Could you guys steer me in the right direction with what parts I need to make my vert hook up. I still would like streetability if thats possible. My 60 foot times are so bad 2.5 sec. I dont expect the thing to be glued to the track but It should go in the 11s. The 540 makes 600 ftlbs, I spun the tires into 3rd gear . Im limited to the hoosier quick time pros 27x10x15. The leafs are new from eaton and have 5 leaves, and the shocks are CE's set at 50-50 with comps traction bars. The frame is connected and there is a 4point bar in it. Stock big block front springs and stock front shocks.
It feels pretty stiff back there are there any other leafs I could install or traction devices. Im learning the hard way that more power is not necessarilly quicker. The BB certainly put more weight on the nose how do I transfer the power to the back? Thanks Rich

Hey Rich,
From the information I gathered from this site, I chose Caltrac bars from Calvert racing. Check out www.calvertracing.com (http://www.calvertracing.com)
Chris
PS possibly "loosen" up the front end by disconnecting the sway bar and adding a racing style shock. These modifications start to hurt the streetability aspect though.

We were fighting traction problems big time in my wifes camaro but I finaly found the right mix that works:

1)70/30 front shocks
2)calvert traction bars, top hole 3 turns right, 1 turn on the left
3)Explorer Procomp 9 way adjustable rear shocks on the #2(light) setting
4)ET streets, 28x13.50x15 at 18 pounds hot

We have the stock multi leaf springs. Her times went from 1.8x to 1.5x. We did the rear shocks and bars at the same time so I'm not sure what helped more. We raised the tire pressure form 13 to 18 which gives us the most reliable 60's and is more stable on the top end.

Lee

Hey Rich

I would say follow the above and remove any rubber in your spring perch if you haven't already done so. It should hook on the springs you have, I have the original multileaf and mine hooks with the caltracs and 90/10s with no sway bar and 3 way adjustables out back.

It looks like Calvert Racing is the ticket. I gave them a call and talked to them a little about springs. They have a two leaf set up to go with there bars, Im debating on weather to go with it, since I do not want to take this thing a part again. Is it common to remove the rubber between the perch and the plate? And do I need some special device to measure pinion angle?

Lee,
Your wifes car is awesome, I think I would be happy to just be solid in the high 11s. I think grabbing gears with the clutch is a major disadvantage to running quick, especially if your as handicapped as I am(not really hadicapped just not quick with the stick). How do you fit all that tire under the car, will it rub? What back space is the rim?

Thanks for all your help!
Rich

Http://community.webshots.com/user/67ragtp

Rich I had put the caltrac bars on thinking that they would cure my traction problems but the tire spin was still there. I took the rubber out and the car hooked good after that. I think the car would 60 ft in the 1.8s and after I took the rubber out and adjusted the caltracs about 2 to 3 turns the car pulled 1.55 60s.


Good luck
Bill

I'll get the rim specs and let you know.

Here is a picture with the old setup
http://www.1967camaro.net/wheelie1.jpg

To this:
http://www.1967camaro.net/start1.jpg

The olds bars are the CE slide-a-links

Lee

When you guy figure it out let me know!!! graemlins/clonk.gif
You definitely need a 90/10 drag shock up front, and disconnect the left
side of the sway bar. I havent gotten my car to hook ever, but a local "streetracer"
(oops did I say the S word again?) is a good chassis guy who runs 9,70s w/ traction bars, told
me to run the bolts (that replace my rubber snubbers) up till they hit the leaf spring
eye and give it a bit more - this preloads the rear a bit, kinda like SSM bars.
Also with that fat block your weight distribution is probably way nose heavy, so
its hard for the car to transfer. The only one that I know of that really has it down is Big Reds buddy -
runs a 534 in a 69 camaro and hooks (1.45s) it on Caltraks and BFG drag radials - low 10s :eek:

We had the same problem but with a harder vehical to get traction a pick up this is what we have found to work great
CE 90/10 shocks on front
Rancho, yes Rancho adjustable rear shocks set on #8 or #9 Like they said call Cris a Calvert he has them in stock
this is were you are failing it's in your front springs! you need to boing the front end up to do that replace the fron springs with taller, thinner springs see where I'm going it will boing your front end up, transfer the weight to the rear were you need it! adjust your Caltrac bars on flat ground with the driver at the wheel to just touching in the lower hole. Take a trip down the track note your 60 ft times tighten the bars an 1/8th of a turn each between laps till your 60 ft times start to increase then go back to the previous 1/8 turn. Also check you pinion angle we use a 8 degree wedge.

