Thinking about poss. building a g***er, But would like some more info before i decide . What is the ride quality like ? Is it something i want to drive on a long trip? Do they handle good enough to be driven a lot? I understand this look is derived from drag cars !, I just want to know what to expect before i build something and find out the hard way that it's a punshing uncomfortable ride for long periods say like driving it on the hotrod power tour or to a rod run in another state. I believe all vehicles are meant to be driven!!
larry t thanks for the burn! thats the kind of info i want , not really a street setup only for nostalgila drags , Seen alot more at shows lately so wasn't sure if they were streetable or not !! SIGH.............................................
OK, there are a lot of straight axle cars on the street. You should be able to set one up to drive and ride as good as an older pickup, jeep or ?????????, if that's what you want. Larry T
thanks larry t that was my main question more of a streetable question and bump steer type of a question sorry should have been more specific my bad!
I set my willys coupe up with QA1 coilover front shocks on a straight axle with traditional Vega cross steer. Not exactly traditional, but I wanted to drive the car a lot. The rear was traditional ladder bar with coilovers and the car rode really decent and that`s on the street. At the drags it hooked really well. Handling....that`s another question. I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota and it is curvy and up and down in them hills. The car handled like ****.....not dangerous, but you just have to slow down in the curves.
From what I've been told, if set up correctly you can make a straight axle car handle fine. It won't be as nice of a ride as an IFS car. When I do mine, I'm planning on driving the ****er!
As tires improved, Gas cl*** racers got lower and sleeker. If you set it up to look like a refugee from 1963 (high and nose-up), it won't likely turn very well. If you settle on the stance from about 1968 (lower and closer to level), there is no reason it can't handle pretty well.
Your question is like kicking a bee's nest......12 million opinions on what a "g***er" is ! Do a search and you be able to read about them for weeks. Happy motoring !
Bob Super sweet Willys trade you for a Fal**** and a left sided kidney want to keep the right side one but willing to change my mind
they will handle as well as most 4 wheel drive trucks, G.M. and Dodge used straight axel fronts up thru the 80s on the 4x4
My car drives great,if you have an ill handeling car how can you drive it 120+ mph on the strip...IF ITS SET UP RIGHT IT WILL DRIVE...............................
Mine rides and drives great ..... one hander all the way to 110mph while shiftin the 4 speed and we have close to 3k miles(street) on the build so far
I drive my straight axle g***er all the time ,it has old school rear suspension with traction masters engine set back about 9" and crank cl is 24" from ground . I have a lot of camber in the axle it goes real straight at 120 .What it don't do well is go around corners at speed . It reminds me of my old chevy truck with to much sand loaded in the bed. It is nowhere near as easy to drive now as when it was stock. It is a real g***er big motor not a street friendly cam, high stall converter ,410 gear. You can put a more streetable motor leave it in stock location it will be alot more streetable. My car is a task to drive on the narrow windy roads but the fun factor is off the chain.
as others said,you can set them up to drive good on the street and also on the track,just dont plan on taking it to a road course and try to pull 1G.
my car didnt start as a g***er,but thats the way its going..i put a s10 clip under it...nad after i started racing i wanted the nose high look...fabtech makes 3''lift spindles for 2wd s10s,so i get the look and the ride and drive,,,
I've got around 1300 miles on mine since I got it on the street late spring this year. Drive the heck out of it on the freeway or rural roads and it handles suprisingly well! I can go down the freeway at 65 mph and not even touch the steering wheel. Tracks perfectly. But,....it does ride firm and I think the softer you go, the less likely it will corner well. I have the advantage of having a car that weighs less than 2500 lbs., so it's not top heavy like some g***er theme cars, and doesn't have the body roll that a larger car has. But that's also an issue with it being light and short wheelbase, as it tends to be a bit choppy on rough roads. I have zero bump steer, and if you set your's up properly you should not have any either. The key is to make sure your steering components are on equal planes and not at extreme angles. The steeper the angle, the more bump steer you'll get.
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