The truth about caltracs

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perfacar said:
hi, a car that dead hooks will bog the motor through first gear. some wheel speed is needed to 60 ft better. reason, I have had dead hook before and lost 60 ft, raised launch rpm, can raise tire pressure, that will help some. then again , I'm not a suspension expert like skrews thinks he is!! funny thing is skrews has calverts under his car, lol. for him to bad mouth calvert is not right.
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On a foot brake automatic car dead hook is what you want. Wheel spin always kills 60' times on my car not to mention every footbrake racer that I've ever talked to. Stick or trans brake a little wheel spin is needed to avoid bog on the hit. I know you have your car worked out like a well oiled machine, its impressive to say the least. But your 4 speed Stock Eliminator car suspension tuning methods aren't the same as a footbrake bracket car. Every chassis has to be figured out, there are no universal answers. The way I setup my Caltracs in the spring and fall is a 180 from how I set them up in the summer heat.
As far as bad mouthing Calvert, well after reading that poor advise that chad67gtdart got from them, I stand by what I said in regard to that situation.
As far as Calvert's equipment is concerned, I think its a high quality, well made, decently priced product. The short coming is the poor geometry created by the short Abody springs. Calvert Racing will tell you that themselves.
 
skrews said:
On a foot brake automatic car dead hook is what you want. Wheel spin always kills 60' times on my car not to mention every footbrake racer that I've ever talked to. Stick or trans brake a little wheel spin is needed to avoid bog on the hit. I know you have your car worked out like a well oiled machine, its impressive to say the least. But your 4 speed Stock Eliminator car suspension tuning methods aren't the same as a footbrake bracket car. Every chassis has to be figured out, there are no universal answers. The way I setup my Caltracs in the spring and fall is a 180 from how I set them up in the summer heat.
As far as bad mouthing Calvert, well after reading that poor advise that chad67gtdart got from them, I stand by what I said in regard to that situation.
As far as Calvert's equipment is concerned, I think its a high quality, well made, decently priced product. The short coming is the poor geometry created by the short Abody springs. Calvert Racing will tell you that themselves.
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so where does the issue arise from the length of the front segment or is it vertical location of the front eyelet?
 
Caltracks do work when tuned 1.30 60ft.


[ame="http://youtu.be/ssRAHemsB6U"]http://youtu.be/ssRAHemsB6U[/ame]
 
I have a sneaking suspicion that this might change this fall, but as of right now, my car is still slightly faster on bone stock springs (1.49 60'). The one thing that the caltracs did do for my car was make it consistent when the track was crap, and make the launch level (no more twisting launch with 1 tire in the air).

Thank you!! I have RARELY seen a car pick up in 60' with just adding John's bars/springs/shocks if it was already hooking with the previous set up. Many just the opposite. But remember, the FRONT of the car has just about as much to do with the chassis tune as the back.

Our Duster was no different. Worn out SS springs...one pass would hook the next would spin. Cal Tracs added to the SS springs (which John said was a no-no, but we had no others and he wasn't in the spring biz yet) and BAM! Every pass was within .02-ish to 60'. Added the springs to get the ride height down and interestingly it took a different tune on the bars to get them back to the same 60' as the bars with SS springs.

First time out with the 416 and the car pulled severely to the right on each hit. Added preload, problem solved. Dead hooks no matter now crappy the track is.

OP: if you want to sell all of that stuff, PM me and I might be interested if the price is right!
 
just a note ,watch this video of two runs 30 minute apart , first run hook then spin ,second run hook and go , what did i change for it to work ? same power ,same lane ,same cal trac setting and tyre pressure , its simple and works
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvq3ZObywQE"]AP6 Valiant is ANGREE - YouTube[/ame]
 
ian said:
1 inch of front end travel ,sometimes you got to stop looking at the back and start looking at the front
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increase or decrease? and whats your total front end rise now from ride height to bump stop?
 
For my car, it doesn't matter what I do to my caltracs. Top or bottom hole, preload or no preload. Shocks set from 1-9. Nothing changed.

90/10's up front.

If I was to do it over again, ladder bar would be my choice.
 
79410aspenrt said:
For my car, it doesn't matter what I do to my caltracs. Top or bottom hole, preload or no preload. Shocks set from 1-9. Nothing changed.

90/10's up front.

If I was to do it over again, ladder bar would be my choice.
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whats your total set up and settings ,maybe i can help
 
ian said:
whats your total set up and settings ,maybe i can help
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Bottom hole, 1/4 gap, and shocks set on 6.

Full cal trac set up, monos, rancho 9 way shocks, and Calvert 90/10 up front.

60' is 1.55-1.60.
 
79410aspenrt said:
Bottom hole, 1/4 gap, and shocks set on 6.

Full cal trac set up, monos, rancho 9 way shocks, and Calvert 90/10 up front.

60' is 1.55-1.60.
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engine , trans gears converter weight , torsion bars ,slicks or radials pm me if you like ,
 
436" small block, 653 hp, 590 ft lbs. stock 727 with manual valve body. 5400 rpm ultimate Convertor, 3800 lbs, torsion bars, Hoosier 28/9/15 slicks, 13.5 psi, 4.30 gear.

