The truth about caltracs

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B3422w5 said:
Went 1.34 and 9.80’s at 3350 pounds on 002/003 leafs with CE 3 ways all around. Could dial the car blindfolded it was so consistent.
If i was going to take off leaf springs that worked i would go right to a ladder bar setup if i wanted an upgrade.
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Or a four link. My Street/strip 408" small block Dart went 1.38 60' at 3260# on pump 93 with Cal Tracs. Yep, they are junk!
 
2800lbs. Duster and getting lighter.

863/864 S/S springs

Or

Cal Tracks

Small tire. Everything else is open.
 
pittsburghracer said:
My Son Matt loves his Caltracks and don't ask me how but he picked up track tuning super easy and was at Keystone helping two cars headed to Indy last year. They asked him for help and he set up both cars the same night and both made nice improvements on the track. My heads-up car has a set of Caltracks on it so I'm sure I will need his help to. I've done stock springs, super stock springs, ladder bar cars, and 4 links but NEVER touched a Caltrack set-up.
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The s/s springs I have laying on a bench, I bought off of Jim Hale , he had them on a nhra stock class 383 barracuda," ultra first class car" , he told me the caltrac system (he went to) didn`t hook up or go any faster then the 002-003 springs, but the car was less violent and easier to drive----??? but, he ran slicks and had way more initial bite than my drag radials, "which could be too far along" for a higher h.p. motor. He had pics of the front end in the air about yours with the s/s springs.
All these kick a$$ pics are on well prepped tracks , with strip gearing. I have street gearing in mine -------------
 
9FB05D95-1F10-4175-9459-703A86470FC2.jpeg
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When I put a new set of 002-003 super stock springs on my blue Duster years ago my car handled like crap. It floated around going down the track. I took them off and took measurements and took them to a local spring shop where we heated them and took 1 1/2 inches of arch out of them. Put them together and I put them on. The next weekend it was so much better. Trouble was back then track prep was terrible compared to today and running 9’s it would hook great on Friday nights but Sunday when the sun was out the car was hard to dial. I loved that car but sold it and moved on to a 82 Dodge Charger pro street car with a 4 link.
 
New leaf spring record on a 275 was set this weekend.Wounder what springs he's using.I know he is using assasin bars
20190215_203417.jpg
 
flyfish said:
....This is a 5+ year old thread that was reopened by someone who just opened an account (2 posts)....don't feed the troll people.
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Yup only two posts. (now 3) Keyboards, socal media and mice aren't my dig. Mass Tq/Hp, low ET and steering wheels are. My Hot Rod has a lower ET then my office chair. Technology IS always changing.
:thumbsup:
 
life110mph said:
Yup only two posts. (now 3) Keyboards, socal media and mice aren't my dig. Mass Tq/Hp, low ET and steering wheels are. My Hot Rod has a lower ET then my office chair. Technology IS always changing.
:thumbsup:
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Was just a reply to "Flyfish's" post #142 . That Huh!
 
I also have the plans saved for the day when I got nothing better to do!
 
Cope said:
I also have the plans saved for the day when I got nothing better to do!
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If mine don't hook up better with my new tires, I m thinking of putting the s/s springs back on it.
I don't really have the desire to fight with the cal tracs much, I know the s/s springs work
I don't think anything short of 14" slicks will raise my magnum force front end !
 
famous bob said:
If mine don't hook up better with my new tires, I m thinking of putting the s/s springs back on it.
I don't really have the desire to fight with the cal tracs much, I know the s/s springs work
I don't think anything short of 14" slicks will raise my magnum force front end !
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Your SS springs worked with the magnum force front end?
 
justinp61 said:
Your SS springs worked with the magnum force front end?
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never made a pass w/ them, replaced them w/ the caltrac system before car was finished , got a deal on it complete and new , coiuldn`t pass it up. -------???
 
SS springs.... oh how I miss my car looking like a 3/4 ton pickup.

Quickly glancing through the posts I appears to me the ones that are making them “work” (Caltracs) are the ones starting to make some power.
 
A body said:
SS springs.... oh how I miss my car looking like a 3/4 ton pickup.

