Spin Control Question

[Ron Gusack]

Originally Posted by MAURICE BLENDHEIM

Ron... The coil spring is the most important factor in your problem, what you have doesn't appear to be holding up the front end of the car. Honestly, stock coil springs would probably net you better results. It is easier to change coil springs then the trick bushings and cheaper. You don't necessarily need the trick bushings yet, use what you have in the car for now. What you have can be tweaked to get you going. For starters we need to know what have you done so far. How tight are the bolts that retain your upper and lower control arms? Are the rubber snubbers still in the upper control arms? In the rear, how tight are your leaf spring bolts? Like Alan mentioned it appears the rear is bound up. Do the leaf springs have centering pins? If so, do the lower rear end retaining plates have slots? How much clearance in the sliders?(you did say leaf spring, ladder bars and slider) My smaller carburetor comment refers to torque, heck I'd even try a good 780 vacuum. One more question, 1/4 or 1/8th mile? We will probably start asking engine questions soon. Just trying to help.

I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make the car work on marginal tracks. I started looking at Global's control arms and then I thought about calling Kenny Keir to see what it would cost to make it right. The Santhuffs and Calverts made it leave better and the front end is much looser.

The a-arm bolts are loose and the snubbers are gone. There are no pins in the springs. The bolts in the front and rear of the springs are tight. The rear of the spring has the box, but there's a worn spot in the bottom plate of the box that the bolt bushing rides on. So it has to overcome that indent. I hope you understand what I'm saying. This is an old SRD set-up. Coil overs are on the list as soon as my guy can get me in. I've never measured the clearance in the slider. Are you talking about the gap between the spring and the plate that rides against the spring? I race both 1/8 and 1/4, but the 9" tire thing is 1/8.

[Ron Gusack]

Advance this to 31 seconds. To me this is much better....Maybe not good, but better.

[Alan Roehrich]

You do not need aftermarket control arms. Save your money. They're only a deal if they are very close to the price of the bushings, shafts, and ball joints.

Honestly, we run stock small block Moog or TRW springs in the front. The key in the front, and they are not cheap, is Santhuff shocks.

If you're going to change the rear suspension, then leave it for now, don't just put coil over shocks on it, wait, save your money, put a four link under it. Otherwise, take the ladder bars and the stock springs off, and buy the springs, bars, and shocks from CalTrac. CalTrac springs, bars, and shocks will get a mid 9 second Stock Eliminator car down the track on a 9" tire. I'd rather have the CalTrac stuff than ladder bars for a small tire car.

[MAURICE BLENDHEIM]

Front springs... Moroso 47195 Summit $119.95 or Jegs $119.99 ... Moog 6314 Rockauto $69.99 or AC Delco 45H00054 Rockauto $73.79 all sold in pairs. The choice is yours, make it and invite your biggest strongest friend over to help you install them. Buy him dinner for helping, then find yourself a set of 27" or 28". tall front tires. Charge your video camera battery get your same buddy to record your next 2-3 passes at the closest 1/8th track compare your starting line to 300ft. results from what would normally have (we are trying to move the car to that point quicker) Let us know how you make out.

[Ron Gusack]

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich

You do not need aftermarket control arms. Save your money. They're only a deal if they are very close to the price of the bushings, shafts, and ball joints.

Honestly, we run stock small block Moog or TRW springs in the front. The key in the front, and they are not cheap, is Santhuff shocks.

If you're going to change the rear suspension, then leave it for now, don't just put coil over shocks on it, wait, save your money, put a four link under it. Otherwise, take the ladder bars and the stock springs off, and buy the springs, bars, and shocks from CalTrac. CalTrac springs, bars, and shocks will get a mid 9 second Stock Eliminator car down the track on a 9" tire. I'd rather have the CalTrac stuff than ladder bars for a small tire car.

What about for a 14" tire? I run them when I'm not running the 9" class. The 14's are on the car in the second video, at MIR.

[Alan Roehrich]

I'm not sure you're going to find a suspension system that will work correctly with two radically different tire sizes. Can you not run the 9" tires where the 14" tires are acceptable? Or maybe a set of 10" tires?

I think once you get it right, you probably will not need the 14" tires.

[Bob Pagano]

Alan is right, besides the 14s will slow you down.

[Ron Gusack]

The trouble with the 9's in a 1/4 mile race is the rpm's that I'd like to avoid.

I need the car to hook for the 9" class so I'd rather have a suspension set-up for that. I've got a few disadvantage in the class. I run a 400 where most others have glides. I'm a foot braker and they all have t-brakes. I'm all motor and they are NOS. It's a .400 tree so I deep stage to get a good light and never know exactly where I'm at. Other than those few things, the car is perfect for the class.

The 14's are for bracket racing and I've adopted the bracket racers mentality....Less power and more tire. Some of the tracks I've run on are very slippery. However, 12" tires would allow me to get the back down. Wouldn't that be a major step toward keeping the weight on the rear?

Kenny Keir likes the solid aluminum or steel bushings. What's the consensus on them?
Can lower bushings be installed without taking the control arm off?

I appreciate the advice and if you can tolerate it, keep giving it.