[DickH]

Ok, I didn't make it to a track, work schedules + local options = didn't work out this year. I was never able to find out how fast I am, but I am curious about a few things. Right now with a decent launch, what could I hope for for 60ft times? Next year I should be getting 275/40/17 DRs, control arms, springs, and maybe some bits for the front suspension. What kind of improvement should be made from now to then? I know right now I really have to hold back on the launch because my tires just give and spin, from what I understand control arms will help, and wider DRs over what I have now will help that much more. What kind of difference will those make, and how much more is to be gained from springs + front suspension bits?

[Justincredible]

Id say anything from 2.20 to 2.00 with your current setup.

Street tires just do not hook worth a damn , except for Hoosier Quick Time Pros and Micky Thompson ET Streets and Radials.

You basically cant have it both ways....either you going to have a street car that you drag race (poor 60's) or you'll have a drag car that you can drive on the street. Its very hard if not impossible to have the best of both worlds.

[DickH]

oh I don't mind driving on drag radials, im just not going to buy slicks for my car if I never really go to the track. Someone locally was bragging about a 1.9s 60ft and I can out launch him by plenty, he defended that the 1.9 was on slicks and at that point I thought less of him. Not really knowing for sure I figured I would be in the low 2.x, but what I have no clue is what I could be getting with the power I have if I didn't have to hold back so much. What is needed to achieve a 1.6 60ft?

[Justincredible]

I was pulling 1.55-1.58 60's with ~ 390 rwhp (150 shot of nitrous) in a ~3600 pound car with driver, on 26"x10.5"x15" Hoosier slicks.

If you do run drag radials...stay away from anything larger than a 15 inch rim.

You got to have a sufficient amount of tire side wall to work well launching a car.

Some people think its a pain...but for almost three years...I hauled a set of slicks in my car, to the track, and would change the rear tires at the track....to make decent passes.
Before I finally switched to running slicks...I tired, stupidly, to race on street tires that only yielded inconsistent 2.0+ 60's

Ive also recently had good luck with Micky Thompson's ET Drag Radials (275/60/15) that hooked somewhat well with comprehensive suspension adjustments.

[mrbigjeep]

i cut several 1.9's on street tires...with just muffler delete and shifter

lowering springs also...but if anything those would hurt not help. just for info the rear is probably only sitting about 3/4" lower than stock.

[DickH]

How much is the gap between 245/45/17 nitto 555's (not r) and some 275/40/17 drag radials?

[Blackbird1084]

I have pulled 1.62 60's with 275/50/15 mt et street radials,3650 with me and n/a in my Trans Am.I 1.9's shouldn't be that hard for you to pull but 1.6's require alittle more power and suspension work.

[Blackbird1084]

Street tires to drag radials is a big diffrence at the track you'll notice quite a bit better traction on the street as well.

[SWEET2KSTANG]

i run 1.6 with slicks. i was pulling 2.1's all day long with regular street tires.

[DickH]

Well, a very short time spent looking it up, it seems that awd gets about 1.6-2 seconds for a 60ft time. With DRs on the street, how far behind should I be off the line? I have a couple people I want to snag a rematch on next year and hope to have better suspension so they don't get me by 3 cars by my mid second gear. Off the line, what does a 1.6s 60ft look like compared to 2s? Although I would like my car to not be all launch and not much running after, I still can't ignore the launch. I know for a fact that a car I put a bus on from a stop can beat me from a roll, so id like to make that distance a long as possible to make it less likely that they would catch up in a reasonable distance. What are some of the big things I could do that would give me a noticeable gain off the line, id like to think I somewhat understand some of this stuff, but I really don't know as much as I would like to.

[SWEET2KSTANG]

1.6-1.7's:

Video of 12.06 tulsa 4-11-08 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Video of 12.06 tulsa 4-11-08 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

1179-1.flv - Video - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

1179-1.flv - Video - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

i guess i havent loaded any of my older vids when i was on street tires, i was cutting 2.1's.

[stevek]

Originally Posted by Justincredible I was pulling 1.55-1.58 60's with ~ 390 rwhp (150 shot of nitrous) in a ~3600 pound car with driver, on 26"x10.5"x15" Hoosier slicks. If you do run drag radials...stay away from anything larger than a 15 inch rim. You got to have a sufficient amount of tire side wall to work well launching a car. Some people think its a pain...but for almost three years...I hauled a set of slicks in my car, to the track, and would change the rear tires at the track....to make decent passes. Before I finally switched to running slicks...I tired, stupidly, to race on street tires that only yielded inconsistent 2.0+ 60's Ive also recently had good luck with Micky Thompson's ET Drag Radials (275/60/15) that hooked somewhat well with comprehensive suspension adjustments.

why should we stay away from wheels larger than 15" when running drag radials?


as for sidewall size is that just for the launches or will more sidewall help with traction as well? right now i am set up with 275/40/17 on back and 245/40/17 in front. money not there to buy new rims sso what would be the best size tires to run?

[Blackbird1084]

You are running the biggest 17 you can run on an 8 inch wide rims.The more side wall you have the less shock the actual tread patch see's the better traction you get.But if you get a taller tire thinking that it will get you better traction it may cost you time as going with a taller tire has a direct effect on your over all gearing.Say you have a set of stock gears and you switch to 4.10's since your still running a 26 inch tall tire your car will be able to get to it's rev range quicker.But if you put on a set of 28 inch tall tire it will act as if you installed a set of 3.73's and slow down your cars ability to rev quickly.If you get dr's and plan to drive on them all the time then i'd advise getting nitto 555r's the have (from my experiance) the best wear out of the ones i have tried and they hook great on the street.Mt et street radials are great for the track but not so good on the street nor due they last very long if driven all the time.They don't hook that good on the street because they are so sticky.It's hard for me to do a burnout with them on the street without them just pushing the car forward were as at the track you have a water box you can do a burnout in to heat them up.

[DickH]

I was planning on nitro 555r 275/40/17 how many miles should those last? I only want to buy one set a summer and I'll drive about 10k miles on them. Should they last?

[Blackbird1084]

Yes depending on how many trips you take to the track.The most i got out of a set was 5k miles but each set had 40 or so passes at the track also.

[MustangMally97]

I pulled a 1.6 60ft with my blown 93 with M/T slicks.

[DickH]

Ok Ok, is it unreasonable that with suspension work, tires I have chosen and with what my car has done to it to achieve a 1.7 60ft time? If I pull that off and drive fairly well the rest of the way down the track, what should I end up with for a 1/4 mile time?

[Blackbird1084]

Unless you have aftermarket uca's and lca's you won't cut a 1.7 60ft(there is a chance god could be handing out maricles that day).But if you do said mods and with what you already have your looking at some mid-low 13's.

[mrbigjeep]

i'd say you could pull a 1.8

don't know about a 1.7

you should be able to pull at least mid 13's

[DickH]

no no what I have now with suspension work and drag radials. I have control arms already and am reading into details to make a watts link and torqe arm. I'm not sure about springs but I'm sure I'll get a set. I also have removed some weight, I don't know how much that helps.