Note: This is a creative, first-person style review built from real-world setups, owner reports, and tech notes. It reads like a personal story, but it isn’t my actual life. All examples are realistic and detailed so you can see how these parts work in practice. If you’d like to dig into the lap-by-lap version of that evening, my complete hands-on track-night report is posted over at Calvert Racing: My Hands-On Track Night Story.
Why I went with Calvert
Wheel hop is rude. It shakes the car. It shakes your soul. I wanted smooth hits and clean 60-foot times. So I set up a classic leaf-spring car with CalTracs traction bars, split mono leaf springs, and their adjustable shocks. Simple gear, race-proven stuff. That was the plan.
You know what? I wanted it to work at the strip and still behave on the street. Grocery runs count too.
The car and the setup that mattered
Car: a ’72 Nova with a mild 350, TH350, 3,200 stall, 3.73s, and 275/60R15 drag radials. Nothing wild. Just clean and honest.
What I bolted on:
- CalTracs traction bars
- Calvert split mono leaf springs (stock ride height)
- Calvert 90/10 front shocks, 9-way rear shocks
Tires started cold. I dropped rear pressure to 16 psi for test hits. Fronts stayed up for easy roll.
Install day, in the driveway
It took a long Saturday with hand tools, a floor jack, and two stands. I followed the paper sheet, marked the bars, and set zero preload on both sides to start. Then I added a tiny quarter turn on the driver side, as the tech sheet suggested for leaf cars with decent bite. (Need the nitty-gritty? The standard steps live in Calvert’s official CalTracs installation guide.)
No special tricks. I just torqued things to the spec on the Calvert sheet. I rechecked after a short drive. The paint on the U-bolts scuffed a bit. The powder coat held up fine.
Small tip: paint-mark your nuts and bolts. It helps spot if anything moves after a few launches.
First street shakedown
The crazy wheel hop? Gone. The rear felt firm. Over potholes, it rode a bit choppy, like a gym mat under the tires. A short squeak showed up over speed bumps. A quick hit of dry lube on the contact points fixed it.
I did hear a light clunk once. Turned out a jam nut needed a snug twist. After that, quiet.
Friday Test & Tune: numbers talk
I brought a notepad, a tire gauge, and one socket. That’s it. Weather sat near 68°F. The track had fresh spray. I staged shallow, foot-braked to about 3,200 rpm, and sent it.
- Before Calvert: 60-ft around 2.04. Quarter mile 12.6 at 109.
- After Calvert: best 60-ft was 1.67. Quarter mile 12.04 at 112.
That jump felt big. The car hooked, squatted, and went straight. My front shocks sat at 90/10 (full loose on extension), rears at 4 out of 9 from soft. I tried 2 out of 9 on the rears and it felt lazy on the hit. Back to 4 and it woke right up. The vibe on the property reminded me of the no-sign, late-night meetups you hear about; if that scene intrigues you, check out this raw look at an underground race night in Charlotte.
Tire pressure liked 16 psi. At 18 psi, it hazed the tire a bit on a cold lane. At 14 psi, it felt floaty on the top end. So 16 stayed. Simple.
A second example that taught me a lot
We set up a friend’s 1970 Mustang fastback with CalTracs and the split monos too. Small block, stick shift, 3.89 gears, 255/60R15 radials. Leaf cars love clean load. Hers bogged first, then spun.
We added one flat of preload on the driver side, left the passenger neutral, and dropped tire pressure from 18 to 15. Boom—60-ft went from a sketchy 2.12 to a tight 1.75. She said the car felt “like it got yanked forward by a rope.” That’s how it felt to me too. You hit it, it plants, it goes.
Street life with race parts
Let’s be fair. This isn’t a couch. The rear is firm. On broken roads, the ride gets busy. But it’s not punishing. My coffee stayed in the cup. Mostly.
I did two things often:
- Checked jam nuts and U-bolts after the first five launches.
- Cleaned road grime and hit the contact points with a little dry lube.
In the rain, it behaved like any drag-radial setup: be gentle. CalTracs don’t fix wet roads. Common sense does.
Tech help that felt human
I called Calvert’s tech line before ordering springs. They asked real questions: weight, rear gear, tire type, power range, and how I use the car. They sent a setup sheet the same day. Shipping took under a week. Parts showed up packed tight, with clean welds and good hardware. I also dug into a killer leaf-spring tuning article posted by PDV Racing, which backed up everything the Calvert sheet said and gave me a few new test-day ideas.
Small gripe: the instructions had small photos. I used a flashlight and my phone camera to zoom in. No big deal.
What I loved
- It flat-out hooks. The 60-ft time says so.
- Easy, clear tuning: preload, shock clicks, tire pressure. You feel changes fast.
- No more wheel hop. None. That alone sold me.
- Real tech help. Helpful, patient, and plain talk.
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What bugged me
- Ride is firmer on rough streets. Not harsh, but firm.
- You need to check hardware now and then. Race parts like attention.
- Minor squeaks can pop up. Lube fixes them.
- Powder coat chips if you slip with a wrench. It happens.
Little notes that mattered
- Don’t crank in a ton of preload. Start neutral, then try a quarter turn. Let the car tell you what it wants.
- Mark your settings. One change at a time.
- If your tires are hard as a rock, no bar will save you. Good rubber counts.
- A front-end check helps launches. Free front travel equals free 60-foot.
If you’ve ever wondered how the same fundamentals play out in a feather-weight oval kart, take a spin through my honest recount of driving a Bandolero racing car.
Who should run Calvert
- Leaf-spring cars that fight wheel hop or dead 60-foot times.
- Street/strip folks who want repeat hits and simple tuning.
- Truck owners who haul during the week and race on weekends.
If you want a soft, floaty cruiser, this may feel too firm. If you chase your slip numbers, it’s great.
Final take
Calvert Racing parts did what I wanted: hook, plant, and go straight. The setup was simple. The tuning was fast. The numbers moved the right way, and the car felt honest about it.
It’s not magic. It’s clean geometry and stout parts. That’s enough for me. And on a cool Friday night, when the lanes are quiet and the bulbs come down, that first clean hit feels so good you can’t help but grin.