[6NOVA4]

my buddy has a 63 nova that he's running a 406 with a th350, 4k stall converter. Car is a strip with alittle street. Right now it has a 12 bolt with 4.30's and he has some old McCreary G60's with some landrum mono leafs and caltracs. Now we want to get the 60's as best as possible. It has new moroso drag springs up front and 90/10 comp eng shocks. out back he has gas shocks with 50/50 set up. The bars are on the bottom hole with no preload.

Anybody have any experience using caltracs with small tires? Nothing I can do with wheel spinning car has too much gear for the tire IMO. But want to keep the tires planted as much as I can. what is a good adjustment on the bars? I'm also thinking of putting 100# of weight in the trunk too. Any thoughts?

 

[Nova 404]

Here is about the best link I have found on the web on adjusting CalTracs

http://www.dragstuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=388

 

[Glenn]

All I have on my Wagon are antique clamp-on traction bars on my mono-leaf springs with off-the-shelf factory replacement shocks. Half of my rubber snubbers have been cut off and I have them pre-loaded against the spring, and it works great.
I run a 4.30 gear and a Hoosier 29"x9" slick.

I'd suggest snugging up his bars to the leaf springs and give that a try. Of course I'm assuming that his tires are good and sticky, not worn out.

 

[6NOVA4]

Thanks that works out great.

 

[bowtie0069]

Top hole/1 full turn pre-load is the hardest hit you can get with them. My car still wants at least 4 degrees down on the pinion...at 1-1/2 degrees it'll blow away the tires, at 4 degrees it'll run mid 1.3's in 60 feet. Calvert seems to like rock hard shock settings, but mine likes a soft shock setting. It's been a long time since I ran McCreary's, but they can work well with the right setup.

 

[Granny 67]

I use the G60 McCreary also for DOT classes and a MT 26x8.0 slick when its time to play. My 67 has six cylinder front springs and CE shocks set to 90/10. First and second gens have plenty of travel in stock form so this shouldnt be an issue but make sure its atleast 5 inches. Clamped multi-leafs in the rear, Cal-Tracs and the recommended Rancho shocks. 3.73 gear and a T350 with 3500 converter. Average sixty on the McCreary 1.57. Average on the slick 1.45. I run the Cal-Tracs in the top hole with a 1/4 turn of preload. Rear shocks set to 8.

 

[6NOVA4]

All I have on my Wagon are antique clamp-on traction bars on my mono-leaf springs with off-the-shelf factory replacement shocks. Half of my rubber snubbers have been cut off and I have them pre-loaded against the spring, and it works great.
I run a 4.30 gear and a Hoosier 29"x9" slick.

I'd suggest snugging up his bars to the leaf springs and give that a try. Of course I'm assuming that his tires are good and sticky, not worn out.

do you have a poweglide?

 

[6NOVA4]

Thats awesome guys thanks. I've been looking at the car tonight and I'm gonna put more pinion angle in it and the tires are old but have tons of tread. I'm gonna soak them in VHT and do some hellascious burnouts. The rear shocks are some store brand shocks, they're kinda mushy. We're on a massive low budget and I was thinking of maybe throwing on some new gas shocks like KYB's to slow the extension and keep the tires planted? I'm gonna have to play with the cal tracs to see what its gonna take. Right now the bars are in the bottom hole and no preload. I'm gonna footbrake it and flash the converter.

Any more thoughts are greatly appreciated. We're gonna run a "baby tire" shootout at the grudgefest at Sac raceway on may 9th. Come out and have some fun, stop by and say hi. The nova is primered grey and will have convo pros or draglites.

 

[Granny 67]

You hit the nail on the head! Its all in controlling the extension. The ranchos dropped my sixty .12. They worked so well I sent the split monos back to Calvert.

