suspension tuning... help me please

79transam · 08-15-2011, 04:01 AM

i run slide a links, i just put 9 way caltrac shocks on it and it helped my 60' but it still spins bad. this video is last weekend there is 160lbs of weight in the car, 10psi of tire pressure. i dont know if i need stiff sidewall slicks, or more pre load or whats up. any help will be greatly appreciated..

79transam · 08-15-2011, 04:04 AM

here is another video from a different track

69Cobra · 08-15-2011, 10:13 AM

I just watched the first set of videos not the second but from what I saw you a have a couple things going on there. First would be to get more front end travel one way or another. Second would be to make the front react quicker, free it up some. Then in the rear, the body is rolling over on the passenger so there you have two things. First you need to get the car to leave straight. An air bag on the cheap side or a anti-roll bar to do it right. Along with that the rearend is not separating (planting the tire). This could be from the rearend being in a bind and/or the shocks set to stiff and/or way to much preload on the slide links. Hope that helps.

Joe Marcinowski · 08-15-2011, 08:31 PM

Work on the front suspension. Do a search on this site, it'll fix you right up.

Hudlow66 · 08-16-2011, 12:48 AM

Video one looks as though the slicks needed a little more air. They wadded up pretty good and spun at the hit. The second looked to be slightly better. It actually rolled out and let loose about a foot / foot and a half out. Dont know if you changed something between those two passes. (now this was the first set of videos) There seems to be some binding in the rear suspension. There's no movement either way. (I personally don't know how those 'slide-a-links' work.) Only thing moving is the sidewall of the slick. I looked at the second set of videos and they all seemed fairly consistant. Low pressure and wadding up the tire.

Most importantly, don't go changin' a bunch of stuff at once. Ive seen many that do and all it does is lead to frustration.

If I were to make a suggestion, I'd probably try going up with the pressure. If you're running 10 now, jump 'em up to say 11.5 and see what kind of pattern they're leaving. If they're still nice and flat and it helps on the line, you can bump 'em up a little more.

Keep us updated on the changes you make and how the car responds.

CrateCamaro · 08-16-2011, 10:20 AM

It would be easy to say that you could put a few turns of preload into the passenger side bar but im not sure that will work. Slide a links have a urethane bushing so maybe have a look and see of they are showing signs of wear and rebounding. Front suspention is where you will find the most help...make sure its loose and moves freely through its travel. I would check the front shocks out as well. If you have the factory rubber snubber in the upper front control ams take them out...that will give you some more front end travel. Do you still have rubber bushings in the front leaf spring eyes? If so change to a Moroso solid or just order a set of Calvert Split-Mono's and forget about it. I played with a set of old super stock springs for a year untill it started cork-screwing like your car is doing and then that was it....changed to the whole Calvert setup and never looked back. A comment was made about an Air Bag but thats gonna be tough in a leaf spring deal...ive never seen an air bag on a leaf spring car. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

79transam · 08-21-2011, 06:27 PM

ok here is my update. went out today and tried 14lbs of air, it blew the tires off, went to 10lbs of air and it started hooking. then as the day went on it started going back the other way and spinning again. it wasnt bad but it was spinning. to answer some of the questions on here. i have moroso trick front springs, 90/10 lakewood shocks in the front, the rear is the comp engineering slide a links with calvert 9 way adjustable shocks. it likes the lowest setting. the rubber bushings are gone in the leafs and it does have the alum bushings in. im thinking about taking the rubber snubbers off of the slide a links and machining a alum bushing for them. it hooks then unloads. i was gonna play with the pre load some today but since last week was rained out i had free entry into the race and not enough time to test and race.

Ron Gusack · 08-21-2011, 11:47 PM

Replacing Lakewood 90/10's with Calvert 90/10's help my front suspension.

69Cobra · 08-23-2011, 01:25 PM

X2

Quote:

Originally Posted by ron gusack

replacing lakewood 90/10's with calvert 90/10's help my front suspension.

Jim Cimarolli · 08-23-2011, 02:50 PM

Also looks like you could use some more pinion angle.
The rear suspension is not separating, its either too tight or not enough pinion angle.

08-15-2011, 04:01 AM	#1
79transam Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 22 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	suspension tuning... help me please i run slide a links, i just put 9 way caltrac shocks on it and it helped my 60' but it still spins bad. this video is last weekend there is 160lbs of weight in the car, 10psi of tire pressure. i dont know if i need stiff sidewall slicks, or more pre load or whats up. any help will be greatly appreciated..

