I am getting ready to start on another 32 project, and I'm curious what the definitive answer is to the decades old questions: What rides/handles/works the best -Four bar w/ panhard bar on coilovers -Triangulated four bar on coilovers -So-Cal style ladder bars on coilovers -So-Cal style ladder bars on a cross spring -Quarter elliptical springs -something else? I am going with a new chassis, a 300-400 hp small block and a TKO 5 speed. I live in a rural area and need a strong set up that can take a pot hole, or burnout abuse. I want it to handle corners well and ride well Also: speaking strictly of modern Winters V8 steel bell brand new Quick Change rears, how strong are they, and how loud are they, really. I might end up with 400 HP and some clutch dropping..... should I stick with a 9" ? I have never owned a QC, but love the look and gear swapping idea.... But don't want something really loud or weak. Thanks !
no no no yes no The posi trac units for the new Winters are good up to 500hp. Helical cut gears will cut down on noise, but will still make some noise.
Model A crossmember, Posies narrow A spring on 40 Ford side bells, located with P&J Ladder Bars. Good for 500 HP if you aren't side stepping the clutch with slicks on the track.
So, traditional bias aside, what works better? cross spring or coilovers? I agree 100% that a cross spring looks better, but if you were building a car that looked traditional-ish but had some modern updates like an electric fan, a 5 speed and disk brakes, and wanted the best ride and handling and strength, would the answer still be cross spring? I'm not trying to be an ass, I really don't know what would work the best ! I have heard people swear by both, and I want to do this right, so I am consulting the experts !
I went with what I considered the best of both worlds, traditional and best modern, ended up with triangulated 4 bar with quarter elliptical springs. The triangulated 4 bar is well proven for ride, bite, performance and tuneability. Quarter elliptical springs are old school tech but can be built to give various ride feels, soft, hard and and any where in between. I'm curious once I get it on the road to see how well I can get it to hook and still give me a comfortable ride.
I think you will find a better ride with the buggy spring over the coil overs. Guess it depends how you plan to drive your car. I have been is coil spring cars, and don't care for the feel.
Option 4. Buggy spring will ride fine* and the P&J ladder bars will plant your rear. *People can and do fuck up spring rates just as easy with coilovers as leaf springs.
Change up to a Champ rear and you're good to 800. Winters now do some new axle bells that fit right onto the qc without the adapter - wish they were available when I got mine. Chris
I've done customer quick change chassis both with coilovers and buggy springs and the feed back I get is the buggy spring rides the best. I use the 44 inch Posie A spring with rolled and tapered ends and all the QC's in 32 thru 34 chassis had P&J ladder bars. I've never had a problem with the V8 rear and I've sold a lot of them. I just did a personal chassis with Winters Champ steel belled rear with 1/4 elliptic's and ladder bars. The champ was overkill but I like the look in the 32 lakester I'm building.
To answer all of your questions, Look under some modern cars and what do you see.........? There is no definitive answer, as everyone has a different opinion. .
There’s a tri 4 bar with coil overs under the bird, and a 4 bar with coil overs and a panhard rod under my channeled 32. With a Winters QC. Tuning the shocks and springs, and setting the ride height is pretty easy. If I had enough experience, I’d rather have the look of the buggy spring, but I don’t. Cornering with big and littles isn’t really going to happen.
My old 34 was ladder bar, coil over. Worked great, not super traditional. My next one will look exactly like it, except it will have transverse leaf spring. -Abone.
Coilovers are a modern upgrade. That should answer your question. Use a cross spring if you have traditional bias.....and coilovers if a way better ride is what you want. If you must use a cross spring, I would suggest that you don't use a So Cal spring, listen to Krylon32 and use the exact Posie spring he uses!
I wish I knew more about realistic volume of a new Winters QC, all the cars I have ever been around with quick changes were loud in other ways, exhaust, etc. that I couldn't really tell. I don't like gear drive timing sets, is it like that? I still want to be able to carry on a conversation with the top up or down, and if I go on a 4 hour trip, I don't want to drive myself nuts.
Those always look impressive but I recall reading that this one has since been changed to a more conventional configuration.
I sell a lot of Winters rears with Helical gears which quiet down the rear to an almost unnoticeable noise level. They are not recommended for a rear that's going to rode hard and put up wet. For that application straight gears are the ones to use which raises the noise level.
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