Caltrac Time!

[74 340 4speed]

Well, I got home this afteroon and found a box full of goodies!      I did a pre-assembly in the living room just to see how everything went together and made sure I had all the parts and pieces.  It looks like this is all I'm going to be able to do this weekend.  It has been pouring rain all week and is going to continue throughout the weekend. 

I took the factory rear sway bar off the car last weekend, cleaned it up and repainted it.  I also picked up a set of poly urathane sway bar bushings and endlinks for it.  I had a friend weld the new bushing brackets onto the bracket that bolts onto the car.

The part #s for the bushings and endlinks are:

9-8118 END LINK SET 2-7/8"                                     
                     
9-5156 SWAY BUSH SET 3/4"

[brads70]

Looking good! Be sure to post more pictures of it all installed?

[moparniac]

I had caltracs on my chally and now on my dart..... You wanna set them up with you in the car on the pre load...... start out 1 flat on dr side and 2 flats on pass side..... My chally left straight this way ony time at the track... for caltracs to work properly you need 5"'s of front end travel..... need any other help with them just pm me 

[74 340 4speed]

Thanks for the info Stroker!  I'll send you a PM if I get hung up on something.  I went to town to get some new bolts for the front spring eyes and when I got back my shackles w/poly bushings had arrived from Mancini. 

[74 340 4speed]

I got the old suspension removed today as well as the dana.  I cleaned up the rear and put a fresh coat of paint on it.  I'll be putting it back together tomorrow.  Man I didn't think disassembly would be that bad, but it is a lot for one man.   

[74 340 4speed]

I finished up the install today.  I have a few places I need to touch up on the dana and I need to bolt the exhaust back on but I can do that next weekend.  I'm glad I my dad helped out with putting it back together.  Otherwise I would still be out there. 

[larry4406]

How speed bump /street friendly is this setup?  The linkage/pivots foward of the tire seem pretty low.

[moparniac]

Extremely freindly in my opinion! He needs to change to better shocks though...... When your riding around and may here some clanking its the top pin that presses the pre load on the spring.... Just pust a piece of fuel line hose around the pin 

[74 340 4speed]

Yea, I was thinking about shocks last night. The shocks on the car now are just generic parts store units that I put on to get the car drivable.  I don't want an all out drag shock, but something in the middle would be nice.  How about the 9 way adjustible ranchos on the back and a set of bilstiens up front?

How speed bump /street friendly is this setup?  The linkage/pivots foward of the tire seem pretty low.

I haven't driven it yet so I don't know.

[moparniac]

Your Setup is wrong!

[moparniac]

 

[74 340 4speed]

thanks for the info.  the handout that came with my setup didn't have any information in it concerning the shock installation.  it was a very generic pamplet that had the system modeled in a cad program.

[74 340 4speed]

I got the issues corrected that stroker mentioned and reinstalled my exhaust yesterday.  I took it out for a drive and what a difference!!!  The car acts completely different under w.o.t.  The rear raises upwards just slightly, the car tracks straight, and feels solid.  Before it would squat and pull to the left just slightly in 1st and 2nd.  That issue is completely gone now.  The ride quality has improved.  Before it was bumpy and alot of vibration was transmitted into the car.  Now it is very smooth when I'm crusing.  No vibration or harsh ride.  It transmits a little vibration when decelerating, but I expected some due to the way it is designed.  Overall, I am very happy with the results and I would definitely do it again.