When is Sure-Grip actually necessary?

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rub2stix

rub2stix

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70 Dart, mildly warmed up 318, MAYBE 300 hp is the plan. Automatic, 2000 stall.
3.91 rear ratio. Do I NEED Sure-Grip? Would it FRY one tire, or just spin a bit and then go?

I'm thinking about putting an open carrier in first, and then just SEEING how it works out. I do know of an available 3.91 Sure-Grip, AND a 3.91 open... there's about a $350 price difference, hence my train of thought.

Thanks in advance for your input.

JD
 
"Necessary?"

Hell a V8 is not "necessary." All of these cars would "move down the road" with a slant six.
 
Well if you want to take advantage of the power your 318 is making than yes you need a SG. You want to put the power to the ground.
 
well. Mine Stock 318 was way better with sg.
on streets in a wet day it would spin one tire constantly.
And its much more fun to do 11 than 1 :)
 
With a sure grip 3.23 and 70 series tires, my old 68 fastback went through snow better than front wheel drive.
 
I need a sure grip in my /6 A body, I am sure your time and cost to put the sure grip in will
be the move you need to make... wait till you turn on to a wet or sandy dirty road and need to get out of the way of on coming trafic :banghead: you will be wishing you had a sure grip, or if you line up next to me at the track :D and that V8 can't get out of the hole and get beat by a /6 :burnout:
 
I have a warmed over 318 in a 70 Dart with an o/d A833 backed by a 2.94 open diff. Now I do have 295-50-15 tires but I can launch pretty hard without spinning. If you want to be racing somebody a sure grip will give you an advantage over the open diff but not n eccessary.
 
Hard to pull the front end up with one wheel drive. If you just wanna make smoke and noise go with an open rear. It'll be a lot easier on most of the drive train, except for the tire, which you can swap over to the other side when it wears out.
 
mischiefdart said:
I have a warmed over 318 in a 70 Dart with an o/d A833 backed by a 2.94 open diff. Now I do have 295-50-15 tires but I can launch pretty hard without spinning. If you want to be racing somebody a sure grip will give you an advantage over the open diff but not n eccessary.
Click to expand...

Then you ain't got enuff power or gear :-D

300hp, 2000stall, 391 open gear....... you'll blow the tire off
everytime you turn a corner or leave a light.

Put the SG in and never look back.
 
OP, you say you know of two 3.91 diffs with one being open and one a sure grip. I would look at the sure grip and see if it has the clutch type or the later cone type found most commonly in the 489 case diffs. For the extra $350 I would pass on the sure grip and buy the open if 3.91 is the ratio you are sure you want. Dr Diff sells brand new clutch type diffs for somewhere around $450. You are much better off with a brand new one for only a little more money over a used cone type sure grip..
 
If I hurt you feelings, I'm sorry,
thought I was just makin a funny.
 
With smooth pavement, dry conditions, good tires, and 300 HP with the likely torque you will have, you will do Ok without it. It will just spin a bit and go at worst in those conditions, if you learn to manage it (not hard to learn). What is your need in the car? Regular driving or on the strip? And BTW under snowy or loose gravelly conditions, a really tight posi will help you get going but can be a detriment in turning.
 
longarm said:
If I hurt you feelings, I'm sorry,
thought I was just makin a funny.
Click to expand...

If I had a sure grip I could beat everyone to 60 feet with my /6 in this thread :toothy1: and do some Duke boys racing in the back roads here in Arkansas and keep up with any beg leg rear end V8 car :-D
 
longarm said:
If I hurt you feelings, I'm sorry,
thought I was just makin a funny.
Click to expand...

No, I was going to poke fun at you high stall automatic guys that can't launch your cars without a traction aid. Love my four speed! Might not be as fast as an auto but ten times the fun.
 
No fun laying down just one black mark. IMO the sure grip is worth the money!!
 

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the car will be an occasional driver, good weather pleasure-driving only. Once or twice, (thrice?) a year may visit an 1/8 or 1/4 mile strip. Might live with the 2.9* carrier until the strip dates, too, and just swap 'em out when needed.

I live in Montana. I don't drive rear wheel drive cars in bad weather!
 
if you stop at a red light going uphill in the rain /with a 3.91 you might just go sideways not straight with a open rear, but if you stay around 323 you fine. and if you pull off the pavement and its soft you will sink in the mud and slide unless you have very wide tires.
 
rub2stix said:
no hurt feelings whatsoever! thanks for real feedback

JD
Click to expand...

Its all good JD.
My apology was to another fella that redid his comments,
kind of made this apology look disjointed.

But I do hope you end up with SG.8)
 
teringer...
Astute observation. Thank you. I hadn't thought of that, but yes, I think you're right there. I'd post a "thank you" but I've yet to see that icon that would allow me to do so.

I'm leaning toward the SG, for sure now. I don't intend to ever drive the car in the rain, but one never knows! And my son, with whom I'm building this (Father/Son) project, seems to be intimating that HE'D like to drive it a LOT! (we'll see... I'm the one putting the most $$ into it thus far! <grin>)

JD
 
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