Cal Trac Shock Mounts

Bob Gullett · 08-25-2009, 06:23 PM

Any one ever have one break? Just came back from Acton and went to unload the car and noticed the left rear shock mount was broken. Just curious.

Jeff Teuton · 08-25-2009, 07:01 PM

I broke one that I had modified, and I found a crack in another. Both were in a 3600 lb 700 hp Hemi on 9" tires. I think I cracked the one in the trailer. I have broken more suspension parts in the trailer over the years than any other way. When I go long distances, I tie both cars down really tight-forward backward and pull the suspension down.

Bill Edgeworth · 08-26-2009, 04:46 PM

Had the same thing same side after getting home from Sonoma

Bob Gullett · 08-26-2009, 04:57 PM

Fortunatly I had a spare set so I changed them (believe it or not bought them at a local swap meet a year ago). I think they need to gusset them and make them a little stronger.

Scott Loge · 08-26-2009, 10:03 PM

Broke 1 on my GTX at Pomona and John Calvert had one brought out and assisted in the swap to make sure I could MAKE THE NEXT RUN.

DON'T SEE THIS VERY OFTEN.
QUALITY PEOPLE ARE GETTING HARDER TO FIND
MINE HAPPENED IN TRANSIT AS WELL

Stick Racing · 08-27-2009, 04:11 PM

I don't have Cal Trac's on my car but something similar. I haven't broke anything but have bent the lower mounting bracket.I found the reason was the suspension was separating so much at the starting line, the shocks are running out of travel. Needed to put some extensions on. No problem since.

____________________________________________

Andy Stone A/S 1102 SS/C 1112

SmallBlockNova · 08-28-2009, 02:28 PM

I bent a lower bracket and cracked one of the shock brackets. I heated it up with a torch, straightened everything on a 1/2" thick steel table, then dropped it in a bucket of oil while still hot...I then added a few gussets and I haven't had a problem since...

CrateCamaro · 08-29-2009, 11:19 AM

are all you guys using older cal trac stuff? Mine are about a year old now...just wondering if they have corrected the problem already. I havent had any problems but then again I havent been inspecting them closely. Everything seems tight but stuff breaking in transit and not knowing about it could cause some major problems. I guess some bracing wouln't hurt. Should I worried on a low 11 second stocker?

Alex Denysenko · 08-29-2009, 05:04 PM

From John Calvert himself.

We have seen mounts break or crack where the shock hooks up. I feel the main reason for this occurrence is how cars are transported. Tying to the rear end housing and allowing the body to remain free allows everything suspension related to move, couple this with some of the freeway conditions and realize that the Rancho rear shock set to a nine has tremendous resistance the loads are just really high.
I won't use the tie-down method as a reason not to take action and I haven't. I have crept up on it over the years. Trying to stay with highest levels of performance employing the least amount of weight we changed the design so that the area would have more structure, we tried gussets, material thickness. Our latest design seems to be working the best so far (early 07) with no reported problems since. Again, a vast majority of our customers will never have a problem even with the bars we manufactured in the mid ninety's. I do feel a discussion on tie down method would benefit many racers and not just because of this issue. All the suspension components and even the handling of lightweight tow rigs are affected by how the car is anchored.

Thanks for the info, forward this on if you like.
John Calvert

Mark Yacavone · 08-29-2009, 11:01 PM

I would agree that probably 95% of the flexing occurs while towing. I would suggest fixing some kind of temporary stanchion under the rear frame somewhere. Just tightening down the rear (of the car) until it doesn't move anymore, just does not seem like a good idea.

08-25-2009, 06:23 PM	#1
Bob Gullett VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,069 Likes: 42 Liked 414 Times in 92 Posts	Cal Trac Shock Mounts Any one ever have one break? Just came back from Acton and went to unload the car and noticed the left rear shock mount was broken. Just curious. __________________ 68 Chevy11 327 F/S

08-25-2009, 07:01 PM	#2
Jeff Teuton VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Houma, LA Posts: 2,717 Likes: 2 Liked 326 Times in 50 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts I broke one that I had modified, and I found a crack in another. Both were in a 3600 lb 700 hp Hemi on 9" tires. I think I cracked the one in the trailer. I have broken more suspension parts in the trailer over the years than any other way. When I go long distances, I tie both cars down really tight-forward backward and pull the suspension down. __________________ Jeff Teuton 4022 STK

