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#1
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One legged traction?
I have a mildly modified 318 in a 72 swinger/auto with 2 something gears and a 7 1/4 rear end. Took it to the track yesterday and the passenger tire just goes up in smoke. I'm running street tires and I built a pinion snubber. Anybody have any suggestions other than putting cement in the trunk? Will raising the front end help any?
Here's the hard part..........I'm looking for low to no cost ideas. I wanted to run bracket this year without spending much and evaluate where to go from there. Its been 25 years since I've run the track and I want to be sure its still in my blood before I spend the kids inheritance. |
#2
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Get some good welding rods, stainless and weld the spider gears up solid. Known here in Kentucky as a HillBilly Posi unit. If welded correctly, it will hold. Get some worn out wide tires, air them down around 15-18 psi. Let her rip.
__________________
68 Coronet 69 Super Bee......new 500 cid comin soon! 73 Duster witha missing 440/727 |
#3
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Well, the 7 1/4 is a pretty weak rear end. First and foremost I would look for a new rearend at the wrecker, like a 8 1/4, or even a 3/4 if you can find it. If your lucky they'll have suregrip and better gearing to help that 318 get out of the hole.
I know you're trying to do this for cheap, but that rear end ain't gonna last. Good luck! |
#4
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6 packin--------I wondered if welding the spiders would hold.
Fargo318----------8 3/4 and suregrip is on my wish list. They seem to be gold plated around these parts. I'm just down the road from you. Are differentials more reasonable in Victoria? |
#5
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Razor, 8 3/4 is on my wishlist too! I havent started to look for one however. In Victoria, theres not a whole lot of Dodge parts to go around, but there are a few good ones in the mainland, if I could only remember their names.
I was thinking of pickin one up off ebay, but I can only imagine what a rear end would cost shipped from California, $$$$$$$$ |
#6
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Trying to race and race effectively. I.E. one wheel wonder.... is like going to a gun fight with a spoon.
You will waste more money in wasted entry fees that your just throwing away than you would if you ponied up and spent the 300 or so on an 8 3/4. |
#7
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Quote:
It will hold. That's what everyone does to the dirt track cars in the lower classes. I did it to an 8 3.4 for years till I could get me a spool. Also take all the factory clamps of the rear section of the leaf springs not the front section. Some rear weight will help too. You need 50 to 55 % of the cars total weight on the rear. Disconnect front sway bar if you have one. Fill the fuel tank full before the race too. Less sloshing and more rear weight. If you weld the spider gears put the added weight in the middle of the trunk as close to the bumper as possible and make sure it is bolted or streapped down for safety. Put battery in trunk. That's a 30 to 50 lb move right there. THere's some cheap fixes that will help. |
#8
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Umm... Welded spiders?
I know that welded spiders exists and are used frequently in the stock car world, but they are explicitly forbidden in both the NHRA and IHRA rulebooks. I imagine the shock of drag racing on aspault versus a stock car on dirt will be greater as well (but then again they are going in a circle so I could be wrong). Another thing, if you broke the 7 1/4 at the track, will the track take away your points if they found out?
As far as low cost alternatives go, I suggest getting a pair of McCreary Road star stock car tires to put on your car. These can be had for less then $87 a tire, and they come in many sizes including a "fit anywhere" 7X26. These tires are so sticky that your one legger will hook up for your launch. Once one starts to wear out, just switch them around to burn the tread off the other. Once you hook up teh one legger is it going to break the rearend, though? How fast of car we talkin' bout here? I wouldn't try to race a 15.50 or faster car with a 7 1/4 and expect it to last very long. But I have toasted a purpose built 8 1/4 once, and severely screwed up the splines on my 8 3/4 while running only 13.0's. A really, really, really low cost solution is just to put those bags of cement in the trunk, though. I raced for two seasons sporatically with a 75 pound sandbag over the right rear... My buddy ran his best ever ET in a 1968 GTO with a 400 pontiac short block, a toolbox, and a pire of tires in the trunk! Bracket racing is all about consistantacy and reliablility, the second even more so if you plan to field a car all year long racing for points. Anything you can do to safely make your car more consistant will help your overall racing. It sounds like a nice 8 3/4 is the place you could try to start. If I would've known about 7 1/4's were so bad, I would've donated my 8 1/4 that I scrapped to a fellow moparian.... Dartman |
#9
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Spend the money and do it right... an 8 3/4 with gears and posi used will only run you about 450.00 you will need them eventually anyways so why break what you already have now. Do you go to the track with a trailer? You will need one when you break that 7.24 rear. I am just trying to save you the aggravation of doing it all later.
