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Ballast Box Question?

451Mopar

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Anyone have suggestions for how to make and install a ballast box that can be somewhat easy to remove?
Also, what is a good source for lead bars? or do you use the lead shot bags?
 
I know in some of cases they dont want creativity, but insist on conformance......but i would think a couple cheapie bolt in santioning body legal battery boxes and a stack of steel plates could be very effective, and easy to changeup, or remove entirely. Just a guess tho.
 
What reinforcement is needed if bolted to the trunk floor?
Street car without cage, but could run quicker than 11.50 and could use the weight to help traction too
 
100lb box has to be bolted with at least 2 1/2" bolts. We run dumb bell weights mounted on 3/4" rod. Cheapest weight for the box are used wheel weights.They are no longer pure lead but many places will give them to you free. Bolted in the trunk is the easiest. But if you have traction issues sometimes weight will make it quicker. Mine gets bolted in behind th edrivers seat on the floor.
Doug
 
Lead or steel ingots like 12' x 3" x like 1" or 2"
min. 20#s to 30#s, much less than that does nothing
& a couple of like 6" long grade 8 bolts
holes thru the ingots & then washers & nylock nuts, on the bolts
holding the weight in place
bolts either welded in on steel brackets
or bolted thru something that is steel
closest to where ever it is you need the weight, to make it work

Mine always was
usually pass. side rear, if not filled by a trunk mount battery/s
&/or farthest point rear of the center rear of the car
to get the best effects
readjust the shocks

or put as much alum. on your motor & cooling system up front
lightweight rims & brakes up front
alum bumper brackets & fiberglass bumpers up front
fiberglass hood, lightweight hinges (option fiberglass fenders)
ever #1 taken off the front, helps weight transfer a tone
if you add that pound to the rear it doubles it, is like adding 2#s to the rear
 
Last edited:
Lead or steel ingots like 12' x 3" x like 1" or 2"
min. 20#s to 30#s, much less than that does nothing
& a couple of like 6" long grade 8 bolts
holes thru the ingots & then washers & nylock nuts, on the bolts
holding the weight in place
bolts either welded in on steel brackets
or bolted thru something that is steel
closest to where ever it is you need the weight, to make it work

Mine always was
usually pass. side rear, if not filled by a trunk mount battery/s
&/or farthest point rear of the center rear of the car
to get the best effects
readjust the shocks

or put as much alum. on your motor & cooling system up front
lightweight rims & brakes up front
alum bumper brackets & fiberglass bumpers up front
fiberglass hood, lightweight hinges (option fiberglass fenders)
ever #1 taken off the front, helps weight transfer a tone
if you add that pound to the rear it doubles it, is like adding 2#s to the rear
Thanks. The Charger is heavy 3,800 pounds and already has aluminum heads, intake and waterpump. Everything else is original steel with full interior.
The Battery is in the trunk, passenger rear side, and currently has a 20 Gallon fuel cell in the trunk which I thinks helps traction.
I am planning or replacing the fuel cell with a factory style fuel tank with a custom setup with an in-tank EFI pump and Holley HydroMat pickup.
That HydroMat stuff is expensive!
This will give me back trunk space for street driving, or an extra set of tires.
I most likely won't use ballast unless I try running a class that require a specific weight per engine displacement.
Just trying to think ahead if I need to add a support under the trunk before installing the factory style fuel tank.
 
Thanks. The Charger is heavy 3,800 pounds and already has aluminum heads, intake and waterpump. Everything else is original steel with full interior.
The Battery is in the trunk, passenger rear side, and currently has a 20 Gallon fuel cell in the trunk which I thinks helps traction.
I am planning or replacing the fuel cell with a factory style fuel tank with a custom setup with an in-tank EFI pump and Holley HydroMat pickup.
That HydroMat stuff is expensive!
This will give me back trunk space for street driving, or an extra set of tires.
I most likely won't use ballast unless I try running a class that require a specific weight per engine displacement.
Just trying to think ahead if I need to add a support under the trunk before installing the factory style fuel tank.
Stock style fuel tank hangs low too, so it may help a lil' too

If I was running efi I'd go to the 'Tanks' replacement stainless
& an in-tank fuel pump too

Holley (IIRC ? maybe at Mancini Racing ?)
make a couple that go in the same hole as the OE sender/pick-up
I'm not sure or remember the size of the fuel line,
I think it's 3/8" though so like -6AN)
IIRC no need for return line either, internal bypassed
(they may have a bigger fuel line supply too like 1/2"/-8AN , I didn't get that far)
that 3/8" could be too small depending on usage,
the 5/16" one is too small for any of my stuff
but claims to support like 550-600+hp N/A 240 (?) pump

good luck & have fun
 
Thanks. Have a Walbro 450 lph pump to mount in the tank. Running with a return line.
The fuel cell has a 340 lph drop in pump.
If I remove the fuel cell and use the stock type fuel tank, I think I can remove the bulkhead plate on the rear speaker shelf and put my speakers back in for the radio.
Guess I'm getting old, looking at ways to make the cars more enjoyable to drive and maybe slower than just trying to see how fast and loud they can be.
 
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