 

[SMLBLK66]

HEY MIKEY, DUANE (SPANKY) HAD HIS NOVA 60' IN THE HIGH 1.30'S WITH THE SAME SET UP. I HAVE IT NOW GOING ON THE 62, I THINK THE 430 IS A BIT MUCH BUT NOT SURE HOW HIGH YOU GUYS LIKE TO TURN YOUR MOTOR. I WOULD HIT SPANK UP AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT HOW HE HAD THESE ONES ON HIS CAR. AND WHEN YOU GET IT RIGHT YOU CAN HELP ME OUT WITH MINE :yes:

 

[6NOVA4]

anybody know what those ranchos go for? or will getting comp eng adj shocks for the rear work too?


are wagon rear shocks the same as coupe/sedan?

 

[aron69nova]

anybody know what those ranchos go for? or will getting comp eng adj shocks for the rear work too?


are wagon rear shocks the same as coupe/sedan?

just got my rancho's for my car yesterday. $194 delivered to my door for the pair.

 

[bowtie0069]

The ranchos dropped my sixty .12.

My old combo with clamped multi-leaf springs, slapper bars, 8 degrees of pinion angle, and 4 totally mis-matched shocks(all different brands and ages) ran a 1.34 60 foot on 9" E.T. Street's. It doesn't always take a bunch of fancy parts to go fast.

That was on nitrous, so roughly 750 h.p. (It ran 9.87/136.75)

 

[6NOVA4]

My old combo with clamped multi-leaf springs, slapper bars, 8 degrees of pinion angle, and 4 totally mis-matched shocks(all different brands and ages) ran a 1.34 60 foot on 9" E.T. Street's. It doesn't always take a bunch of fancy parts to go fast.

That was on nitrous, so roughly 750 h.p. (It ran 9.87/136.75)

thats' what were trying to accomplish. In regards to pinion angle did you have to put any rubber pads between the shims and the spring perches or none at all?

 

[Glenn]

do you have a poweglide?

YES. In the car now is a smaller engine and glide.

We also have T350 transmissions that have been in the car, and I will be switching back to the T350 as I convert the car back to street/strip configuration.

 

[6NOVA4]

cool just scored some ranchos courtesy of camgrinder. Anybody in the local san jose area that has some 15x8 weld wheels with a 5.5" backspace with a 28x10 or larger tire willing to let me do a test fit???

 

[bowtie0069]

In regards to pinion angle did you have to put any rubber pads between the shims and the spring perches or none at all?

No rubber anywhere in rear-solid bushings too. Current setup has sliders as well.

 

[aron69nova]

No rubber anywhere in rear-solid bushings too. Current setup has sliders as well.

I thought calvert recommended against sliders with their bars. I've seen a few do it, though. Do you see any difference between that and just the stupid rubber or poly bushings in the frame? My bushings in the back are really loose and 40 years old. When the car gets mini-tubbed I'd like to consider doing the sliders if there's no difference or a positive effect.

 

[RATTRAP65]

calverts

I'm using CalTracs on my tubbed 65 BBC ChevyII Wagon.They work great for me,this car even bites on the street!I'm running stock springs & stock type rear shocks.I have KONI 90/10's on the front.Up till a couple years ago I had stock ChevyII V-8 springs in it.The car now has MOROSO trick springs in the front.The car launches nice on motor,but on a 275 of nitrous it'll almost stand right up on it's bumper.I have a mild pump gas 454 in it right now.I had a high compression 477 in it for 4 years,but sold it because street driving it with the cost of racing gas was too expensive.At any rate,the CalTracs work good on this car.Not sure what they'd work like on a 2 door,but being a Wagon certainly has to help with traction.I'm using the bottom hole with 1 full turn of preload.That's a setting I came up with on my own,never tried any other adjustment.The car runs high 9's on a 275 shot on WaWa pump gas.

 

[6NOVA4]

If I could do that on a 26x8.5 slick or a 235 DR I'd be the man!!!!....hahahaha


Thanks again guys. With all your suggestions and help I think we'll have the nova 60ft'n better than ever. The real limiting factor is the tires. We're not in a position to buy a new set.