One Maverick I had over 20 years ago had all stock shocks, and a good (almost $200.00) set of Comp Eng traction bars. Car went 11.60 at 116mph on street tires (just some old Pro-Tracs, not the "sticky" DOTs today) with mufflers(total street car) And 11.40 on slicks, no 60ft back then, so I have nothing to compare it with. I built another, mini-tub, stock springs moved in, the same traction bars (they had been used on three different cars!) SB also, went 6.80 (1/8) with a 1.50 60ft, but it was a race car, and a little lighter (M/T 10.50) I do think the CalTrac, or similar would be the way I'd do it now, if I was building a pretty decent amount of power.
thats not a 600 thats a 650HP holley it's a 600 dollar race carb http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3150422 <(--- 650 hp holley they build them this way now and have the ultra series with the billet baseplates and billet jet blocks(for sale finally from holley) are another 300 bucks more main bodies for the "750" are about 150 bucks for the upgrade if I want to step up in the future it already has the thin thottle butterflies and milled throttle shafts and it's the same as the 850 baseplates so if I spent the bucks on the main body and had it polished and ported and balanced it could run 1000+ cfm. food for thought or I could have bought a demon (really wanted a removable sleeve carb but couldn't swing the extra 450 bucks.. sigh what a pity)
I am just not used to working with a leaf spring car and keeping it stock looking. My Mustang on all stock style suspension went 1.656 sixty foots on regular radials, and later with more engine and drag radials, it went 1.39 sixty foots. At the time it was 3400lbs, had an AOD, and was driven to the track... pump gas and all!
(coughs bs coughs) show us the time slips and a picture of the car.. and a picture of the rear suspension would be nice
My best 60 foot has been a 1.78 and that is with the nose in the ground(saggy/cut frt springs) I feel with better weighttransfer I would be in the 1.6s
I'd be happy with 1.70's after I get the 4k stall and get the rear and tires sorted out (probably going with 28/9 radial stocker slicks and a few tricks up my sleeve)
No pictures of the suspension, it was pretty basic but scienced out. I will try to take a picture of my framed picture later that my wife made me as a wedding present, it has my fastest times and such framed with my car. In the meantime, here are a few pics!
i heard someone say that you want to keep saggin leafs in back.. so that the weight transfers better.. versus buying a new 3 or 4 leaf spring for the rear.. any truth to that? let me know.. because my leafs are sagging pretty bad
The problem with weak leaf spring is that they are exactly that WEAK.They will tend to wrap more and taction bars only put a band aid on the problem.Check out some Stock Eliminator cars and you will see how a very simple suspention works.I'll dig up some pics of a few Stockers.
The Mustang is not a leaf spring car, Coil and factory four bars, P.S. I have went 1.40 on M/T radials just not on this slip.
That is exactly the point I made, I know how to work with other suspension, such as the four link in my Mustang, just not a stock looking leaf spring setup. My 1.39's were on the BFG drag radials I drove the car on every day.
leafs can be too stiff or too soft. your goal is 3-4 inches of body separation at the rear wheel, while eliminating wheel hop on an automatic car. less on a stick car. too stiff, no separation or lift therefore no tire plant. too soft, wheel hop, shocks top out, etc. there are other things involved such as rear shock extension rates, front end travel & shock rates. its usually best to have the springs on the soft side & control the body separation with shock stiffness & front end travel. longer travel shocks help also so they dont top out & unload the rear tires..
Heres a few pics of some good working leaf spring cars.The white Camaro ''checkmate'' i've seen in person and all it has are some crusty looking lakewood trac bars on it.Also check out the Caltrac site and look at the gallery.Very impressive.
Mine is a stock looking leaf spring setup. That is driven everwhere. With no tire rub no bottoming out and as a bonus i still have all my fillings in my teeth.
