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| Skatecar (180 Posts)
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Previous posting
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On 6/18/2004 Terry Nails
wrote in from
(68.208.nnn.nnn)
Please excuse the spelling in the previous posting. Too many blows to the head I suspect (smile)...
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Skatecar
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On 6/17/2004
Terry Nails
wrote in from
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It's funny to see someone talking about those things. What a nightmare! They weren't very fun to drive and since they were meant to go straight they had almost no turning radious, so if some how got off line some how you were screwed. The Silver stroker car was scarey as hell sometimes. I remeber we were testing it out on the big assed hill out in east Oakland and the cops put a radar gun on it with out us seeing them and clocked us at 72 mph. They came tearing up to us and demanded to see the engine and told us they were going to ticket us for driving an unlicenced vehical on a public street and speeding. They thought it had an engine because the breaking system smoked like hell when you engaged it. It was basically just a mechanical arm with tire ruber on it that came down and hit the ground when you squeesed the break handle, which was off of a Harley. Anyway they were so blown away when we told them that we practicing for on attemp on the world speed record that they hung around for a couple hours and blocked traffic for us. That was the fastest we ever got it going. The Signal hill race was basically a joke as far as the hill went. It was to small, not steep enough and didn't have a long enough run off area. That's how I ended up getting hit by that car. Being from San Francisco that hill looked like a flat street compared to what I'd been riding everyday for years.
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Skatecars
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On 3/25/2004
Guy (Grundy) Spagnoli
wrote in from
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I agree with John Hughes post. Keep it simple and the fun remains intact. We were innovators in the 70's and the Skatecars we made and used then would still do the job today.
Ride Safe
Grundy
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equal weight
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On 3/18/2004 herbn
wrote in from
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how about an equal weight rule? The rider and car weight is equal for everybody.
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Skatecars
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On 2/26/2004 John Hughes
wrote in from
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Rules?? How about 2 trucks, 4 wheels, 70 lb max, and must lean to turn. That keeps it within easy reach of almost everyone who would climb in one. Braking did work at signal hill on almost every car there. If it is kept simple then it stays with skateboarders and NOT Race car makers... GOOD LUCK TO ALL. JH
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Skatecar race
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On 2/26/2004 Kludy
wrote in from
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Talk is all good but we need to race .Bring me one to barret race and we will do it .
LETS RACE THE THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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give me lift !
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On 2/23/2004 Duane
wrote in from
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Within reason, I'd rather have lift. Downforce is a double penalty, it increases drag as well as normal force on the wheels so you get more bearing and tire friction. Don't think we'll see any Mercedes-like LeMans quadruple flips at our speed. It really isn't easy to measure lift or downforce generated, but it will affect your drag coefficient big-time. If you make the height of the rear suspension adjustable, you can tune lift or downforce by adjusting up and down, and testing times on the same hill.
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Shaping
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On 2/23/2004 PSR
wrote in from
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Duane,even though you say the shape of the Powerflex Skatecar isn't what you'd want,it does have more virtues than vices.I agree that you cannot keep air out from underneath entirely,but the (too)long,and acutely angled nose isn't a bad idea.Downforce is certainly preferable to Lift!The tail,by way of that upsweep,means that air that does get under will exit by means of laminar flow,and also not produce Lift.Yeah,the drag penalties could be high with this combo(they are on my Luge),but I'd definately want downforce drag than lift-induced drag. The best likely shaping would be to push air more to vehichle's sides,and try to maintain a clean laminar flow,being more careful about exit vortices and the drag they incur.An Albacore-Hull(um,minus the conning tower,but somewhat like the Sub's profile) shape,given enough flat underneath to provide a stable wheelbase/track,with a slight upward lilt to the tailcone would be my ideal.If extra stability were needed,I'd go with as little 'fin' sticking out as possible for directional aids.
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Powerflex car
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On 2/17/2004 Duane
wrote in from
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Looks cool, but aerodynamics are poor. Downforce on the front, and suction under that rear lifted area, big time. A good example of what you don't want to do: try to keep air out from under (you can't). Might be faster backward
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PowerFlex Skatecar
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On 2/17/2004
alec
wrote in from
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Just came across this on eBay.......
