Rear suspension suggestions needed

[jbuhr]

Hey all. I have a 64 Sport Fury that needs some basic upgrades. I’ve been to the been to drag strip with it twice. It will not 60ft for crap. But, it’s all stock. What are some basic upgrades I should do? I street drive it mostly.

Super stock springs? I’ve heard they ride very rough.

The car is 489, 4 speed and 3.23. It goes 112moh in the quarter.

 

[Outsider]

Least expensive and least effort, SS Springs, pinion snubber, race shocks, drag radials and more gears (3.7s or 3.9s); maybe $2k. More money and effort, more choices. Always a compromise, like a rougher ride, if you want more performance.

 

[jbuhr]

I should’ve added that I do have drag radials for it. I’m going to keep the gears. I have the Mopar snubber but even it it’s lowest setting, I can’t bolt it on because the floor is in the way. Do the SS spring raise the rear ride height? I think they must.

 

[Outsider]

Yes they will raise it, and perhaps your original springs are shot. What is your 60' time and ET for your 112mph?

By the way, I like your car, one on my favorites. But I don't know about the gear change reluctance; heck the steeper gears would be good for the towing!

 

[jbuhr]

Yes they will raise it, and perhaps your original springs are shot. What is your 60' time and ET for your 112mph?

By the way, I like your car, one on my favorites. But I don't know about the gear change reluctance; heck the steeper gears would be good for the towing!

I replaced the original springs with OE style when I bought the car. I cruise the car at highway speeds quite a bit and like the rpm where it sits at 70. I have other faster cars that don’t highway well at all.
Best 60ft is a 2.24. The cars best is 12.95 @112. The engine makes 530/575.

 

[RemCharger]

Don't forget a highway gear will be harder on the diff if you start making it 60ft properly.
Heavy car, decent power, 4 speed and an 8-3/4 = ......

 

[Outsider]

So it spins the tires half way down the track with those numbers? I've run Mickey's and M&H drag radials and they hook almost as good as slicks on a mostly stock chassis and modest motor. Biggest problem I have is turning the tires on the rims and I don't want to add screws.

I liked the 3.9s on the street around here, because you're never going to do 70 on the highway anyways because of the constant traffic, and I don't drive old cars except for fun, no real long commutes. With 3.23s I would suppose you're pulling 4th gear about through the lights?

 

[jbuhr]

So it spins the tires half way down the track with those numbers? I've run Mickey's and M&H drag radials and they hook almost as good as slicks on a mostly stock chassis and modest motor. Biggest problem I have is turning the tires on the rims and I don't want to add screws.

I liked the 3.9s on the street around here, because you're never going to do 70 on the highway anyways because of the constant traffic, and I don't drive old cars except for fun, no real long commutes. With 3.23s I would suppose you're pulling 4th gear about through the lights?

Here’s my best run from this last Saturday. You can see that it wheel hops after it’s already moving.

Where I live, I can get in the highway and drive downtown or out to the country.

I’m into fourth well before the lights.

 

[jbuhr]

Here’s my best run from this last Saturday. You can see that it wheel hops after it’s already moving.

Where I live, I can get in the highway and drive downtown or out to the country.

I’m into fourth well before the lights.

 

[jbuhr]

I was hoping to post a video, but it’s not letting me

 

[Frank Mopar]

You clamp the front part of the spring and remove clamps from the rear. It will drive the tires into the track with anti squat. No wheel hop. Send it.

 

[Outsider]

Like Frank says is one possibility. Wheel hop is either from uncontrolled spring wrap or too short of shocks; used to use longer C body shocks before started using aftermarket race shocks. Also can't have the rear axel rotating up very much with a stock type set up; need pinion snubber or race suspension mods. I've run the SS springs, race shocks and a pinion snubber on several cars with success; pretty simple.

 

[malex]

IMO you’re gonna need to hold the differential from wheel hop. Those leafs are wrapping up and your pinion angle is going positive. I hate to suggest how to spend money but when I was where you are I went with a set of split mono leafs and cal tracs. Shocks will follow soon enough.

 

[6PKRTSE]

Yep, Caltracs and split mono leafs. You won't be disappointed.

 

[33 IMP]

My best answer? Buy some cheap wheels, and some REAL SLICKS!
Drag radials don't work for **** with a stick shift.
Once it's not spinning tires half way down the track (thats what drag radials DO, if they don't dead hook, almost impossible with a four speed, and no gear) you can try other things, like shocks and springs.
( WHY don't people want to run slicks? To much work to change at the track? Cant afford a set of tires to make your car work well? I dont get it.)

 

[67MPRFAN]

I replaced the original springs with OE style when I bought the car. I cruise the car at highway speeds quite a bit and like the rpm where it sits at 70. I have other faster cars that don’t highway well at all.
Best 60ft is a 2.24. The cars best is 12.95 @112. The engine makes 530/575.

What is the goal with this car, if wanting to go faster there is some sacrifices you may have to make. I do agree using cal tracs will help, I have them on my car with their 9 way shocks rides just fine on the street. Just my thoughts keep this car as a cruiser and use the other cars to go fast.

There's a lot of good option on this site

 

[dvw]

For that speed the stock springs with the snubber almost touching the floor should work. Radials are less friendly with a stick than bias ply. But easing into it should help. My wifes Challenger has gone 12.70@109 on drag radials with a 4 speed and 3.55. With bias plys and a 4.30 it's gone 12.50@110
Doug

 

[fourgearsavoy]

If you do get it to hook the clutch will hate that 3.23 gear and burn quickly. I like SS springs and decent shocks and with a stick you may also need a pinion snubber. I like the QA1 single adjustable for just a street/strip car. I tried M/T ET Street radials on my car and they always would spin no matter what I did.
Gus

 

[weedburner]

Let's say the 489 makes 530ftlbs. Let's also say it makes 530ftlbs from 3000-5000rpm.
530ftlbs@5000rpm=505hp
530ftlbs@3000rpm=302hp

If you want an engine to make HP during launch, it needs to spin some rpm. With radials the tires also need to dead hook. With hooked radials, a car needs some time to gain ground speed before clutch lock-up, otherwise the engine gets pulled down where it doesn't make much power.

Say you want to keep engine rpm above 3000 with radials during launch?
...With 3.23 gears and 28" radials, the clutch is going to need to slip to about 28mph.
...If you want the engine to stay above 4000, the clutch is going to have to slip to around 36mph.
Swapping to a more appropriate rear gear would reduce the need for clutch slip time.

You might think that if the engine makes the same torque at 3000rpm as it does at 5000rpm, 60's would be the same. That's not the case, as an engine's rotating assy absorbs torque as it gains rpm. The less rpm an engine has to gain on it's way to the 60', the less torque it's rotating assy will absorb. Less torque absorbed by the rotating assy means more power will be available to accelerate the car.

If you want to play with how long the clutch slips vs how far the clutch pulls the engine down during launch, you do that by adjusting clutch clamp pressure. Dialing in launch clamp pressure helps cure spin/bog problems, also reduces the tendency to wheelhop.

A clutch hit control device such as my ClutchTamer makes adjusting clutch clamp pressure during launch much easier, without compromising the clutch's overall ability to hold torque. I often hear the 'tamer also makes bracket racing with a stick fun again

Grant

 

[fourgearsavoy]

Grant maybe someday I will try your Clutch Tamer if I get back into racing.
Gus