My new Slide-a-Links

[Scotty_S-15]

OK, so I tried out my new Slide-a-Links last night. They work, I guess. Seems no better, no worse than using my old setup, which was using the Mopar pinion snubber, and beefed & clamped pass. side spring. And I put on a brand new set of MT Drag Radials, 275-50-15, same as the old tires. Smoked \'em up real good to break them in.

.......... Results: 7 passes, hooked perfect only twice, both 1.67 60 ft times. But I was doing a lot of experimenting with tire pressure, etc. So I\'m still not happy with my launch.

........... The good news: I removed the pinion snubber, removed the extra leaf and clamps from the pass. side, and it rides MUCH nicer now. I forgot how much that old setup was binding up my suspension. Also, it isn\'t THAT much of a pain to adjust the bars before and after racing for the drive home. I just threw a piece of cardboard in the bed so I don\'t have to lay in all the grease, stones, cig. butts, oil, and spit.http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

........... My next move: I think I\'m gonna try removing a leaf from each rear spring to lower it a bit. Also, I\'m thinking I might play with the vac. secondary adjustment to bring it in a little later. I might also play with the Slide-a-Link\'s preload adjustment.

............ Any other ideas?

[KustomCorp]

WHAT IS THIS \"SLIDE A LINK\" YOU SPEAK OF?

[Scotty_S-15]

Oh yeah, Slide-a-Links.... Traction bars made by Competition Engineering. Here\'s the link:





Slide-a-Link (http://www.competitionengineering.com/catalog/CategoryDisplay.asp?CatCode=13116)

[bratass]

WWW.competitionengineering.com/catalog/images/c2090c2092_inst.pdf This will let you read about them or at least thats how I look at them http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif Im not real good with computers or I would fix it as a click on or something http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif looks like I was too slow

[Scotty_S-15]

Oh, and did I mention that the 3 hr. installation took about 100 hours? (slight exaggeration)

Some of the \"highlights\":

* On the first spring, I pressed out the wrong spring bushing, using my large vise, mangling the bushing in the process. Luckily I saved the front bushing when I pressed it out and re-used it. Then pressed the aluminum bushings in the front spring eyes. This job stressed my poor old vise to the max.

* Because I\'ve got the Mopar rear, larger U-bolt centers, had to enlarge the spring pad/plate holes. That\'s a really thick plate...

* Because of the Mopar rear, & narrowed slightly, and the large backing plates, had to trim the spring pad for clearance. Break out the Porta-Band, and saw some meat off.

* That plate\'s gotta be OK now.... no wait, the plate center hole that allows clearance for the leaf spring center bolt isn\'t large enough.... That had nothing to do with it being a Mopar rear...?

* Noticed that the front spring eye bracket clamps on the main spring, but it also clamps the second spring, but only by 3/8\" or so. I know THATS no good. It\'d bind the suspension or worse. Take springs all apart, and cut down that one leaf on each side 1-1/2\" or so.

* Almost done, but to re-install the shocks, I\'ve got to remove the metal insert on the lower shock bushings. WTF? The shocks are old, but good. You know those metal bushing are rusted in. A tough battle, but I won. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

........... Nothing to it. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[Skeeter74]

I had some of the same problems you did my truck has a ford 9 inch. had to do quite a few modifications. I talked some people who have used these and they told me how they had there\'s adjusted. The instructions say to set them at 2 rounds of preload. They did not work that great. I talked to a couple of people and they told me to tighten them up until the bushing starts to bulg a little. works like a dream now.

[Scotty_S-15]

On 2005-08-27 17:19, Skeeter74 wrote:........................ I talked to a couple of people and they told me to tighten them up until the bushing starts to bulge a little. works like a dream now.



When the bushings start to buldge? That\'d be an easy adjustment to judge with the wrenches. That\'d probably be about the same time as when your EYES start to bulge http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

........ But seriously, thanks for that. I was thinking that that\'s what I needed to do, preload them more.

