[Guest]

Greetings:

I am planning my next phase of modifications and would like some folks to chime in on what they have done to get there cars to hook up. The only mod I have now is the Hotchkiss sway bar on the back end and 3:73 gears. I would like to add the Hotchkiss X-tend package for trailing arms and lowering springs. I also have ET streets radials. Anything else or is there another direction that would help this thing hookup at the track?

 

[Guest]

Yes, Rustic's (and Bostic's) IC-brackets:

IC-brackets

 

[Guest]

The Xtend package is going to hurt your weight transfer. If you want to be geared more towards drag racing, stick with the stock length trailing arms.

 

[Guest]

The longer trailing arms hurting the weight transfer is a myth. It will change things only very very slightly, nt enough to cause any harm at all...


The stiffest rear springs you can live with

Either adjustable rear shocks or use an air bag in the right rear. With decent adjustable shocks the air bag isnt important.

QA1 "R" front shocks (not the stocker stars or whatever they are called these days) The R shocks are biased 90/10 where the regular QA1's are just an adjustable stock type 50/50 shock that allow rebound too easily & can actually hurt your ET & tracton if set too loose.

Stock front Impala springs work quite well.

Loosing the front sway bar will help. Keep the rear sway bar.

Good trailing arms prefrably with adjustable uppers if youre lowering the rear.

Instant Center relocation brackets can help also.

 

[Guest]

It sounds like I need shocks, trailing arms with adjustable uppers, and springs. My question is if I put stiff springs on the back and don't get adjustable shocks set at soft, won't that hurt weight transfer? Lets keep in mind this is a street/strip car. I would like to lower the car ever so slightly. I am also going to put on new body bushings (won't help at the track) on the car to help control body roll around the corners. I guess that I am looking for the best of both worlds or a balance between street/strip. I know there are alot of SS/Caprice owners out there with much more experience at the track and would like to hear from them as well so chime in!

 

[Guest]

The longer trailing arms hurting the weight transfer is a myth. It will change things only very very slightly, nt enough to cause any harm at all...

FWIW, on a car with no other changes moving the rear axle back 0.75" results in about 30-40 lbs (if I remember the math) from the rear axle to the front on a stock SS.

It also puts in a longer driveshaft (more rotating weight), longer arms (which weigh more), tilts the rear springs/shocks at a more severe angle (neither of which is good for these purposes), and can stretch the stock 5th brakeline to it's limits at suspension droop.

Plus : well, it does look better

If you're just doing improvements on a street car and don't care about that last tenth, they can be OK (as long as you take care of the other issues, most importantly driveshaft and making sure to NOT droop the rear axle assembly weight on the brakeline). If you're in search of every last tenth of performance, they're hurting you in comparison to stock-length arms of same construction.

 

[Guest]

Sorry Ed.. but I have to disagree with you on several of the points you mentioned.

The actual effect of the weight being moved foward is more like ~15 lbs seen on the scales.. not a formula which may or may not take all things into consideration, the additional weight of a 1/2"-3/4" driveshaft especially if aluminum will be a few ounces & the angle of the springs & shocks from the factory are so far off for a true drag car that the effects of the movement here will be minute also. The combined effect of all these things in the cars handling might be as signifigant as if someone is driving before or after eating a large lunch : Even at that, plot the IC (way more important than any of the above) with the shorter arms vs the longer ones & tell me what ya think

edit: with the ic brackets installed...

I'll give you the brake line thing though

 

[Guest]

OK, definite point about the IC bracket. And an upside is that you could run a taller tire with the extended arms if so inclined.

Spring angle deal can be solved by cutting/rewelding the spring perch bracket on the axle.....but most folks aren't wanting to goto that

. Similarly, shock can be brought back to OEM angle with a longer bolt and spacers.

 

[Guest]

OK so I get ICA and LCA's where do I find HAL QA1 Rs and whats the best setup for the rear. If the front is going to pop up I'm sure I want the rear to sqaut and I'm going to want to be able to adjust them so I can round d round or autoX on occaision.