Traction Action

[Good Wrench]

Hiya,

Well, the good news is we fond a new strip to play on at US 36 Raceway near Osborne Missouri only a 100 mile trip! Yay!

Anyway, this strip is slipperier than snot through a goose. I think they season the asphalt with Crisco Oil and coat it with apple butter just to give it that just dragged on look.

Well, we decided that it's either that or Topukea so we're going for the trail Of Smears.

So, we are getting traction bars for our coil spring 8.5 chevy rear end.

The question is,

How much air gap is between the snubbers and the frame? Keep in mind these traction bars are adjustable?

[1gary]

I remember on those type of suspensions a advantage of aftermarket trailing arms to improve traction.For traction bars,I would set them different for the street over at the track.

[techinspector1]

Mount a videocam up under there so you can see what the pieces are doin'.

[pat mccarthy]

all your control arms all have rubber bushing like stock ? if so i would think for the track not much of any air gap. for the street /strip cars i use a hard plastic or make up new out of aluminum. but thats me .you may want to look in to the energy suspension stuff and box the stock arms if not box. thats the start of it

[1gary]

I looked up aftermarket trailing arms for him in Jegs and Summit.Man the pricing got scarey in a hurray.Don't know if they are special length for lift or not.So the suggestion to have those stock ones box welded seems to be the cheapest way to go if not for nothing strength.

[Dave Severson]

IMO the old style ladder bars that Comp Engineering and other companies used to make are going to be a whole lot more consistent then a traction bar. The launch is much more consistent and can easily be tuned in with a pair of shocks on the rear that have adjustable rebound. With a big heavy, long wheelbase car the added leverage of a longer bar will also aid in weight transfer!

[pat mccarthy]

car is a stock 4 link why not make that work? i seen sleeper cars run with this set up in the 11s ez

[Dave Severson]

Main reason, it's a slippery track---going to take a long bar and good shocks to make it a consistent car. Reinforced stock bars or aftermarket lowers work great on a good track with some Thundertrack sprayed out a couple hundred feet or so, but slippery tracks take a bit of help to get a consistent bite. Many years ago I ran a '67 GTO on a similar slippery track, long bars and light rebound shocks worked great.

[pat mccarthy]

there is more then one way to skin a cat as a loose track yep not sure on the apple butter deal. i have a 632 in a gto that can hook on the street and pull tires up and off the road not to bad.i seen a way over srayed delta 88 run 11s stock mount points stock rear end . at ubly that was not the best track at that time

[Good Wrench]

Hiyall,

The traction bars we were thinking of are Competition Engineering "C 2111". On the Summit Racing site they are $249. Bout the same price at our local speed shop too. We'll hafta empty out the kids college fund but that's OK since we got no kids yet.

The stinking four links are old rubber stocks so as soon as I can find if urathane ones exist we'll change em.

The problem is that the launch is screwey since the rear end hops like a deranged bunny rabbit. Tries to shatter the rear window loose. We did allwe could do with the tires I.E., let all the air out of them. but they still squeal off the line and between 2-3rd gear lets out one last squeal. If I hit the spray too early then I loose all traction and well, I hang my head in shame. I just can't think of any other fix other than the traction bars. Hopefully it will at least stop the wheel hop.
If they work I can hit the nitrous in second gear. That would be fun. Otherwise I loose too much time.

I've got to get consistent launches or I may as well not even bother. Then I shall perish without a wimper.

[pat mccarthy]

yep you will help your self alot to get the old rubber bushing out .making a call to energy suspension and see what they have if not find the old man in town that owns a lathe you can make up bushing

[Good Wrench]

Hi Pat McCarthy,

At first I didn't think messing with those old links would do any good but the more I got thinking, The more it made sense. If those links were tight then they would do the same as traction bars. But OK, so I find something that works in their place.

But, I still got to qualify on Saturday. What to do...

Now, I hafta admit I have air shocks on the car. Someone told me that they are a no-no for drags.

What if I replaced them with drag shocks?
Would they also help the traction?
I really need to get a grip....

[Dave Severson]

Shocks are often the most overlooked part of suspension, and probably the most "tuneable" part you can add to it!!!!!!

Slippery tracks, or tracks that you just flat overpower require a shock with adjustable rebound.....As the day warms up, the rebound needs to be softened up to maintain the grip! What works in time trials in the morning with a 75 degree track isn't going to work in eliminations that afternoon when the track temps is 115 degrees! Shocks are the easiest way to keep the suspension dialed in to track conditions. Some 90-10 "easy up" shocks on the front will help a lot, too! When you're doing bushings, some urethene bushings in the front (with a grease zerk added in) will really free up the front suspension movement and help with weight transfer!

[Good Wrench]

Hiya Dave,

Well, I went and done it.

I just ordered 2 adjustable drag shocks and 2 variable rate coil springs from Summit racing. The old springs were well, old which is why I had the air shocks in the first place.

I allready put urathane bushings in the front control arms and the sway bar. I have gas shocks in the front .They'll hafta do for now.

The next chore will be to find bushings for the rear links at least.

But i'm hoping for favorable grip on Saturday. I hope I did right.

[Dave Severson]

Shocks are important, the worse the track conditions the more important they are!