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By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
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Can anyone provide me with a make/part # for a good set of racing shocks for the rear of my 56 Victoria? I have a set of traction master bars installed, but still get substantial wheel hop when I dump the clutch hard (even with radial tires). Now that my motor will be making a LOT more torque this summer, I want to try and eliminate this as much as possible. Thank you
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By charliemccraney - 9 Years Ago
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I don't know about shocks.
The Caltracs seem to be about the best thing out there for street/strip use. They eliminated the hop I had. They're adjustable, two positions for the bars, and preload. And judging by the number of guys who use them at Columbus, they actually work for racing, too.
I just saw that Calvert racing (maker of CalTracs) also have drag shocks. You can probably get them at Summit and Jegs
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By pegleg - 9 Years Ago
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Rob, Also try Summit Racing, Competition Engineering makes a drag race shock. The trick will be to find the contracted and extended lengths of the 56 and get them and the type of ends matched up. I use them on the red car and they work pretty well.
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By hjh - 9 Years Ago
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Rob Yes the Cal-Tracks are great.It kept the big Merc. from bouncing around. As far as I know you have to deal directly with Calvert Racing.Very good to deal with.Just go to their web site.At least they aren't in the deep freezer. Harry
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By PF Arcand - 9 Years Ago
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Don't know squat about Cal Tracs..however just read recently that to get them to work really well, it's importent to have lots of front wheel suspension travel.. Don't know it that's true? Just thought to throw it out there..
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By slumlord444 - 9 Years Ago
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I am wondering why you are having wheel hop problems with the tractionmasters. Had a homemade set on my '57 T-Bird back in the day and never had a problem. One thing that I did at the time was to replace the T-Bird rear springs with station wagon rear springs that have an extra leaf in them. Was the car sitting on the ground when you welded the front bracket to the frame?
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By pegleg - 9 Years Ago
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Slumlord, everything I've read or seen shows that the Caltracs do reduce the 60 foot time over the old standby, traction masters. I use the the traction masters because they are cheap. But i can still generate wheel hop by leaving to hard without My comp engineering shocks. And, that's on cheap radials. With a good , modern drag radial you'd probably break an axle without them. The Caltracs do plant the tire hard, but are not rigid. Bottom line seems to be they really work.
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By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
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Thanks to everyone for the replies! Slumlord, my Traction Master bars are the ones that bolt around the leaf spring just behind the front spring shackle. I should have maybe gone for the welded ones when I bought them. They were a GREAT improvement over the slapper bars, but not 100%. Now my new motor makes a lot more torque so I want to eliminate as much hop as possible, with out spending what little I have left in the bank!! lol (new motor depleted my budget!) LOL
Frank (or anyone) I emailed Cal-Trac to see if they could give me a part # for the shocks, but have not gotten a reply. Can anyone provide me with a part # from them or ones from Summit?
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By pegleg - 9 Years Ago
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I think Gary runs them on his 'Bird. He should know.
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By GREENBIRD56 - 9 Years Ago
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Rob - When you are getting the wheel hop, it comes from the drive shaft torque trying to lift the right rear wheel. the traditional way to deal with this was to stiffen the right rear spring (some 60's Mopars had an extra leaf). If you want your outfit to have a dual personality (street ride and drag traction) - think about adding air lift or air shocks - with isolated pressures. Weight jack the right rear with extra air pressure for racing - let it out for the ride home.
My old 442 likes to have 45 pounds in the right rear - 5 pounds in the left for max acceleration - and 5 in each for the ride home.
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By LordMrFord - 9 Years Ago
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To Steve...
That air shock thing never came in my mind.
I got too low car to go with traction bars and I allready have airshocks, so why not use unequal pressures. I just have to add second filling valve.
Thanks.
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By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
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Steve, That is a good Idea, never thought about that! However I have contacted Cal Tracs and was given two part #'s for shocks: #CR44116 12.5"compressed and 17.9" Extended OR #CR44130 14.5" Cmp. and 21.6" Ext.