Think you have a weight transfer problems? Jr is running a real boat 2800 lb up front, 1800lb rear 1.62 60 ft times! not to bad for a big block boat... Good luck
John

I run caltracs, and I also got a set of their split mono-leafs. They don't taper toward the spring eye like a factory one, so that helps traction too. I had collapsed multi-leafs so I just got a set of their springs. You can adjust the ride height too. I had 2.2 60fts, and one 2.0 (when the planets were in alignment ;) )with the stock sus*****ion. Now they're 1.8x's with CE adjustable shocks, split monos, caltracs and McCreary tires. It could be better if I got a decent burnout (no body hoses the water box down sometimes), some decent track prep, and some actual slicks. It's a streetable mild small block too.

*Also do not drive on the street with pre-load set on the caltracs. It will cause your susp. to bind. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Yeah, all that TQ is going to be hard to hook up in a small tire Camaro . . . good luck.

I finally got my small block car to hook up consistently with my Hoosiers. 90/10's up front, SSM bars in back. I needed shock extentions in back (the lift bars were running out of shock travel). I moved the battery to the trunk (which helped more than most care to believe) and I race with a full tank of gas and my 25lb tool bag in the trunk LOL. I also did some engine mods to kill a little TQ down low and move it higher where I could use the power. Now it consistently 60's in the 1.68 - 1.70 sec range . . .

Originally posted by 68and69ss:
Hey Rich

I would say follow the above and remove any rubber in your spring perch if you haven't already done so. It should hook on the springs you have, I have the original multileaf and mine hooks with the caltracs and 90/10s with no sway bar and 3 way adjustables out back. What exactly are you guys talking about when you are saying remove the rubber? What rubber? You talking about where the rearend sits on the leaf springs? Or does this only refer to 1st gens? (I have a 2nd).

Just to update you guys, I gave a call to Calvert Racing and ordered the whole suspension package. Split leaf Monos/Bars/adjustable rear shocks/90-10 fronts. Pinion angle is at -2 deg and when I jack up the car in the front it measures 5.25 inches of travel before the wheels come off the ground. I think that should be sufficient, I really dont want to disconnect the swaybar links. I did remove the rubber pads in the spring perches, had to fab up allum. blocks to fill the gap between the spring and lower perch plate for the bar. It definatly has a rough feel to to it while light cruising.
Eric may be right, the tire is small. Im thinking about a set of hoosier quick time pros 28x13.5x 15. Can you guys recommend a wheel size that won't rub on the inside. What do you guys run? Is there a wheel thats not so pricey I could use just for the track?

Thanks Rich

Centerline lets you get the backspacing you want - they have a couple series that aren't too expensive.

I run an ordinary 8" steel ralley with 4-3/4" backspacing and a Hoosier QTP 26x11.5x15LT. I could probably go with another 1/2" backspacing without hitting the shocks or springs and a lightweight aluminum rim would probably take another 1/10 off my ET too . . .

With the 13.5 QTP I'd think you would need a 10" rim. It probably CAN be done with the right backspacing in a standard Camaro wheel house - maybe 5.5 or 6" would be enough b/s --- but you'd have to have that wheel centered up perfectly IMO and probably roll the inner fender lip.

Caltrac is a good company and will get you going in the right direction. My buddy's 68 has a BBC with a 671 on the nose too and it's 60' a 1.43.

You definatly need the moroso front drag springs and don't get the car too loose. We have multileafs and J -bolt's in the back with solid bushings in front spring eye, and 4 deg neg pionion angle. We actually have the rear shocks set as stiff as they can for the rear rising, and ended up setting the front CE shocks to 70-30. 90-10 was too loose and the car would unload. You can also put solid stops in the upper A-arm instead of the rubber bushings. Have someone video the car and watch it in slow motion to se what the car is doing and adjust from there.

Hope some of this helps

Mike,
What size tire does he run and rim size?

Thanks Rich

Mike,
What size tire does he run and rim size?

Thanks Rich

was a 28X10.5 MT slick with 8" rims 4.5" backspacing with a 3200 stall

Now it's a 29.10.5W Hoosier slick with a 2500 stall.

Car has run a 9.66 @148 with 28X9" slicks. This was solid roller and a 125 kit.with 10 lbs of boost.

Now the car has 6lbs of boost and on pump gas with a comp cam hyd nitrous cam. If the weather is good we'll be spraying it with a 250 kit Sunday. I'll keep you posted.

How come this board doesn't send an e-mail when a reply has been made, like some others do. Or am i just missing the function key to enable this ?

Mike

Thanks Mike, sorry about the double post, operator error.
Maybe Ill get back to the track this weekend and test the new set up.

Rich