Chassis Guy/gals that understand SS Spring....Help!

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You asked from people experienced with SS springs yet you go on and on as if you want a different answer. The recommendation I made and others agreed with is a starting point. You always set a car up considering the weight of the driver. That much "I figured" went without sayin. I've set quite a few of these up for others and myself in the past and that's always where we start. In every case, we were very close and only made minor adjustments to the left front corner.
 
Thanks but still running stock 31 spline axles.
Probably something i should think about before i buy a spool.

Only running about 450HP so not a real big issue at the moment.
 
Cudafever said:
Thanks but still running stock 31 spline axles.
Probably something i should think about before i buy a spool.

Only running about 450HP so not a real big issue at the moment.
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Course likely you're running a slush box and that helps but isn't your car a little heavier? That can hurt...
 
Yup 3880 with my lard as in it!
Put racing axles in it last winter with the New SS Springs.

Stock axles have been it it for 20 years. Had a white line draw down the axle. Still Straight!
Would put them back in, in a heartbeat if i need too.
 
Cudafever said:
I'm on the ragged edge of pulling my front tires of the ground.......If i can get it to hook 100% i just might.

My thought has always been, What happens when the front tire come of the ground and heads for the Christmas Tree?
You can't steer the car from the rear like you can with a Caltrac, 4 link or ladder bar.
So what am i going to do when the front leave the ground?

Well there it is ! You just answered it!!!
Thank YOU.
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Many cars do not launch straight because they did not fix the bump steer. This is all in the chassis book. I had to relocate my idler arm and shim my steering box to get the bump steer acceptable.
The alignment should alway be done with the front end raised 1 inch
To simulate at speed. Even better if the driver is in the car as well.
 
RustyRatRod said:
You asked from people experienced with SS springs yet you go on and on as if you want a different answer. The recommendation I made and others agreed with is a starting point. You always set a car up considering the weight of the driver. That much "I figured" went without saying. I've set quite a few of these up for others and myself in the past and that's always where we start. In every case, we were very close and only made minor adjustments to the left front corner.
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When your a single man race team it a little difficult to sit in the car and measure at the same time.
When i set it up with the old SS Spring (when it was new) i set it up so that both torsion bars were equal "tension" and that gave me the 2 inch lower on the drivers side LF.
I asked if this is how you do it........you said yes and a couple agreed.
Others have said to load up that LF torsion bar to get the Front End more level.
And that is where i'm going to start out this time.

A good story teller or Speller for that matter I'm NOT! Sorry for any hartburn i gave you.
 
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Cudafever said:
When your a single man race team it a little difficult to sit in the car and measure at the same time.
When i set it up with the old SS Spring (when it was new) i set it up so that both torsion bars were equal "tension" and that gave me the 2 inch lower on the drivers side LF.
I asked if this is how you do it........you said yes and a couple agreed.
Others have said to load up that LF torsion bar to get the Front End more level.
And that is where i'm going to start out this time.

A good story teller or Speller for that matter I'm NOTE! Sorry for any hartburn i gave you.
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No heartburn here at all lol. I took my pill lol.
IMHO 120 mph does not call for a home alignment. I am a single diy too. If you want to did it at home get some one to sit in the car and put a jack stand under the car to raise it 1 inch.
Just like the springs are biased to offset acceleration, so should your alignment. You want your alignment correct at speed, not sitting still.
 
Duane said:
Many cars do not launch straight because they did not fix the bump steer. This is all in the chassis book. I had to relocate my idler arm and shim my steering box to get the bump steer acceptable.
The alignment should alway be done with the front end raised 1 inch
To simulate at speed. Even better if the driver is in the car as well.
Click to expand...

Yup reading it more closely this time but i do not have the tools or knowledge to adj these things(would make it worse)
And there is no one in this town that knows more than to look at a screen and set to factor spec's

Hope this don't become an issue with me as well.
 
Cudafever said:
Yup reading it more closely this time but i do not have the tools or knowledge to adj these things(would make it worse)
And there is no one in this town that knows more than to look at a screen and set to factor spec's

Hope this don't become an issue with me as well.
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The chart that the other poster put up is good. Just bring those numbers to your alignment guy and tell him you want to sit in the car and tell him to raise th front end 1 inch. My local guy had no problem doing this for me. The only thing you should do at home before you go to the shop is determine where you want your ride height and make sure the toe pattern(bump steer) is minimal before you go.
 
Cudafever said:
When your a single man race team it a little difficult to sit in the car and measure at the same time.
When i set it up with the old SS Spring (when it was new) i set it up so that both torsion bars were equal "tension" and that gave me the 2 inch lower on the drivers side LF.
I asked if this is how you do it........you said yes and a couple agreed.
Others have said to load up that LF torsion bar to get the Front End more level.
And that is where i'm going to start out this time.

A good story teller or Speller for that matter I'm NOTE! Sorry for any hartburn i gave you.
Click to expand...
I never told you that both torsion bars are tensioned the same. I said mine are not set the same, but my car was level. As the other poster mentioned, I also had the battery in the trunk on the passenger side so that helps too.
 
Duane said:
Good alignment and a spool and you hardly have to steer the car with a spool in there. 35 spline is the way to go too.
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I'm running a lightweight spool with 35-spline axles with long studs and green bearings myself..
 
