Ok guys I need your help and advice, I now have more power then rubber. My sixty-foot times have gone to hell in a hand basket. Watching last week video from the track, I'm spinning coming off the line. I'm using ET 10 x 15x 26 on 8.5 convo pro wheels, 31 spline axles, 411 gears and a drag spool. What I would like to know is what is the tallest and widest tire you can fit under a Maverick or Comet without modifying the fender wells. My off set is 3.5 inches and I’m not real sure what will fit. I’m crossing the traps at 6,700 and I would rather be somewhere in the 6,000 range (motor peaks at that) with out having to change gears. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks to all. Bossmav
Need more information what kind of suspension parts do you have. What were your 60ft. times and what are they now that kind of stuff will help us.
Ok sorry about that Ford 9 inch, standard leaf spring, Shelby traction bars. I'm still pulling the left front wheel off the ground but I've gone from a: 146 to a: 165 sixty foot time. I have more meat on the ground and I full spool now instead of a posi-tract. C-4 tranny is the same but I have a new drive shaft. After watching the video from Saturday everyone else wasn't having traction problems and theirs no doubt I was spinning leaving the line. Hope this helps. Bossmav P.S. the slicks are screwed to the rims and only have 21 runs on them.
The shelby bars were not made for drag racing, sell them and get some cal trac bars ( calvertracing.com ). The best leaf spring to run is a mono leaf, multi leaf springs seperate under hard launching causing the body to lift and loss of traction. I would go with a nice mono leaf spring, but if your budget doesn't allow for those you need to clamp the spring from the spring perch forward. You need a good shock also, I suggest the Rancho's that calvert racing sells or if your budget allows go with the QA1's, if you have really deep pockets get the best available (AFCO double adjustable). Also need to check pinion angle.....
suspension Comp 50/50 rear shocks also, you may have to start playing with tire pressure to get a grip on the surface. Pinion angle? 2% depending on what works.
calvertracing NICE! Thanks CometGT1974, I have hurst drag shocks that are new out of the box and only 20 years old, got to love eBay. If there is a better shock out there to be had I would love to have it. The calvertracing system looks very nice and is excatly what I'm looking for, where can I get more info on the mono leaf springs? I know with just a little better 60 foot times I could easly be in the 10.60's, running low 80's now. Any idea on the tires, I still need to rise my gear ratio. Thanks in advance for all the help. Bossmav
Tire pressure How are you Ricky? Good to hear from you! I have been playing with the tire pressure and pinon angle, tire pressure started at 15lbs and is now down to 12lbs. I didn't want to go any lower then that although I know some racer run 9lbs. My pinon angle is 1% and I'm going to change it to 2 and see what happens. What is the part number of the comp 50/50 shocks you are talking about and did you have to make any mods to get them to work. The Hurst drag shocks I have are a 3 setting shock, no numbers but the have standard, street and drag. It might be time to look at a 4 link system. What is the tallest drag slick that one can run without modifying the wheel wells. Thanks again! Bossmav
Tires Buddy of mine has Mt 28x10.5s under his, He had 28x9s also that would dead hook on the street. I think he took 1 leaf out. Car runs low 11s
Update Just to let everyone know I now have a set of 29x9x15 Hoosier drag slick under my Maverick. They do fit with one small mod; you will need to bend in the bottom front part of the wheel well about a 1/2-inch. The best thing to do if you need a bigger slick would be to go with a 28 1/2 inches by 9 the 29 inch leaves no room at all. I’ve modified my Shelby traction bars, from the back where they bolded on I lowered the bolt on point down 3 inches. On the front I made a bracket that looks like the one from caltracs. I cut each bar two inches from one end. Then cut out 3 inches off the other end and welded on a grade 8 X 7/8 nut on each end of my bars. Now here is where the job perk comes in, being that I sell fasteners I cut the shoulder and head off of a 7/8 X 9inch grade 12 bolt, this leaves me 6 inches of thread to adjust my traction bars. I used two more nuts on each bar to lock everything in place. Put in a new front leaf spring bushing and I now have a set of traction bars that are adjustable and look and hopefully will work just like the caltracs. Nice to have a machine shop handy. The caltrac bars cost $319.00 plus shipping and I’m sure they are worth every penny but I’m going to try my idea first because I only have 3 hours invested. Just e-mail me and I’ll send photos to who ever wants them. I’ll let everyone know what happens when I get to the track and if this helped my 60 foot times. Once again thanks to everyone who replied Terry Gates AKA Bossmav
dragracing Try the tire pressure in the other direction. To low and she'll get squirrelly on you at the top end. Hurst makes good ones. Use the Comp ones that fit for the Stang shocks that fit your year. BNow that she goe sfaster she'll be more tricky when it comes to the wrong parts. Try more spring pressure in the pass side rear springs. Wouldn't gop th 4 link. You have a good setup, just have to get the bugs out. square the suspension and make sure everything is tracking straight. Tha best starts is with the whole car rising a little and the front tires barely touching the surface. Get rid of the front sway bar and battery in the trunk. Try different rpm starts also. Had some major changes in my life in the last 6 months. Moved divorced, remarried my H/S sweetheart from 30 yrs ago last weekend. We just remet each other 6 months ago and now are married like we were going to do 30 years ago. I now live in southern Utah. 2hrs from LV.