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3661068188&category=16264
Mmmmmm, nice
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randal
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On 2/13/2004 hc
wrote in from
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hughR,
randal got a very nice skate car hanging in his garage,
he made it for the sand hill challenge.
maybe you can convince him to take some pics for you page.
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turner
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On 2/13/2004
hc
wrote in from
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http://www.badasskate.co.uk/photos/Old%20Photos.html
simon, thx for those pics, very cool..
hughR, have you heard anything about a Bodrods streamliner,
i read about it on streetluge.net quite a while back..
hc
http://www.geocities.com/sk8sanjose/luge.html
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Turner
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On 2/12/2004
Simon Gunning
wrote in from
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http://www.geocities.com/sk8sanjose/turnerluge.jpg
If you want to see more pics of this - I took photos when I went to see Bob Turner in the eighties
http://www.badasskate.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1017161167
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Most comprehnsive skatecar site on the net
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On 2/11/2004 hugh r
wrote in from
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www.skatecar.homestead.com
HR
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links
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On 2/11/2004 FL
wrote in from
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I think hc at The San Jose Dh Sk8 site (on the links page here) might have some pics . Also Craig Vetters website has some pics ..FL
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Skatecar
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On 2/11/2004
FL
wrote in from
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Generally speaking , a skatecar is a faired , lean steered laydown . Some had metal frames , some wood .Some were headfirst , some were feetfirst . There was a 100 mm (4") max on the wheels ..FL
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What the hell is a skatecar?
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On 2/10/2004 Alex Maier
wrote in from
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What is a skatecar? any links?
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Skatecars
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On 2/9/2004 Bob
wrote in from
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Now this is a skatecar... actually.. a pair of em
http://sauron.alphademon.com/albums/misc/skatecar.jpg
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Braking Systems
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On 2/5/2004
FL
wrote in from
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You guys might check out the Patent Office database for interesting designs .Hell , I think one of my anti-dive linkages is there ....FL
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Rules
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On 2/5/2004
Jackie Lee Smith
wrote in from
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Hi Folks...
I am trying to line-up a couple of different race venues. One of them being Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio.
Rules soon...promise!
Jack
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Where are you Jackie Smith!
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On 2/4/2004 hugh r
wrote in from
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Hey Jack Smith!! Hows abouts some rules??!!
:) HR
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Parachutes
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On 1/29/2004 GBJ
wrote in from
(69.140.nnn.nnn)
Let me begin by acknowledging that I am not a skatecar driver, and haven't even seen one in person, but I was a fan of all that skatecar stuff back in the '70s. I seem to recall that parachutes were attempted at the last big Signal Hill race, the one where so many people got hurt. I even have a recollection of the Silver Streak car with its' little parachute door on the rear popped open and the chute out. If I recall correctly though, it was suggested in the coverage of that event that the parachutes were tending to jerk the car, often to one side or the other, as they deployed.
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parachutes
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On 1/27/2004 hugh r
wrote in from
(68.232.nnn.nnn)
While not being necessairly extemely areo... I am thinking that a design that allows you to foot brake in a pinch is something to consider from the safety stand point.
I don't think that I could economically build a braking system that will stop as quick or consistantly as my tire clad feet!
Also, even though they could end up being a menace in head to head racing... parachutes would certainly be 'crowd pleasers' at the finish line!
HR
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rack & pinion
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On 1/27/2004 Duane
wrote in from
(68.15.nnn.nnn)
Strokers are pretty close, thay have the "rack" but no pinion. I suppose you could get closer to true rack & Pinion by putting a gear in the center to translate lean into tie rod movement, but that would probably be more mechanical-feeling than the strokers. I think a wider stroker arrangement is a very legitimate way to steer a skatecar, probably the best way if you want flat profile wheels. Use of elastomers like urethane foam to dampen the steering movement would help a lot for stability, or theoretically, a damper could be used. Adding a little suspension is also a nice trick, if the course is bumpy / cracked that will pay off big, smooth is fast. I wouldn't want to see too many rules here, I think a width maximum, wheel size (and number, four), and body lean steering are enough to keep them "skateboards". There should be a maximum total weight, light guys, go get some lead.
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turner luge
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On 1/26/2004 hc
wrote in from
(68.121.nnn.nnn)
nevermind, yup feet first...
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