The need for traction

[bcjjones]

I have a 95’ single cab with a built 383 and a weiand 177. Carb motor. Probably making close to 500 wheel I would guess.

It’s got a 2/4 lowering kit, cal tracs and some street radial 275’s. Stock diff with a Yukon limited slip. 3.73 gears and an AR5 5 speed trans swap.

Stock style shocks.

I need some help on getting the power to the ground. Even with cal tracs and radials I can absolutely blow the tires off. Any input? Is there a good shock package to run that would help?

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

Pickup trucks are notorious for being light in the tail, so move weight rearward. Put the battery and fuel cell behind the rear axle. Next, wider and stickier rubber.
Other than that, get creative with additional static weight.

Shock absorbers control the oscillation of the springs, thus dampening wheel hop. Do you have wheel hop? If so, you neglected to say...

 

[alignman88]

Weight has to be allowed to transfer by getting the suspension moving at the proper rates front and rear. Double adjustable shocks are the key. Double adjustable shocks allow the compression and rebound actions to be controlled separately.

You want the front shocks to extend (rebound) quickly which allows weight to transfer to the rear tires as the rear shocks compress. If the fronts rise too quick or hit their limits it will suddenly unload the rears resulting in tire shake/loss of traction. Finding the right combination between front and rear rates of compression and rebound in relation to each other is the key to get started.

As for your CalTracs and their adjustment, being able to find your center of gravity and instant center in correlation to your anti-squat line is something you need to learn. You really don’t want the rear to “squat and plant” like you’ve always heard people say. You want the axle torque to drive the front hanger down, that’s why CalTracs pivot at the front causing separation (ant-squat) between the frame rail and axle centerline. And it doesn’t hurt to have access to some 4 corner scales. If your serious they’re worth the money as well as double adjustable coilovers, it’s all about what the wallet can tolerate.

I hear good things about Viking adjustable shocks for budget conscious buyers. The guys from Street Racing Channel with the S10 can get hooked up on a dirt road with stock suspension front and rear.

Kevin Wilson does a tremendous job of braking it all down with simple videos and simple drawings.

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