Hot Rods Early Corvette drag racing Tips and tricks

I also do not see any point in using a pinion snubber with traction bars...Two completely different intersecting points defeats the purpose. Pinion snubbers seemed to work great on Mopars with super stock springs and no other traction device's

 

From our vantage point today we can now point out the problems with many of the seat of the pants "improvements" that racers did back in the day. Wish we could ask the guy that built the car as to what he was thinking-he may even chuckle. Look at how scoops evolved, little alone what was done in the early 60s with suspensions. Some of the tricks I saw with ladder bars often made me scratch my head. If the truth be told though it was fun experimenting. I remember getting a car ready and brainstorming with "how about if we try ...?" If the truth be told, there was more than one occasion where we had to admit."well that did not work well." Fun trying though.

 

There were days when it was a little like modern "no prep" competition. You may have seen the drill on cable TV:
1. Purge
2. Stage
3. Crash
4. Abort

Having spent several decades competing in classes where cars were limited to a specific tire dimensions and a ban against welding any brackets/arms/links to the housing, we dealt with fewer than the usual array of variables. Learned pretty quickly that the cars didn't like to be locked solid as with Traction Masters. The suspension really needs to help with planting the tire instead of relying solely on rubber-on-pavement. Slapper bars worked well but most of us used a solid bolt that contacted the spring directly below the spring eye at the front with a slight air gap instead of rubber bumpers. As power levels increased, shock settings became increasingly important, ultimately becoming really critical. Also, we learned that we needed to take steps to keep the springs alive. No more throwing the toolbox and floor jack into the car trunk, loading it on the trailer and towing two or three hundred miles. We kept a watch on ride height and sometimes found it necessary to either replace or re-arch springs mid-season.

 

I like your post, but I think any sane person would reverse numbers 3& 4. LOL
The Traction Masters comment is 100% true. I used to to be on CF and agreed to that point, but at a 20 to 1 the morons won. I gave up on those fools and quit. Let them all install Traction Masters. Me, I want to go fast and pull wheels in several gears. As a basically a midnight street racer, we had no rules. Just show me the money. Jim

 

Chuck, can you share / explain what shocks you used and how you changed the settings? Thanks

 

I was afraid that someone would ask that question. The era to which I referred specifically regarding my C1 Stock/Junior Stock car was so long ago that many of the specific details have begun to fade. I ran that car from 1964 until the early 70s with mildly warmed over stock power producing mid-12 second ETs at first with a 4-speed and later with a competition-prepared Powerglide. During the clutch/stick shift time, we relied pretty heavily on the tire to do the work while that technology gradually progressed from Casler 7" recaps to low-pressure, bias-ply, 7" Firestone Drag 500 tires screwed onto narrowed rims. Front shocks in those days were often worn-out stockers or replacements that had been drained of damping fluid to allow immediate, maximum frontal lift. With the limited power at hand, wheelstands were not an issue. Rear shocks were kept stiff (50/50) to reduce the tendency of the suspension to hop. In that world, the tire did the work and the rear shock simply stabilized the connection between the tire and the track. If anything failed, we hoped that it would manifest in terms of wheel-spin instead of a broken axle or a shattered ring and pinion. If the car spun, we dropped the tire pressure another pound. In its final form, the car had the aforementioned slapper bars, Henry's Machine axles and a Henry's Machine billet steel cap on the car's left differential side-bearing retainer. I broke stock axles occasionally but never had problems after switching to aftermarket axles.

Shocks that incorporate adjustable ratios on both extension and compression are commonly used in order to accommodate the needs of more exotic suspensions although those tend to be expensive. I had moved on from the Corvette to first generation F-bodies, all with automatic transmissions, by the time those elements came into play. Eventually, we transitioned away from the slapper bars to a home-grown bar system that used the lift of the chassis to plant the weight on the tire. (Sir Isaac Newton's 3rd law is still operative.) We set the shocks to allow controlled extension but that remained fairly stiff on compression. One lesson that accompanied that refinement was that shocks for a "lift" system needed the capacity to extend farther than the distance that the chassis could separate under power. If that is not included in the equation, the car separates enough to fully extend the shock creating an initial solid hookup followed by wheel-spin when the shock tops out and unloads the tire.

If I were to be setting up a mild C1 chassis for a stick shift today, I would begin with a Cal-Trac system. Those are found on the vast majority of stickshift Stockers equipped with leaf springs. With an automatic transmission, the choice would be to adapt the system that was successful on my Gen 1 f-bodied cars. Rear shocks would be a double-adjustable with settings derived through experimentation. An argument in favor of double adjustable front shock can be made although anything that allows upward freedom of movement while allowing the front to settle out of the air stream on the top end would be enough until power levels were reaching the 10-second range. Like everything else in this sport, as more power is applied, hooking it up will be more complicated.

c

 

Ever notice your stomach being tickled when your cranking it past the 11 second mark.. I use that "seat of the pants" feeling and it never lets me down...

