The truth is, as a result of less traction in the sand, unless your sandcar is perfectly setup with proper steering geometry, weight distribution, and long travel suspension, a sandcar cannot handle good.  It’s because of the reduced traction in the sand that magnifies the importance of having good geometry and center of gravity setup.  And that's where you’ll find Funco cars excel the first time you drive one.  Funco has studied and refined these three factors to a point that allowed us to manufacture an unbelievably good handling 2, 4, and 5 seat car.

STEERING MECHANISM

Rack and pinion steering is used on many new car designs, street and sand.  But in sand applications racks can have problems.  As you know the benefits of rack and pinion can be two-fold, more feedback to feel the road, and quicker linear steering.   But without power steering in harsh terrain the increased feedback can almost jerk the steering wheel out of your hands, a bad thing.  Another problem is that most aftermarket racks attach the steering column to the middle of the rack.  This makes the steering column angle  from the driver's side to the center require double U-joints.  In many cases these sharp angles will develop hard steering as the U-joints wear. 

At Funco we have addressed these problems.  First, we use an Exclusive Funco heavy duty rack and pinion unit that incorporates a column connection more to the driver side to reduce the column angle, requiring only 1 U-joint up to the steering wheel.  Second, this rack unit has power steering, making it easy to steer, even when sitting still.  Power steering almost eliminates wheel jerk, increasing your control.   Third, power steering allows for a higher rack ratio to reduce lock to lock turns.  We achieve a mere 1.25 turns lock-to-lock, giving our cars a “go-kart like” steering response.

WHEELBASE

Wheelbase length directly affects turning radius, evident in any car you drive.  Since quick turning is achieved with shorter wheelbases our goal was to reduce the wheelbase, within reason.  As a result of our "cab forward" upright seating we found that a shorter 117 wheelbase made our Big 5 car as nimble and light handling as many 2 seat sandcars. 

A-ARM FRONT SUSPENSION

A-Arm suspensions can vary greatly in travel length, steering geometry, and ruggedness.  At Funco we have engineered a combination of these three important areas to result in a very impressive handling and durable front end.

First, our cars have lots of travel to soak up the big bumps and jumps.  But there is a limit for suspension travel.  If you incorporate too much travel you compromise strength and steering geometry.  Too little travel and the ride is compromised.  Careful consideration on travel length has to be made to achieve good handling and durability.  Over years of experimentation we have found the right combination that works extremely well for duning in the sand, producing the "ultimate sandcar machine".

Second, the A-arms must be the exact length of the steering actuator arms to prevent "bump steer."  Bump steer varies the front wheel toe alignment as your wheels go up and down.  So if the A-Arms and steering actuator arms are not matched lengths you'll almost always be out of alignment, affecting your traction to the sand, resulting in ill handling.  At Funco we do this right!

Third, our exclusive Air-Ride suspension combined with our finely tuned King bypass shocks is a combination that you have to experience to believe. Air-Ride suspension provides an ultra velvet ride.  Using Firestone air bags we get an impressive progressive compression rate that coil springs just can't match.  This really shows up in the two extremes of duning. Flying over sand chop the light rate provides an incredibly smooth ride, erasing the shake you'll feel in a coil spring suspension.  And in the whoops or jumping, bottoming is almost impossible due to the better progressive compression rates of air bags, which keeps the car flat and straight.  Air suspension just works, and works very well for Mercedes, Land Rover, Lincoln, and Funco sandcars.  Air bag suspensions work so well that you'll think 17" of front travel feels like much more.  As we mentioned, it's really something you have to experience to believe. Let's go for a ride.