Stepdown rear spring length?

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Hello all.
I have a DeSoto Hemi in my 49 coupe and the torque seems to be a bit overwhelming for the rear springs. They wrap up on acceleration, and let the driveshaft rub the floor.
What is the length of the springs in the rear? I would like to get a stronger set and maybe they are the same lenght of a brand x car.

Thanks.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    heavy duty coupe/cv rear springs are: center to center 51 inches and height is 7 1/4" with 7 leaves 1 1/2 inch width. BTW, are you sure your center bearing cushion rubbers are OK? smile.gif
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Speaking of carrier bearing mounting, what was the drag racer's cure for that?

    I've heard several references to "chaining them down", and was wondering just how that was accomplished. And, I just love old hot rodding / drag racing tales involving the 308.

    Mark Hudson
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    remove the studs fron each end of cushion, drill center of rubber and run bolt straight thru. Of course, you don't have smoothness anymore, but it will hold it in place!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    car craft mag had some articles on the nova they built about spring wrap where the axle was hitting the floor. they fixed it with traction bars.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    from the pages of car craft

    Leaf springs are the simplest form of rear suspension since they both locate the rear axle and suspend vehicle weight. The idea dates back to a time just after the invention of the wheel. Leaf springs are both heavy and also prone to wrap-up under high torque loads, which wasn't a problem for our ancestors in Conestoga wagons. Spring wrap-up occurs when the leading end of the leaf spring bends sufficiently to bind the rear suspension, at which point it bounces the tire and wheel off the ground, causing wheelhop. This is an extremely violent torque reaction that can be easily cured with traction bars that stiffen the front spring section. Unfortunately, slapper traction bars also contribute to rear-suspension bind. The most popular leaf-spring traction devices are CalTracs or Competition Engineering's Slide-A-Link bars, which act as a lower control arm to prevent spring wrap-up while eliminating the bind.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    We drag race a 49 Hudson and until 2 years ago ran the stock rear springs with a basic set of traction bars with no problems. We went as fast as 11.76 sec in the quarter with a 440 chrysler. I would imagine that if all your bushings and springs are in good shape they would be a cheap solution for you as well.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Thanks for the help guys. I was thinking about using traction bars, but then got to thinking that I had heard that they are most effective if the snubber is at the front spring eye. I was under my car the other day looking and was that the front eye is "captured" by it's mounting location. So I had wondered if a regular traction bar setup would work. Good to know that regular ones will work.



    Now if you dont mind me asking, How much gap do you have in between the snubber and the leaf? Are you running the carrier bearing rubbers, or do you have a bolt throuugh them like suggested?





    BTW: The carrier bearing cushion rubbers are good. The rubber is still glued to the steel.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    e) An air gap between the top of the snubber and the spring is recommended for automatic equipped
    cars. Start with a 1/2" gap. Decrease gap to soften initial shock to tires. On manual trans cars a 1/4"
    gap is a good starting place.
    f) If the right rear tire traction is greater than the left, the car will pull to the left. To correct this, raise the
    front of the left (driver's side) traction bar with the use of wedge plates (Competition Engineering P/N:
    C7025) or lower the right (passenger side) bar.
    C21
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