Thread: traction bars with air ride?

Tweet

Hey guys. I've got air ride on my '35 Chevy and I've got the air ride technologies air over leaf setup on the rear. My current 350, when I get it running again, should be a tad over 400 ftlbs of torque. I've got a 700r4 and 3.08's but I'm changing to 3.73's soon hopefully. With the soft leafsprings I get a lot of axle wrap up. This ain't gonna work with the 408 I'm building. My bags are located on the leafspring behind the rearend. I'm thinking about making some caltrac style bars. I believe that style traction device will still allow the suspension to be adjustable. I'm looking at doing something like this......... http://www.hotrodsandhemis.com/traction1.html My car only drops around 3 inches in the rear. You guys think these will bind when I let it down? Any better ideas? I'd like to change it to a 4-link but the car rides and handles so well, I don't see the need at this time. Thanks guys.

I've ran similar on a few leaf spring cars, mainly the old 'maro's and Nova's with leafs.... As long as the length is correct, binding shouldn't be an issue... Correct length of the bar should be the same as the distance from the rear axle centerline to the spring bolt center, measured at ride height. The work best if the bar is parallel with the ground at ride height, of if anything the front of the bar about 5 to 10 degrees up... Maybe a double set of holes on the housing end, drop the bar to the lower hole when it's time to go fast would help weight transfer considerably....

Ladder bars and leafspring sliders a better option?

Originally Posted by 35chevy

Ladder bars and leafspring sliders a better option?

They would certainly hook a lot harder.... When dropped on the air ride the bar angle would be off, but that probably is not going to be go fast time, anyway!!!!! For the street, with street tires, the single bar you first referenced would be more then adequate, but if there's any Hoosier drag radials and some go-fast times in your future, then the ladders and sliders would be much better!!!!

Either route you choose, I would suggest some good (Delrin style) spring eye bushings front and rear....with a hole and grease zerk in each spring eye.... This setup with the new synthetic grease in the bushings really, really works nice!!!!!! Delrin is allegedly self-lubricating, but a shot of lube really lets the bars work and improves the weight transfer immensely!!!!!

My leafsprings are from a mustang II. I've searched around the web and havn't come up with replacement bushings...most places list urethane for Mustangs through '73 and then '79 and up. Mustang II's were pretty popular at one tome in the mini stock classes so I'm sure better bushing are out there....where?

Some of the dirt track supply places, Southwest Speed, Speedway Motors, some of them.... What year was the donor car????

The springs I have are replacement springs for a '74-'78. I got them from ESPO springs n things and I noticed they have a listing for urethane bushings on thier site. The circle track supply places show aluminum bushings for the Pinto which could be the same as the MII...the front suspension is. I'm looking at these http://www.cachassisworks.com/images/6237_AT.jpg Now I've got to research axle housing floaters.....

These are interesting...http://www.bigblockdart.com/techpages/3link.shtml

Interesting, though I don't really see where they would accomplish any more then the single bar.....

well how do you keep all that stuff from draging on the ground ? i made up floater for my chevy and used ladder bars and moved the stock springs under the frame rails .the car may not hook the best but .i do not have to worry about the shock chevy spring eye bolts holding all the power that the blower engine makes as well as spring whine up