08-15-2011, 04:04 AM	#2
79transam Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 22 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: suspension tuning... help me please here is another video from a different track

08-15-2011, 10:13 AM	#3
69Cobra Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: California, Ky Posts: 669 Likes: 61 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: suspension tuning... help me please I just watched the first set of videos not the second but from what I saw you a have a couple things going on there. First would be to get more front end travel one way or another. Second would be to make the front react quicker, free it up some. Then in the rear, the body is rolling over on the passenger so there you have two things. First you need to get the car to leave straight. An air bag on the cheap side or a anti-roll bar to do it right. Along with that the rearend is not separating (planting the tire). This could be from the rearend being in a bind and/or the shocks set to stiff and/or way to much preload on the slide links. Hope that helps. __________________ Kris Rachford 69 Cobra 428CJ 4 Speed C/S 3032

08-15-2011, 08:31 PM	#4
Joe Marcinowski Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Northern Ohio Posts: 203 Likes: 855 Liked 33 Times in 15 Posts	Re: suspension tuning... help me please Work on the front suspension. Do a search on this site, it'll fix you right up. __________________ Joe Marcinowski 3377 STK

08-16-2011, 12:48 AM	#5
Hudlow66 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Spokane Valley, WA Posts: 59 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: suspension tuning... help me please Video one looks as though the slicks needed a little more air. They wadded up pretty good and spun at the hit. The second looked to be slightly better. It actually rolled out and let loose about a foot / foot and a half out. Dont know if you changed something between those two passes. (now this was the first set of videos) There seems to be some binding in the rear suspension. There's no movement either way. (I personally don't know how those 'slide-a-links' work.) Only thing moving is the sidewall of the slick. I looked at the second set of videos and they all seemed fairly consistant. Low pressure and wadding up the tire. Most importantly, don't go changin' a bunch of stuff at once. Ive seen many that do and all it does is lead to frustration. If I were to make a suggestion, I'd probably try going up with the pressure. If you're running 10 now, jump 'em up to say 11.5 and see what kind of pattern they're leaving. If they're still nice and flat and it helps on the line, you can bump 'em up a little more. Keep us updated on the changes you make and how the car responds. __________________ Phil Hudlow 6678 (S/C, S/G, ET-PRO)

08-16-2011, 10:20 AM	#6
CrateCamaro Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 411 Likes: 1 Liked 19 Times in 7 Posts	Re: suspension tuning... help me please It would be easy to say that you could put a few turns of preload into the passenger side bar but im not sure that will work. Slide a links have a urethane bushing so maybe have a look and see of they are showing signs of wear and rebounding. Front suspention is where you will find the most help...make sure its loose and moves freely through its travel. I would check the front shocks out as well. If you have the factory rubber snubber in the upper front control ams take them out...that will give you some more front end travel. Do you still have rubber bushings in the front leaf spring eyes? If so change to a Moroso solid or just order a set of Calvert Split-Mono's and forget about it. I played with a set of old super stock springs for a year untill it started cork-screwing like your car is doing and then that was it....changed to the whole Calvert setup and never looked back. A comment was made about an Air Bag but thats gonna be tough in a leaf spring deal...ive never seen an air bag on a leaf spring car. Good luck and let us know how you make out. __________________ Tony Valerio 1968 Camaro 1700 IHRA H/CM 1701 NHRA SS/?A

08-21-2011, 06:27 PM	#7
79transam Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 22 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: suspension tuning... help me please ok here is my update. went out today and tried 14lbs of air, it blew the tires off, went to 10lbs of air and it started hooking. then as the day went on it started going back the other way and spinning again. it wasnt bad but it was spinning. to answer some of the questions on here. i have moroso trick front springs, 90/10 lakewood shocks in the front, the rear is the comp engineering slide a links with calvert 9 way adjustable shocks. it likes the lowest setting. the rubber bushings are gone in the leafs and it does have the alum bushings in. im thinking about taking the rubber snubbers off of the slide a links and machining a alum bushing for them. it hooks then unloads. i was gonna play with the pre load some today but since last week was rained out i had free entry into the race and not enough time to test and race.

08-21-2011, 11:47 PM	#8
Ron Gusack Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 244 Likes: 1 Liked 7 Times in 6 Posts	Re: suspension tuning... help me please Replacing Lakewood 90/10's with Calvert 90/10's help my front suspension.

08-23-2011, 02:50 PM	#10
Jim Cimarolli Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Sulphur Springs Texas Posts: 743 Likes: 146 Liked 166 Times in 46 Posts	Re: suspension tuning... help me please Also looks like you could use some more pinion angle. The rear suspension is not separating, its either too tight or not enough pinion angle.