10.85 @ 126.
 
I will agree the calvert stuff is made well, but the fact that all I can get out of him is " you & your car are crap & my stuff is perfect" is what has me pissed! I have 5.5 inches of frontend travel,90/10 shocks everything is loose & free. I have tried every adjustment possible tire pressue from 22 down to12 psi. no preload,1/4 turn, 1/2 turn, top hole bottom hole, shocks from 4-9. off idle launch to 2500rpm. nothing works for me! This was numerous passes @ each adjustment, no just one or two. I put them on in june & have went thru 3 sets of tires testing with no improvement! Calvert just keeps saying "if you put a two step on it will work better". Maybe in different parts of the country the NHRA rules are different but here in Va. I run pro/mod & a street class & a two step is NOT allowed on anything but a stick car. It is really funny that everyone I've had watching the car @ the starting line and seeing the video's says its spinning but he cant see it! Also before I could leave @ 2500rpm with no spin , now I can only launch @ 2000rpm or it blisters the tires. If it was hooking sooo good , then why is it spinning on a harder launch???? If it needed more wheel speed to get better 60' then why is it spinning? Last week I talked with a chassis shop & the guy said he'd be glad to look @ the car ,but, it sounded to him that I had done everything he would have! His advice was put my stuff back in & demand a REFUND! He did say they work good on 8-9 second cars with trans-brakes, but I should not have to build a new car to make them work!! I know every car is different, and as stated I am not a chassis expert, but can read & follow directions. I have been bracket racing for 30years, so its not my first rodeo. I would like to thank everyone for thier feedback,& if yours works I am happy for you,but I guess I'm just not smart enough to make them work! If they have a problem with A body's, they never said so, or won't admit it in fear of loseing a sale. I just finished my last points race,despite the poor 60's finished 5th in points.Now thats the points races are over, I will be calling calvert monday & demanding a full refund! Sorry I won't be giving them away for a small price, I am a firm believer of getting what I pay for!
 
79410aspenrt said:
436" small block, 653 hp, 590 ft lbs. stock 727 with manual valve body. 5400 rpm ultimate Convertor, 3800 lbs, torsion bars, Hoosier 28/9/15 slicks, 13.5 psi, 4.30 gear.

10.85 @ 126.
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try this ,0 pre load on left ,1 turn right ,shocks on 8 ,take out all bump stops ,lower front a inch and leave at 3000 rpm it will flash up harder
 
chad67gtdart said:
I will agree the calvert stuff is made well, but the fact that all I can get out of him is " you & your car are crap & my stuff is perfect" is what has me pissed! I have 5.5 inches of frontend travel,90/10 shocks everything is loose & free. I have tried every adjustment possible tire pressue from 22 down to12 psi. no preload,1/4 turn, 1/2 turn, top hole bottom hole, shocks from 4-9. off idle launch to 2500rpm. nothing works for me! This was numerous passes @ each adjustment, no just one or two. I put them on in june & have went thru 3 sets of tires testing with no improvement! Calvert just keeps saying "if you put a two step on it will work better". Maybe in different parts of the country the NHRA rules are different but here in Va. I run pro/mod & a street class & a two step is NOT allowed on anything but a stick car. It is really funny that everyone I've had watching the car @ the starting line and seeing the video's says its spinning but he cant see it! Also before I could leave @ 2500rpm with no spin , now I can only launch @ 2000rpm or it blisters the tires. If it was hooking sooo good , then why is it spinning on a harder launch???? If it needed more wheel speed to get better 60' then why is it spinning? Last week I talked with a chassis shop & the guy said he'd be glad to look @ the car ,but, it sounded to him that I had done everything he would have! His advice was put my stuff back in & demand a REFUND! He did say they work good on 8-9 second cars with trans-brakes, but I should not have to build a new car to make them work!! I know every car is different, and as stated I am not a chassis expert, but can read & follow directions. I have been bracket racing for 30years, so its not my first rodeo. I would like to thank everyone for thier feedback,& if yours works I am happy for you,but I guess I'm just not smart enough to make them work! If they have a problem with A body's, they never said so, or won't admit it in fear of loseing a sale. I just finished my last points race,despite the poor 60's finished 5th in points.Now thats the points races are over, I will be calling calvert monday & demanding a full refund! Sorry I won't be giving them away for a small price, I am a firm believer of getting what I pay for!
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i feel your pain ,if you check my vids on you tube under ianmopar i have been trying for years and fighting it to get it to hook ,with slicks monos home made cal tracs my best was 1.51, i have now got 275 radial and strange da shocks rear and a 70/30 front shock and converter change lower stall 4400 asp but i run gas and now best is 1.37 60 ft on gas 1.56 asp i run a glide.
 
or guys try this out , std springs air shocks home made slapper bars they work ,longer than normal ones
 

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ian said:
try this ,0 pre load on left ,1 turn right ,shocks on 8 ,take out all bump stops ,lower front a inch and leave at 3000 rpm it will flash up harder
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I will try this. My season is over but next spring I will give this a shot.
 
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