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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
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    Central California
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    Default leaf car questions

    hey everyone. thanks in advance for the help.so we bought a nova last year did pretty well in it, 3 feature wins..., anyway, this year i want to step it up a bit. i have yet to scale the car cause i know nothing about the % to run.----ill start with the car3200# rule lead allowed - we weighed closer to 3380 at the track---900 LF 1000RF----200 LR 175RR----we will be using QA-1 this year (havent yet) 7/7 LF 7/3RF 3/5 LR 4/4 RR. --- 215/225/235 70 series 15" tires allowed 7" wheels beadlock ok. --- we run 225's on left and 235's on right so far. -- 2" offsets in front 3 " in back - in feature we normally go to 2" LR with 1/4" - 1/2" for tightening. -- track is 1/4 mile high banked - usually rough and very dry slick for feature. --- problems i noticed last year - car was tight in center which made us loose off exit. we added a spacer to the LF and moved some lead high and to the Right Rear which seemed to help, but im still looking for more bite as others can get into the gas harder and sooner than i can . making me need to run them down-- what do you guys think?? i hear all these tricks with cutting and modifying leafs and using different control arms up front to help with cast/camber but i don't know what they are
    Last edited by Wrenchead84; 11-03-2016 at 12:40 PM.
    LEAF SPRING NATION!!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    185

    Default

    Are you leading the LR at all?
    If your driving on the edge, you are trespassing on my property!!!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Central California
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    Default

    im guessing youre talking about rear steer? rearend is square within 1/16th of an inch
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Pennsylvania
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    Default

    Put the LR ahead 3/8". I would also put 2" offsets on both left side tires and 3" offsets on right. How much stagger are you running? You really need to scale the car to know how much LR bite you have and how much rear and cross is in the car.
    Last edited by klv8lm; 11-03-2016 at 05:47 PM.
    If your driving on the edge, you are trespassing on my property!!!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Central California
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by klv8lm View Post
    Put the LR ahead 3/8". I would also put 2" offsets on both left side tires and 3" offsets on right. How much stagger are you running? You really need to scale the car to know how much LR bite you have and how much rear and cross is in the car.
    i starting to realize the scaling is super important. i have yet to scale the car. other than knowing how much lead i had to add to be legal. running a 225 on the left and a 235 on the right, i'm guessing the stagger is a little over 1/2"
    LEAF SPRING NATION!!

  6. #6
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    Nov 2016
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    Central California
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    Default

    I should also mention the car is currently getting a new rear frame an built. So it's in the tear down phase. But I need a starting point for my percentages for when we start putting lead back in the car
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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Pennsylvania
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    Default

    This is just a starting point and you will have to go from there 52-53 % rear. 51-52% Left and 51-52 % cross. Also Measure your tires, I have seen an inch difference in the same size tire, try to get 2" if you can.
    If your driving on the edge, you are trespassing on my property!!!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Central California
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    Default

    sounds good thank you. ill re-post once the car is back together and we get it on the scales
    LEAF SPRING NATION!!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Central California
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    Default

    also, with the weights i have posted, would it be better to go with a softer front shock setup like a 5/5 LF 5/3 RF or keep the firmer ones i posted earlier which were 7/7 LF 7/3 RF??
    LEAF SPRING NATION!!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Pennsylvania
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    Default

    Try both and see what you like better.
    If your driving on the edge, you are trespassing on my property!!!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Central California
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    Default

    That's a costly venture . What would running the softer shocks do vs. the stiffer shocks
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  12. #12
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    Feb 2008
    Location
    Pennsylvania
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    Default

    Softer shock will speed up the motion
    If your driving on the edge, you are trespassing on my property!!!

  13. #13
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    Nov 2016
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    Central California
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    Default

    So more dive and more weight transfer?
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  14. #14
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    Feb 2008
    Location
    Pennsylvania
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    Default

    Not really more, just quicker..
    If your driving on the edge, you are trespassing on my property!!!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Central California
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by klv8lm View Post
    Put the LR ahead 3/8". I would also put 2" offsets on both left side tires and 3" offsets on right. How much stagger are you running? You really need to scale the car to know how much LR bite you have and how much rear and cross is in the car.
    wont leading the LR make the car even more loose on exit?
    LEAF SPRING NATION!!

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    511

    Default

    old school way to check for bite is to lay a socket on its side on the pad of the floor jack, center the jack on the rear end bump, then jack it up carefully (takes some practice) and you should see the LR tire come off the ground 1st, then continue until you can just barely slip paper under the RR tire. Then measure the gap under the LR.
    then make your adjustments and watch how the measurement changes. the more the gap the tighter it'll be, the less the gap the looser.
    kind of OKIE, but when you don't have scales, it's better than nuttin, lol

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Posts
    106

    Default

    Are you sure you don't have that backwards? The RR should rise first because the LR has more weight on it (bite).

  18. #18
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    Nov 2016
    Location
    Central California
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    Default

    ^^^ thats what i was thinking??
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  19. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    511

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by superstock50 View Post
    Are you sure you don't have that backwards? The RR should rise first because the LR has more weight on it (bite).
    LOL, I do, My apologies !

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    164

    Default

    My first time around a race car and we didn't know anything about set ups. A late model guy told us to bring our car to his shop and he would help us. He said we had to start every weekend with a base line and he recommended the Budweiser set up!! Lol he took a bud can and the right front ride height was set at the top ring on the beer can, the left front 1/2" less. Then he did as described above with a jack and a steel bearing, the first step was when the tire on the left rear cleared the ground, you rolled the can under the right rear, it should just clear the tire. If still loose after that then the next week, adjust till you can stand the can up. Made a world of difference in the car. Course the very first thing he did was line the front end up with camber, caster and toe. Our car was a Nova with leaf springs and the right rear shock was critical.

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