Can it hook?

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340 said:
I already have the SS springs, so I'm hoping to keep using them. If I have to change things to Caltracs I will. I'll even 4 link it if I have. I'll only do that if I can't get what I have to do the job.
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Yeah if ya got em use em. They do work good when set up right. I just mentioned the Cal-tracs in case you didn't already the have SS springs.
 
Crackedback, the pinion angle is set at 4 deg., the front segment is clamped and the clamps are off the rear segment. The rear shackles look good and the shocks are rancho 9000's. I'm pretty sure my biggest problem is the tires I've been using so far. They are 15 year old 14" diameter Hooier Quick Times. I will get some new tires and the new trans in before I worry about my ET and MPH. Right now I'm spinning the whole quarter mile so ET and MPH are not even close to what the car will do with traction.
 
May not be enough angle.

Tires are likely toast at that age as all the oil are likely out of them. If they are that old, sometimes you can do one HUGE burnout and the oils may show. They are usually dead after that.

60 foot will matter with ET, the MPH should still be in the high teens to 120. Should be in the high 90's at 1/8 and 120ish at 1/4 pole. If you are spinning, in and out of the throttle, it's gonna hurt.
 
To all, I feel inspired that this thing will hook with some work. I've got some work to do over the winter. New trans, new tires, change the subframe connectors and put in a roll bar. Hopefully I can get to the 10's by the end of next summer!
 
Just a FYI,I bought my 8-point cage/bar from S&W racing for $189.My homemade connectors($23)don,t run through the floor either,but with the cage installed it sure helped tightened up the frame.A 904 built with lower first gear,new belts and clutches shouldn,t cost you too much.It,s a good convertor that cost the most for me.The 904 and the biggest slick you can fit,should net you better times and mph.Good luck.:D
 
340 said:
I know Chuck Lofgren, that's where I did my motor about 4 years ago. I do have weld in subframe connectors but they don't pass through the floor. I need to step up to the better frame connectors that go through the floor and a 8 point rollbar to stiffen up the body.
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You don't necessarily have to have frame connectors going through the floor. Tieing the 8 pt. roll bar into them with the angled bars off the main hoop, behind the seats, will help a lot. If the connectors touch the floor anywhere, they could be tack-welded there as well.

A 2.71 low gear 904 may be too much for the stroker and small tires and make it harder to hook! But do get the tallest tire you can and install on the widest rim that will fit (i.e: 9" tire on 9"-10" wheels.). A taller tire actually puts a little more "footprint" on the track. But you may have to make up for the height with more gear.

I'm not surprised that 15 year old tires spin downtrack. I'd consider that a safety issue.

Make sure your drivetrain is up to handling the "hook" when you get there. Hopefully you have a driveshaft loop. But I like to use Spicer solid u-joints and a billet steel rear end yoke because OEM versions can eventually start to spread when abused.

Sometimes to get some consistency, one has to break down and add weight in the trunk.
Consistency wins bracket races and gives you more time and money to figure how to go faster.

I've run 11.50's at 112-113 mph with 1.50 60' times. That shows that you have some tuning and matching of parts to work on to get the combo more efficient. (Carb tune, converter, gears, shift points, etc.) Just getting it to quit spinning down-track should help mph. But you seem to have a good base and on the right track with a lot of good advice in these threads.
 
Locomotion said:
You don't necessarily have to have frame connectors going through the floor. Tieing the 8 pt. roll bar into them with the angled bars off the main hoop, behind the seats, will help a lot. If the connectors touch the floor anywhere, they could be tack-welded there as well.

A 2.71 low gear 904 may be too much for the stroker and small tires and make it harder to hook! But do get the tallest tire you can and install on the widest rim that will fit (i.e: 9" tire on 9"-10" wheels.). A taller tire actually puts a little more "footprint" on the track. But you may have to make up for the height with more gear.

I'm not surprised that 15 year old tires spin downtrack. I'd consider that a safety issue.

Make sure your drivetrain is up to handling the "hook" when you get there. Hopefully you have a driveshaft loop. But I like to use Spicer solid u-joints and a billet steel rear end yoke because OEM versions can eventually start to spread when abused.

Sometimes to get some consistency, one has to break down and add weight in the trunk.
Consistency wins bracket races and gives you more time and money to figure how to go faster.

I've run 11.50's at 112-113 mph with 1.50 60' times. That shows that you have some tuning and matching of parts to work on to get the combo more efficient. (Carb tune, converter, gears, shift points, etc.) Just getting it to quit spinning down-track should help mph. But you seem to have a good base and on the right track with a lot of good advice in these threads.
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This guy has won a few rounds of racing! :)

Tires will make a big difference. The tire not allowing you to apply power will change the chassis immensely. What works on a worn out tire, may not work well on a good/new tire.

The 27x10.50 tire may fit if the wheel is JUST right. You only have about 11.5" off well width to deal with if the spring isn't moved.
 
