What the C3 REALLY needs
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 5,714
Likes: 6
From: Silver City NM
St. Jude Donor '05-'07
Originally Posted by Jeff 6T9
I should get some pics and post them by the middle of next week. Sorry I haven't gotten to it sooner.
Dep
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
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From: Corsicana, Tx
2020 C2 of the Year - Modified Winner
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I built up a Dana 60 IRS for my '67 and so far it's held up well to some mega rpm sidesteps with the 540 in front of it. It all bolts to stock mounts, uses stock trailing arms along with 3.5" halfshafts and 1480 series U-joints. Definitely not the easiest way to go, but hey...it's different! I did it in my driveway/garage. Took some work, but I pulled it off.
All that said, I have seen some guys in Super Stock racing with some creative solid axles under C-3's. They don't look "textbook" from a std design perspective, but watching them launch, proves they work. Probably the simplest one I saw, appeared to have taken the stock Vette trailing arms, cut off the part where axle stubs go through, and literally welded them solid to the 12 bolt housing. I would think a pivot point with an upper link would be better, but it seemed to work well with front tires dangling in the air on launch. Anyway, he appeared to have just limited the total travel similar to the way IRS guys do and had it going solid against snubbers on launch. He had made a new bracket for spring mount and still used the transverse leaf spring. If you didn't pay attention, you would think it still had an IRS in it. Since diff didn't move much, he probably didn't have to do too much for driveshaft clearance.
Take a trip to the next major event drag race and check out the Super Stockers. Might see some good ideas.
I'd like to see the pics too when they are available.
Thanks,
JIM
All that said, I have seen some guys in Super Stock racing with some creative solid axles under C-3's. They don't look "textbook" from a std design perspective, but watching them launch, proves they work. Probably the simplest one I saw, appeared to have taken the stock Vette trailing arms, cut off the part where axle stubs go through, and literally welded them solid to the 12 bolt housing. I would think a pivot point with an upper link would be better, but it seemed to work well with front tires dangling in the air on launch. Anyway, he appeared to have just limited the total travel similar to the way IRS guys do and had it going solid against snubbers on launch. He had made a new bracket for spring mount and still used the transverse leaf spring. If you didn't pay attention, you would think it still had an IRS in it. Since diff didn't move much, he probably didn't have to do too much for driveshaft clearance.
Take a trip to the next major event drag race and check out the Super Stockers. Might see some good ideas.
I'd like to see the pics too when they are available.
Thanks,
JIM
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
From: shawnee ks
Originally Posted by 427Hotrod
I built up a Dana 60 IRS for my '67 and so far it's held up well to some mega rpm sidesteps with the 540 in front of it. It all bolts to stock mounts, uses stock trailing arms along with 3.5" halfshafts and 1480 series U-joints. Definitely not the easiest way to go, but hey...it's different! I did it in my driveway/garage. Took some work, but I pulled it off.
All that said, I have seen some guys in Super Stock racing with some creative solid axles under C-3's. They don't look "textbook" from a std design perspective, but watching them launch, proves they work. Probably the simplest one I saw, appeared to have taken the stock Vette trailing arms, cut off the part where axle stubs go through, and literally welded them solid to the 12 bolt housing. I would think a pivot point with an upper link would be better, but it seemed to work well with front tires dangling in the air on launch. Anyway, he appeared to have just limited the total travel similar to the way IRS guys do and had it going solid against snubbers on launch. He had made a new bracket for spring mount and still used the transverse leaf spring. If you didn't pay attention, you would think it still had an IRS in it. Since diff didn't move much, he probably didn't have to do too much for driveshaft clearance.
Take a trip to the next major event drag race and check out the Super Stockers. Might see some good ideas.
I'd like to see the pics too when they are available.
Thanks,
JIM
All that said, I have seen some guys in Super Stock racing with some creative solid axles under C-3's. They don't look "textbook" from a std design perspective, but watching them launch, proves they work. Probably the simplest one I saw, appeared to have taken the stock Vette trailing arms, cut off the part where axle stubs go through, and literally welded them solid to the 12 bolt housing. I would think a pivot point with an upper link would be better, but it seemed to work well with front tires dangling in the air on launch. Anyway, he appeared to have just limited the total travel similar to the way IRS guys do and had it going solid against snubbers on launch. He had made a new bracket for spring mount and still used the transverse leaf spring. If you didn't pay attention, you would think it still had an IRS in it. Since diff didn't move much, he probably didn't have to do too much for driveshaft clearance.
