How a Cal-track works
 

On a very basic level, does a cal-track work like a four link once the lash is removed from the system at the spring eye mount?

The bottom bar of the cal track is same as bottom bar of four link.

Leaf spring would be the top bar of the four link?

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Rumor has it money maker racing will help on the set up? I dont know. I installed the split mono and the cal tracs but I feel i am in nuetral position. I am curious how they work in terms that my dumb butt can understand. I have seen 0 difference in the way my car works. I had a 383 going 6.50s with 1.35 60 s when I made the swap. Since then I got my 283 in and have never did any adjusting.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

I would say it works more like a ladder bar, and the back half of the spring is the suspension

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Ladder bar. Back half of spring only holds the car up. Shocks are suspension.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

That's what I came up with Chris after plotting it all out two years ago. The front spring section has to be part of the equasion leaving the rear section as a spring. If it were solid I would say it is a slapper/ladder bar.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Shocks dampen movement .
They have nothing to do with suspending the car.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Tom is correct...

Remove your shocks and the car's body will not do a thing....It's still "suspended".....unless you have a coil over shock....


Cal tracks work well but they are not much different than a ladder bar with a front mount that pivots.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

What would be the equivalent of a cal-trac in a GM A body car ,the lakewood bar with the smaller upper bar with hiem ends at both ends that bolts to housing bracket,are they any good ?

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Philbilly, I have. 67 camaro sbc E/SA car with caltracs. What I found best for basically our low hp Stockers are the lightest mono leaf spring you can get on the car that will just barely hold the car up. Then use the shocks to control rear suspension.Split mono's are probably to stiff for your car. Try to find a 175lb mono spring.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Barry, I'm still going with the ladder bar. I see the lower link that pushes, but I fail to see the upper link that will pull.
If I might clarify, I see the Cal-trac as a sophisticated form of a slapper bar, better able to control spring wrap up..thereby acting as a ladder bar.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

And that's what I meant without getting into the action of the shock. The rear of the springs does "suspend" the rear of the car. The "suspension" as I called it is the act of controlling the movement of the rear of the car suspended by a leaf spring in this case.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

you really cant say that its compared to a ladder bar ,or even a slapper bar ,,, it works more like a canter lever ,,,as the power is applied to the drive shaft the rear begins to rotate, at that point the lever action is moved to the pivot bell crank of the cal track witch loads the front of the spring where flexing takes place the most ,, even cars with big horse power the body has minimal separation from the tire ,,,it gives the rear a chance to rotate and hit the tire with out the shock of a slapper bar,not as solid as a ladder bar ,,, great design in my opinion ,, I am used to making my own stuff but ,it works gmonde

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Mark. To point I agree but...In my thinking... The front spring section is a link correct? From the housing to a pivot point (spring eye?. The lower CT section is also a link, correct? If it were all connected (ladder bar) at some point I would agree but it does not. In any case they work GREAT!

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Trivia: Competition Engineering made the "slide-a-link" back in 1972 or so. A friend of mine has them on his '72 Demon 340 G/S (?) that hasn't changed since he built it from a new car in 1972. Based on that, I'm under the impression John Calvert borrowed the concept and improved on it by eliminating the soft spot in the middle of the bar.
Which begs the question; which version is better? Personally, I see no use for the urethane shock absorber in the middle of the bar. But I see there are some real fans of the design. It would be an interesting test on the same car. Anybody here try testing the two?

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Nope..Don't think so.
Semantics aside, I'd say they constitute one link, all inclusive.
The "missing link" would have to be above the axle center line on the housing to function like a true 4 link.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Jeff,
That would be an interesting test. I do know of one racer who switched for the slide a link to the Cal tracs and saw a major improvement.
I think the difference between the two is the slide a link will work with a steel multi leaf spring, where a Cal Trac works best with a mono leaf. From what I've seen, I'm yet to see a car with multi leaf srpings work like one with a mono leaf when using the Cal Trac set up. But I've seen some good working cars using Slide a links and multi leaf springs.
George (still using SS springs)

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Jeff the opposite is true. Cal Tracs came before slide o link. I had gone threw Moroso when they were designing the slide o link. Guess what was lying on the table. Are you sure your friend didn't have the Steve Hanby set up. Barry

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Autofab in Maryland had a setup like Cal - Tracs in the late 80's early 90's I had them on my E/SA 68 Camaro with fiberglass Mono - Leafs.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

They all owe their basic design to the ET Traction Master bars.
I had these on my first car in '69 , and they were around long before that !
One of my Uncles' had a set on his C/A '47 Ford in the early '60's
The newer bars have refined the adjustability and function, but the basic concept belongs to ET.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

thanks for the pic!
i'd heard of 'em but never seen one...how'd they work?

plan is (on my rambler) to try cal-tracs, slappers and just clamping the springs...this gives me one more thing to try;)

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Jeff, you think alot like me. I still have the Comp "Slide A Link" bars. The reason we switched to the Cal-tracs is because I took the rubber sleve out and ran a bolt through the bars and made them solid. My dad almost fell over when I told him but the car hooked way better and the 60' went to the hi 1.30's. That was from consistant 1.45's or so. The springs were Hemi Cuda leaf packs with the length changed on all but the main leaf. Of course this was along time ago and everything works better now. The Cal-tracks allowed us to go to the soft clutches too. In 1980 my presure plate was set at a 3500lb base!!! :eek: Wow things have come along way huh?

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

The car is a time capsule. Built in 1972 from a new car. He put the Comp Engineering bars on it. Were they called slide-a-links in 1972? I don't know. But they look the same as todays slide-a-link with the rubber cushion in the middle. Although I'm thinking the bars may be fatter in diameter. The last time the car was raced I think, was 1982. Hasn't hardly moved in 30 years!
I'm pretty sure the Cal-Trac bars came after 1982.
Not trying to take away anything from John Calvert because as I mentioned, he improved on the concept, took it to a whole 'nother level and I'm sure his accountant is very happy with the results!
And I think the split leaf is pure genius. He built a great system. I have the bars, springs and wheelie bar going on my car.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

I understand that the CE "Slide A Link" does not use a connected lower bar, rather one tube slips inside the other, is that true? Several years ago, a semi local racer was badly hurt, and his car destroyed, when it broke a leaf spring, and the SlideALink bar pulled apart, causing the car to crash, and flip over. He had been running this same 1965 Mercury Comet since 1967 (His brother bought it new). Luckily, his 70+ year old body healed, and with help from some generous friends, his "new" 65 Comet is nicer and faster, (9.7ETs, with a stick, all motor SB Ford, and he drives it to the track!

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

I don't have any better pics of them on my computer but if you look at my Dad's old 64 427 Galaxie you will see a dealer option and dealer installed traction bars on it. I don't know when they started but they were obviously available in '64.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...hford/1085.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...hford/1091.jpg

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

Double post

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

True, one tube slides inside the other. The rubber sleeve worked as the snubber on a slapper bar. I felt this shocked the suspension too hard and this is why I bolted them to make it a solid bar. I was building replacement bars the Cal-Tracs came out and bought those instead.

Re: How a Cal-track works
 

I have multi leafs on my car... the Caltracs were definitely the best $ ever spent ... no slide a links for me... no need for the "shock" deal...
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