parachute mount pictures with stock fuel tank?

[MENTL231]

Just like the title says. I'm trying to mount a chute on my car with the stock tank still in it. Has anyone done this? If so could you post pics. I'm looking for idea's. Thank's, Jay.

 

[MENTL231]

Nothing? Is there a specific height the mount needs to exit the rear of the car. I'm wondering if i can exit through the plate area or does it need to exit through the bumper.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Have to consider the air flow if you have the rear spoiler on there. I'd keep it up as far as possible, and still allow the trunk to open.
Also, use care as to there you attach the shroud line anchor. Too high and you can unload the ft wheels when it deploys. Too low, and the rear tires can be unloaded.
Problem I see w/ stock tank, is the shroud lines hitting the bottom of the tank....

I'd call Stroud, or another of the chute mfgrs, and see what they say.

 

[sackracing]

I've got some pics of one going thru the bumper, but I can't access photobucket at work anymore...

 

[Dusty Bradford]

Mounting the chute to the tag area isn't an issue. It just holds the chute package on the car. The issue is tying the tether mount into the frame. You will need to weld some tubing to the frame between the tank and the bumper. If you would be scared to lift your car with a crane by the tether mount, it isn't mounted good enough.

Here's a pic of how the chute package is mounted to the car. There will be another small piece of tubing from the tether mount to the bottom of the chute package to support the weight. The tether mount is tied into the roll cage assembly under the trunk pan.

 

[MENTL231]

I was thinking of making the tether mount come out where the tag is. Most chute mounts i see have the chute package mounted through the plate area and the tether coming out the bumper. I want to keep the stock tank which makes it hard to put all the right braces where they need to go. I was thinking of making some bracing on the trunk floor and exiting through the plate area right above the bumper. Or like it was said tying a bar from frame rail to frame rail in between the tank and the bumper. and running two bars from the rear cage bars to this bar at an angle through the rear of the trunk area to the bar behind the bumper. I would only do that if the tether absolutely had to exit through the bumper and not right above it. I guess what i'm looking for is the optimal height of the tether on the back of the car. Its about 4 inches from the center of the bumper where most chute tethers are and the top of the bumper. Mounting the chute package itself is easy. Is there a formula for figuring it out properly. Someone told me it should be about the height of the camshaft? Does that sound right? Pics would really help. Or i'll just put a 66bb on this thing and forget about going 150 mph.

 

[Dusty Bradford]

I was thinking of making the tether mount come out where the tag is. Most chute mounts i see have the chute package mounted through the plate area and the tether coming out the bumper. I want to keep the stock tank which makes it hard to put all the right braces where they need to go. I was thinking of making some bracing on the trunk floor and exiting through the plate area right above the bumper. Or like it was said tying a bar from frame rail to frame rail in between the tank and the bumper. and running two bars from the rear cage bars to this bar at an angle through the rear of the trunk area to the bar behind the bumper. I would only do that if the tether absolutely had to exit through the bumper and not right above it. I guess what i'm looking for is the optimal height of the tether on the back of the car. Its about 4 inches from the center of the bumper where most chute tethers are and the top of the bumper. Mounting the chute package itself is easy. Is there a formula for figuring it out properly. Someone told me it should be about the height of the camshaft? Does that sound right? Pics would really help. Or i'll just put a 66bb on this thing and forget about going 150 mph.

I'm assuming keeping the tether mount low has handling benefits. I have a stock chrome bumper with a tether mount welded to the stock reinforcement but replacing the stock bumper shocks with some steel pieces is a good idea:biggrin:

 

[MENTL231]

I would love to see some pictures of that. I was slightly thinking of making my own bumper support and designing that mount that way as well. Even though its a stage car. I will drive it on the street and will not deal with a cell in the trunk cause thats where the cooler and lawn chairs goes!!!

 

[sackracing]

X2, I am going to use a stock location fuel cell. But I have fiberglass bumpers, I was thinking I would have to weld an x-member across the rear of the frame close to the bumper.