RickEEEEEEEEEEEE Hi Ricky, it's good to hear from you again! I'm not going to change shocks until I see what happens this weekend. After all the other changes I've made it's time to see how this works. It may be time for you to look at a blessing from long ago, after 30 years it could be time for you to find everything in life that some of us could NEVER find. I'm just like everyone else here, I can only wish you and yours the very best. Like you, I'm going though a tough year, but like you I've been able to fine someone else to love as well as be loved. My drag racing as helped me, looking at things that need to be changed (in and out of my car's life) and how much I can enjoy LIFE it self. I was in Las Vegas last month, (sells awards trip) damn I wish I could've met you and you 30 year old sweet heart! My sweetheart is only 29... and yes I'm 15 years older. Ok my problem, I think I can now go to 15-16lbs in each tire. I haven't changed anything other then what I stated. Thanks for all the info, take care and god bless. Terry Gates AKA Bossmav
How are you doing your burn-outs? Maybe you are not heating the tires up enough or maybe to much. I also run the E/T's and I know if I do one of them "John Force" burnouts I lose traction. Just a thought, good luck!
Got any video of your car doing burnouts and launches ? Lowering your tire pressure down to 10 or maybe 9 should be ok as long as your car is light . Just be aware on the first pass . If you have video of your car study it closely and make sure the axle is traveling down relative to your car chassis . Your car should leap up and the axle should be going down when you leave . It is a misconception that the ass end of your car should sag downwards when power is applied . All that signifies is the axle is unloading its weight and the car is falling down . That said ... Are your wheels spinning as soon as you apply power or are they "unloading " when your shocks top out and jerk the tires so to speak off the ground . You may need to put shock extensions on to stop this . If you work from the basics of "when" your tires are spinning you should be able to track down the problem . If you already know all of this stuff then just tell me to STFUP
Lightning, thanks for the tips! Here is what's happening. The tires are spinning as soon as power is applied. I've made some changes to the traction bars and I now have a taller tire. I haven't been able to get to the track since I've made these modifications. Although the weight transfer from the front to the back was still good enough to carry the front wheels, my tires are almost spinning all the way though first gear(isn’t video great). I think in watching the next couple of passes I will be able to see if what I did helped. The tires I had to change because I now crossed the traps at 6,700 and my motor peaks at 6,000 to 6,100 according to the dyno (different cam then last year). Thanks again for all the help! P.S. The dyno can really break your heart when you see how many horses you really have, 493 is a long way from the 600 I thought I was going to have. But I can live with a 10:80 1/4 mile. Terry Gates AKA Bossmav
I disagree with some of what lightning is saying......the car should not "leap" up when you leave the line, if the body of the car leaps up that is called "body seperation" and is not a good thing! This is caused by leaf spring seperation as well as other things. If the car moves up that means it is not moving forward which is what you want it to do. The body of the car should not sag either when launching. No disrespect, just stating my opinion.
