Grab-a-track leaf springs
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Tim65GT
Active Member
I just got a set of Grab-a-trac leaf springs (with a crap load of other stuff), but they come from Mustangs Plus not Mustangs Unlimited.
I ordered the 4 leaf rev eyes 'cause i wanted it to sit low and not too harsh a ride. I haven't had a chance to try 'em out yet to see if I should have gotten anything stiffer like the 4 1/2s or the 5 leafs. I'm sure they'll be fine, as they are definetly beefier than the stock 40 year old saggy springs I replaced.
I ordered the 4 leaf rev eyes 'cause i wanted it to sit low and not too harsh a ride. I haven't had a chance to try 'em out yet to see if I should have gotten anything stiffer like the 4 1/2s or the 5 leafs. I'm sure they'll be fine, as they are definetly beefier than the stock 40 year old saggy springs I replaced.
66Restomod
New Member
- Jan 4, 2007
- 11
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How much were those springs with shipping?
My rear is sagging and I think I am going to order some new ones.
My rear is sagging and I think I am going to order some new ones.
Tim65GT
Active Member
I got mine as part of a kit, but they seem to be anywhere from around $180-260 depending on what options/type. The shipping will vary too, but probably from $20-50
reenmachine
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
TCP has some nice leafs now in that same price range. Mid-eye 4-leafs are $219 and reverse-eye add $10. There's also 4-1/2 leaf of either eye for $20 more and 5-leaf of either eye for $40 more.
And there's a whole kit with poly bushings, beefy shackles, shock plates w/tie-down loops, U-bolys, and adjustable shocks if you need the full meal deal:
TCP Leaf Spring Suspension
And there's a whole kit with poly bushings, beefy shackles, shock plates w/tie-down loops, U-bolys, and adjustable shocks if you need the full meal deal:
TCP Leaf Spring Suspension
12sec67
Active Member
I have the 5 leaf mid eyes and they are not to rough at all.
Mustangunlimited also sells grab-a-track
Mustangunlimited also sells grab-a-track
4MuscleMachines
Member
I've had four early Mustangs all with Global West rear springs. Very happy, didn't adjust the height, not harsh at all. I would pony up the extra bucks and do it right the first time. Aside from GW, I have heard Maier Racing has good springs as well.
Rusty67
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
We've done a couple of threads on them over the last few years but no one has really bought a set a given us a "2 thumbs up" on them.
I almost bought a set last year until I spoke to a rep from flex a forms. He told me that they would not solve any wheel hop issues and the spring needed to be run with some sort of traction device (slapper bar, cal track, etc).
The springs are $400 and add a set of cal tracks for another $300 and it started to get expensive. Not to mention the caltracks start to negate the weight savings.
I ended up buying a set of Maiers' 185 race leafs and love them. All my wheel hop is gone and this car handels great without a traction bar hanging down.
I almost bought a set last year until I spoke to a rep from flex a forms. He told me that they would not solve any wheel hop issues and the spring needed to be run with some sort of traction device (slapper bar, cal track, etc).
The springs are $400 and add a set of cal tracks for another $300 and it started to get expensive. Not to mention the caltracks start to negate the weight savings.
I ended up buying a set of Maiers' 185 race leafs and love them. All my wheel hop is gone and this car handels great without a traction bar hanging down.
Rusty67
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
I ended up with a free set of those Cobra Automotive traction bars. The ones that look like a strut rod with a spring. They are made by AFCO. I was going to install those anyways. I don't really like my grab-a-track springs. They are VERY harsh but mine are 4.5 or 5 leafs so I'd imagine thats why. Also, I'm sure my Monroe shocks don't help matters.
Well, what would the cal tracks have added to a set of 40lb steel springs? The same as the would add to a set of 8 lb fiberglass springs. You still save 32 lbs of unsprung weight. And ALL Corvettes springs have been made by them since Corvette started using glass springs.
I know guys who have used them on Camaros, Mustangs and Mopars and none of them will go back to multi-leaf steel springs.
Z06killinSBF
Member
I have 4-1/2 rev eyes with GW Del-A-Lum bushings and KYBs and the ride isnt harsh at all. I owned a 5.0 that had kidney buster springs in it and this thing rides like a Caddy in comparison. I also have nice seats too though that cushion the blow.