Duane said:
I never told you that both torsion bars are tensioned the same. I said mine are not set the same, but my car was level. As the other poster mentioned, I also had the battery in the trunk on the passenger side so that helps too.
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I know you didn't. i was saying that i had both bars up the same with the last set of SS Spring and that made the LF suspension down 2 inch.

With all the help i have received here i feel better about loading the driver side torsion bar hard and the passenger side along for the ride to make it level.........and that this is ok....

makes me wonder just how far i would have had to twist the drivers side t-bar up if i had decided to go with a /6 t-Bar
 
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Cudafever said:
I know you didn't. i was saying that i had both bars up the same with the last set of SS Spring and that made the LF suspension down 2 inch.

With all the help i have received here i feel better about loading the driver side torsion bar hard and the passenger side alone for the ride to make it level.........and that this is ok....

makes me wonder just how far i would have had to twist the drivers side t-bar up if i had decided to go with a /6 t-Bar
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You do realize you can weigh yourself on a scale and then weighed that many bricks floor jacks I don't know whatever you have that weighs a lot and makeup the same amount and set it on your driver seat and driver's floorboard correct?...
 
280 pounds of bell bar weights is what will be in there for my weight, but will have to borrow them from a buddy that think he need a gymnasium in his garage.

As far as setting the weight up to set the ride height, i use a tape measure and my smartphone on cam mode.
that's how i knew the driver side when down 1-1/8" and the passenger side only when down 7/16 of a inch.
 
20200417_164531.jpg
This was my 65 Falcon in 1974. Bad *** 289 with 4 speed, 8.75 Mopar 4.10 gear, open differential, with Super Stock springs and pinion snubber striking an extra installed cross member. Battery in stock location, stock coil springs in front. Car sat with left front down, right rear high... don't have measurements but it was very noticeable. Frame rails were moved inward, and stock tubs were split and widened. I would let the clutch out just above idle and then stomp the gas. The whole car would lift and the Goodyear L60 Polyglass tires hooked pretty good on the street. And even with an open differential, if the tires broke loose, the black marks were even. And grabbing gears at part throttle would leave two black squares on the pavement.
 
j par said:
I'm running a lightweight spool with 35-spline axles with long studs and green bearings myself..
Click to expand...
Same here but I am collecting parts for a Dana. Just need a housing now. My strange axles from the 8 3/4 will Go into the Dana.
 
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Cudafever said:
I know you didn't. i was saying that i had both bars up the same with the last set of SS Spring and that made the LF suspension down 2 inch.

With all the help i have received here i feel better about loading the driver side torsion bar hard and the passenger side alone for the ride to make it level.........and that this is ok....

makes me wonder just how far i would have had to twist the drivers side t-bar up if i had decided to go with a /6 t-Bar
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I have the race bar from Mopar performance which is even smaller than the /6. Trust me it is cranked up pretty good. It ran a best of 11:20 with a 1.50 60ft and ran straight as an arrow.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
Check the roll out dimensions of both slicks. I had a set that were brand new and very different measurements. Car would launch left. Drove me nuts till I caught it. Also you can play with slick pressures also
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Yep. I always roll out all my tires. I know some guys do it with a tape, but that’s not very accurate. When the tire wrinkles, it changes the roll out. More or less pressure changes the roll out. I’ve seen tires that roll out differently with a half a pound of air change, meaning, one tire with a half pound more air would change the roll out more than the other tire with the same pressure change. Wrinkle wall tires do weird things when they wrinkle.
 
tinman2 said:
View attachment 1715510079 This was my 65 Falcon in 1974. Bad *** 289 with 4 speed, 8.75 Mopar 4.10 gear, open differential, with Super Stock springs and pinion snubber striking an extra installed cross member. Battery in stock location, stock coil springs in front. Car sat with left front down, right rear high... don't have measurements but it was very noticeable. Frame rails were moved inward, and stock tubs were split and widened. I would let the clutch out just above idle and then stomp the gas. The whole car would lift and the Goodyear L60 Polyglass tires hooked pretty good on the street. And even with an open differential, if the tires broke loose, the black marks were even. And grabbing gears at part throttle would leave two black squares on the pavement.
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Does this make this car qualify as a Mopar lol
 
20200417_164740.jpg
This was my 67 Camaro in 1976-1979, small block, Chrysler 4 speed, 44" Dana 60 with locking differential... not a spool, and 14 x 32 Firestones. One of the straightest launching cars around. On the track, the steering wheel was just a place to rest my left hand. At launch on one run, one of the Strange axles broke at the splined end. The car just coasted forward a little. I didn't even know what broke for a while. If I had been running a spool, things could have gone very wrong.
IMG_1588.jpg
I was standing behind this car at Shuffletown Dragway, Charlotte, NC when Stuart dropped the hammer and the left axle broke at the bearing and the wheel fell off. With the spool, the right tire got a grip and turned the car to the left in to the ditch / guard rail.
And that's why my car builder didn't prefer a spool. But, that was back in the 70s.
 
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Duane said:
Does this make this car qualify as a Mopar lol
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Close enough I suppose. Sometime in the late 60s, a stock 9 inch Ford differential was tried and it failed. Then the 8.75 was installed. It never failed.
 
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Duane said:
Same here but I am collecting parts for a Dana. Just need a housing now. My strange axles from the 8 3/4 will Go into the Dana.
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When I built My Dana I was 1200 into it with mostly new parts and the same with my 8 3/4 that I blew up in 20 passes LOL..
 
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