CalTrac's or Assassin Bars

[Gunner1]

I just bought a set of Std weight CalTrac Splits. Right now the car has a Mild 440 in it with a 11 inch 3000 stall Vert. The PO said he dosent remember what pistons they put in it but it pings so easily my guess is a flat top. No Idea on the rear end ratio but the car was a 318 auto when new. Drives like maybe a 3.23 or 2.76. Only other thing is a RPM Air Gap with a 750 DP Holley and an electronic points replacement unit. The Assassin bars look like they have a lot more adjustment in them. I could us some input. BTW this is going to stay a street car but the motor wil be warmed over with heads, cam and headers. 450 hp is a happy place for me but like all builds It just might get a bit of creep on the goal line as it progresses.

 

[rumblefish360]

I’ve been hearing the Assassin’s are better but at your level & on the street, I doubt you’ll ever know the difference between them. Run what you have.

 

[Budnicks]

^^^ what he said ^^^

 

[ruffcut]

For a street only car, I can't see why stock springs aren't enough. JMO ruffcut

 

[Dan64]

I don't think that you would need ( or want) a crazy amount of adjustments at that power level, my .02 cents would be to keep it all Cal-Track

 

[Gunner1]

LOL it's not about the need. It's about the desire to feel the power hooking the ground and all the clanking and banging that goes along with it. My SRT8 300C was fast but it had no soul. I dont know what it will end up with but I'm thinking either a set of RPM's or TF's and maybe a Whiplash cam with hedders ought to be stout but how stout I dont know.

 

[Gunner1]

I’ve been hearing the Assassin’s are better but at your level & on the street, I doubt you’ll ever know the difference between them. Run what you have.

I have neither.

 

[GTX JOHN]

We run Caltracs on all of our race cars including my Superstocker.
I have never needed to move the instant center any more than the
adjustment afforded on them. I run them on my 2400Lb. Duster (Hot Rod
Project Car) AND my 4000 lb. Aspen Wagon O/SA. They do great on cars
that different. John Calvert's shop is always very helpful and available!

 

[Dodge 330]

Cal-tracs will do everything you need.

We've been 1.54 n/a and 1.36 60 ft. on spray. 3,700 lbs. on 275 tire.

 

[MelroseMopar]

I run the cal tracs on my 69 bee w a 512 stroker i am in the mid 500's for HP with street tires and a 4 speed after some initial adjustment, most important, i can launch straight, while I still have wheel spin (on demand) but it is more important to me to stay straight..

 

[Mike67]

Cal-tracs will do everything you need.

We've been 1.54 n/a and 1.36 60 ft. on spray. 3,700 lbs. on 275 tire.

Wow, drag radial or slick?

 

[Dodge 330]

I run the cal tracs on my 69 bee w a 512 stroker i am in the mid 500's for HP with street tires and a 4 speed after some initial adjustment, most important, i can launch straight, while I still have wheel spin (on demand) but it is more important to me to stay straight..

View attachment 1211526

You're making enough torque that those hard street tires will have trouble hooking. We've done some true street tire racing (400 treadwear or better) and the best 60 ft with some tires similar to yours (275/60/15) was a 1.72 with 50 lbs. of weight in the trunk and leaving in 2nd gear.

 

[Dodge 330]

Wow, drag radial or slick?

Mickey Thompson ET Street Pros set at 18 psi. Drive on them the same way we race them.

 

[biomedtechguy]

I have snubbers split mono leaf springs and I really needed them, as I only discovered by bending the top choice of the 2 pinion snubbers
offered by Mancini. I was really wrapping up the factory leaf springs, but I didn't know how worn they were before that episode.
To your question, CalTracks or Assassin traction bars? I chose the ASSASSIN bars, because their road clearance split the difference between the full size CalTracks (less road surface clearance than the Assassin bars) and the "shorty CalTracks which barely had a bit more road clearance.
The Assassin bars have trailering etc strap loops, more adjustment, and Mr Kim Smith, the owner of Smith Racecraft was helpful (as I hear Calvert staff are) on the phone.
MOST of all, I like the way the Assassin bars interact with the spring eye vs the CalTracks.
It was an obvious choice. Assassin.

 

[Dodge 330]

The Assassin bars have trailering etc strap loops

A quick note about this. Viking (as well as other adjustable shock mfgs.) recommend that you tie down to the chassis and NOT the suspension components to prevent damage to adjustable shocks. They also recommend zeroing out the settings while trailering. We always tie down to the frame to limit suspension movement.

 

[biomedtechguy]

A quick note about this. Viking (as well as other adjustable shock mfgs.) recommend that you tie down to the chassis and NOT the suspension components to prevent damage to adjustable shocks. They also recommend zeroing out the settings while trailering. We always tie down to the frame to limit suspension movement.

Thanks for the good info. My triple adjustable Viking Warrior XS (eXtreme Street) rear shocks look beautiful in that rear quarter angle pic above... and I think I made the initial "triple adjustments" to them based on the instruction sheet that came with them, and based on that I was a day away from Cruisin the Coast 2020...
I haven't found or made the time to go to the track ONCE with my Roadrunner since before summer/fall of 2020 when I had all that multiples of work done. The first thing I need is a fine tuning of my front suspension, which was completely replaced, as my Roadrunner is "train tracking" any grooves or wear dips that parallel the road. I've only turned the adjusters on the Assassin bars to make contact with the spring eye plus ¾ turn.
It's sad, I really need to make time for more than work, endless wife assigned tasks, and that house project in Mississippi...
In trailering past episodes, I have run a loop over my factory LCA driver's side front and one or two straps over either the passenger side rear axle or both sides.
I have the QA1 K-member now, but I don't recall trailering my Roadrunner since it was installed, and I definitely am not looping a strap around any of my front moving suspension components any more.
I'm not really sure what options I have?

 

[65Fury440]

A quick note about this. Viking (as well as other adjustable shock mfgs.) recommend that you tie down to the chassis and NOT the suspension components to prevent damage to adjustable shocks. They also recommend zeroing out the settings while trailering. We always tie down to the frame to limit suspension movement.

I asked Viking about this, tech said not to worry about zeroing out the shocks until you were 50% or more past tight on the valving.

 

[Dodge 330]

I asked Viking about this, tech said not to worry about zeroing out the shocks until you were 50% or more past tight on the valving.

Not to that setting on the Vikings but my Calvert shocks were full tight on the #9 setting.

 

[MelroseMopar]

You're making enough torque that those hard street tires will have trouble hooking. We've done some true street tire racing (400 treadwear or better) and the best 60ft with some tires similar to yours (275/60/15) was a 1.72 with 50 lbs. of weight in the trunk and leaving in 2nd gear.

Those are sweet 60's on street tires!! I am not doing any "real" street racing just stoplight stuff and I was launching consistently hard left (well a strong drift anyway) with the cal trac I have been able to correct that and am not worried about a "Mustang doughnut" when I get on it.

 

[Dodge 330]

Those are sweet 60's on street tires!! I am not doing any "real" street racing just stoplight stuff and I was launching consistently hard left (well a strong drift anyway) with the cal trac I have been able to correct that and am not worried about a "Mustang doughnut" when I get on it.

That's on a minimally prepped track. I should be able to get some real street times soon as I bought a Dragy for Christmas and will probably try it out this weekend.