info on caltracs and tire?
 

hi! i have not raced in 15+ years:( have been jr racing with my son for 5 years, so i have a few questions:confused:

i found a stock suspension 1967 camaro with a fiberglass front cap,that i am building for my son (and i get to get in till he is old enough:D), trying to start with suspension and work my way up, it will be set up with a
12 &1/2 to 1- 355 small block , th350, 8inch converter( the 1st owner said 5300 stall:eek:), 488 gear,

looking to see what size rear tire should i run (30x9?)

i really don't want his 1st car to leave as high as you guys ;),so can i use caltracs (or something similar) to keep it down and still be consistant

thanks for any imput at all (good or bad)

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w.../67camaro3.jpg

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

Why would Cal tracs keep it down?
To be consistant you need to hook...
The wheelstands can be controled with shocks in the front generally speaking. Or wheelie bars if needed.
How big a tie will ft under the car? What rpm are you wanting to trap at?

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

well i dont have alot of answers because the car doesnt run and has not ran in 18+ years,

someone said with the caltracks you can adjust how high it comes up, personaly i dont have a clue , just looking for answers, and to see how other people set there cars up

i posted this to see what size tires to put on the car , i was thinking 30x9 but i really dont know if that would fit.

i just dont want my son to leave with the wheels 2 to 3 feet in the air , i have seen some trans blankets from the fence and though its pretty i dont think a new driver (no seat time) should start that high

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

Talk to these guys................

Scott Helms

sales@southlandspeed.com

parts@southlandspeed.com

3729 West Park Avenue
Gray, LA 70359
(985) 580-9701
or Toll Free
866-580-RACE (7223)
Fax (985) 580-9705

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

thanks mr. steve, i have talked to scott alittle about the car ( he wanted to buy it lol) and i talked to kevin alittle. i was just trying to get some ideas, i think 30x9 will fit looks like it will be close

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

Measure and then re-measure to ensure your rear end is PERFECTLY centered in the rear wheel opening, or I'm not sure that you will be able to fit a 30x9. If you do have room for a 30x9, it will need to be a radial slick. A bias slick will grow.
I had one Hoosier 30x9 radial mounted on my spare Weld wheel. It fit on one side, but not the other. When we replaced the rear end, we had to move the center pin locating hole to square up the rear in my car.
I now have the 29x9 bias Hoosier on mine with a 15x8 wheel with 4.75 backspace (.25 spacer).

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/cdoukas/camaro.jpg

Clark

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

thanks cad thats what i was looking for thanks for repling to my thread,

i didnt want to buy a set of tires new to set up the car, by the way your car looks awesome!!

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

x2 We had to also move the rear end locating holes on our '67 Camaro, and also "massage' the inner wheel wells where they are closest to the section width of the tire. Our outer wheelwell lips are stock, not rolled, so it was very tight everywhere, but we do run the 30x9 Hoosier radials and a 5.5" backspaced 15x10" rim with a small spacer. Pretty close at the front too, but seems to not rub with the radials. I would also not suggest this size in a bias tire due to growth, just my 2 cents....
Grant

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

thanks grant,
some is suppost to bring me some used hoosier 30x9 radials tonight to try, i will mount them and check center.

i really hope they fit

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

Good to see a parent getting back in a car (even if just for a while) and keeping our kids in the sport! Here are some suggestions to get a simple but consistant car back together, without breaking the bank. Make the car work, even if not the fastest for now, and it will be more fun to race and learn with... Not having to fight a dial in is worth a lot!
As you are just trying to get this thing back running, and it will be a bracket car, I would look at the Mickey bias tires. Lots of sizes out there, cheaper than radials, last much longer, and will hook better on a lose track or with a suspension that is not maxed yet...
Lot of people run the 10.5x28 on an 8" rim, with 4.5 back space. Wheels are easy to find used, will fit without having to "exact measure" the rear end in the wheel well, etc.
I have a 67 Firebird stocker, and I have radials, different wheels, etc. While for stock it is pretty much a requirement, for bracket racing, no so much.
I recommend the Caltrac's. Call them, and they can set you up with a good package that will last. Their bars, rancho rear shocks, and their front shocks will make your "stock" suspension work well. Again, lets make the car consistent, and hook. Calvert has great tech support, along with a ton of racers on here that will help. They do have adjustments to keep the car down, it is starts wheel standing. Best part, no matter how hard you want to run it later, the Caltrac setup will grow with you... some of the fastest stockers and a few super stockers in the country are running their stuff.
One other suggestion for now. Put a glide in it instead of the th350. One less gear change to worry about. Will make the car leave a little easier too. If you use a turbo input, you can use the same converter, and its same overall length, so just change yoke on your drive shaft and you are good. Again, can do this stuff without breaking the bank, and have a much easier to drive and consistent car.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

