70 More Horsepower

makes sense... I'll have to fab up some clamps, should be easy.

Lavon
 
Not exactly. They reduce the tendency of the spring to turn into an s shape because with the overload clamped to other leafs the whole assembly will be stiffer as a whole and harder to wrap. Bars just hold the axle from moving forward.
 
Ladders bars will eliminate axle wrap... if the axle is mounted to springs at the top and a ladder bars underneath, there is no place for the tube to twist. Only way is if the ladder bars flex... Clamps may work, but are more of a bandaid for what ladder bars fix. All clamps do is "wrap" the axle before launch so the won't wrap anymore.Ladder bars are kinda similar to a four link in that they provide mounting points above(the springs or lift block on our trucks) and below(the ladder bar). Now, clamps do save weight though. My ladder bars probably weigh 80 lbs, but they're designed for pulling, not racing. So the clamps do have the advantage of being 75 lbs lighter, lol. But bars will eliminate axle wrap WAY better than clamps.
 
coon smile said:
how accurate are those tools??
Click to expand...

Very! I went out on a few runs tonight.... The last time I ran my truck at the track in full work gear/ tools, my big wheels and tires, I ran a 12.84@105 with a 1.73 60' time.

Tonight with the G-tech, also my truck was loaded. it said 1.75 60' , and 12.83@103.8

So according to that, I'm not making any more power then I was this summer, but its a baseline I can work with in making some changes this winter and comparing times before the tracks reopen.

Lavon
 
Umm let me go look.... ok, its really cold outside, but Its a Beltronics Vector FX1

fx1.jpg


Lavon
 
Thats a neat little gadget, how much did you pay for it? Any experience with the FX-2 model?
 
On a 4x4, I prefer using the spring clamps over ladder bars. As the rear axle rotates, ladder bars translate that into lift of the front of the vehicle. On a rear wheel drive only vehicle, that give you a lot of weight transfer to the rear wheels, which is a good thing. On a 4x4 that means you are unloading the front tires. Shorter ladder bars reduce the amount of lift. I know someone on here sells shorter ones, which I would like to try sometime. A ladder bar that mounts at the front spring perch would be nice... A 4 link you can adjust the intersection point so that you can even apply more down force to the front (not that you really want to). The goal is to get even traction at all 4 wheels. If one spins (or hops), then they all will.

Paul
 
paulb said:
On a 4x4, I prefer using the spring clamps over ladder bars. As the rear axle rotates, ladder bars translate that into lift of the front of the vehicle. On a rear wheel drive only vehicle, that give you a lot of weight transfer to the rear wheels, which is a good thing. On a 4x4 that means you are unloading the front tires. Shorter ladder bars reduce the amount of lift. I know someone on here sells shorter ones, which I would like to try sometime. A ladder bar that mounts at the front spring perch would be nice... A 4 link you can adjust the intersection point so that you can even apply more down force to the front (not that you really want to). The goal is to get even traction at all 4 wheels. If one spins (or hops), then they all will.

Paul
Click to expand...

Makes sense! So has is the front suspension OK in stock form? So with what I have I'm best off clamping the front of the springs and go race?

Lavon
 
paulb said:
On a 4x4, I prefer using the spring clamps over ladder bars. As the rear axle rotates, ladder bars translate that into lift of the front of the vehicle. On a rear wheel drive only vehicle, that give you a lot of weight transfer to the rear wheels, which is a good thing. On a 4x4 that means you are unloading the front tires. Shorter ladder bars reduce the amount of lift. I know someone on here sells shorter ones, which I would like to try sometime. A ladder bar that mounts at the front spring perch would be nice... A 4 link you can adjust the intersection point so that you can even apply more down force to the front (not that you really want to). The goal is to get even traction at all 4 wheels. If one spins (or hops), then they all will.

Paul
Click to expand...

can we get some pics of your clamps?? or how u made them??
 
LAmiller said:
Makes sense! So has is the front suspension OK in stock form? So with what I have I'm best off clamping the front of the springs and go race?

Lavon
Click to expand...

I put quad shocks on the front on my 02. This was more for stopping then for launching. One track I race at has some nasty bumps right after the finish line, and a short shutdown area. The quad shocks help keep the rubber on the track (and no death wobble!), during hard braking. I also have a Solid Steel 3rd gen track bar. As my girl friend says "It makes lane changes less of an adventure". :hehe:

Clamping the front has worked for me. Out of the 1700 total passes I think I've been using them for about 1400 of them. Like I said a 4 link would be better, but that limits other uses of the truck. Like....
racecar.jpg


The other thing that makes a huge difference in the 60' is tires. The balancing act there (no pun intended), is the diameter, and the width. You need to make sure you have enough rpm to pull clear through the 1/4 mile, but yet short enough to cut a good light. With 3.55's somewhere around a 33 if you are using a drag comp. Also look at tire pressure. On my 02 I usually run 10 psi more in the front then the rear. That works out so that the diameter of the tire going down the track is roughly the same. Having someone take still pics of you truck at about the 60' and then again about the 330', will help you look to see if the air pressure split is about right. On my 05 the psi split needs to be greater. If the diameters are different going down the track, the 4x4 will be binding up, and you'll lose hp to the ground. Checking the diameters while it is sitting still doesn't do any good, because the weight transfer will be different going down the track.

Sorry for all of the long posts. I have 3 feet of snow at my house, and I haven't been racing in a month. I'm bored....:bang

Paul
 
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