Does anyone here have any experience with putting the CaTracs and split leaf mono's in a in a rear that was originally designed for multi's? 
CalTracs and split mono springs
Amptech
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
The only difference is in the spring perches. I switched to the "mopar" style perches when i converted to mono's from multi years ago. Moser sells mono style factory perches also. Ive heard of people using spacers with the multi to mono conversion but i have no experience with them.
Caltracs work well with multi leafs too :thumbsup:
bob
Caltracs work well with multi leafs too :thumbsup:
bob
Yes. I have that exact setup in my Nova.Does anyone here have any experience with putting the CaTracs and split leaf mono's in a in a rear that was originally designed for multi's?
It's actually a better deal because the multi leaf perches have a recepticle in the perch for the pin in the split mono to locate to.
If you set the rear end directly on the spring, you will have to buy or make a spacer for below the spring.
Should you wish to adjust the ride height, you can either buy or make a spacer to go between the rear and the spring. You will need a spacer with a pin.
The stock car suppliers offer spacers in 1/2" increments and they have the pin. I don't recall the manufacturer.
I made my own that go between the spring and the housing.
Works well too!
Ron
I JUST did this in July so I can help for sure. The piece of advice I wish I had gotten, and I'll now give you is just keep your multi springs. I may be too much of a perfectionist, but it was a PITA to get right.
Yes, you need a spacer below the spring. Afco makes aluminum spacers that can be bought in various sizes but you have to drill out the middle hole enough for the nut on the spring pack to poke through. I believe I bought 3/4" but then when I ended up deleting the rubber spring pads I realized I needed 1" so I had to make 1/4" spacers.
You will also need a thin spacer on top...maybe 1/8". This is beacuse you will not use the upper rubber pad either, but the locating pin on the split mono's is so tall it hits the axle tube before the spring hits the perch. I figured it would wear a hole in the axle tube over time.
So, now you have got to make at least one spacer for the top, buy a spacer for the bottom and modify it so the nut will fit through it, then put it all together. After I did all that work I then had trouble making the suspesion work. Cal Tracs with split mono's need power to make the suspension "work". At the 1.48-1.52 level I think I am at the low end of the power range for them. The split monos are 205 lb rate springs and take a lot to bend (chassis separation) so I had to set the springs at the softest 2-3 settings to make them work. That's fine, but it doesn't give me much more room to adjust for poor track conditions.
I think if I had left me softer multi's on the car I would have been better able to get chassis separation and gotten better bite. That's just my humble opinion but it's based on hours and hours of work this summer. If you have 600 HP and are 60 footing in the 1.30's or better then by all means go for it. If not, save the $280 and the hassle of putting them in.
Yes, you need a spacer below the spring. Afco makes aluminum spacers that can be bought in various sizes but you have to drill out the middle hole enough for the nut on the spring pack to poke through. I believe I bought 3/4" but then when I ended up deleting the rubber spring pads I realized I needed 1" so I had to make 1/4" spacers.
You will also need a thin spacer on top...maybe 1/8". This is beacuse you will not use the upper rubber pad either, but the locating pin on the split mono's is so tall it hits the axle tube before the spring hits the perch. I figured it would wear a hole in the axle tube over time.
So, now you have got to make at least one spacer for the top, buy a spacer for the bottom and modify it so the nut will fit through it, then put it all together. After I did all that work I then had trouble making the suspesion work. Cal Tracs with split mono's need power to make the suspension "work". At the 1.48-1.52 level I think I am at the low end of the power range for them. The split monos are 205 lb rate springs and take a lot to bend (chassis separation) so I had to set the springs at the softest 2-3 settings to make them work. That's fine, but it doesn't give me much more room to adjust for poor track conditions.
I think if I had left me softer multi's on the car I would have been better able to get chassis separation and gotten better bite. That's just my humble opinion but it's based on hours and hours of work this summer. If you have 600 HP and are 60 footing in the 1.30's or better then by all means go for it. If not, save the $280 and the hassle of putting them in.
I switched from multi leaf spings with Cal trac bars to the split monos with Cal trac bars. Even with the multi leafs, I removed the rubber pads and did like Ron did. I replaced the rubber pads with a solid aluminum spacer that I had a friend fab up for me. I put the solid spacer between the spring and the housing. With the multi leafs the rear was just to stiff. Best 60' was 1.59. I installed the split mono's his weekend, even though we are done racing here in Wisconsin until April. I need to have my friend make me 2 new aluminum spacers that are exactly like my old ones, but 1/2 inch thicker. I had him mill a hole in the bottom of the spacer for the locating pin on the top of the spring and also mill a little circle on top of the spacer to locate it in the spring perch. It works great, but by putting the spacer between the spring and the rear housing it lowers the car a little ( the thickness of the spacer ), but it has worked well for a year and a half. I have also heard of people removing 2 springs from the 5 leaf multi. I like the idea of the split spring, because the first portion of the split spring along with the Cal trac bar act like a four link, but still allows the back part of the split spring to work as a normal spring would, without being locked in as a regular spring would be, when using a Cal trac bar. I expect my 60' to drop from 1.59 to mid to high 1.4x's.