Take a trip to the next major event drag race and check out the Super Stockers. Might see some good ideas.
I'd like to see the pics too when they are available.
Thanks,
JIM
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 5,714
Likes: 6
From: Silver City NM
St. Jude Donor '05-'07
Originally Posted by big632
The only drawback is a very stiff suspension to keep pinion angle correct.Who wants one and how much are they willing to pay?
I want a solid rear axle, but it has to be a Ford unit. Coils, leafs, or transverse...I don't really care. A long as everything lines up and stays rock solid, that's all I worry about.
Dep
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
From: shawnee ks
Originally Posted by panchop
but... don't you still end up with a rearend that was enginered for way less HP then it will be asked to handle?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
From: shawnee ks
Originally Posted by panchop
any chance you have a picture. i guess i'm just not clear on it.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,325
Likes: 6
From: FRANKLIN GA
Originally Posted by big632
I fabbed a system like the one you are talking about. The diff is we used coil overs instead of the transverse spring which was designed to be used with an irs. On a solid axle it has no reason to be there.It wont work nearly as well as coil overs with a solid axle. On super stockers they may still have to use it?So yes you could make a bolt on kit with welded control arms to the housing and a bolt on coil bracket system. You would need to drill a few holes but it would be a simple process and everything you removed could be put back.The only drawback is a very stiff suspension to keep pinion angle correct.Who wants one and how much are they willing to pay?
This is what I was talking about earlier in the post. Except I would use a ladder bar setup to attatch instead of a cut trailing arm and coilovers instead of the transverse rear spring. If the ladder bars were double adjustable it would be a lot easier set the pinion angle
Mike how will the driveshaft clear the rear crossmemeber , with rearend travel? does it get in the way? I talking about the one on the frame at the pinion mount not the one attached at the upper part of the older diff's
Last edited by EDDIEJ82; Feb 13, 2005 at 12:22 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 0
From: shawnee ks
Originally Posted by EDDIEJ82
This is what I was talking about earlier in the post. Except I would use a ladder bar setup to attatch instead of a cut trailing arm and coilovers instead of the transverse rear spring. If the ladder bars were double adjustable it would be a lot easier set the pinion angle
Mike how will the driveshaft clear the rear crossmemeber , with rearend travel? does it get in the way? I talking about the one on the frame at the pinion mount not the one attached at the upper part of the older diff's
Mike how will the driveshaft clear the rear crossmemeber , with rearend travel? does it get in the way? I talking about the one on the frame at the pinion mount not the one attached at the upper part of the older diff's
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,325
Likes: 6
From: FRANKLIN GA
Originally Posted by big632
That one would be removed . Travel would be limited by stops.I would need to see a pic to refreshen my memory,its been a while.any factory set-up to look at ,then I could get into more detail.
Ok I can't cut and paste it and my pic server is down
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 61,413
Likes: 478
From: Here to make friends
St. Jude Donor '11, '16-'17
Originally Posted by DJ Dep
I don't know where people are finding Novas with big blocks that are worth a dang for $6000, but in my area they are well over $18,000. That's MORE than I paid for my Vette.
Dep
Dep
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 0
From: pr, frederick md.
Originally Posted by EDDIEJ82
This is what I was talking about earlier in the post. Except I would use a ladder bar setup to attatch instead of a cut trailing arm and coilovers instead of the transverse rear spring. If the ladder bars were double adjustable it would be a lot easier set the pinion angle
Mike how will the driveshaft clear the rear crossmemeber , with rearend travel? does it get in the way? I talking about the one on the frame at the pinion mount not the one attached at the upper part of the older diff's
Mike how will the driveshaft clear the rear crossmemeber , with rearend travel? does it get in the way? I talking about the one on the frame at the pinion mount not the one attached at the upper part of the older diff's