Caltrac info set up" hypothesis"
- Thread starter TrentNell
- Start date
Bringing this back up (thanks for the reminder Trent! :rofl
to ask a question.
I plan on removing the overload springs today. (I found correct bolts) Any opinions on how this will affect the Caltrac adjustments?
to ask a question.I plan on removing the overload springs today. (I found correct bolts) Any opinions on how this will affect the Caltrac adjustments?
Bringing this back up (thanks for the reminder Trent! :rofl
I plan on removing the overload springs today. (I found correct bolts) Any opinions on how this will affect the Caltrac adjustments?
I cant think of it having any negative affects Tom .
when I raised my caltracs to the top hole it made a huge difference in the way the truck left.
I have the rear springs clamped (front only) with caltracs and cut 1.66-1.68 on 20's at full weight with 7-10lbs of boost on the line.
Paul
I have the rear springs clamped (front only) with caltracs and cut 1.66-1.68 on 20's at full weight with 7-10lbs of boost on the line.
Paul
how the hell do you guys adjust them while they're in the top hole? the hex end is pointing forward and there is no way i can get a wrench on it...
I had the hex end on the axle side , not the front .......... the non nut hex end you should be able to adjust/twist the bar by hand , no need to crank past what your hand can do 1/4 to full turn preload is more than most run .
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yea i tried to run the nut in the back back the back heim wouldn't thread in... and my instructions said hex in the front so i figured they made it to only go one way.
here is how mine was setup . not the best pic but .......
Yea mine is totally different then that the new ones with 3 holes are much much thicker. I'm gonna have to remove both heims and try and flip the bar completely around and see if I can make it work. I'll take a pic asap and post it up
Trent, you were saying a while ago that with your program you thought using a lowering hangar for the springs instead of lowering shackles might be beneficial. is this the case while using Caltracs as well? or would it only work better if they are clamped with no bars?
Its an idea i have had to test , in theory it works , have no clue how it would work in real life , one way to find out though
im thinking i might, i also have been looking into the Pro Comp MX6053 shocks for the rear as a cheaper alternative to the QA1's. they say they have medium valving. there are also MX6056's that say Hard valving. which one would you choose?
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I have been searching through Pro Comp part numbers all day and i found some MX6064R shocks on truckcustomizers.com for a good price. they are a remote reservoir shock with a 6 way adjuster. this particular model has ~13" collapsed length and ~21" extended length. i plan to lower the rear about 4" from stock and make a similar upper shock mount to Trent's to relocate the PS shock and change their angles. i was a little leery about using the single adjustable QA1's for the rear because i wasn't sure their compression valving would be good for our weight, and i didn't want to spring the cash for the double adjustables. I bought Jpowel's Qa1's for the front last year, and if i decide i'd like the front a little lower i'll rework the front mounts and lower it more with a LCA kit.
on edit:
I have been searching through Pro Comp part numbers all day and i found some MX6064R shocks on truckcustomizers.com for a good price. they are a remote reservoir shock with a 6 way adjuster. this particular model has ~13" collapsed length and ~21" extended length. i plan to lower the rear about 4" from stock and make a similar upper shock mount to Trent's to relocate the PS shock and change their angles. i was a little leery about using the single adjustable QA1's for the rear because i wasn't sure their compression valving would be good for our weight, and i didn't want to spring the cash for the double adjustables. I bought Jpowel's Qa1's for the front last year, and if i decide i'd like the front a little lower i'll rework the front mounts and lower it more with a LCA kit.
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so I went with Pro Comp MX6056 shocks, we'll see how they work. they have "hard" valving...dunno how hard it will be compared to other setups people have tried but its worth the $170 attempt i think.
yea, ive been having to use a money wrench and its not doing the finish any favors...
also the bar is beginning to rust just a little and as i understood it at least the old models had chomoly bars (according to caleb
)interested on how it works out.
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Excellent thread with great info here guys.
I disagree with the statement that a suspension that squats will always "Pull" up the rear axle. It depends on the setup. Weight transfer will also cause the rear to squat, and it is inevitable that you will have weight transfer when you are trying to take a truck to 60' in 1.5.
I was watching "Passtime" a while ago and it was a special edition with a bunch of Vipers. Seems most of them had very little squat, and the tires were more inclined to break traction when there was less squat. I realize that we have the advantage of 4wd, but I still think there may be a lesson there.
I disagree with the statement that a suspension that squats will always "Pull" up the rear axle. It depends on the setup. Weight transfer will also cause the rear to squat, and it is inevitable that you will have weight transfer when you are trying to take a truck to 60' in 1.5.
I was watching "Passtime" a while ago and it was a special edition with a bunch of Vipers. Seems most of them had very little squat, and the tires were more inclined to break traction when there was less squat. I realize that we have the advantage of 4wd, but I still think there may be a lesson there.
That theory was base on a 4wd setup , and also assuming the vehicle is not squatting from having enough "Rise" or " Anti Sqaut " in the suspension design, and not lack of weight transfer , more like controlling the weight transfer rate instead of it being too much , still playing with all the idea's and concepts , built a 4link on my race truck to test all these idea's ,just haven't played with it much at the big races , waiting for some local T&T's to start experimenting .
Squat from the suspension will always pull the rear axle up. It is simple physics. If the suspension is attached to the rear axle, and the force of the rear axle makes the suspension pull the chassis down, the force of the chassis being pulled down must make the suspension also pull the rear axle up. It's one of Newton's laws; I don't remember which one though.
As far as your observation on the cars that didn't have any squat not breaking the tires loose, that could be any number of reasons. Too much anti-squat can also make the tires break loose, but it is usually after the car has launched off the line and already traveled a few feet. When a car hits the tires and loads the suspension it forces the axle into the ground, but it needs enough power and correct setup to keep the weight transferred and the tires planted. If you have it set up too aggressively, you will plant on the launch, but as the suspension settles in the tires will unload. There is a lot of reading out there on chassis setup if you search for it. Some of it can be quite confusing, but a lot of it is really cool stuff.
I see it a bit different. Certainly not to say I have a clue but, axle wrap ( tube torque ) seems to have the appearance of lifting the front portion of the leaf spring while, as the Caltracs are installed, changing the motion to minimal down force. At best, twisting the spring into an ' S '. I wonder what Newton says will be stored in that spring and what it alone plays in axle wrap trying to become neutral. Seems to me, only axle wrap is being controlled with a delicate balance between allowing the axle/tire to get under the truck for acceleration. Playing around seems to give me an indication that the axle is not lifting, as described above, but instead torque required to overcome available friction to the tires is easily overcome. If you will, negative caster.
Guess I too have a lot of reading to do.
Trent, you had talked about building front spring mounts to raise the leaf spring bolt up ( towards the top of the frame ) and getting away from the longer rear shackle ( I think I remember that right ) is this why? I mean the ( at my best interpretation ) caster thing. I say caster because four link, ladder bars and our trucks seem to me to have an upper point of leverage ( axle above the spring or below spring ) and lower point of leverage ( caltrac lower heim ). It seems to me that this caster line should be positive.
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