CAL-TRAC SETTINGS
Top hole – Hardest Hit (start here)

Bottom hole – Softer Hit, moves IC forward

More Pre-load, Softer Hit

Less Pre-load, air gap, harder hit

If car pulls to the right add a quarter turn of pre-load to the right bar and visa versa.

Set front shocks soft

Set rear shocks on #5, if car wants to porpoise go to 6 or 7 (harder).

If car spins, needs harder hit

Too much wheel stand…. Softer hit, restrict front travel

 

X2..... This should be a sticky...:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

thanks R/T that is the best answer I have had so far.

 

The only thing I would add is that the tire spinning does not always mean you need a harder hit. If it spins EXACTLY on the hit (does not move at all) then yes. But I chased this for a long time trying to increase the hit. I finally got some video of the car and when you ran it in slow motion the car actually hooked for about 24 inches then came unglued. In the car it happens so fast that I thought it was spinning on the hit, but is was actually hooking the coming unglued when the chassis separation topped out.

What I needed to do was actually slow the hit down by stiffening the shocks.

Start with about 1/4 turn pre-load and go from there.

The short version is get video if you are having any trouble and send it to John Calvert. He'll hook you up.

 

The only thing I would add is that the tire spinning does not always mean you need a harder hit. If it spins EXACTLY on the hit (does not move at all) then yes. But I chased this for a long time trying to increase the hit. I finally got some video of the car and when you ran it in slow motion the car actually hooked for about 24 inches then came unglued. In the car it happens so fast that I thought it was spinning on the hit, but is was actually hooking the coming unglued when the chassis separation topped out.

What I needed to do was actually slow the hit down by stiffening the shocks.

Start with about 1/4 turn pre-load and go from there.

The short version is get video if you are having any trouble and send it to John Calvert. He'll hook you up.

Yeah i haven't tried them out yet but i did set them with a 1/4 turn of pre-load and on the bottom hole, which is parallel to the ground. I don't think this will ever hook up with a 498 BBC 4-speed with a 12 bolt 373 posi and 285/40/18 G-FORCE (street tires) but maybe with some slicks it should hook pretty good im told. Most defiantly trial and error but once its set, i would love to see low 11s in 1/4 mile...

 

Geez, all this BS to think about when "slappers" are so much easier to set up, imho.

Cheap coil-overs and 1/2" bolt snubber "slappers" right under the middle of the front spring eye and half a Sat. afternoon T&T'ing her and you are good to go deep into the 10's by me.

pdq67

 

Way too much being made about preload. Put the bars in the top hole, no more than 1/2 turn of preload (set with driver weight in car). If the car is spinning then you have other issues to address.

Currently I am running zero preload.

There seems to be a school of thought amongst folks that adjusting their Caltrac bars this way or that is going to produce a magical dead hook. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have spent 100's of hours and $$$ under the front of the car as well as the rear and I can tell you that Caltrac preload adjustment is probably only 5% of the equation.

Camaro's are inordinately heavy on the front (light in the rear). Much more attention should be payed to getting the front of the car to work.

 

Way too much being made about preload. Put the bars in the top hole, no more than 1/2 turn of preload (set with driver weight in car). If the car is spinning then you have other issues to address.

Currently I am running zero preload.

There seems to be a school of thought amongst folks that adjusting their Caltrac bars this way or that is going to produce a magical dead hook. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have spent 100's of hours and $$$ under the front of the car as well as the rear and I can tell you that Caltrac preload adjustment is probably only 5% of the equation.

Camaro's are inordinately heavy on the front (light in the rear). Much more attention should be payed to getting the front of the car to work.

Hey Garret: I'm currently running Hotchkis BBC 2" drop front springs and 1.5 rear multi leafs. With the soft cheap KYB shocks, i know the front Hotchkis swaybar needs to be disconnected to help the front end, but what else would you recommend. Should i leave the bars in the lower hole, like Travis from Caltracs recommended to keep it parallel to the ground...The car should be up and ready in about 2-3 weeks... Thanks for the PM
Skip

 

Dam that means im gonna be out of control with major tire spin.... Just kidding i guess we will have to test and tune.

Can we see some pics.