I have a problem getting good weight transfer, I have a 69 "Z" multi-leaf, adjustable front and rear shocks stock front springs, 406sbc 400turbo 3800 stall and transbrake with 4.11 12 bolt rear end. This is a race car, I am looking at replacing the front springs but dont know which to go with or if that is even the problem, please give me your advise. Thanks!

Six cylinder springs have the same (or close enough) spring rate as the V-8 but are wound with a smaller diameter (lighter) wire using more of it (taller). this allows the front end to rise quicker and settle back down sooner. You need to disconnect the front sway bars (remove them entirely for drag racing) and get 90/10 long stroke shocks. I would also put a restraining strap on the lower A frame to limit toe-in as the suspension drops to improve weight transfer and improve rolling resistance. Taller lighter tires (5.60 x 15 VW tires were the rage back in the 60's) and aluminum wheels on the front (painted black). Move battery to the trunk, delete the A/C, and switch to an aluminum radiator (painted black). One never races in the rain so the wiper blades get pulled along with the wiper motor.

Some guys pull the brakes to save a few pounds but that is dangerous for the street. Instead I suggest aluminum calipers, or drums if your still running them (off of a '56 Buick). Traction bars will help quite a bit as well (I recommend Lakewood's J-Hook style). I got in the tens with my old Camaro doing just this (Oh, and I added an aluminum headed L-88 427; full house, with tunnel ram and solid roller)

Best of luck


Larger Dave

What kind of rear suspension setup do you have? What traction device?

The rear suspension has as much to do with weight transfer as the front.

Suspension is as follows...
Front Springs are original
Front Shocks are Competition Engineering 90/10
Rear stock multileafspring
Rear Shocks are Competition Engineering 50/50
traction device is a set of cheapy traction bars that I extended to reach the center of the spring eye.

1st, and I hate saying this, but I used to run CE 3 way adjustable front and rear shocks and dumped them in the trash.

I put in Koni SPA 1 in front and Rancho 9000 in back. There are better shocks yet, if you are serious about racing get some good adjustable shocks. That way when you tune the chassis the results are repeatable.

Not sure what to say about the slapper bars, but depending on what kind of ETs you are running you would probably have better luck with SSM lift bars or Cal Tracs. I run the SSM lift bars personally and am consistent 1.47-1.48 sixty foots, there are many that have had good luck with the Cal Tracs too.

Not sure what tires you run, but I have been real happy with my M/T Drag Radials. If you do not need a DOT tire for your class then I am seeing good results at the track with the new Hoosier radial slick. They are a bit lighter then my M/T Drag Radials.

Just my opinion . . .

The car on a good day only runs 7.40's and it only 60's about 1.58-1.60, this weekend it was pretty hot and was all over the place and was up around 1.65's How much are a set of the SSM's? And where can I get them?

I think a good adj. rear shock like a QA-1 would work real well.

I think the SSM bars are now what Jeg's sells? SSM went out of business though so they may be a bit hard to find.

I run stock front and rear springs, cheap 90/10's on the front, $12 Red Ryders on the back and Comp Engineering j-bolt slapper bars. I would say the car deads hooks all the time but there was once when I spun the first time run but there was absolutely NO track prep that day. It hooks 98% of the time.

I am sure there are better hooking set ups out there but it can be done on the cheap to a degree. I bet the home modified bars are your problem. Get a better traction device and tune on it a bit and you should be fine.

Setting up the front end bushings to be loose is important.
As is allowing as much front end travel as you can get. Trim the rubber snubber in the upper a-arm till it's about 1/4" thick.
This will help it transfer weight.
Ron

Greg's right, you can still get them through Jegs. Right about $150 a pair.

You may have already done this, but like it was said above... lose the swaybar, it made a world of difference on my car.

The car acutally does still have the front sway bar on it, I will remove it and see if it really makes that big of a difference, Does it really?????? Also just wondering wether to use the light moroso springs for small block or the heavier springs or should I go to a big block spring??? Sorry I am stupid when it comes to suspension. My slapper bars arent exacltly homeade they are a set of cheap autozone brand but they werent long enough to make it to the spring eye so I welded and extended them to be long enough to reach, another question is what kind of angle should these bars be at and why?? it seems my slappers are at pretty good downward angle and I've relplaced the rubber bumper with a bolt I have just heard people say that you want the bars at an even 0 angle or an upward angle, mine are deffinately not. I am using a transbrake so I have the bolt all the way up against the spring eye with no space. Is this correct?? Sorry if I sound dumb I have foot braked for 8 years and this is my first go around with hookin problems. Thanks!!

toss the slapper bars in the nearest trash bin, and the CE shocks should land right next to them!

