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Rear Sway Bar v Caltrac in corners #1246706
06/07/12 03:00 AM
06/07/12 03:00 AM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 862
Iowa State fan
kilroy Offline OP
super stock
kilroy  Offline OP
super stock

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 862
Iowa State fan
This is a broad stroke so forgive me as I know each individual car and driver will differ BUT....

I once read that a "caltac" style rear suspension can be beneficial to corner carvers as it tends to create a what the right word, a slight axel pivot or wheel track? Or maybe I miss understood the article, sorry no link because I have NO clue where I read it years ago.

Is this true or what type of handling issues would be created with this style of rear suspension (oversteer, understeer) versus a stock style b-body sway bar?


1973 Charger, former SE, former auto

I'm not trying to be difficult, it comes naturally....
Re: Rear Sway Bar v Caltrac in corners [Re: kilroy] #1246707
06/07/12 06:37 AM
06/07/12 06:37 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 12,291
Kent, Wa
340SHORTY Offline
Truck Nut
340SHORTY  Offline
Truck Nut

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 12,291
Kent, Wa
Id be calling Calvert to confirm or deny this question...


I am truckless..
Re: Rear Sway Bar v Caltrac in corners [Re: kilroy] #1246708
06/07/12 12:22 PM
06/07/12 12:22 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,394
Pikes Peak Country
T
TC@HP2 Offline
master
TC@HP2  Offline
master
T

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,394
Pikes Peak Country
Cal Tracs are not a replacement for a sway bar. While both are designed to keep the tire in contact with the pavement, sway bars bars are designed to minimize body roll (side to side)thus keeping the tires planted, whereas Cal-tracs are design to resist a beam motion (fore/aft) to keep the tires planted.

Cal Tracs were created by a guy who races a super stock Ford. The whole premise behind the Cal Trac was to create a leaf spring motion with the center mounted Ford spring to match that of the offset mounted Mopar super stock spring while still being within the letter of the rules (ie; stock mounting points must be retained).

I could see some some advantages and disadvantages to using them on a handling car.

Since they are adjustable, dialing in a good drag launch means you have created a preloaded spring. This means you could have a car that oversteers turning left while it understeers turning right. That's not good. If you back off the adjustment far enough to eliminate the preload, will they still be effective in planting power, I don't know. They do create an addition link point so they likely won't have wheel hop under accelleration or braking, both good things.

Combined with their split mono leaf, you can tune in the desired spring rate more precisely while eliminating weight. Both good things. Adding a Caltracs to a stock leaf set up is adding additional weight which isn't a good thing.

If you are not a very smooth driver, having the Cal-Tracs alter the geometry of planting power could allow you to have a smoother corner exit than you get from simply stabbing the throttle. That could be good, but that also means the geometric changes may not be linear which could create a situation of suddenly loading or unloading the tires, and that would not be good.

Once you starting allowing the suspension system to move around like the Cal-tracs do, you need to have very good shocks to dial in the motion and tune it to the application. That is going to add cost and may need regular changing depending on the type of driving you are doing. That could be a good or bad situation depending on how much you like to tinker.

Honsetly, I have not seen a lot of feedback on Caltracs in the handling community, whether they are Ford, GM or Mopar. Most users tend to be drag racers or dual purpose cars with an emphasis on drag nights. Could they work, sure. Will they be as effective as on the drgastrip, I don't think so. They aren't a pancea for traction on a high powered car, you still need good tire compounds, but they may allow you an additional tuning tool if you use your car in multiple ways.

Re: Rear Sway Bar v Caltrac in corners [Re: TC@HP2] #1246709
06/07/12 09:57 PM
06/07/12 09:57 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
Supercuda Offline
About to go away
Supercuda  Offline
About to go away

Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
I think CalTracs got the "rep" simple because they are less worse than slapper bars for handling, not because they are good.


