Natural Progression of a CompD Member

pic_jon

pic_jon

$5 Fine For Whinin'
Joined
Jun 9, 2011
Messages
416
Short version: I thought a $3500 budget, 350hp and a trailer brake controller in a 97 2500 2wd 5spd would make me happy.

Dvst8r referred me to CompD and it's been down hill ever since. I now want my wife to get a 3/4 ton suburban (for towing duties) so I can turn my 97 into a street/strip truck that rarely tows but is more than capable.

Posting this should keep me motivated.

Here's where I am today:


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When the compounds are done, this is the next project:

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Quad cab (not good for drag racing), but I need easy access to both baby seats :hehe:

I'd like to thank/blame at least half of you reading this for opening my eyes a little more each day. I really should (there's that word again) bite the bullet and dump the nv4500 & new Valair DD while their still worth something.
 
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pic_jon said:
I'd like to thank/blame at least half of you reading this for opening my eyes a little more each day. I really should (there's that word again) bite the bullet and dump the nv4500 & new Valair DD while their still worth something.
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thats what I just did, my truck started as a stock auto trans 160hp slug.

then i went to an NV...

no I'm back to the auto...
 
I thought 8's in the 1/8th were going to be fine.. Then i saw how easy it was to make power.. It got dirty from there, the car still doesn't have paint,or front suspension...
 
2wd traction @ the drag strip

Need your experience... I'm open to ditching what I have and/or trying to make it work.

There are a ton of threads on traction bars vs caltracs but not everyone has experience with both caltracs and single, solidly mounted bars. From what I've read, drag racers like caltracs, sled pullers like traction bars. Is it that simple?

I have are 70" single/adjutable bars. They mount solidly to the frame 12" behind the door which is the halfway point of the rear passenger windows.

Would I benefit from adding a shackle at the front, using caltracs or other?
 
I like caltracs as they are easily adjustable as to the hit on the rear tire. We pull with ours too, and they do fine for that as well.
 
Csl tracks are great gor going forward but terrible for reverse. Solid mounts do both but not as well.
 
I agree, it never ends!

Nice progress, I have had an ST50 sitting on my bench for over a year and a half and I havent even ordered piping to start the twins... :doh:
 
dvst8r said:
Please leave it there. They are best used for paper weights.
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Its going in the truck, for $50 its gotta be better then nothing. My brother is gonna tig the piping up and when I upgrade to something in the 80mm range hes gonna put the st50 on his 98 5spd 12v
 
everyone i have talked to loved it in their twins setups. Worked just fine, one guy couldnt tell the difference between it and the HT3b when he swapped them back to back. Made the same boost etc. ass dyno couldnt tell the difference. It is better then what i have now theres no arguing that.

When I spend another $800-1000 on an S480 I BETTER be able to feel a difference :eek:
 
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I wanted a nice 500hp tow rig. Next thing you know the motor is at the machine shop and the damn thing hazes at idle.
 
Finished installing the 913 pump (thanks Seth), dual feed is wrapped up and injectors are in.

I made a 1" spacer for the he351cw in case an external gate is needed. The oil feed line no longer reaches, should have one by the end of the week. This week I'll find mounting hardware for the cw, finish the spring gate and primary mount.

I really need to start looking for a 47rh/re if I want consistent et's. The blue cab I have came with an ecu for a 98 12v/47re. That may or may not be helpful. I have no experience with either trans so it's time for research.
 
Suspension & Tires

Trial and error with suspension set up will be an adventure for sure. My starting point for the rear will be air bags, factory location shocks and two top leaf springs. Removing the two bottom leafs dropped it approximately 2". Shocks are new bilsteins for now.

I'll add traction bars at a later date.. From there, mount the R.R. shock behind the axle @ the same angle as the L.R. Finally, mount both shocks vertically behind the axle. I hope the truck remains streetable and able to tow with shocks mounted vertical... Possibly not, only time will tell.

I can see adjustable shocks in the future. I might even try caltracs since 80-90% of compd members (who participated in the dozens of 2wd traction threads) prefered caltracs over traction bars. I already have traction bars, so I'll start there.

Front suspension will remain relatively stock (minus sway bar) for the forseeable future.

Front tires will be 235/80/17 (31.5-32") on Aluminum 3rd gens. I currently do not have a set of rear tires that's worth a damn. I might pony up for real tires in the future but for the moment, 265/70/17 Michelins will take the abuse, or not...


My goal for this month is to just get the truck running. I'm in the process of selling the nv4500 in favor of a 47RH unless someone talks me into a 47RE. Honestly, I haven't found a reason to use the RE over the RH.
 
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