How much weight gain from adding a Dana and roll cage.

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Not hard to do, the submersible fuel line was like $90.00 for 2’!!!! It went through the filler hole. Push the magnets into place with a stick. Should have wrapped the stick with tape. Got a little wood dust in the tank from the stick, which annoyed me. Put the mat in, then put the fittings on. The mat alone folded up is a tight fit through the hole. Then just cut the pickup tube before the 90 deg bend. Holley has a video of it working.

 
If you’re starting from scratch personally I’d look at the 9” just from a parts availability standpoint. If you‘re stuck on the “dump truck” rear the S60 is much easier for gear set up with its screw/cup side adjusters. I have 4.30 and 4.56 gears set up and it really doesn’t take too long to swap between the two once you get the pinion shim pack for each.

cage…. if I had to do it again I’d a gone molly. Mild steel was cheaper and at the time we just didn’t care much. Now I do . With materials costs these days I cringe to think what it’d cost!!

i‘m sure you’ve done your homework on the 9 deal. Chassis cert (every 3 years), competition license, pants/gloves/jacket and I believe by next year a HANS type device will also be required. Out west here it’s been a pita getting lined up with the tech guy to get recertification at times.
 
A body said:
If you’re starting from scratch personally I’d look at the 9” just from a parts availability standpoint. If you‘re stuck on the “dump truck” rear the S60 is much easier for gear set up with its screw/cup side adjusters. I have 4.30 and 4.56 gears set up and it really doesn’t take too long to swap between the two once you get the pinion shim pack for each.

cage…. if I had to do it again I’d a gone molly. Mild steel was cheaper and at the time we just didn’t care much. Now I do . With materials costs these days I cringe to think what it’d cost!!

i‘m sure you’ve done your homework on the 9 deal. Chassis cert (every 3 years), competition license, pants/gloves/jacket and I believe by next year a HANS type device will also be required. Out west here it’s been a pita getting lined up with the tech guy to get recertification at times.
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If I was starting over I'd go 9" too.
 
A body said:
If you’re starting from scratch personally I’d look at the 9” just from a parts availability standpoint. If you‘re stuck on the “dump truck” rear the S60 is much easier for gear set up with its screw/cup side adjusters. I have 4.30 and 4.56 gears set up and it really doesn’t take too long to swap between the two once you get the pinion shim pack for each.

cage…. if I had to do it again I’d a gone molly. Mild steel was cheaper and at the time we just didn’t care much. Now I do . With materials costs these days I cringe to think what it’d cost!!

i‘m sure you’ve done your homework on the 9 deal. Chassis cert (every 3 years), competition license, pants/gloves/jacket and I believe by next year a HANS type device will also be required. Out west here it’s been a pita getting lined up with the tech guy to get recertification at times.
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Exactly why I'm gonna settle for low/mid tens with my new ride.
 
I just weighed my black friday purchase..... an aluminum 9" center, with a spool. 61.8 lbs, with half of the plastic shipping container. So, probably 59 lbs. (Frankly, more than I thought it would be.Thick aluminum casting, 10 bolt pinion support, billet 1350 yoke) Black Friday price saved about $600.
 
I think with the little bit of added weight, low 10's is easily doable. I've already been there (10.28 best) with a 408 4" stroked small block. The 416 that is almost complete went 9.40's in a 2800 lb car and my car was 2500 lb with the cast iron headed 408.
 
Demonracer said:
I think with the little bit of added weight, low 10's is easily doable. I've already been there (10.28 best) with a 408 4" stroked small block. The 416 that is almost complete went 9.40's in a 2800 lb car and my car was 2500 lb with the cast iron headed 408.
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Just curious, how much glass parts you have to get that light ?
I wouldn't mind getting my car down to 2800
 
I have seen axel tubes in Dana 60's anywhere from 5/16'' to a hair over 1/2'' depending what it came out of . So weight varies .
 
Usually the 1 ton 4 wheel drive trucks have the thicker axle tubes and the front axles on them have reverse ring and pinion gears.
 
jimjimjimmy said:
I have seen axel tubes in Dana 60's anywhere from 5/16'' to a hair over 1/2'' depending what it came out of . So weight varies .
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.... and the thicker axle tubes make up for the lack of rear brace you find on hi-horsepower 9" and 8 3/4 applications.. Kind of a pick-your-poison. Thick tubes to keep the housing straight, or lightweight tubes for minimum weight penalty.
 
33IMP said:
Curious, yep. Me too. Tube chassis car? That's only a couple (well, three) hundred pounds more than my back-halfed mini car with an aluminum headed small block.
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He pm'd me the details. Lots of fiberglass, lexan, aluminum
 
Just remember if it’s a drag race only duster you can get them very light. Mine used to be 2550 with my son in it, 8.50 cert cage, Dana 60, and old style build 2 x 3 box frame. Going to a strut frontend help bigtime. Mines up to 2850 now with me driving and I removed the fiberglass doors and put stock doors on with wind up windows. Fenders are steel and it has a heavy fiberglass hood and trunk. Also fiberglass front and rear bumpers.
 
