ok, so obviously it's not in an rx7... but it's still a rotary!
are there any drag racing gurus with the answers for getting a leaf spring set up to hook up? I've been checking through some sources and seem to find conflicting info.

OK; how many leaves are optimum?
Should the leaf pack be "hard" or "soft"?
Should the leading edges of the front leaves each be clamped together?
I know the advice for a slapper bar is to have it about 6 mm from touching the front eye when stationary, but should there be a loop that goes back up over the top of the leaves so that the bar never twists away from the leaf pack? (I've seen the Lakewood ones have this.)

My car is a Mazda 1300 (soon to be NA 13b) , and has a stock style rear end - am angling for a hilux diff conversion, but would retain the stock leaves. I plan to make slapper bars, clamp the front of the leaves and make a new extended shackle for the back of the leaves... and try for the "optimum" pinion angle (7 to 9 degree nose down).... from what I've read soft springs are fine (indeed some much larger cars run a single, custom leaf....)

I've been reading my old Australian Street Machine mags, "Doorslammer- the chassis book", old US streetcar racing mags and checking some web resources... many seem contradictory or require me to know spring rates, etc.
What is the answer(s)! what have you done to make your car hook-up?

 

I would try to get away from trying to "setup" the leaf springs and go for an easier way to gain traction. Maybe go for some floaters and do a 3 link setup. This way you would beable to control the weight transfer and setup the pinion angle where you want it. You would have less wheel hop and when you get tired of the leafs, would be easier to convert to the coil overs. Just a suggestion.

Alex

 

Four-link and coilovers would be the go for ultimate performance, but this is a low buck car... the seat is worth more than half what the car cost me! I am trying to maximise the performance of what I have. I have seen 13bt cars running into the 9's on leaves, although some have ladder bars (which I can't legally run on the street).

I'll probably custom make some slapper / traction bars, make an extended rear shackle and clamp the fronts of the leaves and then start from there, unless any one has a better idea?