Went to Super Chevy this past weekend and walked around the pits to look at small tire cars and there suspension set ups, I personally run Slide-a-links and Afco Leafs with CE front and rear adjustables, Man I sware out of about 50 cars I looked at real close all but probably 5 had Slide-a-links, the rest obviously had Caltracs or a homeade set of Caltrac like bars but I couldnt believe that 2 years ago all you seen was Caltracs and everyone doggin the CE version and now it seems everyone is running the CE Slide-a-links. Is there any real reason why? Just wondering I know they are both the same concept but when I bought mine everyone was saying that I'd hate them and should go with the Caltrac. Just thought you'd wanna know!

I haven't seen that many Slide-a-links here in Denver or up at Bandimere raceway. Mostly the Caltracs. I myself installed the Slide-a-links and have been very happy with them. Totally solved my wheel hop problem. I chose them because I liked the option to adjust them with the bumper spacing. Plus I think they look cooler than the Caltracs.

I believe the caltracs are better suited on a dedicated race car and the slide-a-link is better suited for a street / strip car. Take a look in the pits at an NHRA nation event and tell me what you see.
PLUS...........you cant buy caltracs from summit or jegs.

yea thats the real reason most of these street/strip guys are in the culture that utilizes summit and jegs as their main sources for anything. No doubt Caltracs belong on serious cars looking and holding them side by side its easy to see which is stronger. SAL may be cooler looking but most items that are cosmetically appealing are by nature weaker and thats the marketing gimmick to get you to buy them. I am getting ready to take the new motor to the track and start tuning the suspension out. Try to call CE and talk to the guy that invented the slide a link and get his suggestions about your combo, not gonna happen. Thats another reason to go with Caltracs and Calvert Racing split mono-leafs, you get the engineer that designed them ( not that copied them ) and is used to working with first gen camaro's and offers a full product line for it. THey know first gens inside out.......thats got to be worth something. Then again im not try ing to stop wheel hop im trying to hook 1000hp.

Shawn

Try to call CE and talk to the guy that invented the slide a link and get his suggestions about your combo, not gonna happen. Thats another reason to go with Caltracs and Calvert Racing split mono-leafs, you get the engineer that designed them ( not that copied them ) and is used to working with first gen camaro's and offers a full product line for it. THey know first gens inside out.......thats got to be worth something.
Shawn
That was the reason I went with Cal Tracs.I called both companies and Calvert had the best customer service.

Thats another reason to go with Caltracs and Calvert Racing split mono-leafs, you get the engineer that designed them ( not that copied them ) and is used to working with first gen camaro's and offers a full product line for it.
Shawn

I might be mistaken, but I didn't think Calvert was an engineer.

From what I've seen, many aftermarket stuff is not "engineered". Simply copied from the next guy, or the design justification is backed by "Well, it's worked for XX years..." Nothing to do with Cal-Tracs though, but Slide-A-Links were designed by an engineer. Not that it means anything.

Detroit has a boat load of "engineers".

If an Engineer designed it, its most likely overpriced, over thought, cumbersome, simply doesn't achieve the goals sought.

A fabricater makes it from a good idea, and tweaks the actual part or system till it works.

If an Engineer designed it, its most likely overpriced, over thought, cumbersome, simply doesn't achieve the goals sought.



I'll take that as a joke?

I'll take that as a joke?


that's the only way to take it i imagine :)

I might be mistaken, but I didn't think Calvert was an engineer.

From what I've seen, many aftermarket stuff is not "engineered". Simply copied from the next guy, or the design justification is backed by "Well, it's worked for XX years..." Nothing to do with Cal-Tracs though, but Slide-A-Links were designed by an engineer. Not that it means anything.

You are mistaken....Calvert is/was an aerospace engineer.
CE slide a links were copied from the CalTrac.....go figure out who had them first. Look closely at the design. I had CalTracs in 97....it was more than a few years before CE came out with their similar design. Do a little research.

I'll say this again, all the leaf spring stock elim cars in the country can't be wrong.

So, are you saying that Art Morrison just copies stuff as well?