Dan Fletcher told us at Phoenix a few years back, when asked about the Cal-Tracs, to put the driver in the car, so the weight is right, and then snug the bars up tight. We asked about any preload, if at all, or side to side, and he said he didn't bother. I'm sure others have had different experiences with the bars, so chime in and let us know, please.
Danny Durham

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

i was talking with a friend yesterday. troy has a '71 nova with a very nice 406 bracket motor. he bought the cal-trac bars and 4 shocks. he set the bars like the tech guy told him. he started off with the front shocks at 1. and after each pass, moved them up one number. at 3 he felt a change by 5 [where he stopped] he knocked his 60 foot time from 1.89 to 1.52 and the ET from 12.08 to 11.41.
that my friend is good money invested for a very great return. we should all be so lucky.
rod in AZ

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

i really want to thank you guys for all the imput! :) it is really apriciated!
i'm 90% positive in going with the caltrac system, the car will be for my son sooner or later!:) but the sooner i get it finished the more time i get to run it!:Dlol
a friend of mine gave me a set of old 30x9 to try on the rims that came with the car. as you can see the offset is wrong :( well now i have to find the right size wheels!!
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...7/IMG00785.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/w...7/IMG00809.jpg

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

The tire will be about .3" narrower per side (a total of about .6" decrease in section width of each tire) using 8" wheels instead of 10." That can help you with fitment.

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

If you're looking for the car to be smooth and controllable, I suggest CalTracs bars, their split mono leaf spring, and their shocks on the back. On the front, a six cylinder spring, since you have a small block and fiberglass, and Santuff shocks. You need the Global West bushings and upper control arm shaft, and the Moog ball joints, you want the top ball joint to be 1" longer than stock. I'd suggest a set of 48" sprung wheelie bars.

You use the front shocks and bump stops to set how high the car comes up. There's nothing inherently dangerous of difficult about the car pulling the front wheels a couple feet off the track, provided you've done all the work and used the right parts. It will be consistent, reliable, it'll go straight, and be easy to drive.

For that engine, by the way, I'd use a 5.14, or better still, a 5.38. The car will work better, and be easier to get a good light out of with more gear. That is especially true for a footbrake bracket car, and even more so for a car that runs 1/8 mile at all.

The Hoosier radial is the tire of choice. It's consistent, does not require a hard burnout, it hooks, and it lasts.

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

I finally found out how important it was to have front travel in order for the Cal Tracs to work. For years I messed around with rear ballast, hard burnouts, low pass numbers before requiring slick replacement, etc. After chasing traction (again) for a half season, I finally made the effort and cut another full coil of my drag springs, bought 28" front runners so I had ground clearance, and headed out for a friday night street legal. With no track prep, mild burnout, and dead slicks (9x29.5 M/T bias) the car packed the front end nicely. The 60' times were crappy (1.55's) showing the poor tires and track prep, but the consistancy was there. For the last race day, I pulled 90# of ballast out of the trunk that I had been running for seasons, pulled the exhaust off, mounted fresh slicks, and promptly ran a 10.622 with a 1.422 60' time, best the car ever went. This was on a non prepped friday night track. I later improved my times running the equivalent of a mid 10.5 that weekend. (timing system failed, had to run 1/8 mile portatree system) I also ran 3 rounds of elimination back to back within a .006" second grouping.

Wow, sorry about the horn tooting. To sum it up, I went from about 3 inches of front travel and traction issues, to 6 inches of front travel and a very happy setup. I have an inch between new compression stops to the lower control arms.

Some vid of the car the last race day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb39m4ToP50

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

and where would i find these ball joints i allready have smaller springs but dont have the 5" travel:confused:

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

I use a 9-30 Phoenix slick on a ten inch rim with 4.5 back spacing.I've ran 10.14 at 131 with zero traction issues with a 383 sbc.If you have any questions you can contact me through my email on my web site.

Steve

Re: info on caltracs and tire?
 

We use Cal Tracs, split leaf, and Calvert shocks on both of our cars. The Cal Tracs on the Dart haven't been adjusted in a couple of years. The only adjusting we do is with the rear shocks. Soft for a marginal track and medium for a sticky track. We use travel stops, bump stops on the front, but we are also using larger tires and do not need the extra travel. Put em on and forget em.....