Caltrac setup & discussion

Cat_rebel · Feb 7, 2012

Okay haven't seen a thread yet so figured I'd start one, for all the caltrac users out there that might be having issues getting their setup dialed in 100%. For the guys that can launch/burnout without hopping, how much preload do you have, what shocks are you running & what tires are you using?

91turbogsx · Feb 7, 2012

I just installed a set of Caltracs Saturday and was curious of this too. Haven't launched the truck yet but I had them set with the roll pin about a 1/16" away from the leaf on a level surface. I didn't want to have too much preload for DDing either.

Jeff@Spartan · Feb 7, 2012

I never really did much with mine. We installed them, I drove with them for a week or two, tightened them up some, and I went out and cut a 1.66 60 foot. My truck launched smoother than before when I had the Pro Comp bars. The best 60 foot I had before the CalTracs was a 1.71.

My setup was 5.4 coils up front, no rear block, stock shocks all the way around, and Toyo Proxes.

Cat_rebel · Feb 10, 2012

Do you ever get wheel hop playing around on the street?

Jeff@Spartan · Feb 11, 2012

No, but the truck wanted to get sideways a lot below 45 mph with a big tune loaded.

A lot of that I contribute to not having much weight in the rear also.

Kind · Feb 11, 2012

Generally start off with 3/4 turn preload. If they are left loose then they can't do their job.

My best 60ft(1.77) was with 2 turns preload, factory pinion angle, stock shocks and M&H drag radials. After that I twisted my pinion up, mostly due to a poor lowering kit design. Since then I have a much more aggressive pinion angle(-3), shocks from my lowering kit(garbage for launching), batteries moved behind axle and haven't improved upon 1.77. That's my fault though because I've been experimenting to much without being able to make enough passes to dial it in.

91turbogsx · Feb 11, 2012

I was worried about setting them too tight for a DD application. With the rear flexed out a bit there seems to be alot of stress on the bars. How much preload is too much?

wetnsloppy4x · Feb 11, 2012

Cat_rebel said:
Do you ever get wheel hop playing around on the street?

I do but, big time, but I've never played with them since I installed them. I left them about a quarter inch loose so I didn't have to mess with them hauling around 4 wheelers and stuff.

Anyone else running caltracs on a lifted truck? I've got the monster brackets but the bars are far from parallel to the ground.

wetnsloppy4x · Feb 11, 2012

91turbogsx said:
I was worried about setting them too tight for a DD application. With the rear flexed out a bit there seems to be alot of stress on the bars. How much preload is too much?

Oops. I guess that answered the lifted truck question judging from your sig.

Kind · Feb 11, 2012

91turbogsx said:
I was worried about setting them too tight for a DD application. With the rear flexed out a bit there seems to be alot of stress on the bars. How much preload is too much?

I don't believe there is a "too much" setting. It's what works best for that particular day at the track or daily driving.

To much preload and your ride will suffer and your truck won't squat properly. Not enough preload and the bars either won't do their job to their potential, as well if they are left to lose they can be noisy.

91turbogsx · Feb 11, 2012

wetnsloppy4x said:
Oops. I guess that answered the lifted truck question judging from your sig.

It's not for the truck in my sig. I have OUO traction bars. I have a frequent customer with a 08 6.4 who lets me do what I want to it. LOL as well as race it for him. But I also need to set it up for him to drive it regularly.

Wemoy1 · Feb 11, 2012

ok i have caltracs but need educated how do i preload the caltracs?

Cat_rebel · Feb 11, 2012

I got mine set with a slight (maybe 1/4 turn) preload, new monroe shocks & will wheel hop bad if you try taking off quick or doing a burnout. It doesn't ride too bad but, I can't preload em too much as the truck is my DD/work truck & our roads around here are full of bumps/potholes. I can't really play with em too much & dial em in till I get my trans built up though. I'm looking for ideas on setting up preload for the street & the track when I get my tranny done in a few months.

wetnsloppy4x · Feb 13, 2012

From what I've read about them setup will differ depending on what you're doing. Somewhere I saw where a trans brake car should have them preloaded some, where foot brake cars should have a little slack so you can plant the suspension.

Either way, the best thing to do is get your ride on a set of wheels scales. Supposedly you adjust them until you have equal weight on each rear tire then fine tune them in 1/8 turn increments from there until it hooks straight.

Wemoy1 · Feb 13, 2012

ok I dont have scales but ill count my turns and hope im close

WoodBoy · Feb 27, 2012

Installed a set on my buddies truck last night. We adjusted them snug and then backed off a hair, I remembered seeing 1/4 on here so i thought that was the gap yall was leaving between the springs and the piece that touches them. Anyways, in order to get them that close, we had to run the ends on out pretty good bit? Anyone else have that problem?

wetnsloppy4x · Feb 28, 2012

How much thread do you have exposed on the rod ends now?

I think it was me that mentioned having them adjusted to 1/4" of slack. They're not really effective adjusted this way. I only did that so I didn't have to fiddle with them while I was running a load in the truck. I had a stretch there where I was hooking to trailers and loading an ATV in the back of my truck pretty frequently for awhile.

Here is a pretty extensive discussion on Caltrac setup. It's mostly geared toward drag cars but you can learn a bunch about them in this thread. http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=288916

OneStockQuik6.0 · Mar 4, 2012

For best 60', Have any of you guys used rancho adjustable shocks in the front and strapping the front end?

UPINSMOKE · Mar 4, 2012

OneStockQuik6.0 said:
For best 60', Have any of you guys used rancho adjustable shocks in the front and strapping the front end?

I could be wrong but I thought MPD has them on Whitey.

Smokin6-0 · Mar 4, 2012

Would there be any advantage to running these on a truck that will only see beach use and normal street driving? I am lifting my obs and really think I only need to be worried about limiting axle wrap. I can where these would benefit a truck for helping it launch but not much else. Thoughts?