Back By Popular Demand

 Technical Stuff

Parts
Terminology
Setup Info
Wiring diagram
Things to bring to the races

 

 

This information is based on postings from various news groups and from the Legends Cars Mail list.
Thanks to everyone who contributed.

PARTS

Since these cars are made from pieces parts of other cars, the best thing to do is take off your bent/busted or worn out piece and bring it with you to your local parts dealer to compare. Some of the earlier cars have different parts then some of the newer ones.

Brakes:
Most cars use front and rear 76-81 Toyota Celica/Corolla

Note: Sources inform us that not all Legends Cars have the same brakes on them.
Here is some info we received from the OneList

My front brakes are off 76-79 Supra/Celica without sensors
Rear are 76-81 Celica
Rear ends are supposedly the same from 76-81.
Front ends have minor differences between 79 and 80.
79 and older are different then 80 and newer.
At least that's what I have dug up so far.

Thanks to Gary (The Computer Guy)

A question also came up about the little shims that hold the front brake pads in place.

Tell them you want caliper slides for a 76-81 Supra/Celica without sensors, that should get you want you want..

Thanks Again to Gary (The Computer Guy)

Front Pads:
Performance Friction - Carbon Metallic
Label reads:
Slotless
195.28.16.4
Race Ready

PBR Metal Masters
D 247 M

Rear Pads:
Wagner
Relined Brake Shoes
PAB407

Rotor:
Brombo
Label Reads:
08.3067.10
Toy 43512-14040

Master cylinder:
(for the newer chassis, remote reservoir)
72 V.W.  Beetle (not a super beetle, right Pete!)
Auto Zone 11-1559
NOPI 113 611 015 DX
(for the older chassis, 2 ports, reservoir mounted directly on top)
Wagner F110984

Rear Wheel Brake Cylinder:
NAPA 37277 (Toyota Celica)

 

Ball Joints:

Upper:
TRW Tie Rod End #ES419R
NAPA 269-2059

Lower:
TRW Tie Rod End #ES2847R
NAPA 269-2351

(please note: the tie rod ends available from 600 racing are designed to be weaker then the TRW tie rod ends. 600 Racing says this is to reduce the impact to the other parts of the car and to the driver)

Oil Filter:

Purolator ML16809 (For Factory On Engine Filter)
FRAM PH-8A, Wix #51515(r) (External Oil Filter from 600 Racing)

 

Rear End:

Here are the bearing and race numbers for a complete rebuild of a rear end
(Thanks to David VanAmburg #56k)

1 Bearing KOYO M86649RT-N
1 Race KOYO M86610-N

1 Bearing KOYO HiCap HM88649-N
1 Race KOYO HiCap HM88610-N

2 Bearing KOYO HiCap LM501349-N
2 Race KOYO HiCap LM501310-N

Axle Seal:
Federal Mogul 1955 (other numbers on box, 7 24956 06147   A95222)

Pinion Seal:
Carquest# SLS1176

 

Terminology

Camber
When viewed from the f ront of the car, camber is the angle of  the front tires leaning left or right. Negative camber has the top of the tire leaning in toward the center of the car, positive camber has the top of the tire leaning away from the car. For oval racing you want negative camber on the right front corner and positive camber on the left front corner.

Caster
When viewed from the side of the car, caster is the angle or tilt of the spindle assembly leaning toward the rear of the car (Positive Caster) or toward the front of the car (Negative Caster). Positive Caster results in making the front wheels straighten out easier but, makes it harder to turn the wheel.

Toe In/Out
When viewed from the front of the car, the leading edge of the front tires are aiming out (toe-out) or aiming toward each other (toe-in).

Push/Tight/Understeer
Car won't seem to turn when you go into or as you exit a corner. Feels like the front end is plowing and sliding straight ahead. Less traction on the front tires than the rear.

Bumpsteer
This happens when the suspension compresses (like under hard braking), causing the control arms and tie-rods to move vertically. Because they differ in length and location, the result is the rim/tire being steered without any movement of the steering wheel. Cars having control arms and tie-rods parallel to the road will exhibit minimal bumpsteer.

Loose/Oversteer
Rear end of car slides or skids out from under you as you enter or exit a corner.   Feels like you will spin out, you must turn into the direction of the skid (Turn wheels right if rear end is sliding to the right) and back off throttle to catch the rear of the car. Less traction on the rear tires than on the front tires.

Cross Weight/Wedge
Cross weight is the combined weight of the left rear corner and the right front corner as a percentage of the total vehicle weight. More cross weight results in a tight race car, less cross weight results in a loose race car. Wedge is the adjustment made to change vehicle cross weight. Adding wedge to the left rear will transfer more weight to the right front corner. Wedge is added or removed by adjusting the springs.

