Moroso trick front spring life...

SmallBlockNova · 07-20-2009, 12:33 AM

How long do these things last in a hard launching, hard landing 3400lb car? My car ALWAYS hooks, even on black top and all of a sudden my car kept blowing the tires off today on a good track. It's not the tires, they're fairly new and have plenty of life left...They're Mickey Thompson 315/60/15 drag radials.

I'm thinking maybe my front springs are dead? Wouldn't respond to any chassis adjustments either. I even had the travel limiters completely out and it still blew them away. These springs were new in april and have about 45 runs on them(hard launch/land), as well as 400 street miles...

I'm thinking I may step up to a pair of Santhuff's...

Jeff Lee · 07-20-2009, 12:57 AM

A friend just went through this. Ended up being a bad front shock. NOTHING would "tune" it out on his 4-link car. Once he found & fixed the problem the car worked great again.
I think most guys get years of service out of their Moroso springs (unless you torched them perhaps).

bob gonier · 07-20-2009, 12:35 PM

Hey Joe, My front moroso springs have been in my car since I bought it from Rick Constable 10 years ago. I too wonder about their life expectancy. My guess is my springs are 12-14 yrs old with a few thousand passes. Your car certainly leaves and lands much harder than mine but I'm betting your springs are still good. Just the typical hot track blues. I think your asking a little much out of a drag radial.

jmo........

bob

Dana Fitzpatrick · 07-20-2009, 03:30 PM

Foot brake or trans brake?

SmallBlockNova · 07-20-2009, 03:36 PM

1600 footbrake, TH350 trans

Car typically runs 10.20s, and 10.40s in the weather I was racing in yesterday...Yet I was running/dialing in the 10.60s. 60 foots are typically 1.47/1.48 deep staged...With a best of 1.33 shallow.

Jim Cimarolli · 07-20-2009, 04:52 PM

I think your springs should still be good. I've been running the same ones for several years on a BB Nova.

Dana Fitzpatrick · 07-20-2009, 05:33 PM

Once I had a problem much like yours on my footbrake BB Camaro. Seemed to stop hooking all the sudden.Checked shocks,springs, switched tires,anything binding-nothing helped.Talking with John Calvert one day, he mentioned that being a foot brake car, sometimes a carb issue can cause it.I had changed the idle mixture screws and I think the transfer slot adjustments.Changed everything back,and car hooked again.Seems that the car started to hook,hit a flat spot in the carb,front end started back down (unloading the rear tires) got thru the flat spot, then hit the slicks again and with no weight transfer left,zinged the tires.Keep in mind,not I,or friends on the line could hear the carb doing this.I learned two things; when the car is working fine, keep my hands off the carb, and listen to Calvert. Thanks John!Hope this helps.

Todd · 07-20-2009, 08:03 PM

Sounds like the same problem we had on our car. The drag radials just went away, Hoosiers. They had tons of rubber on them, they just stopped working.When we took them back to the dealer he figured they were "old stock" and were just past their time. Maybe see if you can borrow another set of rims and slicks for one run and see if that changes things. Just a thought before you start to replace parts.

Todd Melville
Melville Racing
1577 T/STk
1971 Boss 351 Mustang

SmallBlockNova · 07-20-2009, 09:16 PM

51 passes and a good amount of street miles in a car with a spool, including miscellaneous burnouts and street launches.

They don't look anywhere close to dead...Not even close to the wear bars.

But with that many runs/miles...I suppose it's possible.

07-20-2009, 12:33 AM	#1
SmallBlockNova Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 47 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Moroso trick front spring life... How long do these things last in a hard launching, hard landing 3400lb car? My car ALWAYS hooks, even on black top and all of a sudden my car kept blowing the tires off today on a good track. It's not the tires, they're fairly new and have plenty of life left...They're Mickey Thompson 315/60/15 drag radials. I'm thinking maybe my front springs are dead? Wouldn't respond to any chassis adjustments either. I even had the travel limiters completely out and it still blew them away. These springs were new in april and have about 45 runs on them(hard launch/land), as well as 400 street miles... I'm thinking I may step up to a pair of Santhuff's...

07-20-2009, 12:57 AM	#2
Jeff Lee VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Anthem, Arizona Posts: 2,766 Likes: 0 Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Moroso trick front spring life... A friend just went through this. Ended up being a bad front shock. NOTHING would "tune" it out on his 4-link car. Once he found & fixed the problem the car worked great again. I think most guys get years of service out of their Moroso springs (unless you torched them perhaps). __________________ Jeff Lee 7494 D/S '70 AMX

07-20-2009, 12:35 PM	#3
bob gonier Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: monroe twp nj Posts: 66 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Moroso trick front spring life... Hey Joe, My front moroso springs have been in my car since I bought it from Rick Constable 10 years ago. I too wonder about their life expectancy. My guess is my springs are 12-14 yrs old with a few thousand passes. Your car certainly leaves and lands much harder than mine but I'm betting your springs are still good. Just the typical hot track blues. I think your asking a little much out of a drag radial. jmo........ bob

07-20-2009, 03:30 PM	#4
Dana Fitzpatrick Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 148 Likes: 4 Liked 10 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Moroso trick front spring life... Foot brake or trans brake?

07-20-2009, 03:36 PM	#5
SmallBlockNova Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 47 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Moroso trick front spring life... 1600 footbrake, TH350 trans Car typically runs 10.20s, and 10.40s in the weather I was racing in yesterday...Yet I was running/dialing in the 10.60s. 60 foots are typically 1.47/1.48 deep staged...With a best of 1.33 shallow.

07-20-2009, 04:52 PM	#6
Jim Cimarolli Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Sulphur Springs Texas Posts: 743 Likes: 148 Liked 166 Times in 46 Posts	Re: Moroso trick front spring life... I think your springs should still be good. I've been running the same ones for several years on a BB Nova.

07-20-2009, 05:33 PM	#7
Dana Fitzpatrick Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 148 Likes: 4 Liked 10 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Moroso trick front spring life... Once I had a problem much like yours on my footbrake BB Camaro. Seemed to stop hooking all the sudden.Checked shocks,springs, switched tires,anything binding-nothing helped.Talking with John Calvert one day, he mentioned that being a foot brake car, sometimes a carb issue can cause it.I had changed the idle mixture screws and I think the transfer slot adjustments.Changed everything back,and car hooked again.Seems that the car started to hook,hit a flat spot in the carb,front end started back down (unloading the rear tires) got thru the flat spot, then hit the slicks again and with no weight transfer left,zinged the tires.Keep in mind,not I,or friends on the line could hear the carb doing this.I learned two things; when the car is working fine, keep my hands off the carb, and listen to Calvert. Thanks John!Hope this helps.

07-20-2009, 08:03 PM	#8
Todd Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 36 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Moroso trick front spring life... Sounds like the same problem we had on our car. The drag radials just went away, Hoosiers. They had tons of rubber on them, they just stopped working.When we took them back to the dealer he figured they were "old stock" and were just past their time. Maybe see if you can borrow another set of rims and slicks for one run and see if that changes things. Just a thought before you start to replace parts. Todd Melville Melville Racing 1577 T/STk 1971 Boss 351 Mustang

07-20-2009, 09:16 PM	#9
SmallBlockNova Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Long Island Posts: 47 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Moroso trick front spring life... 51 passes and a good amount of street miles in a car with a spool, including miscellaneous burnouts and street launches. They don't look anywhere close to dead...Not even close to the wear bars. But with that many runs/miles...I suppose it's possible.