Now my stock shocks have a measurement Extended Length = 20.75", Compressed length = 12.25". My car has 2" lowering blocks in the rear, so my thoughts are that I should use the shorter of the two CR44116 shocks as I would be more likely to bottom out on them as apposed to over extending them??? Any thoughts from anyone?
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By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
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Steve, just another thought as per your comments on air ride, these drag shocks are adjustable. So with that being said, I should stiffen up the right rear even when running on the street? ( I like to stand on it quite a bit!) LOL Anybody have any set point input for these shocks? Frank or Gary???
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By pegleg - 9 Years Ago
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Rob, Should be easy to check.Jack it up with the axle, measure from the top of the axle to the bump stop. Subtract that from the shock dimension on the car and you'll know what you need. I'd want to see the shock compressed dimension be a half inch or so shorter than the compressed dimension. Make sense?
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By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
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Thanks Frank, will give it a shot this weekend, then will order the shocks. I still think the shorter of the two will work better (at least in my head anyway!). LOL
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By Vic Correnti - 9 Years Ago
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Rob, I went through all this last year and I would add to buy double adjusting (extension and retraction). The cost might make you think twice but it beats paying twice to fix it. I have Caltracs, tried two new sets of springs, the cheap twist to adjust race shocks. Finally relocated the shocks to be vertical made two runs and adjusted the wheel hop out. I did not mention I have fought this for 50 years. Basically my factory shocks were mounted on too great of an angle.
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By PF Arcand - 9 Years Ago
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Rob: I gather your car is lowered, so a thing to keep in mind is clearance for a tire change. At least one shock supplier lists rear shocks for mid 50s Fords that are really to short on clearance, although in your case it's a question to keep in mind...
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By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
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Vic, that is an interesting point, never thought of shock angle! I think I am going to buy the CalTrac shocks as they have to be an improvement over the stock ones! Plus now that I am making more HP & torque, I may find that I just spin the tires more (since I only run street radials)!
Paul as per clearance, I don't think I will have a problem on the rear. When I lowered the rear of the car (2") I simply retained the stock rear shocks. I have never bottomed out on the rear of the car before. The front however is a different story! I am running gas, front shocks and on one return trip from Columbus I blew out BOTH front shocks! This was after hitting a CRATER (not a pot hole) in Detroit, on I-75! I hit so hard that a chunk of asphalt was stuck in my front cross member. To my surprise Napa warrantied the shocks, even after I told them what happened!
I guess like Vic says, this may be a trial and error thing and I guess the drag shocks should be a good start! I am hoping that someday, if budget allows, the rear leafs will disappear and a nice four link will go in!
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By Vic Correnti - 9 Years Ago
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Rob, you brought it up not me. "Four Link". I am using Strange Engineering coil over shocks I bought without the springs. I can buy the springs if I have to go that way.
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By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
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Vic,
I wish I could go four link at this time, but I am afraid that is not going to happen (not yet LOL). I have blown the budget on my motor for now, so I have placed an order for Cal Trac shocks. Going to try this first as the "poor man's" solution. I will let you know how it works. Four link would be a hopeful, future consideration. Thanks for the offer though Vic!
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By Canadian Hot Rodder - 9 Years Ago
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FYI, I just wanted to let people know this as it ticked me off! I canceled my order today for my CalTrac racing shocks from Calvert Racing, because when I first inquired about them, I was received an email with a part # and a quote for $118.00 a pair (US) for my rear shocks plus shipping. Today I receive a phone call telling me that they made a mistake and that they have to bill me $198.00 (US) EACH for my shocks plus shipping! Normally I wouldn't make a fuss, but that is a $278.00 difference, not to mention exchange and 13% Tax I have to pay on that! I think I will try and find a set of racing shocks locally, Thank you VERY much Calvert! 
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