Traction

I remember you posting a pic of your homemade cal-tracs a while back. I noticed one thing that might make them work significantly different than the real deal. If I remember correctly, your adjustment points were on the spring plate, rather than the bracket that bolts to the spring eye. If thats the case, you need to tune them opposite the way people adjust the real cal-tracs. For instance, I have my real cal-tracs set with just a touch of preload, and the bar goes thru the bottom hole on the front bracket. Now, this might be the same as you having your bar going thru the top hole on your spring plate bracket, depending on whatever geometry your setup has. It helps if you can imagine the instant center location. Lets say the instant center is an imaginary point in the middle of the door. Follow the line of your cal-tracs and see if it would lead to this imaginary point. I think you just need to try the different adjustments and see how the car reacts.

I think that what makes Cal-Tracs work better than a typical traction bar is the geometry. They are custom made for the application. If you take away that geometry, they're no better than a $30 set of Lakewood slapper bars. The geometry of the Cal-Tracs has a definite effect on the way the tire is planted and the way in which weight is transfered.

Good luck!

Why would you remove a leaf spring? I havent heard this =/

I can cut 2.0 60' times on Dunlop GT Qualifiers 255 60 R15s with a real set of Cal-Tracs. I suspect you need to play with the adjustment a little more.

You remove the spring pad to make the springs softer. You really don't want that with a stock spring though. You don't want the rear to squat. I would move the backs up, it may help buy moving the IC forward. Only problem is you are trying to hook with street tires. No matter how well the bar are working, if you aren't transfering weight, it just won't help much. I run the ones I made and they work well, but have the whole package. I just don't see caltracs being anything more than expensive anti-wheelhop bars without slicks, or something else to help. Don't get me wrong, I love mine. But they are made to plant the tires. But you are trying to get hard rubber to grab, with alittle amount of force. I think even DR would show you a world of difference. Maybe not a dead hook, but a better 60ft for sure.

......STICKY tires, put a set of et streetsd on there and i bet ya cut a 1.6

what shocks are you using? You may try switching to rancho2000 shocks if your budget allows?

Your tires should not be losing traction at 5000rpm...unless there is some kind of spike in your power band or torque curve.

i battle with wheelhop too, and i have the same situation where i mash it and it doesnt hop but then i spin through the 60' marker without and cut like a 2.3 time....but my trap is 106...so i ran with a pair of slicks that my friend let me borrow and you wouldnt beleive the time difference, so if ur setup is similar to mine, tires are the way to go