Your 60'rs are in line with your et. We still run slapper bars and pull 1.45 60'ers with a few tricks. Caltracs are fine, but you can do it w/o them if you want.

60' times appear fine to me also.

Personally, I owuldnt spend the money on Caltracs yet. I would wait till the 60' times got quicker, or, if they become real erratic. Then the shocks and springs may still be the first thing to mess with (at least that's what I would do first).

------------------
Rob Hetzler
member #773
'69 mustang, 351C, best 9.97 @ 133 mph 1/4, 6.18 @ 109.9 1/8, 1.319 60'
'70 mustang, flintstone power
'93 F150 Lightning 15.33 @ 87 mph, completely stock with 167k miles
'60 Falcon wagon project car
'99 Pro Et track champion
'00 Mod ET R-up (with new car)
'01 5th place Top ET, 7th place Mod ET

------------------
Alex Denysenko
Co-Administrator and Moderator

NHRA/IHRA/SRA member and licensed Superstock driver
MCA member# 53321
NHRA and IHRA SS/LA National Record Holder '00,'01,'02,&'03
Fleet of FoMoCo products including 88 ASC McLaren Mustang #28
Professional Manwhore
The Barry of BarrysGrrl

------------------

• 71 Mach1 351c
• E/SA 11.89-110 mph
• F/SA 11.76-111 mph

These are SuperStocker racers that have VERY scienced out suspensions with relocated engines, ladder bars, racing leaf springs, HIGH stall converters perfectly matched to their cams for ideal launching, etc.

My car does okay off the bottle, and has run a best of 7.48 in the 1/8. 60ft's are almost always in the mid 1.6's.

If you're going to compete on a heads-up level in an arena such as superstock, you'll need to spend the time and money optimizing EVERYTHING. Once that is done, the 60 fts will drop into the 1.5's at your hp level.

For now, simply going to a set of Caltracs isn't going to make it happen. You might get a scant amount of improvement, but there won't be any large gains at your power level from this change alone.

Good Luck!

Mike - no relocated engines in Stock/Super Stock

Our best 60 is 1.39 with Caltracs and factory 5 leaf springs. Had CE trac bars, which were OK - Caltracs better. Would try unbolting sway bar with looser shocks in front.

I gotta try CalTracs someday, but I'm just too cheap.

Thanks

quote:

---

Originally posted by F551:
Steve - "lower front shock perches" - you mean the top mounts? What is the theory, just increasing shock length?

Thanks

---

Yes,

Lowering the perches gives the front end more upward travel before it has to pick up the wheels. The height of the shock is the suspension travel limiter. It lets some weight transfer to the rear so the slicks can bite before they have to lift the front suspension (heavy stock drms in our case) off the track.
TomP was the one that suggested this a couple years ago and it's a great tip. Just remove your perches and make new ones out of 1/4" thick steel plate or 3/8" thick aluminum.

quote:

---

Originally posted by steve'66:
You can see the extra suspension travel in this pic,

Compare it to Alex's wheels up pic, he has to limit his travel to control (tame) the wheelie.

SteveW

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by n2oMike:
ZepherRacer,

These are SuperStocker racers that have VERY scienced out suspensions with relocated engines, ladder bars, racing leaf springs, HIGH stall converters perfectly matched to their cams for ideal launching, etc.

---

Of the bunch, only my 65 Mustang is a Superstocker and it has 1.37 60 foot times.
It has a ladder link full floater rear supension, but no engine set back as it is not legal.
I didn't make any referance to my 65, only the two Fox bodied cars which have coil springs in the rear.
Stock eliminator has very specifice rules with severly limited modifications allowed.
Yes, as I stated all of the cars have "very" scienced out suspensions, but nothing exotic.
Trick bushings front and rear,stock control arms, adjustable SUPER premium shocks or struts on all four corners, air bags and well engineered traction devices.
Hans' 71 car and Steve W's 66 have leaf spring rear suspensions with Cal Tracs or hopper bars and both leave very well with 60 foots comperable to their ET's. Steve's will get better yet with some new springs on the rear.
My point was that you are "leaving money on the table". Your car witheh horsepower that it has, is capable of better 60 foots based on the 1/8 mile ET. That translates into quicker overall ET. Whether Cal-Tracs will help .02 or .002 I can't say for sure without knowing more about the rest of the car. Shocks are very, very important as are rear springs.