.......... And as for the mods I had to make to get the bars installed, I wasn\'t really upset about it, because nothing ever goes smoothly for me. I expect the worst, and I\'m rarely surprised with an easy job. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

[carkiller]

yah.......but your not getting the axle flex that you were on the old setup, are you?



man, you spent some cash this summer huh,lol http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif i think i spent a small fortune myself. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

[Scotty_S-15]

On 2005-08-29 21:27, carkiller wrote:

yah.......but your not getting the axle flex that you were on the old setup, are you?



man, you spent some cash this summer huh,lol http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif i think i spent a small fortune myself. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif



Regarding the Axle flex, that was pretty much the reason I switched to the Slide-a-Links, hoping that\'d go away. The tires seem to be wearing evenly now, but probably too soon to tell.... but the good news is, the rubber is accumulating on the lower rear quarters evenly.... not like before.

...... regarding the cash spent.... I like to think that I\'m single handedly bolstering our economy.... http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[carkiller]

just a thought for you fulltime racers......i replaced the poly bushing with aluminum ones i had a friend make for me. i have found the chassis IS more tunable and CONSISTANT.....

[BrickTop]

when i\'m about to leave to go work on my truck, i always tell my wife, \"oh, don\'t worry, whatever i\'m doing shouldn\'t be that hard, it shouldn\'t take that long, and then it everything goes wrong, and its like the hardest thing i ever had to work on! takes forever! i end up having to custom make some stuff-never fails. although.............this time of engine/tranny installation has gone remarkably smooth-meaning, it was a terrible pain in the ass, but just not a horrible, awful, impossible to accomplish terrible pain in the ass. ha! of course there is always more to be done, but after i get all the little stuff buttoned up, i\'m going to put off all the other major stuff til next spring or this winter. whew, ready to just drive my truck and enjoy it!

[ZeroGravity58]

i thought about buying a set of slide a links but i was unsure. my best 60\' was 1.72 with the MT ET street radials. I also found with the that my truck hooks good with only 13 PSI in them. Im runnin a 275/40/17 but with 13PSI and heating them up good hook pretty well.

[bowtie316]

Scotty, any update? Anyone else tried the aluminum bushing? What about preload- how much has been working for people? I set mine up the way the instructions say. About one turn on drivers side and 1.5 on pass. It spins worse now. No wheelhop though. Any suggestions? I\'m trying to get these BFG radials to work for me, but I\'m getting tired of having to let out of the throttle.

[Scotty_S-15]

Bowtie: I heeded Skeeter\'s advice earlier in the thread and gave them more preload.

........ As for how well they work, dunno. Like I said earlier, they seem no better, no worse than the pinion snubber, & clamped right spring, with no bars.... BUT

......... Knock on wood, seems like the crazy/crooked tire wear problem is either gone, or lessened substantially.

.......... No traction with the BFGs? Drag Radials, I presume.... I have to get my MT Drag Radials HOT to get any results... 3rd gear burnouts, blipping WOT. I know, Ka-ching $ Ka-ching $.... http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[kreinhederta]

Have you tried the Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro tires yet? Of course they are not radials though. A friend of mine runs them on his Vega and they hook great. I am looking at using them also but with their wrinkle side walls I can pretty much guarantee my 10 bolt w/a spool and the Cal-racs won\'t last long.

[Scotty_S-15]

For what it\'s worth, I tried a set (wanna buy \'em?) of MT Sportsman Pros... 28X12.50-15s..... and they could, in no way, measure up to the MT Drag Radials. (275-50-15) Those Sportsman Pros look good \"on paper\", soft compound, wrinkle wall, etc.... but they didn\'t work for me. Must be the treads. Who the heck needs those damned treads.... http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[rayL]

Im also convinced that other than a ETstreet or ET slick you will not get a better hooking tire than a MT radial. As far as the slide a links working better. I feel if you was hooking good before then it wont change much.

