Backhalving?

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440valiant

cuda
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Well.... I need to start doing some planning for my barracuda build, my goal for the car is to have a FAST drag car, and also manners for the street. My plan right now is to backhalf the car, but what I was wondering was is it worth it to backhalf the car, or just mini tub it and live with that? I really want that pro-street look with steam rollers.

thanks:snakeman:
 
Back half it with a 4 link. We always want more later and then you'll already have the foundation for it. If you are going to do it, do it right one time. That's much cheaper in the long run.
 
Do NOT backhalf it unless you are going to have some serious HP.And I am not talking 500HP. I am talking about alot more.It always kills me when you see a fully tubbed car and then the guy has like a stock or mild engine in it.You can mini tub your car and put some 295x15's under it and it will look pretty damn mean.Plus if you ever sell it a fully tubbed car is harder to sell sometimes.
Jim
 
My suggestion would be to backhalf the car only if you are serious about racing. Otherwise, relocate the springs inboard, get some good springs with or without a set of Cal-Tracs, mini-tub, and some nice 295/50-15's (or equivelant slicks) and it will serve you well.
 
Yeah, I wouldn't even both thinking about back-halving your car unless you plan on running faster than mid 9s.... Plenty of cars run low to mid 10s without having to do that.

I guess, define fast?
 
Sure you can run 10's with a leaf spring car but you are giving up about .5 in ET and a bunch of consistency on marginal tracks.

If you build the chassis right the first time you'll save a ton of money in the long run. Even a CalTrac set up with all their stuff is going to be a grand or more. While the CalTracs are good they were really designed for cars that had to keep the leaf springs because of class rules. In my opinion if you can 4 link it, why waste time and money doing something else when you'll eventually do it anyway.
 
Guitar Jones said:
Sure you can run 10's with a leaf spring car but you are giving up about .5 in ET and a bunch of consistency on marginal tracks.

If you build the chassis right the first time you'll save a ton of money in the long run. Even a CalTrac set up with all their stuff is going to be a grand or more. While the CalTracs are good they were really designed for cars that had to keep the leaf springs because of class rules. In my opinion if you can 4 link it, why waste time and money doing something else when you'll eventually do it anyway.
Click to expand...

Running cal tracs and leafs doesn't give up **** for ET if thats sufficient to do the job. There's people doing 1.2's and 1.3s and deep in the 9's using them with small slicks and drag radials. Nowadays a back half isn't needed unless you're putting ALOT power down. He should save his money for other areas of the car.

Here's a couple examples:


Bill-Bourguignon-1jpg.jpg

Joe-Grippo-1.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KLaWp0RZoM
 
look at what some of the small tire class guys are doing. A fox body mustnag might transfer weight alot better but still when guys are running 8's on small tires, A back half is not necessary. Plus on a street car how many times do you want to buy really expensive tires?

-Sefus
 
Do the backhalfing . this is what my Dakota looks like backhalfed and 4 linked. we are going to run a 418 SB Storker motor.. but its your money do what makes you happy..

P5100016.jpg


P5090010.jpg


dak1.jpg


dak4-1.jpg


th_P5040028.jpg


RCA_0101.jpg


P5180022.jpg


P7310007.jpg


RCA_0122.jpg
 
Nice Dakota LA Dart, I like that.

I've got nothing against tubbed cars, I've built a couple myself. 440valiant if you really want that look, by all means go for it. But be ready to get ridiculed by guys in very fast 9" tire cars if you're not running at least 10s.
 
It has always been my way of doing things to my cars to figure out if I want look or function. If I decide function and know that I am just going to keep making the car faster, and can afford it or can wait until I can afford it, I would go ahead with the back half. If I was going for a look and not future function or wasn't sure of how fast I was going to make the car I would probably mini tub it and run CalTracs and wait untill I had to do a back half. For most cars especially ones to be driven on the street the back half is really not something needed and just makes it that much more expensive to drive your car.
 
GTXperience said:
What do the FAST regulations say about this?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure he is talking FAST as in a E.T.... Not the FAST class as it stands for:
Factory Appearing Stock Tire.......... definatly not a backhalfed car in that.