Quickly glancing through the posts I appears to me the ones that are making them “work” (Caltracs) are the ones starting to make some power.
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looks to me like their on a sticky track w/ slicks for the most part , and haven`t seen any 700 plus h.p. at that ----
 
I’ve looked into who was/is running them
And I’m using them on mine now
I believe and I think I’ve proven it to myself tuning mine
When I was running all out (full power )
They worked great if I left at a lower rpm off the Transbrake. But they didn’t like to be hit at a higher rpm 3000plus
And as I took power out to slow the car
I had to add rpm to hit the tire before it would hook
And I’m using a menscer shock and without those shocks I think they the hit would be uncontrollable. I still have a lot of learning
To do in order to achieve the lowest ET
But right now I’m on index mode
And trying to get it to cut a light
Looking back I probably should have just went a 4 link
 
o1heavy said:
I’ve looked into who was/is running them
And I’m using them on mine now
I believe and I think I’ve proven it to myself tuning mine
When I was running all out (full power )
They worked great if I left at a lower rpm off the Transbrake. But they didn’t like to be hit at a higher rpm 3000plus
And as I took power out to slow the car
I had to add rpm to hit the tire before it would hook
And I’m using a menscer shock and without those shocks I think they the hit would be uncontrollable. I still have a lot of learning
To do in order to achieve the lowest ET
But right now I’m on index mode
And trying to get it to cut a light
Looking back I probably should have just went a 4 link
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I am too old and lazy to work w/ them, and don't go to the strip much any more .
I did change tires tho, will be interesting to see if the front end will raise any---------
 
crackedback said:
cal tracs, splits, ranchos, 275dr, SB 560ish hp, 3300#, 1.41-1.43 60's 10.60, 124

DougsCuda.jpg


Just one car that proves otherwise. With Afco rear shocks it's gone 1.37's 60's and 10.53 - 125+.

I would stop talking to guys that don't and can't make them work and find guys that can and do make them work on A body mopars.
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Now that is confident...and backing it up..
 
crackedback said:
All stock rear mount locations, non tubbed, 904, 4.56's IIRC. A good working chassis that takes work to get sorted out. People can make tuning suggestions, like Calvert. Unfortunately, it's a bit different for every car and cal tracs likely don't want the same set up that SS springs do.

What rear suspension is on almost every good running competitive stock eliminator A body... not SS springs!

I'll stop now as not be arrogant according to another member that can't get them to work either. :)
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Are you running a brake also
 
DesertBilly said:
Are you running a brake also
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Used foot and brake.
In most well sorted out cars( that one was) they should 60’ identically either way.... or awfully darn close
Leave at 2k off the foot, or 4200 or so off the chip using the brake car would run all the numbers the same either way. Same 60.... same ET
People get this wierd thought that a brake makes a car faster. Yes, your reaction time will be faster, but thst doesnt mean the car is faster.
At the end of the day if you have say a 5200 flash convertor, thats where it “ hits” no matter how you get it there
 
how much you stall your converter will change your reaction. Have had too many red lights from squeezing the throttle a tad bit to much with a good racer next to me.
I have never ran a brake car or brake transmission, but i know that when i full stall on the foot brake my 60 get soft. Making a run at the converter gets me my best times(60')
with my new converter i can't full stall it because my foot is not strong enough to hold the car.
 
SS Spring VS Caltracs.
I truly believe that if you had a good suspension tuner, that was well rehers on both set ups. That he/she could set up a SS Spring to get it's best 60 foot time. Pull them spring out and put the Caltrac spring set up in, and get the same 60 foot time after it has been "sorted out". They would be completely "sorted out but differently", and the work to the tire would be the same in the end.

Now with that said, the beginner to novus racer will benefit or have greater success with a SS Spring then a Caltrac. WHY?????
Because he don't know about shock setting or what they do. he/she dont know or care that the reason SS Spring is stiffer on the right side is to keep the body from rolling on to that side while the drive line is trying to pull the tire off the ground.

They don't know about any of this, they just know that it works, and it does!
As you put more and more power into the car the more you will have to learn how to set up the suspension SS or caltracs.
 
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