What kind of seats? If I keep the 65 it needs something a lot better than stock.
Please have them post here I'd love to talk to one of them. Esp. someone using them behind a stick. I have a few questions.
It wasn't the weight savings that I walked away from them..... it was the $700 price tag. They may be worth it, but I can't find anyone to atest to it. Spending that kind of money to "try something" is out of my budget. If I knew how well they worked spending that kind of money is a different story.......
I also couldn't get the rep to explain how glass spring rates corresponded to steel rates. He told me a 205lbs glass rate is not the same as a 205lbs steel rate. When I asked what it compared to he told me he didn't know. I was also told that I could only get the glass spring in one rate unless I custom ordered a set.
Too many, "I don't knows", to spend $700+.......
CraigMBA
New Member
Maier Racing used to use the 'glass springs almost exclusively. You might want to call them and ask why they stopped.
I had Eaton replacments which rode okay but were too soft and too high. I replaced them with 4 leaf mid eye Grab A Trac springs because my neighbor had an extra set. I am pretty happy with them - the ride is acceptable and they are stiffer without being overly harsh. My neighbor had a set of five leafs on his car and yowza. It wasn't too bad untill you had to cross a series of small bumps (like a railroad crossing) and then it could be a pucker moment because the car would try to get sideways on you........
I had Eaton replacments which rode okay but were too soft and too high. I replaced them with 4 leaf mid eye Grab A Trac springs because my neighbor had an extra set. I am pretty happy with them - the ride is acceptable and they are stiffer without being overly harsh. My neighbor had a set of five leafs on his car and yowza. It wasn't too bad untill you had to cross a series of small bumps (like a railroad crossing) and then it could be a pucker moment because the car would try to get sideways on you........
If the spring is rated at 200 lbs./per in. of compression it would seem to be the same thing, although I have heard the glass reacts much quicker. Bet all those Corvette guys who have upgraded from a multi-leaf steel to a single glass could answer your questions. Think about this...the Zo/6 and ZR/1 Corvette use glass transverse leaf springs. There is a reason.
reenmachine
Dirt-Old 20+Year Member
I've got to point out that the 'Vette comparison doesn't apply as the demands on the spring are very different. The transverse spring on a 'Vette only has to provide spring force -- all of the rest of the suspension's motion is controlled by other devices. On a Mustang, the leaf spring must act not only as a spring, but it also has to react axle torque, lateral loading, etc. What's right for one application isn't necessarily right for the other.
Spring rate is spring rate, but I can see how a fiberglass spring can react quicker due to lower inertia.
Making more of an apples-to-apples comparison, I would wager that a Mustang with cal-tracs and a Watts link would perform better overall with fiberglass springs than with steel springs. But without those other devices, the fiberglass spring will never perform as well overall as a front-loaded heavy duty steel leaf.
Spring rate is spring rate, but I can see how a fiberglass spring can react quicker due to lower inertia.
Making more of an apples-to-apples comparison, I would wager that a Mustang with cal-tracs and a Watts link would perform better overall with fiberglass springs than with steel springs. But without those other devices, the fiberglass spring will never perform as well overall as a front-loaded heavy duty steel leaf.
Here is the page if someone wants to look.http://www.flex-a-form.com/products.asp
The person I spoke to told me that the standard spring came in a 205lbs spring rate. I thought that it was going to be too stiff for the street. That's when he told me that the glass and steel rates were different. A 205lbs glass would be much softer than a 205 steel spring. I could order any rate I wanted, but without being able to compare it to a steel spring rate I'd just kinda be guessing.
Again, alot of money to be guessing......
He did tell me that I would not need a watts link to keep the rear centered under hard driving. I figured the glass springs wouldn't be as stiff laterally.
I'm not putting these things down by any means. I just want some customer testimonials.
The person I spoke to told me that the standard spring came in a 205lbs spring rate. I thought that it was going to be too stiff for the street. That's when he told me that the glass and steel rates were different. A 205lbs glass would be much softer than a 205 steel spring. I could order any rate I wanted, but without being able to compare it to a steel spring rate I'd just kinda be guessing.
Again, alot of money to be guessing......
He did tell me that I would not need a watts link to keep the rear centered under hard driving. I figured the glass springs wouldn't be as stiff laterally.
I'm not putting these things down by any means. I just want some customer testimonials.
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