Buy Caltracs and split monos.

They typically suggest a rancho shock, however i like Afco Double adjustable shocks.

here's a couple of pics of my car in action:

http://www.davemilcarek.com/052806/pages/5-28-1D%20001.html

http://www.davemilcarek.com/052806/pages/5-28-2S%20141.html

http://www.davemilcarek.com/052806/pages/5-28-5D%20062.html

I'm using Alf Wiebe's rear suspension, which is also a consideration you can make, Alf's system works excellently on my Camaro, quickest 60ft this season has been 1.49, and my camaro hooks in the worst track condititions!

Thats my friend Adam driving, i was tuning the new carb and to focus on the car it was nice to have my friend in the seat.
The Driver feedback of a Pro Stock driver is second to none!

I need a Pro Stock driver to drive my car while I take photos.:thumbsup:
Your car looks great Brian. I'm beginning to see what the Alf suspension consists of, way different than what I was running. I've see similar setups on cars here.
I'm happy with the Caltracs.

The track you were on looks pretty good to me. You should see ours. Balled up rubber, dirt, gravel, and bald spots. When they spray....it's with a bug sprayer...hand held......and that's when they spray.


ericsz,

You may not be at a power level where you need everything to be perfect. But....who doesn't want at some point to add mo power?
Ask Drag Fab for a complete setup, front and rear, and your car can stick like glue.

Ron

What about the angle of the bars should they being going at an upward angle toward the spring eye or a downward angle???

Losing the swaybar gave me a .13 better 60'. Now, I'm not at your level, but it did help a lot.

ericsz, Are you talking about the $25 lakewood bars that pinch onto the leaf springs? If so, don't waste another minute trying to tune or weld on them. Get rid of 'em.

First, take off the sway bar for sure. It's free and it will help.

Next, determine your budget.

If it's $130-150 buy the CE bars or SSM bars. Either one properly tuned can get you hooking at your power levels with no problem.

If you have $300 go with the Cal Tracs or Slide a links. If you have a few hundred more than that, add the split monos.

If $100 PER SHOCK is in your budget, then step up with those, but it can be done for less.

The moral of the story is that you can spend tons on suspension if you want to, but you don't necessarily have to. Good luck!

I need a Pro Stock driver to drive my car while I take photos.:thumbsup:
Your car looks great Brian. I'm beginning to see what the Alf suspension consists of, way different than what I was running. I've see similar setups on cars here.
I'm happy with the Caltracs.

The track you were on looks pretty good to me. You should see ours. Balled up rubber, dirt, gravel, and bald spots. When they spray....it's with a bug sprayer...hand held......and that's when they spray.


ericsz,

You may not be at a power level where you need everything to be perfect. But....who doesn't want at some point to add mo power?
Ask Drag Fab for a complete setup, front and rear, and your car can stick like glue.

Ron

The first picture the track was in good shape, however the track had gone away by the 3rd picture, and it was covered in bald spots and extremely hot.

thanks for the compliments! if these guys are willing to put in the effort like yourself, then i dont mind helping out.

Brian,

I might bt 2X your age, but I'm never going to be to old to take good advice.

As far as tracks, we live all over the country, and we won't all get to be at the same place at the same time. Too bad, wouldn't that be a blast!

Hot kills the track, no matter what it looks like. I haven't run in the heat yet, and we don't get heat and humidity like you on the East coast do. Because I don't bracket race all that much anymore, I doubt I'll see those conditions much this year.

As for slapper bars, a quote from a well known chassis guy, Dave Morgan:

"If my insights into slapper bars seems limited, it is because I have only been exposed to them while taking them off race cars"

So true.

Greg O makes some good points. Eventually, if you want to go faster, you will upgrade again, so why not get there now.

Tut, tut, it looks like rain again this weekend in Oregon....as usual.

Ron