Leaf springs with cal tracs

Hello looking for advice on leaf springs. Building my daughter a 71 maverick for the high school drag racing. I bought the cal tracs and was woundering if the 3 leaf springs are the way to go? I know that all the new springs are 4 leaf and might be too stiff. Any Suggestions would be helpful. Thank you

 

I have four leafs with Cal Tracs, I don't find the ride too harsh.

 

I have 4 leafs and Cal Tracs and have done a lot of drag racing, I have the Cal Tracs set up pretty tight with about a dimes width between springs and Cal Trac plate with me in the car (this is how Calvert himself recommends them to be set up) and find the ride to fairly harsh on the street but at the track they are just fine. I dont think I would change to 4 leafs until after you see how the 3 leaf set up works for you I would not expect much gain in 60' with 4 leaf set up

 

are there any limits on the build for this car?

 

I am trying to get the car on the track with consistent times. I have been told that the 3 leaf springs work well. I am looking for guidance from the forum before I press in the new bushings from the caltracs. As she gets better and I speed her up I was looking at the mono leaf springs. Bottom line would like to spend as little as possible since I have invested in making the car safe as well as all her safety gear.

 

This is what I have been told thanks for the reply

 

LOL...isn't that the goal for everyone drag racing...

 

Calvert told me the lightest spring (rate) you can deal with is best for traction. My Mav has three leafs and my turbo S-10 has only two. Both are set up with the bumpers two flats past touching, and the bumpers are covered with pieces of heater hose to keep the noise down...

 

I'm running 3 leaf springs with my Cal tracs. I've been running them for two seasons. As far as adjustment, you just have to experiment. I run mine with the bars in the lower hole position and 1/2 turn of preload. Just a word of precaution, you might want to put grease on the spring bolts going through the front spring bushings. I didn't, and got an immediate annoying squeak.

 

Thanks for the input. I think I will run the 3 leaf springs.

 

i would recommend getting calverts adjustable rear shocks also. they will give you all the tuning in that you should need in the rear suspension. they will let you choose your ride quality for street use and be able to tune for traction.
how much power are you working with?
is it a 1/4 mile or 1/8 mile track?
is the car track only or a street strip car?

 

I did not build motor. I got the car from a good friend that past away and left it for my daughter to race. I am not sure what cam is in it. But I have a 302 bored 40 over flat top Pistons with modified closed chamber heads RPM intake with a Holley 650 double pump it has long tube headers with 2 1/2 inch exhaust. Based off of that I was told it is about 10:1 compression. I am thinking of buying a cam so I know what I have. This year I am not looking for top end speed since she is 16 and just starting out. We are looking to run around town for fun and check out the local car shows. Not a highway machine. We are running 1/4 mile track.

 

chances is its a decent cam.....if you have a chassis dyno in your area ..put it on to tune it up

 

anybody know what the center hole is for the bell crank for the cal tracs what size it is

 

I just picked up my Calvert split mono leafs and shocks today. I'll try to post up some pics tomorow...