Setting up Cal Tracs
 

I saw this nice document someone put together on yellowbullet and though I'd share for those needing some help.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Troy, thanks for the info, just finished a '69 Camaro 396/375 Iron head for B/S. This will help on tuning, think the stick combo would differ much over the auto settings? Thanks again, Tony Tosto 3050.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Settings are about the same. The one that took me time to figure out on my own was tightening the extension (rebound) on the rear. I always had a jag in my drive shaft line on RacePak from hitting the tire too hard. I had to have my D.A. Afcos re valved several years back to control it. Works great now.

An automatic car should be able to get away with Calvert's Ranchos or similar since they don't shock the tire like we do. Stick cars require a good double adjustable shock like Afcos to work their best.

Going to have the car at Topeka?

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Thanks for the info. According to these specs I am set up on softest hit. I been wanting to do some adjusting to see if there is any et.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Troy, dealing with back pain issue so I missed the chances to get a grade point before Topeka race. Tim will be there with the '99 Camaro, hope to be able to help him, thanks, Tony Tosto 3050.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

I've heard that Calvert Racing is great as a source for setup info on their bars.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

This looks very helpful. I have a 69 Nova with Cal Tracs and Landrum mono leafs. I added some power this year and a trans brake. I am running a 29.5 x 9" slick and stock front suspension. Foot braking the car, it is pretty consistent and has 1.44-1.45 60 ft times. I tried the trans brake and it initially spun. When it hooked up, it pulled a huge wheel stand.
Can anyone make a recommendation on getting it to hook consistently with the trans brake and also calm down the big wheelie? I will be testing tomorrow night. I stiffened the front shocks (QA1 Stocker Stars)but I want to make sure it hooks too. The rear shocks are set at approximately 50/50. The Cal Tracs are set up with the bar in the lower hole and pre-load on the passenger side only.
Thoughts?

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Hey Scott are the basics covered?

- Travel - 1 1/2" for compression and 5-5.5" for extension?
- No binding in the front and rear?
- Are the front QA1's single or double adjustable? You need double adjustable when you start hitting the tire had with a trans brake. Set the Rebound loose and Compression tight. If it comes up to fast you'll have to tighten the extension until its under control. If it rises too fast and bottoms out it will spin after it hooks.
- The rear needs to be double adjustable also. Set the compression full tight to keep the tires planted. Set the rebound a couple clicks from full tight to get the initial hit under control. (This could be why its spinning on the brake.) Loosen a couple clicks at a time and see if 60' improves. Stop if if starts hitting the tire too hard and spinning.

I'd leave the bar in the lower hole if it's already wheeling.

Troy

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Troy, thanks so much for your response. The basics are covered. There were no snubbers in the upper control arms. I put some polyeurothane bushings in to try to limit a little front end travel. With the front suspension fully extended (on a jack) the snubbers squash to about 1/2 inch. Before that, the front travel was all the way to hitting the control arms on the frame. It has new upper control arm bushings and new upper ball joints. The rear has a lot of travel. It has polyeurothane bushings in the leaf spring eyes too.

I don't think the QA1s are double adjustable. They are the R type but they only have one knob on them. What shocks do you recommend for the rear? I talked to Calvert and they recommended their single adjustable.

Your help is greatly appreicated. I plan to test tonight if the rain holds off.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

P.S. Is that you on autoimagry.com in the black 68 Camaro with the number 10 on it? Very nice!!

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Thanks that's probably a shot from 2008 when I could drive :D

John sells a great product and if he says his shocks will work then you can trust him.

His shocks work basically the same as your QA1's when I looked them up though so I don't know how much you would be gaining? They are both set with a firm compression and adjustable rebound (extension) to control axle separation. Maybe someone else could chime in.

http://www.qa1.net/qa1_motorsports/d.../r-series.html

http://calvertracing.com/9way.php

What you gain with spending the extra money on some Afcos is full control on bump and rebound. And if you car falls outside of the range of the shock they can be re-valved to fit your needs. They're also rebuildable. It's all my family has used but I think Strange makes good stuff also.