I have a real narrow 8.75 if your interested..... will give you a good deal on the housing alone, I even have any center section you want but you will have to find the posi unit. I think and I will re-measure tomorrow but it is about 37 inches flange to flange...that will fit at least narrow wise it will!!! |
#10
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razerbac; there is a swapmeet/car show the first weekend/Sun of May. there should be something there that you could use. It's in Carnation at Remlinger Farms I believe.
http://www.moparsunlimited.com/ |
#11
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I watch e-bay myself hoping one will show up in the local area. I take a welding class at night, been thinking about trying to cut a truck one down to a body size. |
#12
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I can't disagree with you. If you can hook me up with an 8 3/4 with any usable sure-grip for 300, I'll see that my next 2 grandchildren are named after you.(boy or girl) |
#13
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Re: Umm... Welded spiders?
[QUOTE]Originally posted by The Dartman
[B]I know that welded spiders exists and are used frequently in the stock car world, but they are explicitly forbidden in both the NHRA and IHRA rulebooks. I imagine the shock of drag racing on aspault versus a stock car on dirt will be greater as well (but then again they are going in a circle so I could be wrong). I think you are wrong on that one. The real problem I have with the 8 3/4 is keeping the right oil seals on the axle. Nothing like a gear oil soaked rear drum right. The constant sliding, off on throttle apps. and sometimes rutted up tracks ( promoters fault there not enough prep ) can really be tough on engines, trannies and rears and wheels studs. Always use 1/2 or 5/8 with 1 inch lugs. I assumed he had a pretty stock 318 to even try an 7 1/4 rear. The one time shock of a drag launch should not be too bad on the welds unlike the dirt car though. I do know a couple that have welded ones on chebby asphault cars, but those guy's aint to bright. Mine has a spool in them now. I really just wanted to tell him it can be done. Been a long time since I saw the rule book, but I did not know it was in there that it was illegal to weld them up. |
#14
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Dartman........ Thanks for the suggestions. I turned a whopping 16.90 @ 84mph yesterday. Even with traction it won't be fast.
Kevin........... I think 37 inches will be a bit narrow at my current level. Amx.............If I get a chance I'll take a run up to Carnation. Nice web site by the way. You guys ever come down to the Bremerton drags? I originally bought the car for the wheels,tires etc to use on a 69 swinger that eats all my spare nickels( Legendary loves me though) I have almost nothing in the car and thought I could have some cheap fun at the track while I pour $ in the 69. I should have it about finished this summer and can turn my attention to the 72 car. Of course I'll start with the rear end and work forward. I expect to thrash the 7 1/4 but I have another on a parts car. |
#15
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They have drags that week end on Sat before the show . At Bremerton.
The club I belong to has a show and swap at Graham in July. http://moparsunlimited.org/ |
#16
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DWC43,
I don't have a rule book either. I figured passing the tech was good enough. Last time I raced anything(25 years) they did'nt care as long as you payed to play. I won the bracket #2 spring nationals at Carlisle, Arkansas in 1976 and did'nt have seat belts. I assume it was a sanctioned event since Don Garlits was there. |
#17
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Guess it works just like the dirt tracks do. Most all are illegal in some way or the other. And every one can tell it. As long as they get there gate money who cares right? That's why I went to a Nascar asphault track. Pretty sure it's the same here too, but not as bad since they keep the illegal parts they find.
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#18
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Hmmm... how about swapping the rears between the cars while the money is making an exodus from your wallet? I assume just about every V8 A body in the late 60's would have an 8 3/4. You could always look at rearend parts as being a "test run" for your "real hotrod".
Good luck with both of your projects, I hope you get what you need to put some chebbies and phords back on the trailer.... |
#19
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Dartman,
I considered that but I could'nt bear to have that 7 1/4 hooked behind my 340. My luck it would wind up sticking out of a camero radiator. |
#20
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AAWWWW poor crapmaro. Who cares, through it toward them. Does it really matter if it's from the 340 on the street or the 318 at the strip ... hehe ...
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#21
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Man here i go again, sticking my nose in. As far as the welding, that is what the VW guys do (air cooled that is) for a "poor mans posi" if it works on a delicate *cough* Bull$#!^ *cough* volkswagen it might work on the mopar. however i would have to agree with the other gentlemen, spend the money and get a quality part: new and stronger rear end. pay more up front and buy it ONCE, or pay a little initially and buy crap once and then quality 2nd.
oh well just my 2cents. caesar |
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