OK GOT THE 4.11's NOW WHAT?!?!

still need traction. Was thinking traction bars....but, do they make them for my year? 1973 Mach 1? Next, what about shocks? Coil overs??? I saw them on F Cube, and was wondering. I need to make more money before I can do anymore, but I just wanna know what you guys think. LARRY, it feels like a bat out of hell...1st gear is instantaneous now [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] Thanks a lot guys!


Jeff Given
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I think traction bars would really help you out.

The F-Cube Falcon uses coil overs,but it also has ladder bars on it.

That set up F-Cube uses is far from a stock type suspension anymore.

I have seen good results with "el-cheapo" traction bars in the past.

My friends 70 Cyclone Spoiler had really bad wheel hop before he added the "el-cheapo" traction bars to it.

So in closing if money is tight the only way I see you can help your car is with traction bars?
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just make sure the front snubber on the cheapo traction bars hit the front spring eye, NOT the spring. You will eventually BREAK your spring if you hit it alot. And also trim the snubber to suit the cars hitting action. They work real good if set up properly, good luck.

Rick

okay, el cheapo's it is [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] What do i do for Shocks? I have Air shocks on it now...they need to be gone. Also, what exactly do Traction Bars do?

Thanks a lot!

Jeff Given
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Yes, read the directions and they will give you all the different things you have to do to make them work right.

Im looking at a http://www.jegs.com catalog as I type and see some Lakewood traction bars for $32.99 in yellow and $37.99 in chrome.

Like I said earlier this would be the cheapest way for you to gain traction and control wheel hop.

Traction bars are real simple in the way they work.

They work by reducing axle "wrap up" and in turn give good traction and also help out on driveline wear and tear.

So follow all the install instructions and for about $40 and 1 hours work you will have more traction and no wheel hop! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]


The only thing Im not sure about is the air shocks?

I kinda think they may give your springs a unatural flex them if they were pumped up and hard and in turn make the traction bars sorta freak out?

I could be wrong about it,but I was just thinking its possible?

_________________

1995 F-350 XLT SuperCab DRW 460 EFI 2x4~~1991 Mustang GT 5.0 5-speed

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DynoTom on 1/22/02 2:45pm ]</font>

traction bars (also known as slapper bars, cuz they slap) hit the sring so the rear wont squat and spring wont move more than the air gap. That's why they need to hit the spring eye, not the spring. If well thought out and adjusted, they work very good, but it takes time and pateints to figure it all out. For shocks, air shocks arent bad if you run each shock with a seperate line, but if you run 1 air line to both shocks, you can blow the seals in one when the other
compresses cuz the air will transfer.
If it's a street car, get a good gas shock, or get a 50/50 drag shock for the strip. You can also get a coilover kit for regular shocks but they are harsh after awhile. Hope I made it clear for you.

I have air shocks (soon to be replaced with competetion engineering 50/50 drag shocks) on my car, and the left side sits lower than the right, by roughly 1/2" to 1".

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2002-01-22 02:30, dark7068 wrote:
if you run 1 air line to both shocks, you can blow the seals in one when the other
compresses cuz the air will transfer.
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Is that why my car sits kinda low on the left side?

It could be the reason, or your springs are sagging. I worked in a spring shop for afew years and 20someodd years old springs just cant take alot of punishment. Getting springs rearched and new shocks will totally make the car feel alot better and sit right. The springs on my Fairlane were sagging so I took them out, 3 of the 4 were actually broken by the center bolt. The rubber bushings between the spring and axle collect water and dirt (which cause rust) and WILL kill springs over a period of time, especially if you carry weight in your trunk alot.
So, new shocks might not make it sit right but if you have 1 line for both shocks, at least add another air line.
To make a bullit proof rear suspension, put poly bushings instead of the rubber ones, put an aluminum spring eye bushing in front (like Dodge did), and use a good clamp on the rear springs and leave the front clamp off. Modify a set off Cal-trac or Shelby traction bars and weld them on the front plate like they do, and use the poly shackle bushings, but all that wont help if your springs are not good. Eaton Springs has all the factory specs for rear springs for all Fords, they can even custom make a set to your specs.
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Actually you got some of that backwards. You want to clap the springs from the housing foreward solid and cut the factory bands off the rear half of the leafs. This in effect eliminates wheel hop from the front half being solid(I put 5 clamps on each side from housing foreward) and staggared my rear shocks so one is mounted to the front of the housing and one to the rear so it is same as 50/50 setting and added a right rear clamp on spring to the right side. That allowed me to run 1.32 60ft times with a stock leaf spring suspension and is the same as I will do to the Falcon wagon too. The solid front spring eye bushings is a great idea that works and the rear bushings are just along for the ride and don't take the load or punishment of the front spring bushings so they can be normal stock rubber bushings in the rear. I have never used traction bars and they will hurt traction compared to a properly setup stock suspension with spring clamps. Too many people rely on traction bars to get rid of the wheel hop and how many do you see run 1.30-1.40 60ft times. Few to none but the other setup without traction bars allows quicker 60ft times and better reacting rear suspension. spring clamps on the fron half of the leaf springs and 50/50 rear shocks will get you where you need to be suspension wise.
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Oopps. meant to say clamps on front, brain working faster than fingers, sorry guys. Thanx coupe for correcting me, doh. Poly bushings help on street driven, I dont race my cars at the track. Hopefully the Cougar if it's quick enough.
Staggered rear shocks are bitchin for stopping wheel hop, thats worth more discussion.
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