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I recommend loading the camper, hooking up the trailer, and heading to a parking lot to see how much, if any, clearance you have at full lock. If your trailer has an extended tongue, you may be OK. If not, gonna need that hitch extension. Better to ID that sooner than later.
Agree trying to sell the Leer shell on the dually now so I can get the camper on the dually.
So far 2 interested buyers.
First one was a scammer asked for my phone number and sent me verification code in an attempt to access my information.
2nd one was a low baller, maybe a dealer or flipper, doubt we'll agree on a price.
I'm optimistic it might work from the measurements and the extra corner clearance from the V nose trailer.
I will very carefully test the turning radius limits asap.
I recommend loading the camper, hooking up the trailer, and heading to a parking lot to see how much, if any, clearance you have at full lock. If your trailer has an extended tongue, you may be OK. If not, gonna need that hitch extension. Better to ID that sooner than later.
Ok wow, the 8'11" camper to trailer clearance jack knifed was terrible.
I'd like to see what trailers Lance thinks can be towed without an extension?
So borrowed an 18" extension and tested to see it the camper rear jack would hit the V nose.
In fact the middle of V nose would be the point of contact, so a flat front trailer might have better clearance?
18" was helpful but still too close when jackknifed.
So I mocked it up with a 21 extension and it might work barely. Super Truss makes a 21 inch extension, any longer and the trailer won't clear my house when I make the sharp turn into my side yard driveway.
I live on a hill and have a crazy critical tight approach.
So the hidden costs of towing with a camper are clear now.
Super hitch rated at 20klbs.
Super truss 21 inch extension.
Trunnion style weight displacement hitch rated at 1000lbs. (doubles the tongue and towing specs of the super truss extension)
1 5/16 rear sway bar.
Super Springs 4600lb rated for level ride (helper leaf springs).
Bilstein 4600 H/D shocks.
4 frame mount Camper anchors.
Installing a front hitch in the grill for a bike or storage rack.
Even with the 21" extension a jack knife U turn gets really close to the camper jack.
The camper jack has 4 easy to reach bolts so until I can confirm clearance I will remove the right side camper jack for added clearance when I have to jack knife the trailer in my lower lot.
Should have all this completed within a month, parts on order now.
Meanwhile the race car was dropped off at the shop yesterday with a wish list.
Fresh 18 degree 750hp engine install, remove muffler install straight pipe.
Replace the Weismann transmission with a G force GSR transmission with a custom input shaft.
Install new Alcon 6 piston front calipers, new hubs and rotors too.
Install new Gold material heat barrier firewall.
At the shop decided to redo the oil filters and breathers and the Dry sump oil lines (3 lines, 1 inch in diameter that run from the engine to the 5 gallon oil tank near the right rear tire, 2 lines for scavenging 1 line to deliver oil to the engine).
Also since my current driveshaft likely will not fit with the new GSR decided to upgrade to a carbon fiber driveshaft.
Lighter good for 6 to 8 hp more to the tires, and safer compared to having a steel driveshaft fail and cause expensive damage to the car or me.
Also my current aluminum housing with a locker 3rd member will become a spare.
Instead we will use a lightened steel 3rd member for strength and a torsen gleason differential.
The torsen gleason is smoother and easier to drive than the harshness of locker exiting corners.
All this work is going to take a few months (time to win the lotto!)so it will give us time to get the camper experience figured out next.
Once completed I'll be ready to race, hope to travel to Cota or Road America with the race car and rig next year.
You sure love your race car, and your race car loves your money! Then again, that is one of the 3 things needed for a successful racing campaign.
As for the hitch, I recommend trying a longer extension if you can. The longer they are, the less tight the turns become. The longer extensions push the front of the trailer tongue toward the outside of the turn, so it ends up giving you more room than using no extension. I tried getting by with a 42" extension at first and later had to bite the bullet and get the 48" unit.
You sure love your race car, and your race car loves your money! Then again, that is one of the 3 things needed for a successful racing campaign.
As for the hitch, I recommend trying a longer extension if you can. The longer they are, the less tight the turns become. The longer extensions push the front of the trailer tongue toward the outside of the turn, so it ends up giving you more room than using no extension. I tried getting by with a 42" extension at first and later had to bite the bullet and get the 48" unit.
Yeah it's expensive but this shop has my confidence so I'm all in.
Besides I'm 65 and it's now or never, hopefully 5 or 8 more years of racing left in me.
Interesting thought on the trailer turn radius with or without an extension. I may take your advice and go for the 42".
Heading down to make a deposit at the Hitch shop today, thank you.
I don't know that you need 42", they make 24, 28, 32, 36 in the super truss design so there is a happy middle ground for you to settle on. My camper is 11'6" and my trailer has a slightly rounded, otherwise flat front. My camper tagged the trailer more toward the outside than the center.
I don't know that you need 42", they make 24, 28, 32, 36 in the super truss design so there is a happy middle ground for you to settle on. My camper is 11'6" and my trailer has a slightly rounded, otherwise flat front. My camper tagged the trailer more toward the outside than the center.
Good info thank you.
Right since my camper is 2.5 feet shorter (11.6 vs 8.11) it can use a shorter extension.
So I went with 24 inch, should work...it all gets installed March 3rd.
Today for the first time put the 3500lb truck camper in the dually, rig handled well. Even though it's a 1 ton had to add upper and lower rear spring helpers, new shocks, big rear sway bar and camper anchors.
