I have just come across an issue that has me wondering which way would be better to go, considering my plans for future ET goals, and want your opinions.
A couple weeks ago I found some extra power and a clutch setting that I was not ready for and dropped my 9" pinion on the track. I knew I was walking a thin and fragile line without any traction bars and accepted my punishment. I have ran a best of 11.08 @ 122 with a Jerico and was getting 1.45 60' with a c4 before I switched to the 4 speed. My current wheel and tire setup has the 26x9 slicks just kissing the finder lip on launch and the inside rubbing the back side of the stock wheel wella at the top end.
Anyway I have since made a set of cal trac bars and when I pulled the springs out of the front mounts I found that the driver side frame rail is pretty much rotted away. With the spring in place it looked like it had been beat on with a ball peen but nothing to make me think it had rusted through the sides.
I was ok with just putting the cal tracs on with my 5 leaf springs set until I could afford to start building for my next goals. Now I think I might let it sit for a few months to build up a budget and push ahead. I was planning to wait a couple years and build a big inch windsor to push me into the 9s. Along with that I'd need to mini tub it, narrow the rear and at least relocate the springs to the inside of the frame rail to fit 28x10.5 the way I want them to. I'm also thinking that I would need to drop the rear to offset the extra height over my current 26" tires.
I was thinking that with wanting to lower the car back to its current ride height I would go with ladder bars and coil overs.
What would you guys do? Repair the frame rail and leave the springs with caltracs for now. Repair the rail and modifiy the rear half, if needed, to fit a deep tub (possibly a Wolfe Race Craft late model tub) with moving the springs for the bigger tires. Or back half the car and go with the ladder bars and tubs.
A couple weeks ago I found some extra power and a clutch setting that I was not ready for and dropped my 9" pinion on the track. I knew I was walking a thin and fragile line without any traction bars and accepted my punishment. I have ran a best of 11.08 @ 122 with a Jerico and was getting 1.45 60' with a c4 before I switched to the 4 speed. My current wheel and tire setup has the 26x9 slicks just kissing the finder lip on launch and the inside rubbing the back side of the stock wheel wella at the top end.
Anyway I have since made a set of cal trac bars and when I pulled the springs out of the front mounts I found that the driver side frame rail is pretty much rotted away. With the spring in place it looked like it had been beat on with a ball peen but nothing to make me think it had rusted through the sides.
I was ok with just putting the cal tracs on with my 5 leaf springs set until I could afford to start building for my next goals. Now I think I might let it sit for a few months to build up a budget and push ahead. I was planning to wait a couple years and build a big inch windsor to push me into the 9s. Along with that I'd need to mini tub it, narrow the rear and at least relocate the springs to the inside of the frame rail to fit 28x10.5 the way I want them to. I'm also thinking that I would need to drop the rear to offset the extra height over my current 26" tires.
I was thinking that with wanting to lower the car back to its current ride height I would go with ladder bars and coil overs.
What would you guys do? Repair the frame rail and leave the springs with caltracs for now. Repair the rail and modifiy the rear half, if needed, to fit a deep tub (possibly a Wolfe Race Craft late model tub) with moving the springs for the bigger tires. Or back half the car and go with the ladder bars and tubs.
