What would you do in a bumper scraping wheelstand?

Travis Miller · 07-09-2010, 10:40 AM

Okay, we've seen the Bob Porpora wheelstand video. If you get into one of those situations is there anyway to come out of it short of banging the front end down? Here's something that may work...

A few years ago a local S/S racer here in Louisville broke his wheelie bars and started to climb way too high. Realizing something was wrong he put his shifter into high gear, skipping second gear. Still under power the car settled down smoothly after the transmission shifted into high gear. All that was damaged was the broken wheelie bars.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions.)

Eric Merryfield · 07-09-2010, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Miller

Okay, we've seen the Bob Porpora wheelstand video. If you get into one of those situations is there anyway to come out of it short of banging the front end down? Here's something that may work...

A few years ago a local S/S racer here in Louisville broke his wheelie bars and started to climb way too high. Realizing something was wrong he put his shifter into high gear, skipping second gear. Still under power the car settled down smoothly after the transmission shifted into high gear. All that was damaged was the broken wheelie bars.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions.)

Interesting thought. Was the S/S racer a stick like Porpora's?

Travis Miller · 07-09-2010, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Merryfield

Interesting thought. Was the S/S racer a stick like Porpora's?

Automatic

Chris Hill · 07-09-2010, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Miller

A few years ago a local S/S racer here in Louisville broke his wheelie bars and started to climb way too high. Realizing something was wrong he put his shifter into high gear, skipping second gear. Still under power the car settled down smoothly after the transmission shifted into high gear. All that was damaged was the broken wheelie bars.

I've done this exact same thing too and it works. We did this before wheelie bars were legal. The wheelstand was a gradual up,up, up, not all at once.

Ken Miele · 07-09-2010, 12:07 PM

Travis,

In my case moving the handle to high gear did not help. I guess it would depend on how far you where out in the wheelstand. Back in the late 90's I was at Delmar Delaware and my car went past the point where I have never been, I put the car from 1st to high as soon as I felt I was to high. I would guess I was at the 300 foot mark and it still was not coming down. I ran out of balls and just lifted, in hindsight I probably should have feather the throttle, but it happened to quick and thought it was best to set it down.

I bent the headers, oil pan and shock towers along with other front-end components. I can tell you I was happy when the wheelie bars where okay for stock.

Today I don't need the bars because of what I have learned on how my car got into the large wheelstands, but I do like the insurance of having them.

PONTIAC'S REVENGE · 07-09-2010, 12:30 PM

Amen!
yea, totally amazed at some of these mountain motor races like nmca pro stock that dont have wheelie bars. I wonder if those guy have their insurance paid up if they have any kids

maybe that's the thrill.

good advice Travis!

stacy

Ron Ortiz · 07-09-2010, 01:39 PM

I do not have the problem of getting up too high. But if iI did I think that I would have wheelie bars on just for the sake of a finely prepped track.

In Popora's wheel stand he did not have any bars on that I saw of on the video. Usually he has those huge lightened bars (braces) on.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA I got the left front up one inch once.

BlueOval Ralph · 07-09-2010, 01:42 PM

he put his shifter into high gear
This would be OK if he had a H pattern shifter, but if it were a inline shifter it would take a lot of stumbling & fumbling to get to High gear. It apperars Travis hasn't driven a inline shifter in some time!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis Miller

Okay, we've seen the Bob Porpora wheelstand video. If you get into one of those situations is there anyway to come out of it short of banging the front end down? Here's something that may work...

A few years ago a local S/S racer here in Louisville broke his wheelie bars and started to climb way too high. Realizing something was wrong he put his shifter into high gear, skipping second gear. Still under power the car settled down smoothly after the transmission shifted into high gear. All that was damaged was the broken wheelie bars.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions.)

Travis Miller · 07-09-2010, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueOval Ralph

he put his shifter into high gear
This would be OK if he had a H pattern shifter, but if it were a inline shifter it would take a lot of stumbling & fumbling to get to High gear. It apperars Travis hasn't driven a inline shifter in some time!

Most automatics I've seen have inline shifters.

Travis

(Disclaimer: Opinions and ideas expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions. My opinions and ideas are also meant to help. But then some people cannot be helped.)

John Leichtamer Jr · 07-09-2010, 02:52 PM

Did anyone notice that it looked like the right headlight came out of the car on landing???

Also I watched Brett Mc Farland & Arnold Greene Go up on the back bumper, Brett just kept on shifting and came down when he hit 4th gear. Arnold road his out the same way. This was a Orlando.

Hammer

07-09-2010, 10:40 AM	#1
Travis Miller Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 476 Likes: 1 Liked 275 Times in 25 Posts	What would you do in a bumper scraping wheelstand? Okay, we've seen the Bob Porpora wheelstand video. If you get into one of those situations is there anyway to come out of it short of banging the front end down? Here's something that may work... A few years ago a local S/S racer here in Louisville broke his wheelie bars and started to climb way too high. Realizing something was wrong he put his shifter into high gear, skipping second gear. Still under power the car settled down smoothly after the transmission shifted into high gear. All that was damaged was the broken wheelie bars. Travis (Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by me on this forum are exactly that, my opinions.)

07-09-2010, 12:07 PM	#5
Ken Miele Live Reporter Join Date: Dec 2000 Posts: 4,570 Likes: 355 Liked 13,249 Times in 1,238 Posts	Re: What would you do in a bumper scraping wheelstand? Travis, In my case moving the handle to high gear did not help. I guess it would depend on how far you where out in the wheelstand. Back in the late 90's I was at Delmar Delaware and my car went past the point where I have never been, I put the car from 1st to high as soon as I felt I was to high. I would guess I was at the 300 foot mark and it still was not coming down. I ran out of balls and just lifted, in hindsight I probably should have feather the throttle, but it happened to quick and thought it was best to set it down. I bent the headers, oil pan and shock towers along with other front-end components. I can tell you I was happy when the wheelie bars where okay for stock. Today I don't need the bars because of what I have learned on how my car got into the large wheelstands, but I do like the insurance of having them.

07-09-2010, 12:30 PM	#6
PONTIAC'S REVENGE Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: CARMEL, INDIANA Posts: 140 Likes: 69 Liked 49 Times in 19 Posts	Re: What would you do in a bumper scraping wheelstand? Amen! yea, totally amazed at some of these mountain motor races like nmca pro stock that dont have wheelie bars. I wonder if those guy have their insurance paid up if they have any kids maybe that's the thrill. good advice Travis! stacy

07-09-2010, 01:39 PM	#7
Ron Ortiz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Englewood, Florida Posts: 962 Likes: 28 Liked 255 Times in 87 Posts	Re: What would you do in a bumper scraping wheelstand? I do not have the problem of getting up too high. But if iI did I think that I would have wheelie bars on just for the sake of a finely prepped track. In Popora's wheel stand he did not have any bars on that I saw of on the video. Usually he has those huge lightened bars (braces) on. Ron Ortiz U/SA I got the left front up one inch once. __________________ Ron Ortiz 2102 STK

07-09-2010, 02:52 PM	#10
John Leichtamer Jr Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Orange City Fl Posts: 764 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: What would you do in a bumper scraping wheelstand? Did anyone notice that it looked like the right headlight came out of the car on landing??? Also I watched Brett Mc Farland & Arnold Greene Go up on the back bumper, Brett just kept on shifting and came down when he hit 4th gear. Arnold road his out the same way. This was a Orlando. Hammer Last edited by John Leichtamer Jr; 07-09-2010 at 03:07 PM.