swinger340
Well-Known Member
Thinking about installing Caltracs in my 71 duster when I install the stroker I am going to be building shortly. Do the Caltracs systems help w traction or would it be a waste of money?
Caltracs??? Any good???
- Thread starter swinger340
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daredevil
Well-Known Member
Most say its the best system out there. The fastest door cars at the track run em.
dartcuda1
67 Barracuda 500ci 6sp
If you want traction I would go to the mopar chassis book and learn how to setup the rear suspension.It will cost you less and work just as well.They are a lot of people that say there are good and a lot of them took them off and ran faster some ran slower.This part is up to you.In my case I learned mopar rear suspension therefor I wouldn,t buy caltracs.
you can build your own caltracs for under $100.00 and they will be just as good as the caltracs
Lot's of threads say they are the "BEST" But also get ready to feel every single little bump in the road,If you like that go for it,I think I'm going with super stock springs for a little softer ride and adding comp engineering's set-up so I can retain stock springs and still have great traction when needed--Steve
swinger340
Well-Known Member
My car already has super stock springs.
How many record holding stock eliminator cars run SS springs... probably none!
SS springs and pleasant ride don't seem to go in the same sentence. Also unless you buy two lefts or rights you get the right side high look.
Want a smoother ride on street with tracks, take out the preload. Add the flats back in when you hit the track. The solid front eye will transfer a bunch of shock. Want SS spring to work better, put a solid eye in them too, so that's a wash.
Like anything, you need to get the stuff worked out for it to perform properly. I've never had a car slow down going from SS spring to cal tracks.
IMO, none of these systems are designed for comfort.
Yes you can build a set of cal tracks relatively inexpensive if you have access to a lathe.
SS springs and pleasant ride don't seem to go in the same sentence. Also unless you buy two lefts or rights you get the right side high look.
Want a smoother ride on street with tracks, take out the preload. Add the flats back in when you hit the track. The solid front eye will transfer a bunch of shock. Want SS spring to work better, put a solid eye in them too, so that's a wash.
Like anything, you need to get the stuff worked out for it to perform properly. I've never had a car slow down going from SS spring to cal tracks.
IMO, none of these systems are designed for comfort.
Yes you can build a set of cal tracks relatively inexpensive if you have access to a lathe.
swinger340
Well-Known Member
How many record holding stock eliminator cars run SS springs... probably none!
SS springs and pleasant ride don't seem to go in the same sentence. Also unless you buy two lefts or rights you get the right side high look.
Want a smoother ride on street with tracks, take out the preload. Add the flats back in when you hit the track. The solid front eye will transfer a bunch of shock. Want SS spring to work better, put a solid eye in them too, so that's a wash.
Like anything, you need to get the stuff worked out for it to perform properly. I've never had a car slow down going from SS spring to cal tracks.
IMO, none of these systems are designed for comfort.
Yes you can build a set of cal tracks relatively inexpensive if you have access to a lathe.
Smooth ride isn't real important. It already rides pretty stiff w the SS springs and .920 tortion bars. Looking for traction. It lacks traction w/ a stout 340. I can only imagine it will be worse w/ a stoker. .920 torsion bars may be hurting weight transfer as well??
I hear you on the ride. I doubt I've put 1500 miles on one of my cars over the last few years.
Front end set up is just as important, IMO more, as the rear in a door car.
Depending on what you want to do, if it's a drag racer type car, IMO big torsion bars aren't the ticket. Put the smallest bar that requires the most preload to hold the car up, poly bushing upper/lowers CA or heimed UCA's, 6" of travel from static to extended and some really good drag shocks. Won't drive all that great on rough roads.
Front end set up is just as important, IMO more, as the rear in a door car.
Depending on what you want to do, if it's a drag racer type car, IMO big torsion bars aren't the ticket. Put the smallest bar that requires the most preload to hold the car up, poly bushing upper/lowers CA or heimed UCA's, 6" of travel from static to extended and some really good drag shocks. Won't drive all that great on rough roads.
swinger340
Well-Known Member
The Swinger is my just for a cruise car. The Duster I want to be the go like heck car. Im thinking slant 6 tortion bars, and Caltracs. No sway bar. poly bushings. Need to do a little more playing and research on pinion angle. Got some 15X10s for the rear and 15X3.5 for the front. 28" rear street slicks w 3:91s. Already has 3800 stall and 150 shot of NOS. Minus the bottle. Most of the makings are there. Just need more motor and some suspension work. Not 100% on the NOS. It was already there when i bought the car. Has a wide open throttle switch that turns it on. There is a power switch in the ash tray in the console to shut the switch off witch activates the solenoid.
mikedevore
Well-Known Member
20K + in winnings & 4 championships later since I installed the complete Cal Trac system, Yea, I think they work.