Take some video of the car if you can maybe the forum could offer some help. The only thing more fun then playing with your race car is someone elses..lol

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Great car! I wish I had a stocker. My Nova would be a good candidate but a friend of mine told me to make it into a competitive Stock Eliminator car all I would need is a pile of money about waist high...:D

I will try to get some video and post it so you and others can take a look and make some suggestions. It is a very fun car to drive and I want to put the electronics on it to go 10.90 racing. That just means I really need to get the suspension worked out.. I have seen Martin Ganjoin do it so I would like to try it on 9" tires too.

Thanks for your help!!!!

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

On my 283 car. I set up using this chart. Of course I want to hit the tires the hardest. Lol. I made my first run and it is driving right real hard. Instead of making passenger side longer I shortens the bar on the driver side After a few runs I got the car going straight but on the shift the car seems to dart right. Just on the jerk of the shift. Do I just need to twist a bit more Or should I take some of the bite out of it? Bars in bottom hole and no pre load it never done this.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Hi Troy, I was able to do some testing with the adjustment to the front shocks and travel limiter. It didn't go well. I took out the travel limiter and it improved but it spins as soon as the front starts to rise. I then installed double adjustable QA1 stocker stars on the rear. I adjusted them as you said, all the way tight on compression and a couple clics from tight on extension. It still blows the tires off with the trans brake. Foot braking, it spins as well but not as bad.
Any other recomendations for the trans brake set up?
Should I go to a much closer to 50/50 (slightly tight) set up for foot braking?

Your help is greatly appreciated.
Scott

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Try backing off on the extension adjustment on the rear shocks. Sounds like the rear is a bit tight. Have somebody take a video of the car and watch it. That may help you

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Phillbilly the Driver bar needs to be set at 0 preload. Add 2 flats of preload to the passenger side until it drives straight.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

I'd be hard pressed to identify a situation where you want the compression at max stiffness on a double adjustable rear shock. Try it in the middle for compression.
On extension, start in the middle and progressively adjust towards a stiffer setting. Bad tracks need the extension softer, great tracks can take it stiffer.
Once you have the extension figured out, then you can work on the compression.
But no matter what shock valving you have, get rid of those 26" slicks! Taller is better.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Scott did you measure to make sure you have 5" of extension for the front AND rear?

Is the front and rear suspension nice and free to move with the shocks unbolted? This can cause a lot of grief if any thing is over tightened and hasn't been greased in a while.

You're running a bias tire? Radials will need the rear extension loosened up more to work right like Todd mentioned. If will take a few hits to find the right settings on the shocks. Just keep adjusting until it responds.

Some video would sure help, good luck!

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Good advice Jeff. The reason I like the compression fairly stiff if for a leaf spring car. They separate a lot when they leave which creates a bunch of stored energy that can pull the wheel back up too quick. This applies the most to a stick car. Loosen it some for a trans brake car, and even more for a footbrake car.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Troy, the suspension is pretty loose. The rear fully extends the 21" shocks that I just put on the rear. The front drops at least 5". I will measure exactly how much for both. Do you measure the amount of lift to the point the front tire leaves the ground with a jack?

The last setting I used was full tight on compression and 8 clicks from tight on extension. I will keep adjusting one motion at a time until it starts to respond.

THANK YOU for your help!

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Jeff, Thank you for the input. I will try to get a video of the car leaving and post it so there is more information to diagnose the problme with. I really like the advise on the bad track vs. good track, adjusting with extension. The track I go to is prepped very well for the weekend serise that I can't always attend. The Wednesday night program doesn't get as much attention and is sometimes much worse. I will likely have to adjust the shocks based on the race I am competing in.

I will make your adjustments and keep you posted in the event anyone else can learn from my trial and error.

If you were talking to me about the slicks, I am running 29.5 x 9" slicks. They are bias tires and I may want to try a radial at some point.