John, are you weighing them at the track? Digital scale, or beam type?
(I haven't seen a scale open at a track I race at, in a decade. Pomona, yeah, of course, but Joe Shmoe can't race there....)
 
B3422w5 said:
Went from an 8.75 to a Dana years ago on consecutive weekends when I was racing all the time.
Close to 70 extra pounds.
That said, I saw zero difference on the time slips. I suspect the Dana must be more efficient for it’s extra weight to not hurt the time slip at all.
Regards the frame connectors and cage. Cage might make a tiny bit of difference, the frame connectors you might actually gain some ET from.
Lots to be said for making a unibody car a much stiffer “ one piece” deal.
All these changes I bet you would be unlikely to lose half a tenth, just good upgrades all around.
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Not sure who it is disagreeing with me, I have done the swap and noted the results.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Just remember if it’s a drag race only duster you can get them very light. Mine used to be 2550 with my son in it, 8.50 cert cage, Dana 60, and old style build 2 x 3 box frame. Going to a strut frontend help bigtime. Mines up to 2850 now with me driving and I removed the fiberglass doors and put stock doors on with wind up windows. Fenders are steel and it has a heavy fiberglass hood and trunk. Also fiberglass front and rear bumpers.
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Would love to go down the track in mine 510 pounds lighter just a couple of passes. Would be fun.
 
I'm pretty sure my car is going to be a 4000 pound dart, judging by the weights of other people's cars lol
 
33IMP said:
John, are you weighing them at the track? Digital scale, or beam type?
(I haven't seen a scale open at a track I race at, in a decade. Pomona, yeah, of course, but Joe Shmoe can't race there....)
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I won’t take my car to a scrap yard so the only place I can weigh it is at Norwalk and that’s when the scale is open. I’m not sure if Quaker City still has a scale or not.
 
pittsburghracer said:
I have a torch and a sawzal
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Been fighting weight for quite a while.
So, made a pact with myself. Until the scales start with a two my car isn’t coming off the showroom.
My wife will be the arbiter when that is.
probably need to start on vacation next week if I don’t want to miss any racing.
 
max512wedge said:
My 1972 duster weights 3240 with a small block and 8.75 rear end and a full tank of fuel (16 gallons) all steel and glass.soon to be a 512 with victor heads. Question what would be the difference in weight from a 8.75 rear to a Dana. What would I need cage wise to run low 10’s height 9’s and what would the weight be for the cage and frame connectors. One more question could I just run 5 gallons in my stock fuel tank so I could save 11galx6pds= 66 pounds from having less fuel weight in my car. I know I’ll probably need to put a fuel cell in at some point but can I do this or would the fuel slosh around to much and cause fuel starvation problems. Thanks Guys

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You are clearly weight conscious.
IF you,are serious about going into the nines , with all the other stuff that has been mentioned above that goes with it... then I would suggest a moly 12 point cage (not cheap, but lighter than equivalent steel, cause the tubing can be thinner wall) and a nine inch rear (there is lots of debate over d60 vs 9") but few will argue that a 9 isn't strong enough with the right parts, and I'll bet an aluminum center nine could be 100 lbs lighter than a 60.
But! IF you are willing to settle for low, or very low 10s......
all that stuff that goes with a 9 second slip, goes away, saving money on safety stuff that has to be replaced every couple years, (but nothing says you CAN'T buy and use all the safety stuff you want!) an eight point bar is legal to 10.00, and a mild steel bar will be lighter than a full molly cage. And theoretically, a narrowed truck dana with good axles can be half the price of a strong, full-of-aftermarket-parts nine inch (no Ford parts in it anymore) ford.
Frankly, I might build enough power into my new car to run nines... but if it does, I will surely slow it down for regular use.
 
MOPARMAGA said:
I'm pretty sure my car is going to be a 4000 pound dart, judging by the weights of other people's cars lol
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Mine I took a picture of on the scale after making a pass and posted it on here. Not all that long ago( this past summer). And anybody who has seen it knows it has no glass and no stripped down interior. And knows the size of me ..lol
I am a hater of people who say there car is heavier to make it sound faster.
 
B3422w5 said:
Mine I took a picture of on the scale after making a pass and posted it on here. Not all that long ago( this past summer). And anybody who has seen it knows it has no glass and no stripped down interior. And knows the size of me ..lol
I am a hater of people who say there car is heavier to make it sound faster.
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I saw a rat motored 67 ElCamino once that was claimed to be 4600 lbs at the starting line. I didn't believe it .....till I saw the driver get out.

He was 600 lbs, and the drivers side of the car,went up two or three inches when he got out, lol!
 
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