 

Thank you Chuck!!


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Jim, I agree on the logical juxtaposition of the listed elements of a competition run but if we swapped "purge" and "abort," the acronym wouldn't correspond to the local organization for such competition: "Premier Street Car Association" (P.S.C.A.)

I have no interest in antagonizing racers and/or aficionados of that or any other organization but their brand of racing and the form of competition that has consumed most of my conscious life are not congruent.

c

 

He might have been trying to prevent the long axle tubes from twisting, when all three plant at the same time.
Have seen a 4 cylinder Jeep rear pinion pointed to the sky shortly after a healthy sbc was installed

Experienced this with an early home made 4 link with the mounts next to the carrier in Tickety Boos 12 bolt.
the long distance from center section to ends make it easier to bend or twist, especially when unsupported an ends.
My tubes bent forward and down about an inch.

 

I think it is time to replace the front axle / suspension in my 56. It is all pretty scary. I have noticed that some cars like "Hayseed" used a round tube with a transverse spring and hairpin radius rods. I think that this may be a lighter option than the more common round tube with parallel springs used by "Crazy Grandpa's 57" & "Frequent Flyer". There is also the I Beam axle with holes in it that looks pretty cool. Anyone know the weight difference on these options?

 

I would go with round tubing all the way and have one done in chromoly for light weight and strength, old truck I beams are cool for the street but i think they suck for driving and racing, look at it this way there are better ways to do things today and have the same look and be safer.
jp

 

Who can make up a chromoly axle?


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I would suggest using Bill Carlson ( WAC Customs in CT ), he built one for Baron for his 57 Vette that looks great!

 

I'm sure you are right when comparing an old truck axle. Speedway makes a Forged I Beam with holes. I'm not sure the weight difference when you consider that axle, transverse spring and radius rods vs Chrome moly round tube and two springs. Baron's axle does look very nice!

 

are the forgings the finest in chinese steel?
jp

 

LOL... Probably

 

FWIW a buddy of mine (who sadly passed away a few years ago) ran 11.89 in a dual-quad 355 powered 59 Vette with a 4 speed on a 235 drag radial, so these cars can go quick in stock appearing form. He ran a caltrac setup and drag shocks.No cage or other chassis supports to my knowledge.

Here's his car from his Services. Man I hope whoever has that car now is treating it right.

 

Mr Sinister,
Thank you for sharing! That is a neat car for sure! It would have been fun to see it run!


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My pleasure. He was a one of a kind. As nice as that car was he was always flogging it, it was definitely built to run. His name was Kevin Bender, Delaware locals may know the name. Street racers from back in the day definitely do.

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What is the best way to lower the front end a little on my 61. 49 to 54 chevy car spindles? I am thinking about running an aluminum small block motor this year. And the weight difference is close to 100 lbs. Lighter. Just wondering.

 

Cut a coil off the front springs, 1 turn at a time.
jp

 

JP, I was wondering about this too. I’m assuming they are indexed?? So do you cut a full coil at a time??

Scott


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Well you have to have the engine in that you are going to use and determine how far you wont to go, if its alot i go one coil first cut and then half a coil after.
Please use a cutoff wheel and not a torch.
jp

 

Thank you JP, that will work! I’m nit there yet but will be eventually.

Ps but could springs like intense heat!


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Stephen you can use the standard size Chevy spindles you reference and they claim that they will lower the front end around an inch. I am not sure I can validate that as a certainty but it is an option. I know I have one of these spindles and maybe both. I had a number of them but sold two or three to guys that wanted to lower their car a bit.

 

Jim,
I have a pair of spindles that came off my '56. I think they might be passenger car pieces. There must be a measurement that can verify the difference. Somebody in HAMB LAND must have both styles and can verify the offsets. Is that person you?
The way it was originally told to me was that the Corvette pieces were the ones that lowered the front end. I believe that is WRONG!

Bruce

 

Bruce, you are correct that it is the passenger car spindle support that lowers the car-they say one inch. The spindles themselves are the same. Here is a picture of the passenger car spindle support (black on the top) and the silver Corvette spindle support on the bottom-it is easy to spot the difference. I actually bought a whole cradle from a passenger car for parts and have a few parts left from it (included the rusted cradle itself I believe). I have a little junkyard that is out back that I could look for the mate to this spindle support although I do not believe I have it. I believe I sold the ones I had and sold a set maybe two years ago. I have seen them on ebay and have bought some off of ebay but sometimes they get pricey.

 

I believe it’s only 53-54 supports that will lower our vettes. I’ve got a pair stashed for the 57. It’s a little nose high and the new mill is a little lighter than the old one so i may use them and cut a coil. Also Fat Man Fab sells a lowering upright $$$