Thanks again!
Scott

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Troy, I measured the front suspenstion travel, it is 5 1/8" from resting to when the tires just start to lift off the ground when jacking up the front. The rear travel extends all the way until the shocks get to full extension and stop.
I'll keep adjusting and keep you posted.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

i have cal track everything in my 68 Camaro. The adjustable rear shocks are set the way all of my foot brake cars have been setup with fully adjustable shocks (this is the third car) at 50/50. i have tried everything but going to a really great prepared track and setting them on kill to see if there's a difference. The fronts are 90/10 with no snubbers. The bars, as per Calverts direction are set at 1/4 turn per load and have never been changed. the car pulls big wheel stands and is one of the quickest f/cm cars i know of. it launchs straight and drives straight. My sixty foot times are consistantly between the ultra quick Lancaster Dragway times of 1.32 and Toronto Motorsportspark times of 1.36-8. The only thing i can see using on a 9" tire car to calm the wheel stand down a bit would be wheelie bars, Ken Kier makes a great bolt on kit that i have been using when i run the oxygenated 109 fuel as it makes just enough torque that the car starts to drive under the wheel stand.

ian

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Ian, thanks for your advice. The way you describe is the way the car was set up and I was foot braking the car. It was consistent with 1.44 60ft times. I am trying to figure out a set-up for using a trans brake. I want to be able to run some Super Street but I can't find the sweet spot for traction with the trans brake.
Have you used a trans brake with the Cal Tracs? If so, how did you get the car to hook consistently?

Thanks, Scott

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

i have not tried a trans brake in the 68, but have used them in the past. From what caltrack told me the tighter the bar, the harder the launch. This being said, if i was doing what you are, i would call them and ask. they are great.

From what i have heard...the higher the rpm on the brake, the softer the hit on the converter. obviously your would be putting the engine closer to the max torque of the engine so that statement may make no sense to someone that is struggling with wheel spin. i would start with adding wheelie bars, then try the 2 step at 2200 and 4800 and see what happens. i would think 2800 to 3200 rpm, wheelie bars set to allow a good 2 feet of space under the front end, 30x 9 light weight radials by Hoosier set to 16-19psi (i run 18 foot braking, but have pumped thm up to 25 without issue on a great track) (also my car is 3000 lbs and has a 500hp crate engine, so use your own descresion).

Ian

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

We now run a Coan 2.03 glide with a trans brake.
It is a 385sbc, ATI Tree Master 4700 stall, 3280lbs, 4.88s, 29x9 goodyear bias, calvert front shocks, leafs...everything. Set the 2 step at 3600.
Last year at ET Finals Topeka, it went 6.95 1/8, 10.90 @ 123 in 1900' DA with 13 psi in the tires.

We race on a marginal track every week at home though.
Last week at home, we were running 7.036 and 7.039 when the track temp was about 50. 60's were within .004, until the qtr finals and we spun a little.
At home, we pre-load 1/4 turn, top hole, ranchos on 3, 11.5 psi in the rears.

At well prepped tracks like Topeka and Eddyville, it doesnt matter how we set up, it hooks.

Clark Doukas

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

The Nova weighs 3400 with me in it. The front has QA1 single adjustable stocker star R serise shocks with moroso trick springs. The rear has landrum mono leafs with cal tracks and new QA1 duble adjustable stocker stars. The engine made 568hp and 533 torque on the dyno. The trans is a TH 350 and has a 8' 5000 stall converter. The rear is a 12 bolt with 4.56 gears. I am running 29.5 x 9" M/T slicks and they have 16psi in them. The cal traks have two flats of pre load in the passenger side and 0 pre load in the drivers side. The bar is in the lower hole.
Foot braking the car at 2800 nets pretty consistent 1.44 60ft times and has run a best of 6.67 at 101.50 in the 1/8th. (10.58 at 125 in the 1/4) It has only hooked once on the trans brake and it went 1.39 60ft and 6.65/10.54 in the quarter. (With an almost bumper dragging wheel stand.)
Before I will need wheelie bars, I need it to conssistently hook with the trans brake. I will test tonight if possible with some softer extension/slightly softer compression and keep adjusting until it consistently hooks. The shock instructions for the rear suggest 0-4 clicks on extension and 12-16 clicks on compression. I have ignored that so far but will try it tonight.
I will also try Ian's suggestions as needed.
I greatly appreciate all the feedback and hope anyone reading this will continue to share success stories and recommendations. Hopefully I will get this worked out sooner than later.
THANK YOU ALL!!

