[santa]

What's up everyone, great site, this is my first post.

I just bought a 92 lx 5.0 convertible 5-speed last month (had a '91 GT 10 years ago, had dreams about buying another stang ever since I sold it). Without going into details, almost everything enginewise is not stock. The car has about 350 HP (flywheel), 3.55's and I can't keep the damn tires from breaking loose. The car has welded subframes and is lowered 1.5 inches. The tires have some tread leftover but I should be getting new ones soon. Thats about it for suspension mods, the shocks and struts are the originals (about 56,000 miles on the car, 10k on the new motor and tranny)

My dream is to be able to pounce first gear and hook on the street with street tires. The car will mainly be a weekend street driver and I don't plan on driving around in slicks.

My next mods will probably be new tires (most likely 245/50/16's all around), a strut tower brace, some upper and lower control arms and new shocks/struts. What do the 5.0 gods recommend for this one? Do I have any hope of hooking in first gear?

[1slo5.0]

Traction on the street is next to impossible. Too much grease and oil. Street tires don't help either.

[Iwannagofast]

you might look into geting some nine inch wide wheels in the back so you can do a 275 in the rear.....might consider upr for your susupension mods.Unlimited Performance Racing Products On-Line - UPR Pro-Series Rear Suspension Package ! 79-04 Mustang

[JBIGBOOTSY]

You'll never, ever, ever, be able to drag style launch a car on the street and hook with street tires, or prolly slicks(of 10"or less). Buy some ET street radials, and feather the clutch and you'll be able to take off. Then pull over and smash your own teeth against the steering wheel as punishment for street racing.

[santa]

Thanks guys. I realize I'm not going to be able to dump the clutch at 4000 and hook with street tires...but somethings gotta help at least a little bit. Will smashing my teeth in the steering wheel after a street race help the tires hook for the next one?

[viper3508]

well the only thing I can tell you is although it is hard to hook on the street it is not impossible... when you buy tires get a GOOOOD set its going to take more money but is worth it in the long run. I didnt do this and now I am spending $200 on ET Streets for the track.

And the other thing you can look at is Lakewood drag shocks 50/50 or 70/30 depending on how "hardcore" you want to go. (sorry couldnt think of another word lol.) these shocks are designed to help you transfer weight to the rear tires smoothly and efficiently without the quick unloading of the weight on the front tires... which stops you from loosing traction from the tires "picking up." they will cost you about $400.

[Drick]

Jbig your avie is less than sexy


Were is the real pic of you

I want some MT ET streets would they help

[White Thunder]

get a 2.3 ....lol sorry mso

[Drick]

That would do it

[1slo5.0]

That only way you will hook any respectable amount of power on the street is to prep the road. Scrape it, sweep it and VHT it. Road surface makes a difference as well. You can somewhat hook without prepping the road if you have the chassis set up properly and have slicks or at least drag radials but you won't be able to launch at much more than idle especially with a manual transmission.

[kevnsue]

Here is the deal! I have street raced since I got my first car at 14. One thing in common you will have when lineing up with the guy to make your blast down the road is, you both are sitting on the same surface and you both have to leave as hard as possible and there are tricks to it. You can leave at 4000 RPM but what is going to take the beating is your clutch!! not your tires. I have found on the street you need a real soft suspention and a lot of practice or you will blow off your tires every time. Some good street drag racing to watch is on you tube under ( Octoberfest 1996 ) This was a bunch of us out street racing Mine is the black and red 68 camaro it had a 350 with a wiend 142 blower and 175Hp Nitrous kit. Long since gone. Now I am racing the foxes. Check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks

[Haggis13]

Change your rear control arms so you can run a 275, and buy some drag radials. Other than that, there's not much that can be done.

[ryans88gt]

upper and lower control arms, adjustable or 50/50 rear shocks, and a good set of street tires will help a lot.

I have yokohama AVS summer tires 245s on my 89 LX and I can launch it pretty hard on the street at about 2000 rpms. It has run a best of 12.2 on 225 street tires at the track, probably not as good on the street, but pretty damn close.

Reducing the weight/ shifting the weight to the rear of your car will help you launch better too.

[89StangGT]

you guys saying its impossible to hook on the street are retards. come to toledo some saturday night we will show you how cars leave on the street with a properly prepped road and 10 inch DOT Tire.

[1slo5.0]

Originally Posted by 89StangGT you guys saying its impossible to hook on the street are retards. come to toledo some saturday night we will show you how cars leave on the street with a properly prepped road and 10 inch DOT Tire.

Like I said in my post, a prepped road is the only way. That is real street racing.

[89StangGT]

Originally Posted by Darrell Like I said in my post, a prepped road is the only way. That is real street racing.

I was just putting it out there for the "you will never ever ever get a drag car to hook on the street" people.

[Overkill]

HPM Megabite Jr. lower arms with AGX (or whatever) adjustable shocks set on the soft side, SVO (at least) upper arms, adjustable uppers would be better if you've got the time to mess around with it and figure out what pinion angle works best. Also fat, soft tires and low air pressure can help.

Without getting too technical you probably need to change the anti-squat characteristics by changing the pick-up points and the instantaneous center. You want the whole car to lift instead of just the front end. Ford designed squat into the Mustang to cut down on warrantee costs. Imagine what it would cost them in trannies, drive shafts, clutches and all the rest if a stock Mustang hooked up right out of the showroom. Plus smoking tires is just what the salesmen love to show off. Helps them sell a lot of cars. Most 1st time buyers don't figure out for a while that all that wheel spinning is worthless in the real world of the street.

With a bit of work you can make a Mustang hook-up, but as Darrell and a couple of others have said, you're only gonna get so much grip out of city asphalt. The key is that the other guy is fighting the same limitation on the street. Sauce for the goose, Mr. Savic.

[JBIGBOOTSY]

All this talk of street racing makes my wanna start preaching, but I wont. Just be carefull and use your heads guys.

[Stangzilla]

Originally Posted by Darrell Traction on the street is next to impossible. Too much grease and oil. Street tires don't help either.

My dream is to be able to pounce first gear and hook on the street with street tires. That will never happen especially with a twisting tweaking unbraced convertable...

[Overkill]

Originally Posted by JBIGBOOTSY All this talk of street racing makes my wanna start preaching, but I wont. Just be carefull and use your heads guys.

Point well taken. I used to fly helicopters in the Army and there was a study done that showed that an aircraft impact under 60 knots was almost always survivable. Over 60 was touch and go, over 80 was almost always fatal. I don't know but I would guess this is probably similar in auto crashes.

Speed kills.