The RF85 metal treatment has...
The RF85 metal treatment has been applied to this particular asphalt Late Model but it will also work on the spool-type or rearends that Dirt Late Models utilize.
Davin's locker rearend had been treated with RF85 from one end to the other, including the gears, axles, and bearings. It was simply amazing to me how little oil was in the rearend. But what was even more amazing was the fact that it didn't smell burnt, or look in bad shape. I have an untreated Tiger rearend in my Hooter's Pro Cup car and I wouldn't dare try running just one quart in it.
Testing "We did an absolute ton of testing with Davin," Gerald says. "When we first had this treatment performed on the rearend, we started with three quarts of oil in the rearend, and we ran a 200-lap race with it." After the race, they sent the oil off to get it tested to ensure it was still in good shape. The tests came back and basically demonstrated that the oil was like brand-new. From there, they started reducing the amount of oil in the rearend.
"We ran a temperature gauge from the rearend to Davin's dash so he could keep an eye on whether the rearend was overheating," he continued. "We went from two quarts, to one quart, to 1/2 quart. Once we reached half a quart, that is when we started to see a little bit of heat buildup in the rearend."
During the Scites testing, Tiger built a rearend for Mason Racin Inc., and driver John Mason. Mason runs an 800hp Dirt Late Model. Tiger treated the parts for Mason, but as most of the readers know, a dirt car uses a spool-type rearend whereas asphalt Late Models use a locker-style. The dirt car saw the same results; in fact, Mason was so impressed with the results that the team tore down its engine and had the RF85 treatment performed to all of the moving parts of the engine.
The pinion does not show any...
The pinion does not show any type of wear or heat discoloration. All the more impressive considering that the locker, ring, and pinion all have more than 5,000 laps on them.
The team had great results from having the treatment performed on the engine. Without giving away its numbers, the team saw an increase in horsepower and fuel mileage, and a reduction in oil and water temperature.
The pavement testing continued for more than 2 years with spectacular results. "We wanted to make sure we did plenty of testing on pavement and dirt to rule out any problems before we went public with this," says Gerald. "Tiger is our name and when we release a product or process, we want to make certain that it is ready, because our reputation is on the line."
"I was kind of the guinea pig there for a while," jokes Davin. "We once went 900 laps on one quart of gear oil before we changed it and we noticed some discoloration but it wasn't burnt." In fact, the oil was sent off, and the results came back and said it could still be used again. The locker-style rearend they had at their shop outside of Mooresville had more than 5,000 laps on it. You can see from the pictures we've provided of the rearend, it looks like it's brand-new.
"The only thing we have done to this rearend," says Gerald, "is change ratchet springs when it needs it, and pack the wheel bearings for every race." The team has never seen any excess wear or any heat discoloration.
Results "Any time you can get less oil in the rearend, you will see an increase in horsepower," Davin explains. "The Cup chassis dynos have proven that over and over again."
Tiger Rear Ends performed...
Tiger Rear Ends performed many tests on the oil to ensure the viscosity of the oil was not breaking down. This particular oil has more than 250 laps on it.
The horsepower advantage is what we all want, but having this treatment done will also save you money. Any time I fill up the rearend in our Pro Cup car, I put somewhere between five and six quarts of oil in it. If I could reduce that to one quart every time, it would save me a lot of money. Plus, this treatment will extend the life of the locker or spool in the rearend.
Gerald went on to say that there were some results that they didn't expect to have.
"We have actually found that we could extend the life of the ratchet springs because of the lower heat buildup." Anyone who has ever had the ratchet springs lose compression in the middle of the race can appreciate that.