Rear sliders

[dustertogo]

 Hey guys, i'm just starting to work on my 70 Duster(440, 727, 3800 stall 8 3/4 , 4.10) and need some info. Its got ss leafs that i will be moving inboard and i was wondering if sliders would be the way to go? It will be mostly street and maybe to the track if i can find the time. Planning on some E/T Street radials (325/50/15). Also, when setting up the sliders, do you want the rear spring eye to the front of the slider , center or rear when sitting on the ground at ride height? Any thanks will be very helpfull, thanks.

[b569rr]

I have ss springs, sliders and 325/50/15's on my '67. I initially set my eyes approx 1 1/2" from the front with the car missing its trunk mounted fuel cell, battery and interior. The car has been sitting on the ss springs for about 6 months now. My plan was to allow for some spring sag / break in. The springs have settled. My rear eye has approx 33% front / 66% back available travel. By the time I get my big butt in my eyes should be in the middle. I have no idea if this is correct but it is the way I went. Bottom line, anticipate some settling. I have some pics in my gallery. The most common way to mount these is to box them in on top on the slider box with angle iron. Get the sliders with bearings, not teflon blocks.

Tom

[vitamindart]

i got mine from RMS bill mine are installed with about 3/4 inch rear clearance w/trunck fully loaded and a tank of gas

[b569rr]

i got mine from RMS bill mine are installed with about 3/4 inch rear clearance w/trunck fully loaded and a tank of gas

Is that from the front? I threw some cylinder heads in to the trunk while positioning the sliders to try and simulate load.

Tom

[vitamindart]

no thats from the pin to the rear of the slot for it in the slider i also made plate that have a hole 3/4 inch in front of these and behind so i have room for adjustment
i also notched the frame so my plates are still flush so the car doesn't look like a 4x4 with the super stock springs

[demondave]

do these slider brackets make a lot of interior noise on the street?  it seems like there would be metal to metal.   thanks  dave

[b569rr]

The bearings appear to be good quality. I can bounce the rear of the car with my 250# body weight and I can't hear anything.

Tom

[demondave]

Thanks  Tom

can't wait to see your car when its done.  I'm leaning to the slider brakets but I think thats going to be next winters project.  thanks again  dave

[Halfaed]

I would like to know how they actually function! b569rr, you need to get you dart done!!!!

[b569rr]

Thanks Tom

can't wait to see your car when its done. I'm leaning to the slider brakets but I think thats going to be next winters project. thanks again dave

I would like to know how they actually function! b569rr, you need to get you dart done!!!!

I know I know. My wife has temporarily changed my priorities for a couple months. She wants the house painted and she says I am doing it. Man I hate painting. The house is 3700 ft 2 with a small 30 x 20 shop.

I have my steel wheels out getting painted. Next steps, weld the 8 pt bar in and get the Alterkation. Won't be any progress for about a month. On the fun side, I show my Road Runner quite often at various shows. I've ignored it since I bought the Dart a year ago.

Thanks guys.

Tom

[Halfaed]

My wife has temporarily changed my priorities.......................I know that one!!!!

[Ciscodog]

I hope I'm wrong, but I think you guys that are trying to use those sliders on a drag car or street/strip car are going to have problems.  If you've ever seen a leaf spring car leave hard, you'll remember a tremendous amount of travel in those rear shackles.  I don't think the sliders will have enough travel, and I think you're going to severely limit the amount of travel needed by the leaf springs. 

I mentioned this once before several months ago but haven't gotten any feedback.  Again, I hope I'm wrong.  I want all your projects to work out.

[vitamindart]

these sliders should have more travel than the stock lenght shackle my cars proble was the stock shackle would bottom out and unload the car thats why after talking to bill i dought sliders there is way more travel now and hopefully some more traction

[sycboi]

The sliders set about an inch ahead of the spring bolt at ride height have a huge amount of room to sqaut the rear of the car and never "bottom out".  We just installed mine at the body shop and decided to load the rear suspension with the stock shackles first, and then the sliders I purchased from Bill R.  The shackles are ok for what they do, but the sliders really hold the spring in alignment with the front pivot, and takes alot of the side to side wobble out of the rear of the car.  The spring works very well in it's motion with the slider installed.  I like them for the money.

[Ciscodog]

Cool - how long is the slot?

[b569rr]

My bearing style sliders have 4" of available travel.

Tom

[jamesdart]

i side with carter on this one. leaf springs normally arch up when you load it at the tree and when you launch they arch even more, pulling the rear spring sye towards the front of the car. i like them and the concept, but im not sold on them for a drag car. i think they really should have more slot. especially if it is a street strip car. you will need enough travel to the front for strip action and enough rear travel for cruising at highway speed when you work the suspension over bumps. there are a few cars that squat with leaf springs, but not many, abodyjoe's car seems to squat at launch. if we never get a true drag strip report on these things, ill try them out one day.

[Ciscodog]

Might be cool to get two, cut the ends off and weld them together so there's an 8" slot?  Expensive experiment, but that would be slick.  Assuming the 4" isn't enough - I'm eager to hear the results!

[Dono]

Think of it like this.  The rear mount or stock rear mount will move in an ark and tighten up as the ark gets to the back.  The slider will not tighten up the spring rate as it moves back allowing a more progressive attack on the tire.  I have seen alot of old school cars with huge long rear mounts that hang down to improve this but the slider seems to be the way to go.  I had mine set up at .75" back from center and you could not take the leaf out with out adding weight to the back of the car.  It had nere 6"s of slide under load.  Yes they are loud on the street.

[vitamindart]

i side with carter on this one. leaf springs normally arch up when you load it at the tree and when you launch they arch even more, pulling the rear spring sye towards the front of the car. i like them and the concept, but im not sold on them for a drag car. i think they really should have more slot. especially if it is a street strip car. you will need enough travel to the front for strip action and enough rear travel for cruising at highway speed when you work the suspension over bumps. there are a few cars that squat with leaf springs, but not many, abodyjoe's car seems to squat at launch. if we never get a true drag strip report on these things, ill try them out one day.

see thats kind of what i was thinking thats why i made it moveable bolt them futher back when cruising and move them forward at the track , with all the movement thats there i don't think i will even need all the positions or to even move them from where they are.i was hoping to do a little test but had other issues ie valve failure so never got to see a definet before and after..

[sycboi]

A quote from Bill_Reilly...

"Sliders fix a number of issues with leafs - the shackles can flex alot sideways, and they don't offer enough travel in the faster drag cars. I know a number of guys who switched to sliders because the shackles would bottom out on launch and unload the tires. The sliders gave them enough extra travel to eliminate that."