Caltrac’s and high rpm doesn’t mix
This weekend I’m gonna set the two-step to 3500 and tighten the front up to see if I can make it work and cut a light .
And as far as radials go I’m considering trying them sone experienced guys seem to think they will help.
But this all seems like the car will end up with either a 25 inches front spring segment or a set of ladder bars
I think you are going the wrong way tightening up the front end.
The car needs to pitch rotate, and yours isn’t doing that.
IMO, you are getting the cart before the horse. You are so concerned with cutting a light, you are handicapping the chassis.
When the chassis is correct and happy, the RT will come down. You need to make it hook first and move. Once you do that, the reaction times will come around.
IMO, you need to add some travel up front and then set your shocks so the front end travel is smooth and not violent from too little rebound dampening, and not so slow it won’t pitch rotate because you have too much rebound dampening.
Then you can maybe slow down the rebound on the rear, and definitely stiffen up the bump so the tire can’t act like a giant ball being hit with a huge hammer.
There is the misguided notion that says pitch rotation (a wheelie) is bad, but it’s not. When the car squirts off the starting line without pitch rotation, you have lost most of the load you can apply to the tire with the weight of the car. You don’t need to set it on the bumper, but 8-12 inches of pitch rotation is a good thing.
Unless you are running Comp Eliminator or Pro Stock and have a chassis for those classes, pitch rotation is fundamental.
I’m in the same boat as you are. My math says the very lowest RPM I can be on the 2 step is 5500, and most likely will be as high as 6500 with a clutch.
I can pull some timing at the hit, but I’d rather get it to hook and ADD some low gear timing, but that’s a different discussion.