Ron

Ron, I already did my research, Cal-Tracs and it's design was the basis of my ME senior thesis. I wrote a decent sized report on this design, around 90 pages. I think I've done my fair share of research.

I by no means said that Slide-A-Links came out first. I know that Cal-Tracs pioneered that technology. I just didn't know he was an engineer.

My comment on engineering was based on a previous comment. Some people have believe that all aftermarket parts are designed by high-end computers and engineers. It's just not true. Some are, some aren't. You have to be careful of what you choose.



So, are you saying that Art Morrison just copies stuff as well?

Ron

Absolutely not. What other chassis manufacturer has made a '55 Chev out handle a C5 Vette and a Ferrari? We didn't get to where we are today by copying other people.

If an Engineer designed it, its most likely overpriced, over thought, cumbersome, simply doesn't achieve the goals sought.


Where did you get this idea from? Like Silver69Camaro, I too am a Mechanical Engineer, and I don't think that we try to design something will not work for the general public. All of my engineering instructors stressed function,cost effectiveness, size limitations, and overall quality. For each project I worked on, regardless if you got it working or not, if you went over cost or out of the size limitations, that meant an automatic F. Our job as engineers isn't figuring out just how to get something to work, its trying to find the best possible way for it to work.;)

Detroit has a boat load of "engineers".

If an Engineer designed it, its most likely overpriced, over thought, cumbersome, simply doesn't achieve the goals sought.

A fabricater makes it from a good idea, and tweaks the actual part or system till it works.

If an engineer designed it, you're looking at it right now. You're also typing on it, cooking on it, sleeping in it, riding in it, driving on it, etc. If you fabricate it, you probably used steel from some over-engineered steel mill, carried to you in some cumbersome, overthought truck, used a welder that simply doesn't meet the goals sought. On the other hand, if you're a blacksmith, you probably made all your own stuff anyway.

I believe he meant it as a joke, but on the other hand. I work at a refinery and practically everything here is designed by an engineer. But some of the stuff we come accross just screams "what were they thinking!!....

More of the quick to judge,,,,
Make a broad statement and they make it an absolute.

The Sky is blue,,, broad statement,,, Its also not true during a thunderstorm.

Too often an engineer designs it,,, but has no practical knowledge on how to service it.
Evaporator core or heater core in a 95 and up Cavalier or Sunfire.
It works great,,,, can't be serviced with in reason.
Though it was just as effective in 94 and older models and easy to service.

The Sky is blue,,, broad statement,,, Its also not true during a thunderstorm.



What color is the sky during a thunderstorm?

Too often an engineer designs it,,, but has no practical knowledge on how to service it.
Evaporator core or heater core in a 95 and up Cavalier or Sunfire.
It works great,,,, can't be serviced with in reason.
Though it was just as effective in 94 and older models and easy to service.

Believe me, THERE IS A REASON. While it may not make sense to you why things were done the way they are, GM/Ford/Whoever spends MILLIONS on a huge team of engineers to figure this stuff out. Everybody makes it seem as if it's one engineer who is buried in numbers w/ a pocket protector designing this stuff with no concept of practical reality. It's just not true.

Think about it, why would they obliviously make a vehicle difficult to service knowing that it will cost them lots of $$ in the long run with warranty repairs? The bean counters definetely wont like that.

For most of you guys, you were not born yet when Morrison hit the race car scene. I consider them masters of trade and grandfathers. New improved is not necessarily better. Its tried and true.

If an engineer designed it, you're looking at it right now. You're also typing on it, cooking on it, sleeping in it, riding in it, driving on it, etc. If you fabricate it, you probably used steel from some over-engineered steel mill, carried to you in some cumbersome, overthought truck, used a welder that simply doesn't meet the goals sought. On the other hand, if you're a blacksmith, you probably made all your own stuff anyway.



I like that !!!

My brother in law in an engineer and lets just say everything he has or does.............. is OVER-ENGINEERED !!!

I sometimes wonder how he makes any money doing what HE does.


***I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT MY BROTHER IN LAW***