69 Camaro 505 cu in
11.10 @ 122 mph
7.05 @ 97 1/8th
1.59 60'
Ryan
69 Camaro 505 cu in
11.10 @ 122 mph
7.05 @ 97 1/8th
1.59 60'
Ryan
I just looked at the Cal Trac Split Mono's and I don't get it??
How do they work?
Is each half a different spring rate such that they have to be fastened rigidly together? And is there a pad between both halves??
If they are each a different rate, I can see using the old MOPAR Super Stock multi-leaf spring design as well as just adding an extra short half leaf to the front section of a regular mono-leaf spring.
OR just clamping h-ll outta the front half of a stock multi-leaf spring so that it become's almost like a solid bar..
Help me out here guys so I can see what's so great about them??
Thank's,
pdq67
PS., and I do like mono's b/c they are quite a bit lighter than multi's...
How do they work?
Is each half a different spring rate such that they have to be fastened rigidly together? And is there a pad between both halves??
If they are each a different rate, I can see using the old MOPAR Super Stock multi-leaf spring design as well as just adding an extra short half leaf to the front section of a regular mono-leaf spring.
OR just clamping h-ll outta the front half of a stock multi-leaf spring so that it become's almost like a solid bar..
Help me out here guys so I can see what's so great about them??
Thank's,
pdq67
PS., and I do like mono's b/c they are quite a bit lighter than multi's...
pdq, well one thing is for sure IF the split mono's are lighter than a 5 leaf stock set, it ain't by much. An individual spring is as thick as 2 leafs from a stock set and where they overlap it's a thick as 4. They are beefy honkin leafs.
I asked Calvert why the set up and he said so it will act like a parabolic spring (I don't know what that means) and the split allows them to quickly change spring rate and ride height.
The main benefit they claim is the extra stiff spring rate. Their minimum is 205 pounds. Stock springs start at 89 lbs. and I think the Z/28 springs are only 125. The stiff spring is to slow/control chassis separation. Mine now has virtually none and that's why I think I might would be better off with the stockers back on there.
I asked Calvert why the set up and he said so it will act like a parabolic spring (I don't know what that means) and the split allows them to quickly change spring rate and ride height.
The main benefit they claim is the extra stiff spring rate. Their minimum is 205 pounds. Stock springs start at 89 lbs. and I think the Z/28 springs are only 125. The stiff spring is to slow/control chassis separation. Mine now has virtually none and that's why I think I might would be better off with the stockers back on there.
I think that the GM Tech-line, Canada told me years ago that my F-41 Mono's were 137 pounds!!
And I kept my broken mono for years b/c I was going to put the front half of it less the eye under another set, but I only had one broken mono and didn't have another one for the other side to match doing this so I said to heck with it and just installed '68, 'Bird, 5-leaf multi's..
That and I didn't know how to cut them except for torching them AND I knerw that was a bad idea even if I could come up with an extra matching mono??
pdq67
And I kept my broken mono for years b/c I was going to put the front half of it less the eye under another set, but I only had one broken mono and didn't have another one for the other side to match doing this so I said to heck with it and just installed '68, 'Bird, 5-leaf multi's..
That and I didn't know how to cut them except for torching them AND I knerw that was a bad idea even if I could come up with an extra matching mono??
pdq67
A parobolic spring is one where the front portion is thicker (won't wrap up) than the rear section. Landrum either does or used to make such springs.
Doesn't Calvert offer different front and rear sections for the split mono?
I was running a Landrum parabolic spring on my car. Sold to me by Calvert in 1998. I do not remember the overall rate. I was not running CalTracs at the time.
Told them what Landrum spring was on the car, they replaced with the split mono, and nailed it well. I also switched to CalTracs at the same time.
Car now works awesome.
Long story though. Before the Landrum springs, I was running CalTracs. Back in 97. I also had multi leafs on the car. Worked well at that power level. But I thought the multi's were bending at the front of the spring. So I went with the Landrums.
Car never worked right again.
Goes to show that the spring is critical....and we get there by experimentation and $$$$.
Not sure if I buy into the need a ton of HP to make the split mono setup work right. Many stockes are way short f that, but use the split mono to good advantage.
Ron
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