As for the original question well if i was going to use it on the street i would do a mini tubb and spring relocation with cal tracs or RMS rear suspension kit. If it was strickly a RACE car backhalf with a four link. Coarse that just my 2 cent worth.
Matt
 
440valiant said:
Well.... I need to start doing some planning for my barracuda build, my goal for the car is to have a FAST drag car, and also manners for the street. My plan right now is to backhalf the car, but what I was wondering was is it worth it to backhalf the car, or just mini tub it and live with that? I really want that pro-street look with steam rollers.

thanks:snakeman:
Click to expand...
Who Gives a **** what anyone else thinks..Do what will make YOU happy
BackHalf it , 4 link it Then you have the best of both worlds later if you Decide to Build a killed Engine at a later time Bolt on some huge slicks and Go..Traction issues = NONE!
 
The FAST series as I recall doesn't allow for back-half cars. Now if he's going to run something like a nostalgia F/X or a N/SS class he may be able to get away with it depending on the organization. But I'm like most here & think you should put the money in the motor & worry about backhalving once you see what you got.............
 
Dotchguy said:
Who Gives a **** what anyone else thinks..Do what will make YOU happy
BackHalf it , 4 link it Then you have the best of both worlds later if you Decide to Build a killed Engine at a later time Bolt on some huge slicks and Go..Traction issues = NONE!
Click to expand...


He asked our opinion...But I agree, do whatever the hell you want.
 
im with guitar jones on this one...backhalf it! who cares what fast small tire guys say man...your car will look better than their's anyways plus if you ever do go fast enough for you to actually warrant the backhalf (since most think 10's arent fast enough for a backhalf) you got the suspension to back it all up...if i had the chance to tub my car i would even if it was an 11 sec car...tubbed cars are the coolest in my opinion
 
mshred said:
im with guitar jones on this one...backhalf it! who cares what fast small tire guys say man...your car will look better than their's anyways plus if you ever do go fast enough for you to actually warrant the backhalf (since most think 10's arent fast enough for a backhalf) you got the suspension to back it all up...if i had the chance to tub my car i would even if it was an 11 sec car...tubbed cars are the coolest in my opinion
Click to expand...

Not to snap back at you but in my opinion a tubbed out car with huge tires that wont run faster than 11s is the musclecar equivalent to the ricers with huge mufflers on them.
 
hemizach said:
Not to snap back at you but in my opinion a tubbed out car with huge tires that wont run faster than 11s is the musclecar equivalent to the ricers with huge mufflers on them.
Click to expand...

your not snapping bro...everyone has their opinion right? my opinion is that small tire cars look retarded, dont care how fast or slow they are...now a backhalfed 12 second or slower car i can understand is kinda funky, but 11's and faster backhalfed is awesome in my opinion...do i have respect for fast small tire cars- yes...do i like how they look- hell no...nothing as sinister as tuckin huge meats out back on a drag car...i mean, what says 11's aint fast? may not be fast compared toa 9 sec car, but fast enough in my opinion...one of the first things i look for in a car is if its tubbed...its like part of my blood, i love fat tires lol
 
I would move the springs inboard and mini-tub the car.

I would consider a full tube chassis car before I back-halfed a mopar, when converting to tube chassis the largest weight savings can be gained in the front half of the car (where you need it!) than in the rear half on car.

If you go to Alston website they discuss this in detail.

Bob

PS: a 500 hp car with a 10" tire is noramally faster than a 500 hp car with a 14" tire just because it takes more hp to rotate big tires!!
 
I was talking to a guy with a 68 Nova that had been tubbed with wide tires. I was really eyeballing those big tires. I told him that I would like my car to have the big tires. He told me that the car is a very unstable in the rain. He said he left a car show in the rain and did a 360 before he knew what was going on. He went into on coming traffic but luckly no one was comeing. He said other than that he liked the big tires. They wasn't the ultra big ones but was pretty good size. Just keep that in mind if you mainly going to stay on the street. He was actually wanting to sell the car for something more streetable and family friendly.

He mentioned that he new some fellows with just small tires that ran just as fast.
 
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