Hey guys I'm building a 1/4 mile car....that will see some street driving.... basically what I'm getting at is cost vs performance which is the best route.. . I like straight axles when they are not obnoxiously high... just alittle over stock height... I was thinking the chromoly kit I read about on here....I'm assuming they probably drop Some weight. Not sure how they work on weight transfer like thought back in the day. it's a big block car.... Stock style I'm seeing tubular A arms for $380... then a set of coil Over viking adjustable drag shocks for $600... and that's a wrap up front... but will it out perform the straight axle is the question? Will there be enough extension in them little coil overs.... also I'm Not made of money so all the high dollar stuff is out... for now.... Opinions?
Be different than every gasser-wannabe and stick with the stock suspension but improved with new parts as suggested in post #2. Use the money saved for things that will really make a difference, or even for gas to get to the track and pit pit passes. Granted, yeah, a straight axle is cool, but nothing wrong with using what will get the job done. You can develop the bite you want/need with what you do at the back of the car. Lynn
That's also what he gave you. Now, be honest...are you really looking for someone to tell you to go straight axle... to give you a green light...because that's what you really want in the first place?
Ya I think I was gonna go with what worked on my mustang .... Calvert mono springs, cal trac bars and a set of viking shocks... simple and seem to work well...
Weight reduction makes you go fast....I dropped a thousand pounds and over a second off the ET of my 55 by building a Chevy II to go racing (and street driving) But you can do a lot with a 55 to get it light, too. A chrome moly axle and other stuff can take weight off the front, removing lots of inner bracing or using fiberglass body panels can take it off all over, etc. You're new here, keep in mind that stuff like tubular control arms, coil over shocks, etc are off topic for this place. But ball joint spacers are cool here...
8.80/9.20s are the goal... in the 1/4... this isn't my first car to build... I currently have 3... just trying to understand if any ole timers had insight is a straight axle is worth the effort
gotcha... ya I know I could build another chevelle to match my current one and my mustang is stupid light but for some reason I feel like this would be neat as well.... BBC... fender wells... etc...
You could buck the trend and use a dropped tube axle and coilovers and set a "reasonable" ride height. I've seen a few pretty cool builds done like this over the years. Many people use beam axles out of trucks due to low cost and get springs from a trailer shop and this is usually what sets the high ride height which seems to be the norm. Beam axles have been misnamed as straight axles for years, they are not.
I built a '55 Gasser back in the early '60s. Straight tube axle with 12 degrees of caster. Car weighed 2860 because of the axle, gutted interior, fiberglass body components, etc. If you expect to run in the 9s or quicker consider a lower stance with tubular arms and coil overs. You'll get more information from the drag racing sites than the H.A.M.B.
A little past the time this forum is about, but the image has stuck with me for the past 45 years....
As already mentioned, rebuild the stock suspension, and add 90 / 10 front shocks. Also, pull the front bumper off. That's what I did. However, my 55 is only a low 14 / high 13 second car. Glory Days 2020 John Clothier vs Chuck Clothier - YouTube Here's a video of one that a bit quicker than mine. It has the original front suspension, that has been modified quite a bit. KOOPMEINERS & SONS '55 CHEVY GASSER RUNS 12'S AT MELTDOWN DRAGS - YouTube
The thing I'm waiting for is pics! Now, there's a WIDE gap between ''not made of money'' in post #1 and sub nine second 1/4 mile times. Now, cut the frame off forward of the firewall. 2x4 box and an 'axle. Put the big girl on a diet. The whole bit if you wanna go that fast.
Set up for a first year run, no frills and remember that no matter what you do, how much you spend, or how great of a mechanic you are, chances are that you will not have the fastest car on the track, the first year out. 2 inch lowering blocks in the rear, traction bars, station wagon springs up front along with 90/10 shocks. Strip out as much as the class you enter and give the old girl a good tune up. Get all of the common items in peak performance. I bet there are many possible 9 sec. cars, sitting in garages waiting for the owners funding issues to be resolved while those with 13 to 15 sec cars are out on the track every weekend. Get your first year down and build upon it for the next.
Depending on what kind of axle you decide to go with, there's not really that much of a weight savings with a straight axle. You can get a pretty decent stance with a pair of 65 Impala big block station wagon w/AC front spring's, Billet balljoint spacer's, and shock extension's. It's alot cheaper and easier to do than an axle install, too. Just for reference, here's a few pic's of how mine sits with the part's mentioned above. It might be worth a try just to get it up and running.
Speed costs money. Get rid of everything steel than can be replaced with fiberglass. Replace everything but the windshield with Lexan.
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