I’m usually the first one to tout big horsepower and torque. I love raw power, loud engines and peeling the rubber off my tires one layer at a time. But there comes a time when too much power causes your car not to hook up to the pavement she’s sitting on.

Photo Credit: Mecum

That, my friends, is a problem. So, this next budget restomod post is going to talk about how to get your car to hook up. Sure, there’s no flash or sizzle. There’s nothing to look at, and no loud noises come from getting your car to launch the fastest 60 foot times. But, when you’re at the drag strip, and you’re smashing the times of everyone around you, you’ll be happy you go with this next tip:

One of the main goals of any car owner who wants to go faster than the dude next to him is to help the back wheels spin less. There are a few different ways this can be achieved, at pretty good prices. What’s more, if you focus on getting your wheels to stick to the pavement properly, you won’t have to worry about getting the biggest engine you can find, and stuffing it between the front fenders.

Did I really just say that?

Like I said, there are a few ways you can try to do this, and most of them have to do with your suspension components. Obviously, what you do next depends on the type of suspension you have, so this may not work for you.

Remember my post on the Gasser cars of yesteryear? The main reason why they had their front ends jacked up so high was to help transfer the weight to the rear wheels.

Photo Credit: Crankshaft Coalition

Today, there are ways of doing that without having a car that can’t be driven on the street. Without getting too far into the reasons why your rear wheels spin, i.e. body roll, we are going to look briefly at some cheaper fixes for some of the more common problems.

Anti-roll bars:

These bars do exactly what you think they do: prevent the car’s body from rolling. When the body rolls, it actually causes your rear wheels to spin more. Newer cars already have them installed, but older cars don’t necessarily have them in the back. And when they do, they are very tired. Installing a new one can have a huge impact on your traction, because body roll is drastically reduced.

Shifting weight:

This is actually an almost free tip. I say “almost” because you have to invest labor and a few bucks for the needed supplies. Anything that you need to drive the car, that doesn’t need to be upfront, should be relocated to the trunk. The lighter your front end is, and the heavier your rear end is, the better your traction will be.

Next time you’ve got a quarter tank of gas, get on the throttle a bit. Did you notice spin? Now, go fill up your tank and get back on it again. Did the tires spin as much? I’m not a betting man, but I’d wager on “no.”

This is one of the reasons why things like battery relocation kits are sold. The purpose  is to help reduce the weight up front.

Upgrade the suspension:

This is the most expensive tip here. But the benefits are numerous. Here’s the deal, you don’t have to replace the entire suspension all at once. But you should replace the entire front, or entire rear, suspension at once. It’s just easier that way, and limits any screw-ups that might happen.

When you replace your front suspension, you’ll want to go with a stronger setup that is also lighter – such as with tubular control arms. Remember, any amount of weight you can take off of the front end will enable you to transfer your weight to the rear wheels that much better. I’ve heard of guys stripping almost 100 pounds off of their front end.

Photo Credit: 67-72 Chevy Trucks

This does a couple of things. 1) The lighter your car is, the faster your car goes. 2) Less weight up front equals more traction in the back.

Why? Because there isn’t as much weight in the front causing it to stay planted instead of the rear end.

I hope this helps. I know my truck is in some serious need of suspension upgrades. I can’t get on my throttle until I’m already rolling. But that is mostly because I have a long bed with no weight over it, crappy tires and a worked 350 leading out to 4:10 gears in the back.