Tubular metric frames

[mickey otoole]

Since there has been no street stock /pure stock discussion in awhile I thought I'd stir the pot. What's everybody's opinion of the tubular metric chassis and components manufactured by Johnson chassis ?

[Candyman 22T]

I think it would be a great idea. metric frames are few and far between anymore,yes they are out there but not for to much longer. A NEW TUBULAR frame has bolt on replacement parts for when a piece gets bent or twisted so you dont have to rebuild or build a new chassis.

[Sodus Mike]

They should NOT be allowed , period . They cost too much and unless the track buys a jig to ensure that they "remain" " identical " to a stock frame I would assume that they are not .

[Groundpounder]

http://www.johnsonchassis.com/CATALOG.html

Turn your volume down before clicking the link.  The site appears to have been designed by a 12 year old and has rather loud juvenile "racing" sound effects on every page.

[mickey otoole]

If you were to compare the cost of a new frame to the cost of the purchase of an old one and then the work to repair and make a stock frame race ready it would exceed the price of a fabricated frame, time is money, and all measurements can be done with a simple measuring tape. IMCA has a very nice diagram of all the dimensions for what a stock metric frame should be and  you will probably find more older cars out of spec than fab. ones.

[Torpedotom]

They were built to maximize front and rears roll centers and camber changes at a 4"ride height. Not appropriate to mix with stock chassis.

[mickey otoole]

torpedotom I don't know where you got your information from but you are misinformed that is not true these frames are exactly the same in weight dimension and pick up points . where have you seen one of these frame or cars in competition?

[O.M.G.]

I must admit ! They are a very nice frame. Workmanship is awesome . With that being said, we are not ready to change or upset the working's we have right now. Their is no comparison in price of the Johnson frame to a home built or CSC Chassis. I was told the Johnson frame alone cost $1,700. 00 without a cage. I have built my own stuff, from the ground up for less money. Not counting rear end, or the bolt on aftermarket suspension stuff . I will agree that, if we bend our front, or rear sections it would be easy to use the Johnson stuff. That's as far as I would take it.

Just saying it would open up a big CAN of worm's.
Some of these guy's are now way out of their.
Leave it alone, please!

[crazyk1818]

I have seen and raced against a couple of these chassis and I don't believe they had any great advantage over my stock home built car. But they did looked really nice!

[HoosierDaddy1]

It is an exact (weight, dimensions, etc.) replacement (all except for the rust and prep work needed on a stock unit). With that said. Right after they were approved, a bunch of racers with "supposed' stock units complained at a very well known track (not going to mention it, to not embarrass the tech squad at that place), that the Johnson units weren't actually "stock" . Needless to say, the track bought all the templates from Johnson Chassis, and ended up bouncing a half-dozen or so of the "stock" units that had been at the track for years, because those didn't meet stock dimensions in the front clip/frame area. So, if someone at a track complains about the Johnson Chassis, it is probably because their metric chassis has probably been altered, and they don't want those templates anywhere near their stuff.

It is a great idea, and the stock units are going fast, if almost not gone.

[Nate Stevens]

Is there any advantage to these frames at all?  Do they weigh the same?  Are they equally rigid?  If they are equal in all ways, why not...  Just another way to tell who wants to work hard in this sport and who wants to get by by throwing around money.

At the same time time there are plenty of cars out there that are no where near in stock location.  It is easy enough to check that stuff.  Skyline was doing it pretty well a few years back.  I have the chassis books with all the measurements if anyone wants to see them.  If not it is just another example of the tracks ruining racing by not enforcing their rules.

[Nate Stevens]

We could just make this easier and invite any late models that want to race for a street stock purse.  I suppose to be fair you can put them on the same tires and make them weigh the same.

[Nate Stevens]

I've got a way that will legit save the racers a ton of money.  Change all the tracks over to these 4 classes: Super Late Models, Spec Late Models, Crate Late Models and 4 Cylinder Late Models.  Everyone will be on the same parts so supply will be great, so costs will plummet.  It will be the greatest thing for racing.  If you don't like Late Models, you could do the same thing with Mods.

Hell, you could just have 4 classes of exactly the same cars and just pay them different amounts.  You just choose how much you want to race for.

[mickey otoole]

What does this conversation have to do with late models?

[mickey otoole]

what I,m talking about is a new, as close to stock as u can get replacement /option to a metric frame they do indeed weigh the same if anything are more rigid and its not about working hard to make your old stuff work but helping to keep a class going for years to come once ALL of the junkyard pieces are gone .