Stagger
Difference in the diameter of the right side tires verses the left side tires.

SETUP INFORMATION

A Good Place To Start
These are some good settings to start out with.

	Air Pressure	Spring Rates	Degrees Camber	Degrees Caster	Ride Height
Left Front	20 lbs	185 lbs	+2	+ 1/2	4 1/8"
Right Front	28 lbs	200 lbs	-2	+1 1/2	4 1/8"
Left Rear	20 lbs	185 lbs	n/a	n/a	4 5/8"
Right Rear	28 lbs	200lbs	n/a	n/a	4 5/8"
Set Toe Out to 1/8"
Left Side Wheelbase: 73"			Right Side Wheelbase: 72 7/8"

 

How to make adjustments:

To adjust Camber. Disconnect the upper link, loosen the jam nuts and rotate to adjust.
This is where you adjust Caster. Same deal, loosen jam nuts and rotate.
This one here is for Toe in/out. Once again loosen the jam nuts at each end and turn the rod to adjust in or out.
Always make sure you tighten the jam nuts back up!!!!
All these shots are from the left side of the car.

 

Setting Toe in-out:

Recommendations are for 1/4" to 3/4" toe out for Oval racing.

Jack the front of the car up and take a can of spray paint, spin the tire and paint the center of the tread, use a jack stand for support and a screw driver as a scribe, spin the tire again with the screw driver making a scribe line in the center of the tread where you painted. After doing this to both sides put the car back on its wheels and roll back and forth to settle suspension. Use a tape measure to measure the distance between the lines at the back of the tire (the tape needs as close to the bottom of the frame as you can get). Then measure the distance across the front of the tire. The difference is the toe measurement. You want at least a 1/4 inch toe out (the front easurement  is greater) for a high bank 1/4 mile or maybe 3/4 for a 1/5 mile flat. The rest of the set up will also affect the amount of toe out needed.

Thanks to Steve Benson #65

Take a piece of string and have someone hold it at the rear of the car to cross the center of the rear wheel. Pull it across the front wheel on the right side and make sure the front wheel touches the string both front and rear. This sets your baseline straight ahead. Now place the string on the left side. When the string touches the front tire, which should be front side first, the distance between the string and the rear side will be your toe out, if it touches the rear first, you are toed in. I run anywhere from 1/4 out to 3/4 out. More for tighter corners.

Thanks to Dan Curtis

Swapping out the Rear Chunk:

Put a short length of 2x2 wood under each axle before jacking up the car. This will keep the housing level when jacked up. Use high quality jack stands under both frame rails, not the bumper - we'd like to keep you around.

You have to disconnect the driveshaft from the pinion shaft flange first. Drain out the oil from the housing. Then pull both rear brake drums and remove four nuts holding a plate that retains the wheel bearing on each side.You have to remove both halves of the drive axles before you can remove the differential carrier. Finally, remove the differential carrier. Be careful, as you can drop it on your face, and it is fairly heavy.

Installation of the new carrier and gear set is the reverse of the disassembly. Clean the carrier and housing mating surfaces and apply some silicone sealant prior to assembly. Also clean the wheel bearing retainers and housing mating surfaces and apply silicone. Pay special attention to torque the bolts (evenly) that hold the driveshaft to the pinion shaft flange. Remember to load up the housing with new lube. That's it.

Thanks to Stan Disbrow

Setting Cam Timing:

By advancing the intake cam you can increase the length of the compression srtoke (you open the valve sooner) and get more power from the engine. You need slotted cam sprokets to accompish this as well as a degree wheel and dial indicator.

Foxco charges $100 to set cam timing with the engine out of the car.

Now for the rest of us.

This following is done at your own risk and just because I got lucky and it worked is no sign that you will be successful.  Take your cam cover off, remove plugs and crank the engine over (22mm wrench on the cam [I have had a cam jump a tooth on the sprocket doing this]).
There is a hole in the #3 cam bearing and a dimple in the camshaft. (The white fj1200 book at your Legends dealer is a good refernece).
At Top Dead Center the two dimples should be centered in the hole on both cams. This is stock timing.

To adjust the timing you need slotted cam sprockets although you can sometimes get a little adjustment from the slop in the stock sprokets holes. You need to move the intake till the dimple is touching the spark plug side of the hole. This is not very accurate and the engine people are screaming about now.  If you can look at an engine with the "rocked cams" this is where they appear. Be sure to check compression after doing this because you can exceed the 180 pound limit and will need to back off the intake.
I believe that 111 intake and 106 exhaust are the actual degrees we are trying to accomlish.

Thanks to Dan Curtis

Wiring Diagram:
(Click to enlarge)