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

I set the rear shocks at 50/50 and the front shocks back to 90/10. Foot braking is fine. I won the race last Wed night with consistent 1.46 60ft times. It was spinning a little but consistently. (typical for the Wed night conditions at the local track) This weekend, I will have a chance to run on a much better prepped track. I'm hoping to make adjustments with the shocks to get the trans break to work. I will not have many test runs to work with though. I plan to leave the compression at 9 (18 total clicks) and soften the extension (also set at 9 now) a couple clicks at a time to see if it works out. Anyone have any additional suggestions?

Thanks,
Scott

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

I tried the shocks at 9 clicks on extension and 7 clicks on compression this past weekend and it worked out pretty well, foot breaking. I had a best of 1.42 60ft and pretty consistent 1.43 to 1.45 60ft times after that good one. I also had a friend of mine watch the car leave. He said the slicks were wadding up quite a bit and suggested adding air. I went up from 16 to 17psi on Saturday and up to 18 on Sunday. It was pretty good so I'll add another pound at a time until it starts spinning again and then drop it back.
I'll keep updating when I get back to testing with the trans brake.
Scott

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

The June 28th National Dragster has a good shock article starting on pg 144..

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Has anybody running a stickshift experimented with running preload in both bars? Have you seen any benefits? When I scaled my car, the corner weights started balancing out when I did this.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Guys,

I have been reading all of your entries, all excellent advice. This car has a transbrake, knowing that, how it reacts will be much like a stick car. There are a ton of factors to consider. We all know that every car is differant and one must find that sweet spot. Launch RPM will be critical. Weight placment in the car also plays an important part. Converter also plays an important role, How loose is it and how much run at it, will change how the bcar leaves. I agree with Troy for this application double adjustables are desired. Afcos are spendy and there are others out there. Buy the best you can afford. I can tell this, I question the Landrum springs I had a set when I first started racing my B/S car. First pass bent them, sent them back they gave me a new and improved, first pass bent them again. I then cut the front half off and used them to support the front half of the stock spring worked great. I have replaced them with Caltracks.

Dirk

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

I run a 275 M/T Pro radial tire on my 67 Camaro. Basic combination, 468 BBC, 3-speed, 5700-6000 RPM flash depending on tune and DA, 4.10's, 3300+ lbs

Below are some basic suspension and tuning settings I've used based on conditions.

Marginal track surface, early summer air pulling power and adding ballast. 1.35 60 foot

Rear AFCO DA's set full stiff/full stiff
200 lb split monos out back
Caltracs set with slight gap with driver weight and no ballast, top hole
120 lbs ballast in trunk
Tires set at 17 lbs hot
Front AFCO BNC DA's set full loose ext, full stiff comp
180 lb Santhuff's up front + 1" of spacers
5.5" travel
Leaving off the transbrake and two-step set at 2500
-15 degrees Launch Retard in the Power Grid for 1.5 seconds

On a killer track, fall DA, no ballast, car setup to run and leave as hard as possible. 1.27 60 foot

Rear AFCO DA's set 1/2 to 3/4 turn off of full stiff ext. /full stiff comp.,
200 lb split monos out back
Caltracs set with slight gap with driver weight and no ballast, top hole
No ballast in trunk
Tires set at 18-20 lbs hot
Front AFCO BNC DA's set anywhere from 5-10 clicks off full stiff ext, full stiff comp
180 lb Santhuff's up front + 1" of spacers
4.5" travel (1" taken out with limiters)
Leaving off the footbrake at 1800 RPM.
+4 degrees added at launch in the Power Grid to 6500 RPM in low gear

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

this is for troy give me a call on your wheelie bars thanks B Dixon 605-999-9220 thks

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

Is this for slicks or radials? On my car I run full stiff on comp, and anywhere from 5-10 off full tight on ext on my DA Afco's in back. 18-19 lbs of air , this is on a et ss 275/60 STREET RADIAL, Now trying the radial pro's. Foot brake by the way using a 2 step. I've been 1.29 with the 4.10's and 1.32 with the 3.73's on the ET tires in my 3580 lb 74 Pump Gas firebird.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

This is for slicks on my application. I'm not a radial guy but they probably need to be much softer to keep the tire planted.

Re: Setting up Cal Tracs
 

I was just curious as i Seen that post, on my slicks i do back off the comp some to allow it to get up on the tire better