Thinking of ordering these, since I don't feel like making them myself:
http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...130+4294925129

what do you think? how many should I get? one on each side?

For those who have done this mod, please post pics and give impressions.

 

bump

 

Linky no worky ...

 

I think he is talking about the Mr. Gasket Leaf Spring Clamps

At $11.99 each



You will need two of them, one for each spring, I never used them, but many do.

 

FWIW, I know they sell these at Pep Boys.

 

Leaf spring clamps have been around for a very long time and look like an easy fix to improve traction. And they will, but at the expense of ride and suspension compliance. Go over a bump and the rear end comes off the ground. Don't do it in a corner, or the truck goes sideways. The clamps work by preventing the individual leaves from sliding on each other and effectively make the five leaf spring pack into one big leaf. The supension rate (or stiffness) goes out of sight. The problem with leaf springs is that they go "S" shaped on acceleration. The pinion nose rises, the front half of the spring arcs upwards and the rear half arcs downwards. The driveshaft and the u-joints don't really like that change in angle. The clamps have to be thought of as a patch, not a fix. If you want to put 'em on when you get to the track, make your passes and take them off, they'll work as intended. Otherwise, buy traction bars. They too, will stiffen the ride, but at least they leave some compliance while doing a much better job of controlling the pinion angle.

 

I only clamp down the first two.

With stock tires the clamps work better, at least for me.
With just clamps I have cut many 1.8 60's. The best so
far is a 1.82 but I have many 1.85s

When I put on the tractions bars (lakewoods) it hurt my
60's pretty bad.

Yes it does stiffen the ride but I guess I am use to it.

IMHO traction bars only hurt you when running stock F1's.
The only reason I put them on was to help with occassional
wheel hop. They didn't do squat for traction.

 

I had traction bars, took them off and went back to the spring clamps, I felt that they hooked up better on the street and it definately rides better... If I was running slicks I would probably go back to the bars to control pinion angle...

 

So kerno suggests using the clamps only for the track because they have a negative impact on handling.

0light1, do you have your clamps on all the time? do you notice a difference in handling with them on?

someone on SVT performance forums said he tor out his driveshaft at the track and that that spring clamps were the culprit... could this have any validity?

 

I suggested traction bars as a better solution, but didn't say what kind of traction bars. Not the Lakewood or "slapper" type. I'm talking about the slider type that go from the bottom of the forward spring eye to the bottom of the axle. The spring clamps will work with street tires and you can decide how many you want to put on. But one set or ten, they still let the pinion climb 'cause it is a lot easier to rotate the axle than to spin the tires.

 

Would the slider type help with stock tires?
I can tell you this for sure without traction bars I will get
wheel hop during my small burnout at least once during the night.
I have had it happen during launch maybe twice.

The traction bars will stop this but it truly hurts my 60's.


Hellspawn,
Yes, I leave them on all the time. The ride is a bit stiffer but it doesn't bother me at all.