Nine times out of ten I can make ANY stock type suspension car leave better than it does now.
No brag, just fact!

------------------
Alex Denysenko
Co-Administrator and Moderator

NHRA/IHRA/SRA member and licensed Superstock driver
MCA member# 53321
NHRA and IHRA SS/LA National Record Holder '00,'01,'02,&'03
Fleet of FoMoCo products including 88 ASC McLaren Mustang #28
Professional Manwhore
The Barry of BarrysGrrl

quote:

---

Originally posted by zepheracer:
Even with the rear shockc set on the stiffest setting the body really separates, spends more time going up than foward.

---

This took some convincing by Alex, but you have to CLAMP the rear springs. Turn the leaf springs into a mono leaf spring. That will prevent leaf seperation and control the rise of the rear suspension. Also letting the front suspension rise higher will transfer more weight quicker to the rear. It's all about having the car make one motion up in the front and gone, versus up in the back, then up in the front then gone.

Like Mikee says "try it, you'll like it"

Alex,
About moving the engine... I thought I remembered you talking about moving the engine to get large headers to fit correctly... and also when trying to sell that oilpan that would no longer fit due to having the engine in a different place. I guess it just got moved 'within the rules', and not significantly set back.

About clamping the fronts of the springs. I made some clamps, went to put them on, and there wasn't room up front! I tried installing them on the rear half of the springs, but it just made the car wheelhop. I may have been able to clamp the rear portion of the front half of the spring, but the tire comes really close to the leaf up front. Of course my car is a 4-speed that gets launched WFO, and automatic cars don't have to absorb quite as much of a shockload... so a stiffer rear suspension might work better for them.

Disclaimer...

I know, with an adjustable clutch adjusted on the LOOSE side, the stiffer rear suspension would probably work better... but I'm not into sanding and replacing clutch disks every 10-12 runs. I'll give away that 0.05 seconds in the first 60ft to get 2-3 service free years out of a clutch disk. (Mine has served well for 3 years now, and is going right back in. I might sand it a little though.) I might try a loose setting a time or two next season (if I need to beat certain Chevys) but I plan to keep it fairly tight the rest of the time.

Raising three small kids doesn't leave much time or money for working on the hotrod... but our 14 month old is daddy's lil' girl! I might get more competitive again when the time and funds allow... (Before getting married, I used to live on the cheap and spend at least every other paycheck in it's entirety on the mustang) I lived in a $275/month apt. (including utilities) usually kept the mustang at mom's, never paid more than $2800 for a vehicle, purchased cheap clothes and food, and went RACING most weekend nights.

Ok, I'll stop rambling now....

Good Luck!

quote:

---

Originally posted by steve'66:
This took some convincing by Alex, but you have to CLAMP the rear springs.

SteveW

---

Caltrac told me the same thing when I described what my car was doing when I dumped the clutch. Told me to clamp the rear portion of the springs and set the shocks to the tightest setting. It slowed the separation down and gave the rear tires time to bite the track. I also added 75lbs out back which didn't hurt any. I'm running 6.90's 1/8 with a 1.50 60'.

------------------
James
67 Coupe
393W, 4 Speed,

quote:

---

Originally posted by steve'66:
This took some convincing by Alex, but you have to CLAMP the rear springs.

SteveW

---

------------------
Oops

James
67 Coupe
393W, 4 Speed,

I just might have a spare chunk of Aluminum

It was one of our earlier mods, and I think it helps. It's cheap to try, I've actually added a little height with spacers above the flat plate. But it still adds about an inch to the suspension travel upwards. All I know for sure is it won't hurt getting some weight transfered to the slicks.

quote:

---

Originally posted by n2oMike:

Alex,
About moving the engine... I thought I remembered you talking about moving the engine to get large headers to fit correctly... and also when trying to sell that oilpan that would no longer fit due to having the engine in a different place. I guess it just got moved 'within the rules', and not significantly set back.

Ok, I'll stop rambling now....

Good Luck!

---

We lowered the engine one inch Mike.
I guess technically that is relocating it.

------------------
Alex Denysenko
Co-Administrator and Moderator

NHRA/IHRA/SRA member and licensed Superstock driver
MCA member# 53321
NHRA and IHRA SS/LA National Record Holder '00,'01,'02,&'03
Fleet of FoMoCo products including 88 ASC McLaren Mustang #28
Professional Manwhore
The Barry of BarrysGrrl