They say there are no such thing as a stupid question.
They say there is always the exception that proves the rule.
Don't be the exception.
Re: Rear Sway Bar v Caltrac in corners [Re: Supercuda] #1246710
06/09/12 12:08 PM
06/09/12 12:08 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,003
Salem
Grizzly Offline
Moparts Proctologist
Grizzly  Offline
Moparts Proctologist

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,003
Salem
This is a great question!

To be honest, Kilroy, I'd like to see what the results would be running both .

You would think the Caltracs would work well in a high-horsepower car in wide sweeping corners.

Broad stroke indeed, the comparison is going from a sway-bar, two-link rear suspension to a hybrid four-link.



Mo' Farts

Moderated by "tbagger".
Re: Rear Sway Bar v Caltrac in corners [Re: TC@HP2] #1246711
06/09/12 11:38 PM
06/09/12 11:38 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 10,645
Houston, Tx
A
AlexP Offline
I Live Here
AlexP  Offline
I Live Here
A

Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 10,645
Houston, Tx
Quote:

Cal Tracs are not a replacement for a sway bar. While both are designed to keep the tire in contact with the pavement, sway bars bars are designed to minimize body roll (side to side)thus keeping the tires planted, whereas Cal-tracs are design to resist a beam motion (fore/aft) to keep the tires planted.

Cal Tracs were created by a guy who races a super stock Ford. The whole premise behind the Cal Trac was to create a leaf spring motion with the center mounted Ford spring to match that of the offset mounted Mopar super stock spring while still being within the letter of the rules (ie; stock mounting points must be retained).

I could see some some advantages and disadvantages to using them on a handling car.

Since they are adjustable, dialing in a good drag launch means you have created a preloaded spring. This means you could have a car that oversteers turning left while it understeers turning right. That's not good. If you back off the adjustment far enough to eliminate the preload, will they still be effective in planting power, I don't know. They do create an addition link point so they likely won't have wheel hop under accelleration or braking, both good things.

Combined with their split mono leaf, you can tune in the desired spring rate more precisely while eliminating weight. Both good things. Adding a Caltracs to a stock leaf set up is adding additional weight which isn't a good thing.

If you are not a very smooth driver, having the Cal-Tracs alter the geometry of planting power could allow you to have a smoother corner exit than you get from simply stabbing the throttle. That could be good, but that also means the geometric changes may not be linear which could create a situation of suddenly loading or unloading the tires, and that would not be good.

Once you starting allowing the suspension system to move around like the Cal-tracs do, you need to have very good shocks to dial in the motion and tune it to the application. That is going to add cost and may need regular changing depending on the type of driving you are doing. That could be a good or bad situation depending on how much you like to tinker.

Honsetly, I have not seen a lot of feedback on Caltracs in the handling community, whether they are Ford, GM or Mopar. Most users tend to be drag racers or dual purpose cars with an emphasis on drag nights. Could they work, sure. Will they be as effective as on the drgastrip, I don't think so. They aren't a pancea for traction on a high powered car, you still need good tire compounds, but they may allow you an additional tuning tool if you use your car in multiple ways.




Great reply!


My Build thread: Let the hemi swap begin!

1968 wanna be pro touring whatchamacallit with some fancy stuff and a new roof skin.
Re: Rear Sway Bar v Caltrac in corners [Re: kilroy] #1246712
03/30/13 02:16 AM
03/30/13 02:16 AM
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 506
Utah, USA
1
1964superstock Offline
mopar
1964superstock  Offline
mopar
1

Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 506
Utah, USA
Has anyone converted a street strip car set up with Cal-Tracs/mono-leafs/Rancho rear shocks, to a pro-touring type set up? Seriously considering adding front and rear sway bars, larger torsion bars, Bilstein shocks, larger wheels/low profile tires in an effort to make my car a better all around driving experience. Experience or recommendations, etc, would be appreciated. Can a rear Cal-Trac setup work well with with a pro-touring type car? Thanks.







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