Hi everyone,

Just have a question about setting up rear suspension for drag racing. We have a customer with a 79' original 4cyl car. He completely stripped the car (i.e. dash, rear seats, carpet, insulation, everything in the trunk is gone) gas tank replaced with a 5 gal. fuel cell. Rear suspension consists of SSM lift bars, aftermarket non-adjustable uppers, and moroso "Trick" drag springs. Anyway, the main concern is the height of the car. It sits 5.5" above a 26" tall slick, my personal vehicle had same setup and sat 2.5" above 25.4" drag radial. His car also does not like to hook up. Has stock 4cyl springs up front, and Lakewood drag shocks at all 4 corners. Has anyone ever seen this before, any advise is appreciated.

Thanks,

Rob

Also if it makes a difference...it is a stock shortblock, ported GT-40's, B-cam , longtubes, and a 200 shot NO2. Does not hook on or off the bottle.

 

i'd check the pinion angle and it sounds like the rear of the car is WAY too high....you will never get traction without weight transfer.....are the springs installed right?

 

We checked springs installed correctly, also...pinnion angle is 5 degrees (spec calls for 4-6 deg.)???
I'm really starting to think it wight just be that there is no weight back there at all???

Thanks

 

could be possible....you lost close to 70 lbs with the fuel cell...is the battery located to the back?

 

Does he have lower control arms?

Also, thats alot of spray for a stock shortblock

 

i was thinking the same thing....but he said it is not hooking off the bottle either

 

The SSM lift bars replace the lower control arms, and yes the battery is located in the back.
Also he was running a bigger shot (250) on the last stock motor in his other car it only lasted a season.

 

Moroso's instructions say that the springs can be cut off up to 2 coils.
Use abrasive cutoff tool, not an oxy-fuel torch.
Cut careful, I cut 1/3 coil at a time as my car is rather light also.
I'm not real sure but I think I'd check pinion angle after I cut springs to where they fit and car looks right......

 

like tinman said....don't put heat on the springs...it will weaken then a lot