. I was refering to stuff like the air and fuel shut off and full drive shaft loops. I really don't care if you let me pull or not. If I can great if I can't who cares.



Tom unless you know something I don't my u-joint cap was in the dirt and never made it to the stands.

Can you show me where it requires "Full Drive shaft Loops"?

 

[zstroken]

Maybe I am speaking out of line, but if the east coast guys can do it and you swear that your near their power levels, then you should be able to do it too!! I have seen a u joint hit the stand and a drive shaft loop is super simple to make. Much easier than a ujoint shield. Get some 1" x 1/4" stock bend it in the shape you want, drill a few bolt holse grab some angle and mount it to the truck and it is done. A front drive shaft loop is your call. Ask Jwilliams he has a video of a guy losing his front drive shaft and it hit the oil pan.

 

[TJSHOTROD]

Sorry drive shaft loops. All I am saying is will they let a few things slide if a effort has been made to complete most of the saftey stuff.

 

[jwilliams3]

TJ,

I take it you are pulling SS? I see the street rules for this year reflect a one time waiver for u joint shields.....

 

[Tcolesanti]

Tom unless you know something I don't my u-joint cap was in the dirt and never made it to the stands.

Both Rick and Little Rick told me the same thing. He even showed me the U-joint cap that he brought home from the event, YOUR U-joint cap.