Squat or Lift ?

As the title says guys. Should your car (mopar streeter) squat or lift the rear on a launch ?
Ive been told both are what you want by different drag racers.

Older video of my car on ET street radials, spring leaf, basic comp eng shocks and caltrac. Car has gone 10.1 since this but still launches the same and has bad 60' times from 1.5-1.7
15 second and 21 second frame show lift.
3750 lb with me in it.
Going to a street meet soon and would love to PB the car.

Can Caltrac adjustment control squat / lift or is it all in the spring/shock ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb9FbDUWBLQ

Lift, absolutely. How much depends on how fast you are, but with your perimeters, Lift.

you should get some separation, but it really looks like you need more control. At a minimum some Rancho/Calvert SA shocks, or even some DA units to help control the rear. It seems as if the car jumps up unloading the tire...

It looks like you are running drag radials? Radials need very good prep and either dead hook or go up in smoke. Bias plies are more forgiving for poor track prep and/or poor chassis tune-up

Ozy I love that car and that video!

I think you'd love the M/T 275 Pro, I ran some used ones down the track last year and it dead hooked every time. I only run 10.60's though. My suspension is bone stock, added one leaf to the factory springs, 60 foot is 1.51 with highway gears in it. I love those tires. I have a set of Nittos to try this year but I doubt they'll hook as good.

Lift aids tire load, squat removes load. Once the power levels get huge, (way more than I'll ever have) the tire can get over worked. In that case the instant center will be low and long enabling squat to keep from over working the tire.
Doug

It's separating mighty hard. I would think a better shock that's able to control it would help. Also pay attention to shock installed and extended length. It maybe topping the shock which effective jerks up on the housing and unloads the tire.

OK thanks guys, I'll look at shocks now. Cheers ProSport, I do have some 275/60 radial pro's on it now.

Hopefully the next vid will show you carrying the front tires from the kit to around the 60 Ft. lights

Something more than Rancho singles to control extension

Tex

These ??

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CALVERT-RACING-CR22142-REAR-DRAG-RACING-SHOCKS-9-WAY-ADJUSTABLE-SUIT-CHRYSLER/142759347689?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

I went a 1.33 on old 5 way Ranchos and M/T 28.10.5's but now run Viking da's and went a 1.34 on Hoosier QTP street tires..........

I gave up on those a couple of years ago . I know some still use them at higher hp levels , once i hit 10s they lost control of extension . They are now on the shelf .
Like others , i have gone Viking DA . I ordered the radial valved units . Very happy .

Tex

Yep! Much better control needed on the rear for starters. Buy more shock than you need, so you don't have to buy another set. I am on my second set (stiffer) of GOOD double adjustables. I had to go to BIG GUN Afcos to control my deal

I can offer that my Calvert setup performs a lot better with the Calvert shocks than it did with cheap C/E shocks. The tighter I adjusted the shocks, the quicker the car went, and the less rise it had. I run my setup at full stiff on the shocks and 2 flats of preload in the bars, and it barely rises at all; the rear bumper actually moves downward as the front end comes up. The axle separates slightly as it plants the tire. My car isn’t real fast, but it leaves pretty good for a 3875lb, 11.40 car. It typically 60’s in 1.58 and will put a little daylight under both front tires.

Just purchased Viking DA

this is what you want

Tex

Below is the difference between SS 3400 lbs. springs and Cal-Tracs with split mono's.

Both worked, up to a point, but two completely different pre-loads on the torsion bars and all twisted up with SS springs.

Nice you two ^^^^^

And this is old school on my 340 with stock 340 l/springs clamped@front, std performance shocks with 2" extensions and the dreaded pinion snubber. It comes up straight, reason pass tyre is not off ground is because I didn't know the bump stop had fell off, I also had longer spring hangers on the car and they moved inward on the hit around 6", like a modern day slider....and yes its killing the tyre somewhat...SS springs can also be made to work with even lift with good dble adj. shocks....don't have to have caltracs although they are good.

The Calvert 9 way adjustable shocks are Rancho's with Calvert stickers on them.

Yep


Tex

What rear shocks are you running?

It should lift/separate.
See pic...won a bracket class the day this pic was taken dialing 9.60s and 60 footing 1.32-1.34.

I wonder how much the roll bar helped with the twist.

Monroe long truck or station wagon shocks on the SS springs.

Calvert 9 way on the Cal-Trac setup. You have to firm up extension with the Calverts or it hits too hard and unloads.

Not sure, but don't think it was much. It has subframe connectors in both shots. Took a TON of preload out of the drivers side front bar as I recall to get it level after the spring swap.

To the Op, does it always come out of the burn out with the rear hanging out to the left? If it does it in different lanes at different tracks you could put a turn in the drivers torsion bar. Without scales it is an indication the rear weights are unequal under load. I have found a little adjustment will go a long way. I would also check to see if the front shocks are topping out. It looks like the nose either tops out sharply or the tire spins and drops the nose quickly. Shock tuning. Also I know guy who runs an AFX car who said the best suspension mod he ever did was a BIG aftermarket rear sway bar.

Think there is a little camber in the track on that lane in the burnout area, my race car use to always swing sideways a little.
I have the rear shocks coming so I will try them first a see how she goes.

NICE
If I can get them off the ground half that much I'll be stoked

The burnout and the leave are 2 different animals. Mine always goes left on the burnout. But when it leaves it carries the wheels nearly 60ft every time dead straight.
Doug

Generally when a car is not going straight in the burnout it is from a lack off wheelspeed nothing more. If a car kicks out on the burnout its needs RPM or not being done in high gear to ad more wheelspeed it should straighten right up.

In that video Al it was 6500 ++ in top

My burnouts are in high gear only, 6000 rpm. They average about 4.5 seconds. Do you think it needs more rpm?
Doug

One sure way to find out is to try some more time and then less time in the burn out using the 60 ft. times and reactions as your judgement

Its not about duration as much as wheelspeed in the burnout. Wheelspeed creates more heat in the tire much quicker, lessening the amount of time needed in the burnout. Id guess most guys are starting slow on the loud pedal in the burnout, that's what generally will kick the car sideways, increasing the RPM juts keeps it on its original path. Watch Pro Stock, Top Sportsman, Comp guy that occasionally get sideways, they straighten it out with MORE rpm. Not saying this a 100% universal truth but is the case more often than not.