Track camping and racing at Laguna Seca soon.
The 5 race car had a delay with the new G-Force GSR transmission input shaft.
The custom length input shaft had to made 3 times.
The first two times the heat treatment created too much run out in the input shaft.
3rd time after heat treatment the 3rd input shaft was still true.
Had to raise the drive train 5/8 of an inch for transmission to ground clearance.
The new Alcon TA 6 piston front brakes are on the car.
It's getting a Wave Trac differential, should be on the track in September.
Oh well it gave me all spring to mess with other projects.
That's a pretty beefy trans you got there. I'm looking to put a Samonas 6 speed H pattern trans in my car one of these days (maybe I'll just save up and get the sequential instead). Gotta sell my T-56 magnum first and get the car actually built though.
That's a pretty beefy trans you got there. I'm looking to put a Samonas 6 speed H pattern trans in my car one of these days (maybe I'll just save up and get the sequential instead). Gotta sell my T-56 magnum first and get the car actually built though.
I had a sequential in a Hayabusa powered thunder roadster that used the motorcycle transmission.
It was fun, much quicker on the downshifts compared to an H pattern.
As a renaissance racer (no nannies, 3 pedals, H pattern dog rings), now my only sequential is on the racing sim.
fwiw a trans swap can feel like rebuilding a car.
The size difference was a problem removed a Weismann 5 speed short side by side horizontal gear stack to a GSR 4 speed taller vertical stack gear stack.
So had to modify engine plates to raise the engine 5/8 of an inch.
Fortunately headers and everything else still had clearances.
New transmission has different mounting bolt pattern.
So a trick bell housing mod is next.
The hidden challenges/costs of a trans swap.
Your backdrop is beautiful, have you had a wetter season than usual?
Thank you yeah it was great had the outdoor irrigation turned off for 6 months.
Recovered from a drought and atm less guilt about having a small lawn lol.
Lost a handful of 5 foot tall Plumerias that got too much water.
You're due for race car update soon.... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qARlODVK5kk
The 5 car is on the lift. The 5 is my preferred Vintage race car. Since it is not being raced in Historic events it can be equipped with more modern parts. Good news the new G force GSR transmission arrived. It was delayed for months due to issues making the custom input shaft. Well the 4th input shaft arrived, machined correctly and it has no runout. Big front 6 piston TA calibers, fresh 750hp 18 degree engine, GSR transmission, carbon fiber driveshaft, new Wavetrac differential. This will be my workhorse, I plan to race it often and everywhere. Should be ready in time for the VARA Big Bore Bash in November at Big Willow. This month Big Willow is finally being repaired. Half the track is being repaved, the other half crack fill and slurry. Then next August the 2nd half of the track will be repaved too. The 5 car on the lift, new gold firewall, it's fun, safe and right for vintage racing.
progress, first test day, next race big willow with Vara middle of March...
starting with the 4th gen on an awesome 92 Pancho Weaver chassis.
Replace the vintage 4 piston fronts with new 6 piston brakes and rotors.
Biggest I can fit in a 16 inch diameter wheel.
Should help slowing at faster speeds.
Project Mu pads.
Carbon fiber driveshaft that uses less power and less inertia that can help with braking too.
It is a steel Ford 9 inch third member with lightened ring and pinion.
Wavetrack diff so you can get on it sooner.
Replaced the awesome old 5 speed Weissman with a Nascar style GSR 4 speed dog box.
Both are rated to 1000hp.
This should give me added shifting confidence.
We had to raise the engine 5/8 of an inch for new GSR ground clearance, so Bryans CNC made a new firewall transmission plate.
Look how excited this guy is about the transmission.
Similar transmissions except different front bell housing, and the new GSR stack is vertical, it has a little less ground clearance.
So here is the raised 5/8 inch front firewall transmission mount.
A big tube allows a 10 rear ward input shaft extension.
Thin Gold firewall rated for higher temperatures.
The new CNC front engine plate, should make the chassis stiffer.
Mocking up alternator mount, belts and gears.
New gold firewall but left the chassis in OG patina grey.
New front alternator mount, the old Alternator was driveshaft mounted and would only charge at high speeds.
Car is always on a battery charger at the track, small car battery, and I use a cool shirt and helmet blower.
5 stage dry sump oil pump, always prime the oil pump. Take off the belt and spin the pump with a drill every morning.
New oil tank with heater holds a case of oil. All swedged pressure tested fittings new lines, new breathers too.
Ran the engine on the Westec honest engine dyno.
Used 18 degree engine that had an ok leakdown, new valve springs.
Ran it on an 850 and a 750 carb.
Made 15 more hp with the 850 but less drivability.
So it has a 750 carb for more drivability out of the corners.
I'm guessing both trannies were dog boxes. I'm curious if both were good for 1000hp why the switch?
The newer trans has dog rings that are not machined onto the gears. So the gear side dog ring can be replaced without replacing the gear as well.
The shifting feedback should be improved on the new trans. The new trans was run in NASCAR 10 years ago so there are several resources that still provide very good support.
So now the 10 has a spare Weisman that bolts in.
#5 ran great and did a personal best on Friday testing, 1.21.
Top qualifier Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday race the handheld fire extinguisher came loose on the first turn so that race was over quickly.
Sunday race the #5 was a winner.
This was Sunday qualifying.
01-26-2023, 07:52 PM
how excited this guy is about the transmission.
Looks incredible. 
