OK...today I went for the first time to our re-opened Drag Strip here in Albuquerque, New Mexico...and I DID HORRIBLE!!!!! I could not get any damn traction at all!!!! I have 17x7.5in Chrome rims with BFG Euro TA 205 40 series tires...and they did not hook up for sh*t!!!!!!! my first run was a mere....17.765 @ 82.7MPH, reaction time was .536, 60ft was 2.69....my second run was not that much better..17.695 @ 83.0MPH, reaction time of .562 and 60ft was 2.787. Maybe it was the way I was launching...I would let the clutch out at 5grand and just keep it floored till the end....shifting at about 6400. Any advice????????????

PS..should have the timeslips scanned tomorrow..and hopefully the video of both runs by wednesday....if anyone wants me to prove these horrible numbers!!!

Thanks

Cisco C.

 

i usually launch at about 3-4000 rpms my best time so far was 16.3 and i still had wheel hop

 

Okay Cysco00, you DEFINITLEY need to rid yourself of those Euro TA's. I had a set on my previous car and they do NOTHING for traction on the track. The rubber compound is way too hard. Thats why it gets an excellent wear rating! Anyhow, I recommend some Hankook Ventus HRII H405 tires. Very well priced ($75 per tire..205/40/R17) with excellent dry traction as well as wet. They withstand some abuse too. Much better than Kuhmo 712's and cheaper. Trust me man, you need better tires. Your 60' times are giving it away. I did a 16.4 last time i went and my 60' was 2.5. Not exactly stellar but if i get my launches right, i should be 2.3, 2.4. I haven't had a chance yet to run my car since all the new stuff (fidanza flywheel, mandrel bent exhaust) but i'm expecting high 15's when i get my launch correct. And yeah i'm running 17's too and a 1.8l. Keep trying man poke

ps. you may want do drop the clutch at around 3000-3500 (like what batman said) and not "dump" it, but feather it. Kind of engage half way to soften the initial "shock" then let it all out. Side walls on low profile tires don't bend like balloon tires do so we get the hopping. feathering will help your tires to hook-up with the stickiness of the track without too much comotion. wink

[ March 09, 2003, 07:36 PM: Message edited by: Koreandude ]

 

it's your launch that's really messing up your times. i launch mine at around 3000-3500 and get the right amount of wheelspin to get great launches.

 

I'm telling ya, those tires SUCK!! They are a very old design, the tread compound is horrible for traction and the only good thing about them is they'll outlast your inner tie rods. tongue.gif

 

yes, the tires are shi**y, but so is the 5000 rpm clutch drop. my advice is to go out on an empty, straight road and practice your launches.

 

Hey thanx for the advice guys....I definetly need to practice my launches...it kinda tricky though...since I have the Fidanza Flywheel...cuz if I launch to low of RPM...when the Tranny hooks up....it drops it way low..so I have to be careful!! and I Definetly agree...my tires suck..I went today to Discount tire and priced out those Ventus..I'll be getting those in about a week..but I am also gonna get some Nitto Drag Radials for my stock 14" rims....so I can use those to drag with...I wanna see the difference!!..

Cisco C.

 

what you need to practice is launching WITH the clutch. Right now, you are basically launching without the clutch. (You are just releasing the clutch very fast (dumping)).

What you need to do is modulate the clutch and gas pedal together to keep the rpms around 2500 at launch, yet keep wheelspin to a minimum.

If the wheels spin, more clutch, less gas. If the car bogs, less clutch, more gas. It is a very fine line with a light weight flywheel.

If you do your 5000 RPM clutch dump with those nitto drag radials, you will do some serious damage to your tranny. DON'T get them untill you can launch the car properly with street tires.

Your 2.7 60' is what is killing your speed, and your time. You should be able to pull a 2.4-2.5 on street tires. (BTW...great reaction times!) Once you can pull a reliable 2.4-2.5 60', then you are ready for drag radials. With drag radials you should drop your 60' to 2.1-2.2

Take the engine all the way to 6700. You want to shift just before the fuel cutoff. Shifting at 6400 is just cheating yourself of 300RPM.

Your car should be capable of 16's in the low 90's MPH at your altitude.

 

wow 16's in the 90's? Why such a high speed for that time bracket? I've sen high 15's with speeds of 85 mph and speeds of 90mph in the low 15's.

I'd educated guess is that when a car is in the 16's doing 90's, it would indicate a very slow start (indicating no low end power) and a very fast trap speed (indicating high end power).

 

Koreandude-

You are correct, I should have stated mid-high 80's. To get into the low 90's, he'd need to break into the 15's and have more power.