Mid-Engine

[racer951]

Searching hasn't yielded too many promising results.

The basic reasons for a mid-engine setup should be better weight distribution. What are the exact pros and cons of it and how do they weigh out? How does it affect different wheelbase cars (would it work better on a 100 in wb car or 120 inch wb car)? I know it depends on the capabilities between the front and rear suspension, but assuming the front is nearly equal to the rear, how does it play out?

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[Hollowpoint]

This is exactly what I've been wondering, as well. I'm sure similar weight distributions (front wheel/rear wheel) can be had given the seating/fuel/wheelbase arrangement, so I'm guessing it depends whether you want the weight more toward the center or toward the outside. Dondel and Marking just changed their setups to rear engine from mid engine(anybody know if they changed any other weight/wheelbase factors?).. and then there are successful mid engine cars like Ebbert/Castro. I'm curious to what the pros are cons are, as well.

[la2baja]

I don't work on mid engine set ups but the few pro's and con's I know are...
Weight in the middle of the truck is the biggest reason for this set up. Getting all that weight behind the driver is a huge factor on a good working suspension. Front suspension doesn't have to work as hard. The rear on a 3 or 4 link handles the pounding with the extra weight much better than an A-arm or beam suspension in the front. (more leverage). A big downer about the mid engine is the extra $$ to arange the motor, transfer case and drive shaft. Most of the trucks are designed from the ground up in order to keep the clearances of the drive system and rear suspension.
Also working on a mid engine set up is tight. real tight. I've taken a close look at a few trucks out there and they really max out the space available in there. Probably not fun to work on.

[Hollowpoint]

Now I realize the question was about trucks..was thrown off by the word "car" in the first post. My curiosity still falls under engine placement, so please give input as it refers to mid-rear comparisons, as well. I can't see this being that far "off topic."

[la2baja]

As far as a car (class 1). The cars I work on are both rear engine. They are running the more common stub axles to hubs on trailing arms set up. (not a truggy w/ live rear axle) Our fuel source is right behind the cockpit (literally inches from the drivers back) our weight is distrubuted to the rear of the car where our suspension is capable of handling quite a bit more weight. The mid engine cars are definetly spreading the weight more evenly between all 4 corners. I can't recall where the last mid engine car I saw had the fuel cell. If the cell is rear of the motor I would think the car is going to dispalce weight pretty close to ours. Not sure about that though. I'd have to see.

There should be some car builders lurking somewhere that can actually explain the way this works and it's pro's and cons far more specifically then I can. I'm just a Monkey with a wrench!

[racer951]

Actually I was referring to buggies, but general discussion on the topic is good too.

A 5 car guy with a mid-engine says it helps through the whoops but it pushes in the corners. He said you have to finish your braking before the braking bumps and set up the turn, then get back on it. I think there's a different driving style involved for sure.

Usually the cell is smashed between the seat/firewall and the motor and all the weight is pretty much stacked throughout that area between briver and tranny. That's how I'd do it.

[FlyHiFlyLo]

What wins?

[FABRICATOR]

What wins?

Front, mid, and rear. It's been that way in the dezert all along and it's still that way today.

[5racer]

iv driven the same car with the motor in rear and then switched to a mid engine a class 5 .like everyone says it has pros and cons it did help with the notorious 5 car kick but also mad it corner completely different .for my driving style i could never get ahold of the cornering like most drivers i like to steer with the rear and the gas .now I'm not saying that one could not get it to steer that way with enough tinkering but i was in someone Else's car .and the owner had no prob driving it like it was .my new class 5 is rear engine IL deal with the kicking .

[Dezertpilot]

I know that Criswell now has a mid-engine setup from the prevoiusly rear engine setup and I think that is the person who told you that as I have heard the same about that car. I have also heard that a rear engine car like ours (524) has better traction with the weight over the rear wheels. With the mid-engine setup I believe you do not get as much traction going up rocky whooped out hills or just hills in general for that matter. I also imagine in a buggy you would have to possibly whip the car into corners like v-drive trucks?