Caltrac Tuning Info LOOK HERE

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Planning on ordering Caltracs next week (front/rear shocks, bars and leafs). Leaving off the trans brake and blowing the tires off it every time out. Hopefully this will solve the spinning issue. Any tips on setup or anything I should know for a 68 Dart, 340 (550hp), 4.56 gears? The rear leafs have been moved in previously too. Just really hoping going Caltracs works, the 1.6 60 ft's are hurting when trying to run 10's. Thanks!
 
I finally figured out a decent tune for my Caltracs.
67 Barracuda, small block, complete Caltrac setup with mono leafs and Calvert shocks front and rear.

Bottom hole, 1 flat preload driver side, 2 flats preload passenger side.
Rear shocks set on 6.

It should go faster, but current best is 1.50 60' (with an extra 130 lbs in the car). I'm guessing it will do a 47-48 when I take the weight out....but we will see. This setup has produced a nice clean launch (both wheels coming off the ground even) with a decent 60'. Still testing, will post again if I can improve on this.

Link to a current launch pic.
http://motolenzphotos.com/dragracing/Mopar-Cut/P2Street-Trophy/IMG_7535.JPG
 
I forgot to mention, the car likes a VERY short burn out now (in second gear). This was one of the weird things that took a while to figure out, because the old setup did better with a medium burn out in 3rd gear (more heat in the tire).
 
Great to see a thread like this. My '67 Dart has a full Caltrac setup with mono leafs & Rancho's. Not even close to the tuning stage, but at least I'll have a place to ask questions and share info.
 
Just an update since going with a Transbrake.Leaving at 3000rpm off the brake,my car is back to porposing.I need to drop the setting on the rear shocks from 5 to 1 and maybe take 1/2 a turn of preload out of the bars(set at 1 full turn of preload now)With the transbrake my best 60ft has been 1.48.Still off from the 1.44 footbraking.Will post results next week.Pic of my car leaving on the T-brake.
View attachment Attachment-1.jpg
 
@pettybluedart.Your car looks good. Mine was launching, then going out about 30' and spinning.If you bolted the rear shocks on stock, look to see how much travel you have. Mine only had 1/2", so they bottomed out.I made some shock extensions to lower them about 4". It made all the difference in the world.
I also went to #3 on setting, and no preload. Just adjusted snug (1/32" clearance). The only issue I have is slight inconsistant spin at the hit of the launch.I am running 12 LBS air. I am going to add preload, and more air.
I leave @ 5000 RPM
 
mshred said:
hey guys, glad i could help, i got the info from a really helpful member on another board

As far as springs,im running stock 6cyl springs. They work pretty good from what ive seen others say, and with not much tuning they seem to be working ok for me (need to tune more, didnt get any track time after getting them on, car broke). A stiff spring like an SS actually works against the caltrac bar and ive been told can either brake the spring of the caltrac box (these are the words out of the calvert techline's mouth)
Click to expand...

Do you have any pics of this setup? thanks
 
I have a set of Cal tracs and the spring relocation kit for this application but was told that if I go over a HP rating I could possibly rip them out... is this true?



:burnout:
 
flyfish said:
I finally figured out a decent tune for my Caltracs.
67 Barracuda, small block, complete Caltrac setup with mono leafs and Calvert shocks front and rear.

Bottom hole, 1 flat preload driver side, 2 flats preload passenger side.
Rear shocks set on 6.

It should go faster, but current best is 1.50 60' (with an extra 130 lbs in the car). I'm guessing it will do a 47-48 when I take the weight out....but we will see. This setup has produced a nice clean launch (both wheels coming off the ground even) with a decent 60'. Still testing, will post again if I can improve on this.

Link to a current launch pic.
http://motolenzphotos.com/dragracing/Mopar-Cut/P2Street-Trophy/IMG_7535.JPG
Click to expand...

Yup, with a fresh trans in the car, she went 1.47 60' in decent (but not great) air......FINALLY!!!!!.......almost a YEAR later. :D Better late than never I suppose....lol.
 
flyfish said:
Yup, with a fresh trans in the car, she went 1.47 60' in decent (but not great) air......FINALLY!!!!!.......almost a YEAR later. :D Better late than never I suppose....lol.
Click to expand...
kick as$ lookin cars guys!!!!!!!!-bob
 
I have been to 1 track this year that does great and car was very consistent. 1.52 1.53 60's Went to the local track and it bounces off the line and is so inconsistent 1.53 to 1.61 60's Went from 1 full turn preload to 1/2 turn. Went from 8 on the shocks to 5. run out of time but it didn't work well on last pass.
 
