Ardent Fabrication Autocross Truck

[ArdentFab]

Rear gear?

Stock 3.42

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[sewlow]

I went from those to a set of 3.73's, 10 years after I bought my '98.
Should of done that the day after I got it! Big difference. Pulled way better through 1st. & 2nd., which is what sounds like your using in those vids.
You'll notice an even bigger improvement with those short tires. Mine are 29" tall. IIRC, that size you're running is 26".

 

[ArdentFab]

Yea, I'm planning on getting a Truetrac eventually and get the 3.73 gears with them. It was just out of the budget this round.

Correct, my 295/50/15 are just about 26.6" diameter.

I have another autocross this coming Sunday, 3/24/2019, and I'm hoping I get a chance to install my rear sway bar. Have the template for the brackets drawn out, just need to make 'em and burn 'em in.

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[wiscomick]

Being a Wisconsin guy, the only thing I saw in those pics was the absolute non-existence of any rust, hahaha

 

[ArdentFab]

Being a Wisconsin guy, the only thing I saw in those pics was the absolute non-existence of any rust, hahaha

Haha for a 30 year old truck, it ain't bad!

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[Supercharged111]

Diff should be one of your top priorities here. Increasing front spring rate will increase understeer, look into an 8 lug 5+overload leaf pack for the rear and yank the overload like you have with this one. If it's too much, you can always drop it down to 4, but should help balance the truck with junkyard parts.

 

[ArdentFab]

Diff should be one of your top priorities here. Increasing front spring rate will increase understeer, look into an 8 lug 5+overload leaf pack for the rear and yank the overload like you have with this one. If it's too much, you can always drop it down to 4, but should help balance the truck with junkyard parts.

I appreciate the input but I think I have to disagree a bit. Stiffer front spring rates will help in more than one way with reduced body roll, brake dive, weight transfer, etc. all which contribute to understeer. As for the rear, trucks are typically over sprung because they're intended to haul/carry/tow stuff. Without any weight in the back, it's really too stiff. (Some drag S10's actually remove the smallest spring in the pack to get it to hook up better).

My truck doesn't push anywhere near as it did before but it does still get a lot of body roll. I'm actually fabricating a set of brackets so I can install the suburban rear sway bar. After I get the stiffer springs in the front I'm going to get a thicker front sway bar as well.

Reducing the amount of transition time side-to-side in an autocross course is the name of the game. Hence, stiff spring rates and stiff sway bars. As well as wide a tire you can fit and afford under your fenders [emoji106]

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[Supercharged111]

Half tons are anything but oversprung out back especially with an overload delete. I can't speak to your setup as you have indicated other variables, but overall increasing spring rate decreases traction. As you have indicated, race cars run stiffer springs for other reasons. Don't be surprised if you add more bar and more spring up front and it plows like a dump truck. Reduced sway does not add as much grip as the right balance of springs and bars, but it does make the truck a lot easier to deal with especially with all the transitions an autox course has.

 

[ArdentFab]

Sure thing, well I appreciate it!

Stay tuned and check out the videos so you can see the results [emoji106]

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[sewlow]

The trucks that came factory with front & rear sway bars utilize a smaller bar in the front than trucks that were equipped with just the front bar. GM's method of slightly compensating for just having the one.