Traction Advice

[deestrong71]

Do any of you Bracket racers have any advice on how to get your Chevy to hook up.

Besides Tubbing, Ladder bars Etc..

[mmiddle]

If you have the swing-arm rear....New springs, good shocks and sticky tall tires. If you get up over 500HP you might want to box in the swing-arms or replace them with tubular models. Other than that, I've never had a problem.

Those long swing arms tend to flex with lots of torque, but they are basically the perfect set-up.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by deestrong71

Do any of you Bracket racers have any advice on how to get your Chevy to hook up.

Besides Tubbing, Ladder bars Etc..

Since you are headed well north of 500HP it will take some time to get the rear set up. Try one of these in the bed over the rear axle:

[deestrong71]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Since you are headed well north of 500HP it will take some time to get the rear set up. Try one of these in the bed over the rear axle:

That looks like a big bladder you fill with water !

[PanelDeland]

Move the fuel tank,battery and anything else you can to the rear of the truck.Helper airbags in the coil springs may help tune the suspension.Strengthening the Trailing arms should help.
You might try bolting a tractor weight under the rear of the bed.It may be a trade off,more weight slows you down but the added traction may improve your ET.

[Lee H]

How about these.

[Mike C]

Drop the back more than the front. Add Cal-Trac bars if you are leaf spring rear and get some good adjustable shocks.

Reinforce the rear trailing arms and add a sway bar if you are coil spring. Get some good adjustable shocks.

Obviously the tires pictured above help in either scenario.

Replace engine with 307 like in my '69 short step. Traction problems no longer an issue for you.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by deestrong71

That looks like a big bladder you fill with water !

Yes, 300 pounds of water right over the rear axle. That and reinforcing your trailing arms and stiffer springs will help it hool but there isn't much you can do until you fix the fender well width so you can run some wide rubber.

[mmiddle]

As you can see, with the trailing-arm rear, there really is not much you need to do until you pass 500hp. It is a truck and it is light in the rear that will be your biggest obstacle.

Now if your going for a race only truck you can push the engine back a ways.

[grancuda]

Make sure back end is set up right like above posts.

Move the motor back to the inline 6 motor mounts bolt holes.

Get upper ball joint spacers.

Disconnect front sway-bar.

Make sure front suspension travel is free & "loose"
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[BossHogg69]

Originally Posted by Mike C

Replace engine with 307 like in my '69 short step. Traction problems no longer an issue for you.

^ I have nothing to offer to the thread, but this was hilarious to me!

[PAWS 72]

Originally Posted by bosshogg69

^ i have nothing to offer to the thread, but this was hilarious to me!

x2

[deestrong71]

Thanks for all the great info everybody

I think what will work best is the motor swap to the 307. LOL

I have the fuel tank in the rear over the axles now,
and Ill have to investigate on how to beef up the trailing arms, and find the correct adjustable shocks.


I was looking at the Mickey Thompson tire and this Nitto tire.

[Sharps40]

Good golly, didn't think I'd get to use this twice in one week....

2 each 50 lb sacks of corn and sweetfeed in the back near the tailgate for all around traction heading to the bar. At closeing time yell, "I got 200 lbs of corn and sweetfeed, who's comeing home with me?"

I gaurentee, ye'll "hook up" every Sat night.

[Tom Vogel]

I hope you arent running a 18 or 20" rim with low profile tires. You need the 15" rim with the 50series sidewall or those drag radials wont help much. Look at post #6... thats what you need.

[deestrong71]

LOL @ Sharps

I didnt even think about the Rim size yet, Ill definitely be looking at a 15inch wheel.

[deestrong71]

Laying on my creeper, pondering on my traction issue, I realize that I only have 2" on space between the frame and the top of my Bump Stop. Not much room to change to a coil spring system and maintain my ride height.

What about a shorter Bump Stop and 1 less leaf in the leaf springs. I know i'm reaching for the lowest apple on the tree here.

[PanelDeland]

I didn't realize it was a leaf truck.Try a set of "Slapper Bars' or the single bar for the front half of the spring(can't remember what it's called maybe cal tracs)..That should help stop axle wrap and give you a bit better traction.Keep in mind that your weak point right now is traction.When you find enough,your next weakest point will let you know where it is.

[mmiddle]

long slappy bars that go all the way to the spring-eyes and good shocks. Weld the axle tubes to the pumpkin. Adding a torque bar will help also.

[deestrong71]

Thanks for the Advice, i ordered the Caltracs traction bar unit today. When it gets here I take pics of step by step installation and post em up.