Ma Snart
Well-Known Member
I bought my Cuda built and tuned to run mid nines from Dave Youg (Mopar Muscle Magazine Technical Editor). Dave used V8 torsion bars with the Caltrac mono leaf springs and traction bars in the rear. I had always read you should use slant six bars but was told that V8's actual work better. What they do is help lift the front end quicker to transfer more weight to the rear. This also requires a good set of dual adjustable shocks to control the rate of lift and colapse. Caltrac recommended Clavet racing 90/10 shocks for the front. They are not cheap.
I can tell you the set up works well. The front end comes up quick, transferring the weight back to 10.5 x 28 rear tires and then allows the front end to come back down without out bouncing.
Ma Snart
1968FormulaS340
Well-Known Member
Yup. Last time I was out I ripped off a 1.6, 60' time. Car was set up straight out of the mopar chassis book.
1.6 sound just ok? Think about this...... It was done on E70-14 (that's 6" wide tread) reproduction redline, bias-ply tires.
Sorrry was not putting cal-tracs down in any fashion,I guess I missed the spot that he was going after a world record 1/4 mile time!!!! Never said they didn't work Hell I can barley push my bumper down with the sup-stocks!!!! Cal-tacs are all the rage right now BUT what happened to the ol pinnion snubber set correctly ,Are you saying those cars had no traction?? Not picking apart cal-tracs at all!!!! If you got the cash go for it,I just have a couple buddies who installed them ,Who don't race and when you go over a bump you get shaken up a bit--Steve
mikedevore
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't put them on a street car. I like them for a drag car very well.
The newer SS springs are not the same as the older ones (70 & 80's), I have had both.
The C/T's have been easy to live with, just dial the right number on the shock & go.
The newer SS springs are not the same as the older ones (70 & 80's), I have had both.
The C/T's have been easy to live with, just dial the right number on the shock & go.
Ken Blackman
Blacks1971Duster
I bought a Chassis Engineering book by Herb Adams but didn't get much out of it, where can I find a Mopar chassis book, is it available on line?
Thanks
Ken Blackman
Thanks
Ken Blackman
mikedevore
Well-Known Member
chassis book - Mancini Racing
LXguy
Well-Known Member
I run Caltracs with mono leafs. I like them quite a lot.
My car went a 1.54 60' with the stuff set up in the default "start" position and some Hoosier DOTs. I bought their adjustable shocks as well.
Just make sure you've got the front end travel to take advantage of them. Calvert recommends 5" which should be easy for your car with any swaybars detached.
My car went a 1.54 60' with the stuff set up in the default "start" position and some Hoosier DOTs. I bought their adjustable shocks as well.
Just make sure you've got the front end travel to take advantage of them. Calvert recommends 5" which should be easy for your car with any swaybars detached.
lucky13
Tiny Member
here's a link for building your own Cal trac style bars:
http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/Traction.html
http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/Traction.html
ardentindustries
Well-Known Member
As mentioned above, "racing" and "street" driving should be looked at as two totally different entities. You either build your car for one or the other. Want a street/strip car? Then you'll have to make sacrifices. Sounds like your Duster will be a racecar mainly. For that, the Cal Tracs work awesome. I think there is some room for improvement over the Cal-Trac design, but they have the reputation and name that everyone knows. There products definitely do work.
Id like to design something with a little more adjustability in it, but it may be a little while before I can get to it. Think of the Cal-Trac as a "simple" ladder bar. Thats the point of them...it takes the rotational movement of the rear axle and applies it under the spring eye, which in turn, helps to lift the car. Same concept as a ladder bar, but you dont have to worry about coilovers and all that.
Id like to design something with a little more adjustability in it, but it may be a little while before I can get to it. Think of the Cal-Trac as a "simple" ladder bar. Thats the point of them...it takes the rotational movement of the rear axle and applies it under the spring eye, which in turn, helps to lift the car. Same concept as a ladder bar, but you dont have to worry about coilovers and all that.
swinger340
Well-Known Member
Its a street strip car. Therefor Im reconsidering the Caltracs. I currently have SS springs in the rear, adjustable pinion snubber, KYB shocks all around, w .920 torsion bars w/o sway bar in the front. It is rail connected. Goes straight, but lacks traction. May need some adjustments, smaller torsion bars for weight transfer. Front is very stiff.
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