Can you clamp the the front area of the leaf springs together to the main leaf and limit spring wrap similar to a ******* style traction bar? Any pros or cons to this? For the time being my poor *** is stuck with 50 year old rear leaves with 2 inch blocks, the big block likes to throw the pinion into the floor on hard accel. Pics or ideas anyone? Brad
It helps, but is not always the cure. Mopar did alot of this. I dont know your application , but you can also use a pinion snubber.
Not exactly an either or. I have done a lot of leaf spring racing and car set up. How about we start with what year make model and engine you are working on. Mopars do not require Traction bars because of the way the springs are made and because of the pinion snubber. In fact they will slow down when bars are used. Some Fords could be run this way but normally arent although i know of a 66 Comet that is . generally speaking non mopar needs the bars.
Its my 56 countrysedan ford wagon with a 390 c6 and 8.8 rear with soon to be 3.27 gears replacing the 3.73s with a 28 tall rear tire. I dont really want to use bars because they hang so low, I just want to help with spring wrap on hard accel. I know the pinion angle is important, and when I first put the 8.8 in I screwed up and set it up to high, I am cutting the perches back off and will reweld them on a drive on hoist that is level so it will be right this time. Thanks for your time guys. Brad
the clamps need to be behind the axle not ahead...when the rear torques the front goes up and the leaves want to seperate on the rear side...clamps will help...(front side on braking)
Is this how it works on fords? I know on mopars you clamp the leaves together on the front, and let the back alone.
I had some spring built for my Falcon and the old timer that set them up used a half leaf up front that mount on top of the big leaf. The half leaf doesn't mount under the perch but it does wrap over the front spring eye.
Clamping the front will help a bit but used together with *******s or traction masters cures the problem for Ford type suspension. If you make racing a habit removing the clips on the back half of the spring works just as good on fords as it does mopars IF you have bars of some kind to control the movement.
The reason Mopar guys dont use them is because we can get Super Stock springs. All the SS springs are is a longer hanger up front that moves the spring eye to the rear of the car. The spring itself is shorter up front by a matching amount. This shorter, stiffer front half limits wrap up/wheel hop. The length difference from stock to Super Stock set up is 3 inch longer hangers (towards the rear) and leaves that are 3 inches shorter up front. 3 inches. Anyone building a car should be able to use this "magic length" (3 inches) and move the front perch back then order springs that match. Not Rocket Surgery, here folks, haha. If you arent willing to do the whole three inch thing, then the bars will give a little (slight) better ride compared to clamping the front halves. You wanna do something homemade, cool, and effective? build yourself a homebrewed Caltrac THEY WORK! http://www.calvertracing.com/ or slide a links - http://www.compe***ionengineering.com/catalog/CategoryDisplay.asp?CatCode=13116
your lowering blocks make the wrap up worst you need to stiffen the front half of the spring by adding 1/2 of a main leaf on top of the spring but I cut it behind the perch and had a clamp for each leaf and had loose clamp in the back to adjust the seperation to control the rise
We built a set years ago and installed them on a '64 Falcon Sprint with a 289 in it. They worked, but the think rode like a buckboard with the springs clamped. Since you don't want to go with traction bars, why not build something off the floor above the pinion and construct a housing on the rear end above the pinion and run a hard rubber pinion snubber down from the floor to the housing. Just reinforce it good on the floor so it distributes the upward motion and doesn't bend up the floor.
Here's a good how-to on the half-spring that I'm trying on my Ford-Healey. Haven't got it on the road yet, so can't vouch for it's effectiveness. http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Easy-Traction.htm
I had a similar problem on my 53 Studebaker. I really wanted to make a set of cal-trac bars but didn't have the room. Ended up getting an overload spring or helper spring like you would use for the wagon to haul a trailer and clamped them on the front, worked like a charm. No more hop, just lots of tire smoke
a buddy of mine just finished a set-up on his falcon ranchero yesterday. The falcon has a 486ci. BBC, prepped 350, ford 9" with 4.11 gears. He's been messing with the set-up for about three months and finally got it figured out. Brand new super stock springs with one leaf removed, and a set of long ******* bars. According to him, he's clamped the rear of the bar four inches behind the axle, and the front rubber snubber is exactly a half inch off the frame just ahead of the front spring perch. He says the car has never hooked so hard, and the whole ride just seems to be firmer, but not harsh. He attributes the firm but not harsh ride to the half inch of air between the snubber and the frame. He painted the bars black, and says you have to be at least 20ft. away to catch a glimpse of them.
The Caltrac system is well enginnered, works great on a friend's Studebaker, and is what I am going to fab/install in place of the old traction/******* bars on my '40 with parrallel springs. Google Caltrac and find pictures and purchase info, also a link on how to build your own set.
If you can find the July 2008 issue of Hot Rod Deluxe, it details the installation of a fully adjustable leaf link which is still streetable and kind to the wallet. Basically, they added half leaves to the front of the spring pack and clamped them. Then added a bar on top of the rear axle tube, parallel to the leak spring and mounted the pivot point to the ch***is.
Why not take a length of 2 inch square tubing and turn it into a ******* bar/lowering block combo? It would replace your current lowering block and built long enough to act as a ******* bar.
Why not build something like a South Side Machine bars? Also referred to as lift bars. There's no "slap", the front of the bar clamps to the main leaf and the *** end of the bar is welded to your spring plate. I have a set on my 55 Chev. I'll post a pic or two later.
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