Track results with my Limited

[gusszgs]

It'll have to wait til spring now Rich.
I'm using photobucket.
Good you got the car going. Was it the relay?

[TexasT]

I'd say it wasn't the relay because it didn't start with either of the three I have and it has now started with one of them. I will have to try the other two out. I sat down to eat my supper and the daughter called. She was on her way back to school and was about half way and the headlights on her car stopped working. So I got the trailer hooked back up and headed down to pick her and the car up.  He boy friend worked on them last night when I changed the oil m filter. I guess they need more work. We will take a look at them in a couple weeks for thanks giving.

Didn't get to try the Steve suggestions yet. Planning on a long jumper wire and dropping the tank for an inspection of the electrical connections. It will be reliable if it kills me.

[gusszgs]

Went back to track Sat.........th at's me Brad's talking about with the 3021 Husek converter.
All seems well but 60' is still brutal. 2.0 was best. All parameters are good car went 1 mph slower than Oct of last year, but had more timing in it then and much cooler air. Was hot there Saturday. Wasn't looking to get a killer ET just improve 60' really.
Moved the MTDR tire pressure all over the place......no dif Went through log and was leaving at around 5psi.
Last pass car launched HARD for the first 30' or so (guessing) then blew em off bad! So I assume I'm squatting, car hooks and rebounds and unloads the tires. This is what it feels like anyway, was by myself so nobody watching. Car HAS 90/10 Lakewoods in the front (new) rear is stock with DS airbag @8psi. and UMI lowers.

[Scoobum]

Jim is also running the stock rear swaybar. Any thots as to what he should run for an air pressure in the MT's and the rear air bag would be appreciated. He launched it at 8 PSI and 4 PSI...same 60' each time.

[TexasT]

Good shocks on the rear(bilstein, kyb?) I think the 90/10 fronts might be too much and with the stock springs even a 70/30 might over do it. I like the cheap Monroe or Gabriel for fronts. Plenty of give and they keep the front up to let it hook. Then settle down mid track to get the front down to lessen wind resistance. I know those drs will hook just have to make them. I was used to bias tires. Might need less pressure in the radials.

[TexasT]

And I thought picking up 21 mph in the second half wasn't enough but looking at this slip that picked up 23 mph in the second half, the 21 mph Jim's car picked up is looking good . There is an 11 second run in it, I know it.


Car 103

http://www.baselinesuspensions.com/info/Launching_A_Drag_Car.htm
Launching a drag car.

[Steve Wood]

I would lose the lakewoods at this point in time....

[good2win22]

MT ET streets at 15 psi, Bilstiens all around. Baseline suspensions upper control relocation brackets and their upper control arms, UMI non adjustable lowers with stock stabilizer bar. Car was lowered an inch all around with spring changes. 1.58  60' on foot brake and launching in the mid teens on boost.


If you like the cars stance, weigh it and then find the instant center.  There is better room for adjustments from the uppers as long as you can get the lowers as horizontal as possible. 


These cars are heavy up front. Good luck!

[gusszgs]

Ya eh Steve, maybe I'll pull them Lakewoods off. Any suggestions on a replacement? It's the only change I made really. O2's are in the 780-800 range throughout. No WB yet
Thanks guys all for all input. What pissed me off is I ran a 12.1 with a 1.94 60' on a skating rink last fall.😊

[Steve Wood]

I think they are causing the car to unload.

I prefer just a regular shock like the Bilsteins for all around driving and enuf people have used them on the strip with success to know they work.  A better solution might be the QA1 Stocker Stars that are adjustable.  They cost more than the Bilsteins but they let you play with the front end rise.  If using them, I would start with them set in the middle.

A cheap shock like Monroes will also work but they won't be worth a damn for street handling after a few months of driving.

Try a stiffer rear bar like the Helwig or an old ATR bar if you can find it...

[GavinHunyady]

For the same reasons that Steve mentioned above, I'm about to test some bilsteins that are valved for a street stock racecar with a little more rebound than compression in the rear and vise versa in the front. Hoping I can report back soon with good results as its a much cheaper and simpler solution for a lot of folks.

[larrym]

Mine works pretty good I use a helwig bar QA 1 single adjustable up front an cheap Monroe sensortrac in the rear. I soften it up front for track and dial up firm for handling on the street car handles pretty well for no front bar plus l have 2" drop spindles 1.69 on Nittos

[Steve Wood]

These subjects often bring a conflict between reality and theory.

The G body cars usually have an instant center that is in front of the car instead of being tucked back under the car so that more leverage is available to shift front end weight to the rear tires.

Theory says, in that case, that these cars should not be able to launch worth a darn, but reality shows that they can do a pretty good job.

What many tend to forget about launching is that it takes two things to get a low short time.  First we have to have traction and second, we have to have enough power to use that traction but not overcome it.  Until we reach that point, doing a lot to shift the instant center is not going to significantly help.

We have guys that have gone less than 1.4 in the short times on stock suspensions but they were in a totally different league from most of us when it comes to hp to the tires.

I think if you are the average ten second car that money is better spent on replacing bushings, stiffer lower bars, and a good rear sway bar along with a properly working limited slip or some version thereof.

30 spline axles are a good investment if you upgrade the limited slip.  C clip eliminators are required most places but the ball bearing version are not long lived on the street due to their reduced load capabilities and they usually leak to boot.  If you are serious, then have the ford rear housing ends installed-they hold the axles in by a bolt on collar. 

For a ten second car, the Helwig bar, ATR clone, or such seems to be perfectly adequate altho the H&R bar is probably even better...not sure there is much benefit on a performance vs cost ratio.

Larry's Monroe shocks on the back and QA1's on the front is pretty idea as far as I am concerned.  I have seen many a car pull 1.5's on Bilsteins all the way round so there is not too much benefit from following reality instead of theory in this case again, imo.  Removing the front sway bar seems to help and the car should still be drivable assuming a larger rear bar.

Air bags?  A passenger side bag may help altho there are plenty that pull good times without them.  Get someone to stand behind the car while you quickly bring it up to launch boost.  If the rear bumper is parallel to the ground, you are good to go.  If the passenger side is closer to the ground than the drivers, an air bag can help.  If all is working, you should get two equal length burn out stripes on launch.

[gusszgs]

Well I can't put any blame on track prep Saturday fellas. Actually the guy was spraying just before I lined up to lights. Also some big dudes were pulling off 1.2's in the same lane.
I'll admit I'm a greenhorn when it comes to suspension. I have a GS that ran 1.64 60' and straight as an arrow. But, I do have Paul's H&R upper and lowers. Junk rear shocks and Comps in the front.
So, with this car obviously I'm dissapointed and I know running the number is a hell of a lot easier said than done.
Maybe the car would 60' a lot better with Pauls rear bar and some better rear shocks and leave the Lakewoods on? Just trying to piece this together. The right way

[Scoobum]

The other stat I forgot to mention is Jims convetor 'flashed' to 2975 on the launch. We're heading out together in a couple of weeks...and I'm gonna video his car from the front and back to 'see' what it's doing. With 90/10's up front and stockers out back and a stock rear sway bar I'll bet it's 'tricycling' and bottoming out the rear shocks and then unloading the rear tires.


My own car has to have a perfectly prepped track...low gear 02's in the 770's...6 degrees of low gear timing added and have the convertor 'flash' to 4 grand to do a 1.5x launch. Anything less and it's 1.7x's. I'm mulling over sending Dusty a PL file of one of my runs...and have him build me a race convertor.