I was looking at the car yesterday sizing things up. My subframe connectors do touch the rear footwell for about a foot so I will be tack welding them as much as I can. I think I'm going to go with the Art Morrison 8 point rollbar kit so I can keep the back seat a little bit useable(ha, ha). For tires I'm going with the Hoosier Quick time Pro's in a 27" x 10.50" - 15. Jegs has the Wheel Vintiques stock looking mopar plain black wheel in a 15" x 8" with the 5 x 4" bolt circle on sale for $85.00 each right now, so I think I'll get them. Tranmission, I already have a 999 core that Lofgren's will build and we will throw everything we can at and I plan to buy the best convertor I can. Hopefully all these changes will turn it into a screamin' machine!

Tire question for you guy's. I would have just bought slicks but then they won't let you run the street drags around here. Is there much difference between say the Quick Time Pro's and a regular slick? The Quick Time Pro looks like a slick with a couple of grooves in it. I thought about going to a DOT drag radial but they seem a little bit harder to hook up. Seems like the track has to be prepped really well and the tire pressure has to perfect or they spin.

I will talk to Lofgren about the low gear set. We had talked about going to it (the low gear set), but maybe we shouldn't do to traction issue.

I do have a drive shaft by Victory Performance with 1350 u joints and the good yoke on the rear end. I also have a good driveshaft safety loop installed. I do however still have the stock axles and 7/16 lugs in it. I need to change that before my rear tires pass me down the track!!
 
I run a 28 x 11.5 Hoosier QTP, and yes, they hook like a slick. With some tuning you should have no problem getting it to hook with the SS springs.

This year I switched from stock springs and a snubber, to the full Caltrac setup...as of today, the car was still 4 hundredths quicker in the 60' with the stock springs. I have not given up yet, but I'm getting close to putting the stock 40+ year old springs back under the car; however, the Caltracs definitely helped with consistency.

I do agree with others that if you have 500hp, your MPH isn't showing it...so you might want to investigate once you get your tire/transmission thing sorted out. I have never dynoed my 410 stroker, but I think it makes a little over 500 (probably 530 ish) and it runs through the 1/4 at 123mph. Yours should be in the 119-120 range.
 
Thats got to be a heavy dart. As far as "can it hook", my duster has gone 1.67 on a
6.9" wide Polyglass tire. You can get any combination to work if you put the effort in.
 
you will hook with a new rubber, no doubt about it.

weight is a huge factor. my Aspen R/T is a tank at 3800lbs.

my 362'' on the dyno did 568 hp @ 7500 rpm and 460 ftlbs @ 5400 rpm.

i run 11.54 @ 119 mph with a soft 60' of 1.70. hit 1.68 twice.

i run full caltracs, bars, springs, monos, ranchos...... 90/10's....

28/9/15 mt drag slick.
 
I should mention I've been running a full TTI 3" exhaust with the crossover and full length tail pipes. Will it pick up any with open headers? I was also hitting the rev limiter. So I know there is more mph there for sure. I have not weighed the car. Right now it has a full interior with a bench seat. I'll guess it weighs around 3500lbs. with me in it.
 
Chuck did my 904 and after some discussion , I went with the low 1st. gear.
But I have a taller tire and 3.91's so it might work.........it does on paper. lol
The 7" rim ain't working for a 10.5 " tire. 8 at a minimum and 10 would be better yet.
Did I see 4" bolt pattern ?
Red flag time for me.
As long as you are buying rims , you know what the right thing to do is here.
If you were launching this thing with a stick shift , you are probably very lucky it didn't hook.
 
In reference to Crackeds comment,towards shocks matching 003/002 springs.Check out 70/71 Imperial.3" taller extension than stock a body stuff.
 
dont spend the money on calcrap look at some old school pics wheels up in the air with ss springs google it wheelstanding mopars. a buddy of mine did the caltracs on a 72 dart 408 stroker did nothing to change his times but i got some nice parts. buy some good tires/rims 15"
 
pat d said:
dont spend the money on calcrap look at some old school pics wheels up in the air with ss springs google it wheelstanding mopars. a buddy of mine did the caltracs on a 72 dart 408 stroker did nothing to change his times but i got some nice parts. buy some good tires/rims 15"
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.. Mine seem to work pretty well and both of my cars do not sit like a 4wd..SS springs are outdated and mainly for those who either choose not to learn how to tune a suspension or just can't. Or for those just having fun and really do not care what the car runs...

Just my opinion....
 
boosted said:
.. Mine seem to work pretty well and both of my cars do not sit like a 4wd..SS springs are outdated and mainly for those who either choose not to learn how to tune a suspension or just can't. Or for those just having fun and really do not care what the car runs...

Just my opinion....
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That's pretty much my viewpoint as well.

I see guys complain that caltracs didn't help improve the car. Yet, they did nothing to make the car work better. If you have a really well set up SS spring car, then it's harder to make gains swapping to Caltracs.

Go walk the stock elim pits and see what cars are running for suspension. Won't see many, if any SS springs in that area because those guys are after .0x time improvements.

The front end is more important than what's under the back end...
 
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