Hi all, we finally got the Valiant to the track. And she can't hook up. Some of this may be our novice driving skills, but the torque/turbo spools instantly. Either your burning out or creeping. With 6 pounds of boost.

I think we need slicks? Any recommendation on brands, sizes and vendors?? I'm thinking about going to the Espo 6 leaf springs and bigger torsion bars just for general driving manners. Will that help?

Any other thoughts?

Cheers,
B
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9grJvZmqLxY

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These ones go to eleven...

Slicks will help will help the tires from spinning once they've been burned off after the water box...Better leaf springs are good, going to an adjustable pinion snubber will also help if the axle tends to climb or the leaf springs wrap up (and you can set it at the strip for racing, then lower it back for street driving if needed).

Slick size is going to be limited to your available wheel well, and you can special order them from your local tire stores (America's Tire, Schwabs, etc...). To keep the torque in check and if the well permits it, you may want to go to a larger diameter tire (so if those are 24", 26" may help by artificially adjusting the rear ratio...)

2 cents...

-D.Idiot

Thanks DI,
How do I figure out the widest and biggest tire that will fit? My front tires occasionally rub on corners since I slightly overshot the tire size.

Also where can I get the adjustable snubbers?

Hope to see you all at the track... Mopar Nationals?? Knock on wood.

B

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These ones go to eleven...

I put the car on level ground under regular load/street stance, and pull out the tape measure and determine how much more tire will fit in the wheel well minding the fact I may need a new rim or better offset to make it work if it's "over sized"...same goes for diameter...see if the tire is OK if 1-2" taller at the top of the well...then I go to town with the tire catalog...If you are a nice guy, and the tire counter guy likes you, you can have them mount a similar sized street tire on your rim and see if it will fit in the well, then make an adjustment up or down...
Summit Racing has some available, if you are on the cheap and have a welder, you can modify a stock snubber with some square tube and holes and use an old rubber A-arm bumper for the nose (that's what I have under my duster now, I adjust it up to 1/2" of the pan when racing, and if driving else where I drop it down a few inches).

2 cents

-D.Idiot

Thanks again DI,

I found the adjustable pinion snubbers at Summit, they are for the 8.75 will they work with my 8.25?

I took some measurements with Josh and we were inclined to think that 15 by 7 cop car wheels might work with 235/60/15 tires.

I was hoping that one of our racers might know what they can shoe horn in the wheel well of the 60-62 A Bodies?

Fingers crossed that we'll finally make some of the races this summer!!!

Cheers,
Barnaby

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These ones go to eleven...

I have used that size in 63-66 A-bodies, but not the earlier cars, which should be easier. I have Goodyear Eagle DOT slicks in 235/60-15 on Weld Rodlites 15X8 (5.5" backspacing and I run about 1/2" wheel spacer with long studs) and they work very well. You can get the tire fairly close to the leaf spring (1/4") and then you will not have wheelwell-tire contact. This is a much bigger problem on 63-up Darts and Valiants.

I would say that 6 leafs will be too stiff for good launches, and stiffer T-bars will also work against traction on the dragstrip. I have newish 5 leaf springs on my heavy 68 Dart and I pulled out the bottom leaf.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

If it is just blowing the tires off anything you do will just be a band aid. You will need to move up to at least an ET Street or Drag Radial if you don't want to go to slicks. If you are determined to stay with a real street tire Cal-Tracs will help, but you will still probably blow the tires off when the boost hits.

As Lou said, bigger T-bars will kill weight transfer, and you will need all you can get.

To figure out how much wheel/tire you can get under the car, put it up on stands with the tires off, stands under the axle tubes so weight is on the suspension. Drop stringlines down even with the inside of the wheel lip, and the inner wheel house. The distance from one string to the other is the room you have, and deduct 1/2" per side for clearance. Measure from you face of the axle flange to the inner string for backspacing. Minus 1/2" there too.

I used to run a 245/60-15 under my '66 on a 15X8 w/5" BS. I did have to trim some wheel well lip off, but as Lou said, you will have more room.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Fat chicks in the back seat? Just an idea.

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66 Lil' Red Piggie Valiant (Mater Crusher) - Thanks Zilla!!!!! 72 Demon (Number 1 Son's)

I had 28 X 9 X 15 M/T slicks on my white 62 Valiant at one time. I might have adjusted the bottom front of the wheel well with a hammer. It doesn't sound like you intend to go that big in diameter anyway. The important thing is to coordinate your tire cross section and wheel back spacing so that the back of the tire just clears the leaf spring. Zilla is right about the type of tire being more important than the size. M/T makes some drag radials that work as good as slicks.

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If you didn't drive it there, it's not a street car.

I use Nitto Drag Radials on my Duster and they seem to work fairly well.
(if I can keep a clutch intact long enough to use them).

FYI.

-D.Idiot

Thanks for the feed back. I'm now shopping for the slicks which I'll probably buy at a shop since I'll need a shop to mount them.

What about the adjustable snubber? Summit list a snubber for the 8.75, will it also work with the 8.25? Or maybe work with a little fabrication??

Cheers,
B

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These ones go to eleven...

If you use real tube-type slicks with no tread you may get busted by track tech if you don't have a driveshaft safety loop. It is an NHRA requirement. I would use the M/T ET Street tires and avoid tubes, screws, tech issues and having to change tires at the track.

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Joshua

Thanks Josh, Sounds like I need to brush up on track rules...
Cheers,
B

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These ones go to eleven...

Depending on your wheel choice you may also need longer wheel studs, even with street tires.

Yes, the rulebook is your friend.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Depending how hard the car "hits" when you launch, the snubber may crush the floor where it hits. That area may need some re-inforcement. Ryan's Dart (4-speed & slicks) bent up that area pretty good. The snubber did work fine though!

Rick

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

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