I have mine set upper-hole hole with no preload, in fact i have it set for the height of a nickle long way or standing on end. The shocks Rancho 9000's set on #4. Mono leafs in the rear. The front have 6cyl torsion bars and Cal-trac shocks. The tires 28 x 10.5 hoosier slicks set at 14psi the rear end has a 4.30 gear. The engine is a indy-head "360-1" 408. The trans is a 727 with the stock gearing and converter is a custom turbo action. Leave the line at 4000 with a trans brake. best time so far 1.42 60' 10.21 at 131 mph. But i run 10.25 very contestant. I beat my head against the wall for ever trying to get them faster than my SS springs. They never did get faster but they are way more consistent and the car goes straight with no dancing in higher gears.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKeH2XDvzh0&list=UU8R6j_eu3nPH8e8T57xec7A"]1966 Dart at Fomoso - YouTube[/ame]
 
[ame="http://youtu.be/-6LrDj96Rj0"]http://youtu.be/-6LrDj96Rj0[/ame]

Any suggestions on adjustment to get rid of bouncing off the line?
 
dart19666 said:
What is your sixty foot, and set up right now for the Cal trac? Tire pressure, rear end gear, engine, low ratio trans gear, 727, 904.
Click to expand...
60 foot was 1.35 with the cal tracs in upper hole with no pre load and I have Afco double adjustable shocks with 7 inch ext. not bottoming out the shock. Its a 540 predator headed mopar with turbo 400 trans with 4.57 gears. Launching off the trans brake at 5000rpm in video. Split mono springs, sliders and a anti roll bar set at neutral
 
Ladder bar it (going to get heat for this statement!).......Same car (not the pink one), different grill and hood. Second small picture is at Silverwood, old air strip, on all black top track (including starting line):
 

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I have CalTracs on my Belvedere and plan on using them on my Barracuda,they work GREAT!! car leaves straight and hard everytime, this coming season we're using more spray on the B-Body so maybe ordering the CalTrac Wheelie bars. For less than a $1000 Canadian we put the whole CalTrac set up on the B-Body...can't wait to get this set up on the 67 Barracuda :)
 
What exactly does it mean when it refers to it "hitting" the tires is that like a shock loading? If it hits too hard they will break loose?
 
If any of you guys leave off of a transbrake, I can tell you what fixed my Caltrac issues.

I had done everything that the guys at Calvert told me to do. The car would hook for a split second and then unload the tires causing a violent spin.

All they kept preaching was loose rear shocks and a little preload on the springs.

Finally got to watch video of the car and noticed what was causing the initial hook and then violent tire spin. The rear shocks were too loose and were bouncing the tires back up off of the track and unloading them for one thing. The other thing was that the suspension being preloaded was not allowing it the travel needed to work properly with the hard hit of the transbrake. By being preloaded, there is not enough travel or motion to help make the hit of the transbrake more gradual in hitting the tires.

All that I did was set an air gap between the lever and the top of the spring. This gap was about the thickness of a nickel. After that, I tightened the rear shocks extension to 7 or 8 clicks out of a possible 12.

Car started hooking hard and printing consistent 60' times after that. My setup on my Volare wagon street/strip car is totally different. It's a footbrake car with a 2.74 first gear set and 3.73 rear gears. Its a consistent 7.30's car in the 1/8th mile. It is preloaded a little and the shocks are set on 3 or 4. It also hooks hard off of the line, but with the opposite setup.

Sorry for being long winded, but wanted to explain it all in hopes that it may help someone who is having issues.
 
[ame="https://youtu.be/vVDZzkBIr-c"]https://youtu.be/vVDZzkBIr-c[/ame]
 
Bolt just touching the spring ( No preload) bar in top hole leaving on foot brake at 2900 (As much as it will stall). Stock springs and 315/60 Drag Radials. Really nose heavy.
 

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Complete Cal Trac setup on mine. Mono leafs with Calvert nine way adjustable shocks on rear and Competition Engineering shocks on front. Mickey Thompson 275-60-15 drag radials. 575 hp 440. So far I have not touched the adjustments from the initial setup which is, front shocks on loosest setting, rear shocks in middle setting and the Cal Tracs adjusted with the pin brought down till it touches the springs then a half turn more on both sides. About 30 passes so far and it does the exact same thing every run. Launches dead level, no spin and drives down the track like its on rails. Best run so far is 11.125 @ 121 with a 1.565 60 ft. I love the Cal Tracs. Thanks for the info, I'll keep a copy with me, may need it when I up the power to 700.
 

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