Hmmmm, I've gone 1.55 in my Valiant with J.C.Whitney springs, stock shocks, stock torsion bars, clamp on slapper bars, and ET Streets.

My Daytona is a 4 link car.

We are setting the Duster up as a ladder bar car.

You can not give me a set of SS springs. To me they aren't worth the time it takes to throw them away.

I know very few people compete at a big money level here, but how many times have you seen a leaf spring car win a big money bracket race? I have seen a couple, but most of the big money winners have 4 link cars.

Why? Because a leaf spring car will not repeat like a 4 link or ladder bar car.

A Glock and a .50 muzzle loader will both send a bullet down range. Question is, which would you rather take to a gunfight?

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Well you can of course build whatever you want. Consistancy? Once ran 5 consectutive 11.56 runs at Luskville Raceway in Quebec with the Charger . I believe my wife told me last week while organizing some of my stuff that she still has those time tickets.
Anyway. That is my take on it . What first gave me pause for changing was I discovered up till recently years the Mopar Stockers were not even allowed to change the main leaf to after market and yet ran super times. I changed two Race cars over to Ladder bar sliders in the seventies. A 69 440 Dart and a 70 440 Cuda. Neither went faster. Anyway, Enjoy your build. I see however even by your own admission you have never actually tried it the Mopar stocker way (Slapper bars?) We use home made SS springs and a pinon snubber , period.
http://www.dropshots.com/Dolmetsch#date ... 6/17:55:57
This is an old grainy video of the 4150 lb Charger running a 9 second Camro at Shannonville . This is the last time I drove the car (so it would
actually have weighed 4256). I had to because my nephew hurt his neck from the hard launches and his doc wouldnt let him drive it anymore.
Still having said all that I am 100% in belief that you should build what you want to build. I guess I just get antzi when people criticize the mopar SS style set up which was and is the best production rear suspension for drag racing ever built. So enjoy your build though, that is number 1
BTW, I dont have a Glock but I do have a .45 Muzzle loader . How did you know?!
One thing I have never worried about though is what everybody else does.

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Don

I've been reading opinions over the past year and chose Caltracs with Mopar replacement springs not the super stock ones....my car isn't finished yet so I can't say first hand what it hooks like just yet, however when you look at the number of competative stockers running them there must be something to their claims of consistancy on their web site. My car is a stick and I'm also adding frame connectors with 90/10's up front on track days...I hope I made all the right choices and it all works together. javascript:emoticon(':?:')
Question
Thanks Derek

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70 Duster 238'', four speed ,3:91's, 500 Elde, Hookers
68 Dart 4 dr 225, completely original

I'm going to try a set of Landrum "Chrysler Type" monoleafs on a very lightened up 64 Dart. I got them from the dirt track gang at Speedway Motors and they were only $35 each. Their catalog lists all the rates and arches. They have the A-body 20" front segments. I'll keep you all posted, when I finally get the car back.......

Just an aside, there are NSS racers running low tens on leaf springs and a snubber. We're talking 2 ton Hemi and Wedge powered B-bodies. We do it with pinion angles and snubber adjustments.

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If you can't be good, at least be colorful

The Caltracs are the current rage . I am not one of their supporters but they are almost as good as a well set up SS deal. They were developed for Mustang stocker during the 60s.
Had Ford used the Mopar SS style there would never have been a need for them and they would not have been invented still they do work. The move the instant centre rearward which I do not like personally.
Chrysler had a leaf link set up in the seventes . It is still in the Mopar chassis book.
Don

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Don

I'll wait right here while you call John Calvert and relay that message. I'm sure he'll be quite grateful to know his bars are "almost as good" as Super Stock springs.

Cal-Tracs were developed in the '90's. They are a variation of the old Traction Master bars that have been around since the '50's. I know a lot of money winning bracket racers who will tell you that Cal-Tracs are the best money they ever spent on their cars, Mopar and otherwise.

One question. How many of the cars that you have set up with SS springs have won NHRA National events? A huge majority of the cars winning in Stock have his bars on them.

How many times have you won a national event in Super Stock with a 4 speed big block car on 9" slicks?

Tell John I said "Hi", and that I still have my original set of bars.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I can personally say the Cal Trac'sin are the best for the money.I put the bars,leaf springs(mono leaf) and rear shocks on my 1978 Volare and the car still matains the same ride height and drives as well as, if not better then the stock rear leafs and it hooks up very well and great with the slicks on it.It tracks perfectly straight and the Cal Tracs are a breeze to adjust.Pretty much put the driver in the seat,adjust them to zero plus 1/4 turn.I have been trying diffrent settings with their shocks and can feel the diffrence.The only thing I did was have some offset bushing made for the rear axel pads to the center bolt so I could get the thrust angle to be perfect.It's a afternoon job to install them and basicly done after that.The cost isn't all that high when you consider getting a complete rear suspension package less the axel housing with not cutting or welding.Then you can spend your time doing other things.

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SOOOOO much money spent and I keep gettin' told that I could have had a V-8

Not so fast , Cal tracs were developed by John back in the day and were developed for his Mustang Stocker. i probably still have the original article. They are not a modern invention from the 90s. More like late sixties early seventiies. And you can go ahead and phone him if you like. I stand by my comment they are almost as good as a properly set up SS Chrysler set up. Most people wont spend the time or effort on the SS set up to get it to its ultimate point and the Calverts will work almost as good. but they were developed to solve a particualr problem Mustangs had and Mopars do not ,just so you know. Mustangs without traction bars would wheel hop so bad they would sometimes break a U joint and i am sure more than one of you has actually seen that happen at the track. I personally have seen it twice. John came up with an ingenious device that used the warp of the front section of the spring to put preload on the top of the spring with a cross bolt that put an end to the wheel hop and greatly improved traction. HOWEVER Mopar SS set ups do not have wheel hop problems because of the way the front section of the spring was designed and built as well as the pinion snubber and with a well set up pinion snubber , proper longer shocks and proper spring bias side to side our cars will leave almost level with front wheels just off the ground. When all the weight is on the rear tires and it is because the front arent on the ground and when the wheelie is well controlled , not too high just up and up instantly and the car is leaving relatively level (not super hi on the drivers side. ) ET falls like a rock and the car will leave so hard you get a headache.
Don
And to your second question I do not race nationally no do I nor have I ever had any aspirations to do so although some of my engines have but I am well know in Mopar circles for my set up info and have even fathered one of the well known Mopar books. I am not ashamed of the success of my cars and set ups in any way shape or form. It was learned through the school of try this try that study this, do that over a period of 40 + years and did not come cheaply.
If you wish to go Calverts be my guest. It will please me should we meet on the line someday to know I have just that little extra edge against you.

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Don

I guess we'll just agree to disagree then.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I can live with that.
Don

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Don