 

[Mike E]

I wouldn't put the tether attachment as high as the tag. This is probably high enough to take away some front end weight with enough speed. You definitely don't want the front end to get light at speed.

The tether should be mounted at the same height as the center of gravity of the car. In a chassis race car where the motor sits low, it's usually in line with the cam. In a "street" type car it's probably a couple inches lower than the cam

Another option to consider if you having a hard time building a solid mount behind the stock fuel tank, mount the tether directly to the rearend. Your car might be too low and you'll need to do a lot of measuring to make sure the tether doesn't hit the tank when the chute is out. If your still running a 10 bolt, you'll have to build a mounting point to go over the rear cover. If you have a 9" you can weld a mount directly behind the centersection. You wont' be able to have the tether hooked up when you cruise around because it will probably drag the ground. You can mount the pack where the license plate goes (like Dusty shows above) and make it removeable for street driving also.

 

[SPOOLFOOL2]

Here's Jeff Rand's parachute mount. Notice the bumper scratches, from a BIG wheel stand at Fontana a few weeks ago.

Here's my parachute mount.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Mike Barnard

 

[sackracing]

I want that setup ^^

 

[SuperCPA]

I don't think that this type of setup will pass a proper safety check anymore. The rulebook mentions that it has to be mounted directly to the frame. I am also pretty sure that the chute manufacturers quit recommending mounting in this position somewhere around the late 70's or early 80's. I believe that it has a tend to unload the rear end and that it was pinpointed as a major contributor to some accidents in the past.

Edit: Here is what I have found from a NHRA rulebook

Page 261
FRAME: 4
4:8 PARACHUTES
If outlined in Class Requirements, it is mandatory to have a braking parachute produced by a recognized drag racing parachute manufacturer. Tech inspectors may observe the proper operation of the parachute and inspect for worn or frayed shroud lines, ripped or dirty canopies, and worn or ragged pilot chutes. Parachute cable housings should be mounted solidly to frame tube or other suitable member no farther back than 1 inch.
The release housing must be attached within 12 inches of the parachute pack and in a manner that will allow the inner cable to release the parachute. When supercharged or using nitromethane as a fuel, it is mandatory that the parachute pack and unpacked shroud lines be protected with fireresistant material from the mounting point to the pack. Parachutes must have their own independent mounting, sleeved ½-inch minimum steel bolts or steel pins required for all applications. Material around the holes for the bolts/pins must be equal to or greater than the bolt/pin size. Safety pins must be red flagged and removed prior to burnout. The use of ball-lock pins for parachute mounting prohibited. See Class Requirements regarding use of two parachutes. Such applications require separate shroud-line mounting points for each parachute system.

 

[Dusty Bradford]

That's a local car. The chute is no longer mounted that way, it's now tied into the frame rails like any race car.

With that said, it stopped the car without issue from 190+ mph.

 

[MENTL231]

Some of these pictures are helpful. The main thing is doing so with the stock tank still in it. I would love to see pictures of the car with the chute bracing built into the bumper brace. I can't be the first one to do this.

 

[Dusty Bradford]

Some of these pictures are helpful. The main thing is doing so with the stock tank still in it. I would love to see pictures of the car with the chute bracing built into the bumper brace. I can't be the first one to do this.

It's very simple. Cut a hole in the bumper for the tether mount to slip through, and weld the pipe to the stock bumper support.

The top part is what I used to hold the chute in place. I had a smaller pipe that bolted to the chute, then slid inside the pipe you see here. When I needed the chute I would slide the chute down inside this pipe and put a bolt in it, then bolt the tether to the car. Took maybe 5 minutes to remove the chute. The downside is I did have to cut a hole in the bumper fillers near the tag for the pipe chute support to pass through.

 

[MENTL231]

Thats going to be strong enough? And i can assume like you said, changing the bumper shocks to solid ones.

 

[Dusty Bradford]

With solid struts.........tested at 186mph:biggrin:

 

[MENTL231]

No further questions. Thankyou for the imput.

 

[sackracing]

I'm screwed, I have glass bumpers with no supports. I might make something that mounts between bumper supports and frame and spans the frame behind the bumper.