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Leaf springs and drag racing.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by MADMILLER, May 24, 2007.

  1. MADMILLER
    Joined: Dec 7, 2006
    Posts: 84

    MADMILLER
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    what are you guys with leaf springs running to keep your axle in place under torque.do the slap bars that mount to under your leafs work.i will be putting them under my 57 chevy.thanks
     
  2. ******* bars and leaf clamps, mebbe even a pinion snubber sometimes.
     
  3. buzzard
    Joined: Apr 20, 2001
    Posts: 4,335

    buzzard
    Alliance Member

    Check out some of the pics and description in post #22 on Sam's_Post about his '55. He used ladder bars with a slider up front so there is no bind.

    I'm usinig Compe***ion Engineering Slide-a-Links for my '55. I'd also check into Cal_Tracs , if I were you. I don't have my car on the road yet, so I can't give any first hand reports.
     
  4. nmpontiac
    Joined: Apr 24, 2007
    Posts: 1,235

    nmpontiac
    Member
    from Taos, NM

    On the sedan delivery, I used ******* bars but I extended them to contact in the center of the spring eye instead of hitting the leaf and deflecting it. Never had any trouble wrinklin' up the wrinkle walls!
     
  5. A good set of ******* bars work well, but they have to be the GOOD ones. CE's with the J bolts work are the best of the *******s.

    Ladder bars with floaters work real good, as do non traditional setup s like Slide-a-links, and cal-tracs.

    On my non HAMB friendly mopar, I run MP Superstock springs and an adjustable pinion snubber. It gets me down the track. Tri City Engineering make a set of springs based on the SS springs called Launchers...and they work.
     
  6. pan-dragger
    Joined: Sep 13, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    pan-dragger
    Member


  7. ******* bars and clamps are the cheap way out.

    There is a set of traction masters old originals in the cl***ifieds they will work also and are very trad.

    A lot of it depends on what your useing for bite. if you don't get a lot of bite its easier to keep your springs from wrapping up. I'm useing a set of air shocks mounted in front of the axle on a car I'm putting together at the moment. its not totaly trad but will work as long as it doesn't get stickey tires. When it gets sticky tires it'll either get ladders n sliders or maybe a set of non trad cal track style bars depending on the mood at the time.
     
  8. Yup, Traction Masters are traditional. They were what everybody used in the '50's and '60's. I remember using them on my Olds in '64-'65. You can still get them new and they still work GREAT:D , try:
    www.tractionmaster.com
    Luck!

     
  9. dragrcr50
    Joined: Jul 25, 2005
    Posts: 3,865

    dragrcr50
    Member

    for the 57 without major work and bucks go with the ******* bars but by all means use a new set of springs and bushings...the weak link here is old worn out springs, they will wrap up on you big time. until you get real serious this set up will serve you well. also on using *******s extend them to the center of the spring eye for maximum hit... see you at the hamb drags with it???
     
  10. beetlejuice55
    Joined: Feb 18, 2007
    Posts: 738

    beetlejuice55
    Member

    i had a 70 nova ( i know, it's a different animal that a 57 chevy) but...
    all i ran for rear suspension was a set of stock mono-leafs (single leafs, normally found on 6 cyl. cars) a set of 50/50 race country shocks, a pinnion snubber, and a cheap set of ******* bars. running cheater slicks, with a stock open 10 bolt rearend, it would pull the left front tire when i launched it. the car ran consistant 11.90's in the 1/4 and it was my daily driver at the time.
    if you notice, old 60's mopars hook up extremely well. alot of them used the mono leaf spring set up in the rear.
    as someone else said, you want the rubber bumper on the ******* bars to hit the spring eye for maximum effect. if they hit the actual spring, all they will be doing is pushing up on the spring (and the spring will bend upwards) this still works, but not as effective as when the ******* bars hit the spring eyes.
     
  11. jangleguy
    Joined: Dec 26, 2004
    Posts: 2,668

    jangleguy
    Member

    Clamp the leafs together on the front half of the spring (or use Caltracs new split leafs) and use a pinion snubber set on SPANK! That's how I've been pulling the front tires and getting 1.40 60' times, for the last 22 years...
    Nothing wrong with Caltracs, either. I've been thinking about making my own...
     
  12. Huuuuh????

    None of my 60's MoPars have monoleafs... and neither did the literally 100's of other MoPars I have looked at...

    What MoPar did do was use a spring with a shorter section in front of the axle to carry the torque and a longer section behind the axle to soften the ride. They also biased the springs on HP applications with more spring leafs in the right side's front section than the left side.
     
  13. brandon
    Joined: Jul 19, 2002
    Posts: 6,382

    brandon
    Member

    built a 72 nova for a customer back in 01.....used cal tracs and some landrum monoleafs and rancho truck shocks.....the car has never hit the track.....but on the street....that thing was a ball......brandon:D
     
  14. MADMILLER
    Joined: Dec 7, 2006
    Posts: 84

    MADMILLER
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    thanks guys i built bars almost to the tee of the traction masters last night,launched it it wrapped up serious even with the bars ,the car is putting 350 horse 4 speed muncie,i am running 225 70r15 bfg radials.now i believe it is wrapping up the back part of the leaf i have 3.73 gears with posi
     
  15. Bondoboy
    Joined: Apr 14, 2005
    Posts: 648

    Bondoboy
    Member

    I have a low 12 second 68 camaro. It came to me with 3 leaf rear springs, and when I put the 12 bolt with 4:10's in it and went racing, it did have some axle hop. Now I run CE ******* bars, and 28x10.5 MT slicks and it has worked like a charm for the past 3 years. Its a 4 speed, and I have them set so just sitting there the snubbers are already touching the spring. The CE bars are nice because the snubber touches exactly under the spring eye. No more axle hop and damn good traction and it tracks nice and straight off the line. Just my experience with *******s.... FWIW I would put a 4 link in it if I had the cash for that right now...
     
  16. MADMILLER
    Joined: Dec 7, 2006
    Posts: 84

    MADMILLER
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    ...
     

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  17. brandon
    Joined: Jul 19, 2002
    Posts: 6,382

    brandon
    Member

    most of the stock cl*** mopars have went to the caltrac setup ....heck most of the racers in the stock cl***es are running this setup.....it works....brandon:D
     
  18. stevilknievel
    Joined: Apr 17, 2005
    Posts: 433

    stevilknievel
    Member

    Caltracs & Super stock springs...
     
  19. I used these Ansen ground grabbers on my old 56 Chevy. They worked! You can add a bolt to that hole at the back when you go to the track. 90-10 front shocks also help get traction
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  20. MADMILLER
    Joined: Dec 7, 2006
    Posts: 84

    MADMILLER
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    thats one bad *** 56 kiwi
     
  21. beetlejuice55
    Joined: Feb 18, 2007
    Posts: 738

    beetlejuice55
    Member

    maybe i'm mistaken here...i am not a mopar guy. but, i do remember seeing a couple of late 60's dusters, with monoleafs running at the track. maybe these were not the stock springs ?
    all i know is that they had monoleafs, and the cars hooked like crazy.
     
  22. buzzard
    Joined: Apr 20, 2001
    Posts: 4,335

    buzzard
    Alliance Member

    Yeah, I'm using Mopar super stock springs as well. Hopefully, I can lift the fronts on the street with some 90/10's!
     
  23. Bondoboy
    Joined: Apr 14, 2005
    Posts: 648

    Bondoboy
    Member

    woah! that 56 is the ****! street wheelie's??? god damn!
     

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