Look over all parts...
A good place to start before you wash away all the evidence is to take the time to look over all parts of the car. Look for oil around motor, rearend, brakes, power steering, wing lines and shocks. Check for metal shavings around brake calipers and gauging on rotors and calipers.

Use care when washing your car...
Although high pressure washers make quick work of cleaning, they can create a ton of extra work.
- High pressure washers should never be used around king pins and birdcage bearings as they tend to push dirt and moisture inside the bearings.
- Extreme care needs to be taken when pressure washing your motor, cover magneto with a plastic bag and use wash plugs in injectors.
- Rinse your radiator from back to front to dislodge any mud that has accumulated. Use caution to not spray at any angle that could damage radiator fins.
Now your car is clean the fun begins!

Grab your Rocket Weekly Check List and lets begin!

Shocks
Disconnect your shocks and push in and out checking for any unusual binding or free spots, take a look at the shafts for any nicks or bends inspect the shock heims. Torsion Bars
Refer to torsion bar tech.
Watts Link
Inspect for bent straps, make sure the bolts that connect the straps are just tight enough that they will spin by hand, check for cracks around all welds. Lubricate all bolts with WD40.
Radius Rods
check all jam nuts. Look for any bent or cracked heimends, lubricate heim balls with WD40. Check to make sure all Rods are straight.
Torsion Arms
Check to make sure that arms have no unusual twists and bends.
- Check jam nuts on rear heims before removing them from birdcages.
- Grease the area between front axle and torsion arms.
- Spray WD40 on rear heim balls.
Chassis Set Up
Re block your car every week. This is a simple process.
- Place your setup blocks between lower frame rail and bottom of axle tighten adjuster bolt down by hand until it touches the stop pad.
- Then add ¼ turn with wrench taking up slack, then tighten adjuster nut. (Contact Chassis Manufacture for proper blocking)
Fuel Tank Bolts
Check your fuel tank bolts every race. This is also a good time to check fuel lines for tightness. (Hint use a dab of silicone on the outside of the 4 mounting bolts to help keep them secure)
Wing Brackets
Take a look at all wing brackets. Inspect every inch of your wings look loose rivets, cracked struts and mounting brackets.
Clean Fuel Filter
Refer to Fuel Injection Maintenance.
Bolts
Every single bolt in your car needs to be checked from bottom to top - from front to rear! DON’T MISS ONE!
Mufflers
If using clamp type mounts, check for tightness, check all flanges and bodies for cracks this is also a good time to check your headers for cracks.
Wing Slider Heim
Check jam nuts and all bolts.
Seat Belts
Check your seat belts every race for snags, small tears, burns or any other defects. Motor
Refer to Motor Maintenance.
Steering
Jack front end of car up and turn steering wheel full lock left and right, checking for any binding. Check power steering fluid level and check all lines.
Brakes
Start by inspecting pad wear on all calipers then check all bolts for tightness. Check rotors for trueness. Reach in and push brake pedal and check for a firm pedal if you have a spongy pedal you need to re-bleed your brakes. When Bleeding brakes make sure bleeders are at the top of the caliper and that the pads have a stop placed between them same width as rotor. Apply pedal pressure then loosen bleeder screw till pedal reach full travel then tighten bleeder then release pedal repeat as necessary till you have regained a firm pedal.
Rear End
- Remove quick change gears every week and inspect for broken teeth and pits in the teeth.
- Check side plate bolts and nuts, torque tube and rear cover for tightness.
- Check Gear oil level, the main body of center section needs enough oil to cover lower shaft. The quick change gears have an inspection plug on the left hand side of the center section that is also used as the oil level sight plug fill to this level.
- Clean and re-grease torque ball housing, and torque tube.
- Every four races birdcage bearings need to be cleaned and re-greased and checked for rough spots.
Front Axle
- Check hubs and king pins for tightness every race.
- Remove, clean, and re-grease every fourth night.
- Check your steering arm bolts after every race make sure they are tight. (Use Blue Lock Tight)
- Set your toe out 1/8” to 3/16”. This is done by measuring between inside of left front to right front tire, measure rear of tire then measure front of tire the difference is either toe in or toe out. When front measurement is wider- this is toe out.
Wheels
Inspect wheels every race for loose bolts, cracks in wheel centers and trueness. Most of all remember “ Preparation Meets Opportunity”. Set your goals for no mechanical DNF’s. Races are won as much in the shop than on the track!