Advice for new guy getting started

[Tom Goldman]

Originally Posted by doglover44

Never seen a Jeep in Stock before

We have a one here in D1 for many years .
A very competitive Jeep Commanche 2 WD pick up with a 4.0 L six

[oldskool]

I'm not an expert like many of the guys who post here. But here are my opinions, which many here will disagree with.

(1) IF you are not an experienced bracket racer, I HIGHLY recommend that you begin bracket racing ASAP. Unless you run against a vehicle in the same class as you, most every round of Stock Elim is a bracket race.

SO, if you aren't a good bracket racer, you won't be a good Stock Elim racer, especially if your vehicle won't run very far under it's index.

(2) Run an auto trans. It's SO much easier to learn to race & cut good lights, with an auto trans. Also much cheaper to build & maintain than with a manual trans vehicle.

Note: There are still some die hard stick racers out there. I respect that. I started with a stick, in Stock Elim, before there was any bracket racing in my area. Won quite a few local races with it. But when bracket racing took over in my area, we switched over to auto trans, & won lots of bracket races. So, I've raced both, and would not even attempt to run a competitive bracket car or Stocker, with a stick trans. Opinions differ.

Don't know your racing budget. BUT, if it is within your budget, you might consider buying a cheap race-ready bracket car.

OR, IF you can find a slow Stocker, for a reasonable price, you could use it for both Stock & bracket racing. Might check with these guys who have built these "dime rockets" they talk about & see if any of 'em will give you a good deal on one that's ready to race.

Good luck !

[Sean Marconette]

This may give you something to think about. Ellis gives out a lot of good information regarding his 91 Ranger.



Sean

[jmcarter]

Originally Posted by Tom Goldman

We have a one here in D1 for many years .
A very competitive Jeep Commanche 2 WD pick up with a 4.0 L six

Sure enough, nice looking truck and actually a reasonable price for being able to go far under the index plus all the spares. Note: Class racing is not for the faint of heart or thin of wallet, with some notable exceptions like Billy, Mark and a few others. Also, vehicles with a large frontal area can be challenging to dial.

https://www.racingjunk.com/stock-sup...=2&from=search

[Frank Castros]

If you know someone in your location that races in Stock Eliminator ask if you can help them with the car and also go to as many races as possible and listen and learn before you spend the time and money on your own project.

[Bobby DiDomenico]

Originally Posted by doglover44

Never seen a Jeep in Stock before

Who was the Fel Pro guy that raced one? Really nice guy, I forgot his name.

[5.9magnumjeep]

So looked at the dime rocket thread… funny enough someone did mention the 98 Jeep with the 5.9. I got under it earlier today to take a look at the bushings in the rear suspension (not for too long though, pouring down rain). Probably going to order a poly bushing kit from energy suspension to tighten things up a bit. However, the rear suspension looks like it’s got some great potential. I need to plot everything out and see if it’s got squat or anti squat.

I’m leaning towards the Jeep for now. It would be a good truck to get my feet wet in racing. Motor runs strong, transmission on a fresh rebuild. Main concern is getting an SFI rated damper, roll bar, 5 point harness, and whether or not the diffs need c clip eliminators (I keep reading mixed info on the Dana 44 aluminum retainer type some say no c clip and others say the aluminum housing has c clips). I also need to take a look at the clutch packs for the limited slip. Oh yeah and a driveline hoop.

The ranger will take a lot of work. Motor and trans need a rebuild, they are both tired. Rear end is tiny and prone to breaking on anymore than stock torque. New leaf springs, track bars, shocks, etc.

The jeep is more of a get in and go as opposed to the ranger.

[Mike Jones]

Good luck with your project. You didn`t mention trailer, tow vehicle etc. If you are going to race NHRA Divsionals, you should plan to be there Friday morning. Stockers are called out for qualifying first, (in D1 anyway) 8:30-9:00a am. If you have to take time off from work on Friday, the cost of a hotel for two nights, fuel to travel, fuel to race and the generous NHRA entry fee, you will be looking at $600-800 or so. You can show up EARLY on Saturday and sleep in the truck, but missing two time shots could make dialing tricky. Of course, either way, you will have to deal with the sharks who have been racing their combos for decades. Losing first round gets old quick. Making laps at a local track`s bracket program will get you seat time and help you make informed decisions.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by 5.9magnumjeep

So looked at the dime rocket thread… funny enough someone did mention the 98 Jeep with the 5.9.

The jeep is more of a get in and go as opposed to the ranger.

IF you think for one minute that your Jeep "is more of a get in and go" deal, let me save you the time and trouble, don't even start.

IF you want to do this deal then make your Jeep a Limited (NHRA doesn't care about the interior, only the badges and outside trim) and run N. No rollbar, harness, damper, jacket.

IF you want to listen to Mr. e vassar, don't do the Jeep.
There's still a few of us out here who have done OK with underpowered non-aerodynamic combos but you DO have to pay attention to the weather and wind.

IF you really want something that you can "get your feet wet" in and save about $2,500 of your $4,000 budget for your next victim, look at my thread in the ClassRacer Builds section "Not Fer Nuthin' But Close". It's inexpensive (I didn't say cheap!), cars, parts and support are readily available and it's not a bad little car to drive (in spite of what Mr. e vassar might think). And OBTW, I Bracket Race the car at my local track, it doesn't care if you call it an NHRA Stocker or a Bracket car.

[Rsmith38]

Originally Posted by Bobby DiDomenico

Who was the Fel Pro guy that raced one? Really nice guy, I forgot his name.

His name is Greg West. I understand that truck is somewhere in Wisconson running brackets seen on Youtube.