[kreinhederta]

Scotty,

If they were 26\'s I would probably be able to use them, but with the 373\'s in the rear they are too tall don\'t you think. Not too mention I wish they would work because I need to get a set soon because I get off the ship early next week and go out on a 6 month deployment in May and would like to not have to buy a new set of tires and let them sit around that long. By the way what motor set-up are you running, I would like to run in the same #\'s as you do.

[Scotty_S-15]

Kreinhederta: The fact that the tires were tall is part of the reason I got them.... as an experiment. I normally use 26\" tires. The other reason is the treads that the Sportsman Pro has.

........ . Since I drive to the track without a support vehicle, I can\'t haul around a jack and extra tires, etc. So if it rains, it can be hazardous driving bald (practically) tires in the wet. But since those tires sucked for me, I gotta tough it out & watch the weather reports. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

........... I PM\'d you my setup......

[bowtie316]

You\'re right RayL, If I were hooking good before I wouldn\'t expect any change. But a 1.86 60\' (fluke) isn\'t hooking good. Most were between 1.96 and 2.00. I\'ve got drag shocks, battery and fuel cell in the bed,and a spool. These tires (bfg drag radials 275 60 15)may be old, I bought them on Ebay. They feel pretty soft. Also, my frontend is heavy, I got a/c still and swaybar.



I ran 28x12.50 sportsman pros last year and they weren\'t any better. I think I will try them again next time I go.



I hear really good things about the m/t drag radials. Thing is I\'m a little scared that if I buy them, they still won\'t do what I want. I guess I need to bite the bullet and put in a driveshaft loop and slap some slicks on it. I would really like to make it hook with radials but I have absolutely no suspension tuning skills.

[Scotty_S-15]

Bowtie, maybe you should have someone video your launch up-close or zoomed in. Maybe that could tell you something. If you could get a decent 60 ft., you\'d be flying.

.......... What is your launch specifics & strategy? Stick? Trans-brake? converter stall? Launch from idle? etc.

......... Even with a 4K converter, I find I launch best stabbing it from a 1,200 idle with a vacuum secondary carb. Why? I dunno. Maybe a smoother transition from no HP to max HP? Best 60 ft. of 1.61. Another truck might benefit from doing everything opposite. Tricky business, the launch. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_mad.gif

........ As it is now, I\'m seeking consistency.

[bowtie316]

Well i\'m running the stock converter because I want to take advantage of the low rpm torque that a nitrous shot produces. But, even without a shot it spins. I seem to have the best luck pulling the motor up to about 1500 rpm with the footbrake and then full throttle. I have tried leaving from an idle but it just spins. I will try some things, hopefully something works. I also have a step rev limiter that I tried a couple times. It seemed to make the motor pull stronger out of the hole but made traction problems worse. I will have to play with it at the track.

[grimpuppy]

On 2006-03-16 19:58, Scotty_S-15 wrote:

For what it\'s worth, I tried a set (wanna buy \'em?) of MT Sportsman Pros... 28X12.50-15s..... and they could, in no way, measure up to the MT Drag Radials. (275-50-15) Those Sportsman Pros look good \"on paper\", soft compound, wrinkle wall, etc.... but they didn\'t work for me. Must be the treads. Who the heck needs those damned treads.... http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif





When I bought my MT drag radials, I let the tire shop keep the MT sportsman pros that came off. That\'s how bad they sucked for me. The drag radials don\'t spin at all on the hot rod, was a pedal fest with the sportsman pros. I could break them loose at 30 mph on the street.

[rayL]

im running radials also. Have been 1.36 60 ft on them. The way i decided on a tire is not by hearsay though. I went to the track and looked at what all the \"bigboys\" were running other than the obvious slicks. THEN i seen a 1400hp pro charged stock suspension mustang plant 325/50 drag radials and drag the bumper out the 60 ft. I was sold. If the track isnt decent you can hang it up though. The difference is the radials are stiff where as a slick is really soft in the sidewall.