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Race Suspension

5K views 21 replies 12 participants last post by  itsnotabelaire 
#1 ·
57 chevy sedan with 383/671.....Looking at setting up my car for drag racing. I have a good idea about the front end with adjustable 90/10 shocks and moroso trick springs, but the rear is where I need help. I currently have a stock rear and leafs, but plan to change the rear to 12 bolt or 9". Should I relocate the springs? get stiffer springs? Traction bars? Or skip it all and go coil over shocks? Im open to suggestions.
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#3 ·
I'd also put the Caltrac's in the frame if your current springs aren't already moved. Another option is a bolt-in four link from Ride Tech with coilovers. I'd weld it all solid once it's all in there before putting slicks on it.
 
#4 · (Edited)
A friend of mine has a wagon with a very similar set up and we were just discussing this very issue. To drag race that car you need the rear tires to hook. So you will have to decide just how far you want to go to make that happen. He has run his 57 at the nationals and the car runs unbelievably but just will not hook up properly, even with two different sets and sizes of slicks.

We figured that he will need a rear tire that is just a bit to large to actually fit in the stock wheel well, even with out the stock springs. So, slightly wider inner wheel wells (which will require some modification to the floor boards), little larger rear slick, traditional tube ladder bars and coil overs. Yes, a four link is another option but the question is are you making enough power and do you race regularly enough to be able to take advantage of a couple hundred set up points. Even if you are, will you go through the aggravation of actually making the changes, which can be a big pain in itself, or would you rather sort out a basic set up and just go racing.

We discussed this and came to the conclusion that the ladder bar set up would be adequate. Easier to set up, less expensive in terms of initial buy. That, and we are getting to old to keep crawling under the car to take apart the four link and make adjustments, so not as complicated, less fiddling, easier on our bodies, lol.
 
#7 ·
I respectfully disagree with many points of this.
A. You can run in the 5's on a 275 radial so tire size is not the problem.
B. You do not want to dead hook a slick tire car. When you do so you never get "up on the tire" and create lots more problems as you add power.
C. Shocks are the key to suspension. A HIGH QUALITY double adjustable shock like an AFCO, Menscer, JRI, Santhuff, ect is worth its weight in gold.

Ladder bars are a bandaid. Caltracs, good shocks, the correct (not oversized) tire and you will have a happy & successful day at the track.
 
#6 ·
Thr Ridetech 4-link is a waste of money for true drag racing.

First, what are your ET goals?

I have been 10.0xs on totally stock junk & $6 Monroe shocks and in the 6's with a steel bodied 55 in race trim.
My current 55 (look at my build in the Boogie Nights build thread) has 4" drop mono springs relocated under the rails, Caltracs, AFCO double adjustable shocks in their "Big gun" valving in the rear and up front has Autofab uppers & lowers, same AFCOS, front mount R&P and Strange brakes all around.
That combo (minus shock valving) will be good for mid 7's.
That is a pretty large upper pulley on that blower so I'm thinking you will be in the low 700s power wise when leaning on it.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out.
 
#8 ·
and to go with what Darren said , I can say for sure that you could run in the nines on a 28 x 9 tire without a ton of efforts just a few properly selected and tuned pieces
 
#9 · (Edited)
I could not agree more with Darren and hotrodg726........... 150%!
Listen to these guys and save your money. My car is proof in regard to what Darren has stated above.

I have been 10.09 @ 133 with a 1.40 60' ft on a set of Earle Williams lowered 5 leaf springs (not even a mono) in the stock location, Caltracs and Viking double adjustable rear shocks sitting on a 275/60/15 ET Street R radial / rear gear is 3.50. Fronts are single adjustable coil overs. TH400 / 420 pump gas sbc with a Steve Johnson Saturday Night Special plate. motor is making 670ish and I currently have 100hp in the nitrous plate which the car hooks on.

This is a true streetcar family cruiser and is pig at over 3600lbs without me.....and is nose heavy...... definitely not ideal for racing but as stated above you don't need anything exotic / huge tires etc to get a car like this to hook

Again I agree with Darren that good shocks are key (especially rears) get the rear to separate and plant the tire.

Happy to help also if needed:cool:

Wheel Tire Car Vehicle Hood
 
#17 · (Edited)
Its not fun but it looks good LOL

AFR 235s box stock? I talked to Speier about heads/intake but he couldn't get his hands on anything. 2 months turned to 4 months turned to I just bought a Blueprint 396 to hold me over.
LOL agreed
Yep CNC ported race head straight from AFR............... I was just looking at the AFR website...... those heads cost over 2x what I paid for them in 2011:oops: .....and like you said, apparently unavailable LOL
Not an ideal time to be building new motors etc... lots of part shortages I guess
 
#19 ·
Darren's pretty much got all the answers right here.

A real (not a Ridetech/street rod style) adjustable 4-link suspension will always be the best performing option. But frankly, the leaf spring is easy enough to make work.

FWIW, I raced my old sedan for the better part of 15 years on a stock style suspension. It started on stock suspension and slapper bars, and ended on caltracs/monos, trick springs, single adjustable Calvert rears and 90/10 fronts. By the time it was said and done, I went 6.2x and 9.8x in full street trim, with plenty of 1.3x 60's. Footbraking, full exhaust, on a 275 radial, 3.70 gear, at 3710lbs. And honestly, it was a VERY consistent combination all the same. Looking back, I'm wondering why I ever went to a chassis car. 😂

If I learned anything throughout that time, and had it to go back and do again, I would've never went to the stiff Calvert mono's that I put on the car to try and make it "better." The car became incredibly rigid with the mono's. Worked WAY better on a softer leaf in the rear, they were just so worn out that I was afraid of them separating and breaking the main leaf. I had to REALLY get the front to move, in order to get it to transfer and make the mono's work at all, and had the front been as sorted with the mono's as it was with the multi's, it probably would've stood itself on the bumper.

Good shocks will go a long way to making it all work, front and rear. I usually work directly with the folks at Viking to spec proper valving, but most any of your big name shock manufacturers should be helpful. Travel in the front will be key for transfer, don't be afraid to trim those Trick coils in the front to get the right amount of movement. You can see the difference in travel in the front of my car between getting the front to work (picture 2), and making the back do all the heavy lifting (pic 1).

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#22 ·
On my two door sedan, I swapped my leaf springs perches from left to right within the frame. Put in new wheel wells flush with the frame. We also stretched the quarter 3 inches so it would help with the big tires I was going to put on it. I ended up putting Calvert bars on the new wagon springs. Hooks decent but once the turbo starts lighting off, no street tires will hood anyway
 
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