Caltrac Tuning Info LOOK HERE

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Thanks for that. I'm bringing that to the track with me my first time out.
 
Wow. You think something like that would come with the Caltracs. LOL.
 
Thank you very much.
Mine I set at the lowest hole, and with no preload. Have a small amount of clearance.

Could be why it doesn't come out of the hole as quick as it should.
 
hey guys,

yes, this info is VERY useful. I always wondered why the instructions from calvert were so vague, but every car is differnt i guess right

either way, the guy who i got this info from has tuned hundreds of caltrac cars, from gm's to mopars, cars to pickups, etc...he know's his chit, so i asked him if i could compile what he had written into a troublshoot sheet perfect for bringing to the track with you and helping you out

and also, if this stuff doesnt work for your car, you are part of the 2% of cars that are VERY hard to make work lol

hopefully though this benefits everyone! i still have to print a copy off for myself
 
Thank you very much.
Mine I set at the lowest hole, and with no preload. Have a small amount of clearance.

Could be why it doesn't come out of the hole as quick as it should.

whatever your specs are now, record them...then maybe try starting from scratch as per the instructions and see what happens...if the car performed better before following this stuff you can always change it back per your recordings, but if it works better after the fact, then hey it did its part! :cheers:
 
I just looked under the car. The offset spring hangers are blocking 90% of the upper hole.
Time to take them off and do a bit of trimming so they will work.
 
I was wondering where to start new motor caltracs/mono leaf springs thanks alot for the info
 
hey guys,

I have compiled a chart based on some very good information provided by a cutting edge caltrac tuner. This stuff is very helpful, and i think will take alot of the guesswork out of (where do i start in tuning my caltracs). A good reference to print off and use for dialing yourself in

good luck and here it is
Thank You for the info very useful.
 
Cool, why is it I read up on this and have everything but the Cal tracs and/or the dough to get them :angry7: lol. Thanks mshred and partner.
 
Cool, why is it I read up on this and have everything but the Cal tracs and/or the dough to get them :angry7: lol. Thanks mshred and partner.

no problem...i know what you mean about the money..I only bought the bars and the rancho shocks and was in a good 550 dollars...but man was it worth it, car hooks great! can't wait to test it at the track next year with the new setup, should work well
 
cool subscribed just incase I splurge and buy a set one day. Great info mshred
 
Talked to Calverts today on wheelie bars.Said they were coming out with NEW style of bars for the Cal-tracs..When I get more details I will share................Maybe could work with SS springs also :read2:
 
msherd what are you running for springs? they say you can't use superstock springs with caltrac?
 
Thanks shred! Im def running caltracs so this helps me enormously!
 
hey guys, glad i could help, i got the info from a really helpful member on another board

As far as springs,im running stock 6cyl springs. They work pretty good from what ive seen others say, and with not much tuning they seem to be working ok for me (need to tune more, didnt get any track time after getting them on, car broke). A stiff spring like an SS actually works against the caltrac bar and ive been told can either brake the spring of the caltrac box (these are the words out of the calvert techline's mouth)
 
So a mono leaf like they offer may be best after all. I only planned on rebuilding my stock 318 car springs but maybe the spring shop can help in this regard. Is that even possible? Modding a stock spring into a mono leaf would require throwing out the whole thing anyways so prolly not.Shop could certainly use the dimensions as a pattern. I know the caltrac company offeres mono leafs which are lightweight fibreglass,but a steel monoleaf should last longer with a weight penalty.Sounds like the right solution for me as ride comfort is a priority..

318 t bars will be up front as again I dont want something real stiff,but also not too soft like a /6 bar.Yes better for weight transer,bad for body roll. With 318 t bars and a good adjustable shock I should be able to get good weight transfer for the strip and not bad cornering. Cornering aint my thing anyways...

Im going the home brewed caltrac route,but this info will still apply and really helps!
 
So a mono leaf like they offer may be best after all. I only planned on rebuilding my stock 318 car springs but maybe the spring shop can help in this regard. Is that even possible? Modding a stock spring into a mono leaf would require throwing out the whole thing anyways so prolly not.Shop could certainly use the dimensions as a pattern. I know the caltrac company offeres mono leafs which are lightweight fibreglass,but a steel monoleaf should last longer with a weight penalty.Sounds like the right solution for me as ride comfort is a priority..

318 t bars will be up front as again I dont want something real stiff,but also not too soft like a /6 bar.Yes better for weight transer,bad for body roll. With 318 t bars and a good adjustable shock I should be able to get good weight transfer for the strip and not bad cornering. Cornering aint my thing anyways...

Im going the home brewed caltrac route,but this info will still apply and really helps!

For some reason i didnt get notifications on this thread lol...anyways
I personally stayed with my stock 6cyl springs because a) i didnt have the money for mono's and b) i know they are a stiffer ride as well. My stock 6cyl leafs ended up being too saggy for the car, but im almost certain that 318 springs would work perfect for what your after- should not buckle like mine were, and should be soft enough to work well with the caltracs (not to mention they give that low ride height that im into). Another option for the monoleafs as well is a company called landrum, but I have been told they are only safe up to 800hp, then they bend lol

http://www.landrumspring.com/index.html?UID=20110129104133
 
the /6 springs are your best option besides the mono leaf or landrum spring. john calvert himself told me that. very good info on the setup, i wish i had a guide like that 10 years ago. these bars by far are the best bolt on suspension system on the market. 60's dramatically inproved over s/s springs and car became alot more consistant which is very important to me because i bracket race a 4 spd car. newbies to caltracs pay attention to these setups, it will be a way happier experience .
 
Thanks very very much for this info.... I'm finishing up my Dakota build, using Cal trac, and I had no idea how to tune that setup. As it is right now, I have my bars on the lower setting. I'll be changing that this weekend, and starting from your recommended starting point. Great little guide. THanks again.
 
I finally have the Caltracs on my Dart. I cant afford the mono leafs yet, so I removed a couple of the short ones from my super stock springs.

I talked to Calvert on the phone and they said the SS springs WILL work if you clamp the **** out of them .

I have corrected a few things like hangers binding , incorrect shock length , incorrect pinion angle ,......

im excited to get the car back out and see what happens--------BUT , its supposed to rain saturday --it seems to rain EVERY saturday where i live.

:angry8:
 
haha. I know what you mean.

Here's a no-brainer money making idea for Calvert Racing...

Make some tools so you can adjust these things without putting the car a mile in the air!

I love my Caltracs, but have avoided adjusting them because its such a PITA. I'm currently making do with a couple of big wrenches that I have cut down and then ground on the open end.
 
Here's something else that might be useful:

Torque specs:
Front spring eye bolt: 85 ft-lbs
Shackle nuts: 35 ft-lbs

Don't overtorque! The front spring hanger in particular will bend and you'll have problems with bind on the front caltrac bracket. As it says in the posted notes, it is important that the suspension not bind for the caltracs to work properly.
 
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