08-26-2009, 04:46 PM	#3
Bill Edgeworth Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 258 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts Had the same thing same side after getting home from Sonoma __________________ Bill Edgeworth 6471 STK

08-26-2009, 04:57 PM	#4
Bob Gullett VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,069 Likes: 42 Liked 414 Times in 92 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts Fortunatly I had a spare set so I changed them (believe it or not bought them at a local swap meet a year ago). I think they need to gusset them and make them a little stronger. __________________ 68 Chevy11 327 F/S

08-26-2009, 10:03 PM	#5
Scott Loge Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Livermore,Ca Posts: 331 Likes: 15 Liked 141 Times in 30 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts Broke 1 on my GTX at Pomona and John Calvert had one brought out and assisted in the swap to make sure I could MAKE THE NEXT RUN. DON'T SEE THIS VERY OFTEN. QUALITY PEOPLE ARE GETTING HARDER TO FIND MINE HAPPENED IN TRANSIT AS WELL

08-27-2009, 04:11 PM	#6
Stick Racing Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 169 Likes: 4 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts I don't have Cal Trac's on my car but something similar. I haven't broke anything but have bent the lower mounting bracket.I found the reason was the suspension was separating so much at the starting line, the shocks are running out of travel. Needed to put some extensions on. No problem since. ____________________________________________ Andy Stone A/S 1102 SS/C 1112

08-28-2009, 02:28 PM	#7
SmallBlockNova Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 47 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts I bent a lower bracket and cracked one of the shock brackets. I heated it up with a torch, straightened everything on a 1/2" thick steel table, then dropped it in a bucket of oil while still hot...I then added a few gussets and I haven't had a problem since...

08-29-2009, 11:19 AM	#8
CrateCamaro Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 411 Likes: 1 Liked 19 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts are all you guys using older cal trac stuff? Mine are about a year old now...just wondering if they have corrected the problem already. I havent had any problems but then again I havent been inspecting them closely. Everything seems tight but stuff breaking in transit and not knowing about it could cause some major problems. I guess some bracing wouln't hurt. Should I worried on a low 11 second stocker? __________________ Tony Valerio 1968 Camaro 1700 IHRA H/CM 1701 NHRA SS/?A

08-29-2009, 05:04 PM	#9
Alex Denysenko Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Michigan City IN Posts: 633 Likes: 0 Liked 4 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts From John Calvert himself. We have seen mounts break or crack where the shock hooks up. I feel the main reason for this occurrence is how cars are transported. Tying to the rear end housing and allowing the body to remain free allows everything suspension related to move, couple this with some of the freeway conditions and realize that the Rancho rear shock set to a nine has tremendous resistance the loads are just really high. I won't use the tie-down method as a reason not to take action and I haven't. I have crept up on it over the years. Trying to stay with highest levels of performance employing the least amount of weight we changed the design so that the area would have more structure, we tried gussets, material thickness. Our latest design seems to be working the best so far (early 07) with no reported problems since. Again, a vast majority of our customers will never have a problem even with the bars we manufactured in the mid ninety's. I do feel a discussion on tie down method would benefit many racers and not just because of this issue. All the suspension components and even the handling of lightweight tow rigs are affected by how the car is anchored. Thanks for the info, forward this on if you like. John Calvert __________________ Alex Denysenko NHRA 3038 SS, 3305 STK - IHRA 6 SS, 330A STK Moneymaker Racing LaPorte Indiana 219-861-1214 www.moneymakerracing.net

08-29-2009, 11:01 PM	#10
Mark Yacavone Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Miles From Nowhere Posts: 7,417 Likes: 2,582 Liked 4,453 Times in 1,694 Posts	Re: Cal Trac Shock Mounts I would agree that probably 95% of the flexing occurs while towing. I would suggest fixing some kind of temporary stanchion under the rear frame somewhere. Just tightening down the rear (of the car) until it doesn't move anymore, just does not seem like a good idea. __________________ We are lucky we don't get as much Government as we pay for..... Will Rogers Last edited by Mark Yacavone; 08-30-2009 at 01:43 AM.