In terms of 1/4 and performance what are we possibly talking here? Is it more bad for trap or time or both? Reason I ask is everytime I race the car kicks sideways going into 2nd (bone stock auto/3.23) EVERYTIME. And I am cutting horrible 60fts. I'm talking consistant 2.4's and 2.5's.

I realize that I suck at launching this thing. So my very first "mod" will be a set of M/T Streets for the track. Will my trap speed increase because of less spin or decrease because the motor isn't spinning as fast?

But I would like to know what to expect when the spinning finally stops. So someone give me some insight on what to expect.

 

I was told that if you spin off the line, you're essentially "creating" a longer track. Since the track sensors don't read your actual speed, but instead estimate it, you'll have a higher MPH when you spin. Your ET will be a lot slower, though, as a result.

I'm surprised you're having so much trouble with a stock setup. Get some LCA and relocation brackets. That should help as well.

Stock LT1s run about 14.1 @ 98 or so I believe.

 

I've never been able to leave the line without better than a 2.3. My average is around a 14.8 at 95 with a 2.4-2.5 60ft. YUCKY!!!!

So if I spin less, then my mph would be less than that?

 

Your first "mod" should be practice. Tons and tons of practice. Experiment with different launch techniques. Different stall RPMs, flashing vs. loading the converter, etc.

Don't get drag radials until you can cut a 2.2 or better on street tires. Ideally, shoot for 2.0. Otherwise, the tires will mask something that you're doing wrong (or something that's wrong with your car), and you'll never learn what it was or how to fix it. That's my advice; you're under no obligation to follow it. A 2.2 is the best I've gotten so far, and I'm still trying. I hope to get a 2.0x this year -- I've been studying the successful launch techniques of other drivers with cars like mine, and I have some new things to try the next time I get to the track.

It's possible that you just have crappy tires. What brand, model, and size tires do you have in the back? How old are they? How many miles on them? And how much tread is left?

The equipment at the track measures your trap speed by timing you through two sets lights at the end of the track. The first of the set is a little bit before the end of the track (I don't know how far, but I'd be surprised if it was more than 20 feet, and I'll bet it's a lot less). Your trap speed is based on how long it takes you to clear both sets of lights, and is therefore your average speed while you traveled from the first set to the second. Technically, it should be a hair lower than your actual speed at the finish line, assuming the car is accelerating the whole time. That said, this is the accepted way to measure trap speed, and people in the know understand that it's not truly your exact speed at the moment you cross the finish line. It's not an estimate, it's an approximation. The difference is subtle.

The "higher MPH when you spin" stuff is BS. If you think otherwise, prove it.

Tires have the best traction when they are slipping just a little. If you're dead hooking, you're not pushing it as hard as the tires can handle. If you're spinning like mad off the line or getting sideways on a shift, you've gone well beyond what the tires can handle.

 

Practice FTW!!!!
Truer words were never spoken. People think they should get in there cars go the the track a few times and automatically have mastered it. With the exception on me (Totally Kidding) thats just gonna happen.

Practice is gonna get you the best bang for buck. I do think DRs will help but again it is going to mask poor launching, or mechanical failure that should be adressed first.

 

DR's will help, no question. They'll help your times. They won't help the problem, which is that there's either something wrong with your car or your driving.

 

One factor everyone seems to be forgetting is track prep. It sounds like the track sucks if your spinning that bad with a stock car. You should get some practice, but you should also invest in some sticky tires. Especially if your running at the track when its mostly street cars. If you have the chance, you should run at your local track on bracket race night atleast once to see the difference in track prep. Like trophy street class or something like that.

If you go back on your current tires, lower the psi to about 25 pounds. Do a burnout till you see white smoke, release the brake and stay on the gas burning out for a few feet. Dont burnout acroos the starting line. Stall the car up just a little so you preload the suspension. If you hook, stall it higher next time up. The stock converter will stall to around 1500 rpms. I cut 1.9's on reguler street tires using that method in my LT1 and my LS1 when it was close to stock. Good luck!

 

I can't argue with a 1.9 60', but two of the things you just recommended go against all logic for launching on street tires.

Burnout on street tires = bad. Street tire compound doesn't get stickier if you heat it -- it gets slimy and slippery. A quick spin to dry the tires and remove any debris you may have picked up in the pits is all that is necessary on street tires.

Lowering tire pressure on street tires = bad. Underinflation causes the tire to cup, meaning that most of the tire tread is not touching the ground (or at least the weight of the car is not evenly distributed across the width of the tire), and therefore giving you less traction. This will vary from tire to tire, but a V8 Camaro is most likely wearing high-performance for the street, and the stiff sidewall of such a tire makes that a bad idea. I'll ask again -- Gtpguy, what tires do you have currently?

 

I find it extremely strange that a basically stock vehicle with an automatic would spin when it shifts into second gear. Even on a poorly prepped track that should not happen unless something it extremely wrong with either the track or your car...

How do you know it is spinning? Are the rpms climbing when it hits second gear? If so you may be experiencing tranny slippage rather than tire slippage.

As far as the launch, track prep has a whole lot to do with it. Do not follow front wheel drive cars in the staging lanes. Go on a points day or tent and tune when slick tired cars are running and the track will generally have much better prep than on a street night. No matter how good the driver... If there is crap on the line you are not going to pull a good sixty foot time.

One of my very first purchases was drag radials. They are far more forgiving than standard street tires. That said, the best pressure for either street tires or drag radials is slightly lower than stock. You actual pressure will be determined by having the proper amount of air in the rears so they do not cup at the launch but have less air than for highway driving so the sidewalls will provide minimally less shock at the launch.

Buy your own tire gauge. Do some burnouts in a vacant lot somewhere and examine the tread patters. You want a strong even pattern all the way across the tread. Check the pressure after the tires cool down. That is what you are looking for,.

As you make changes to your suspension system you will adjust the tire pressure accordingly to accomodate a more efficient weight transfer from front to back. Always measure your tire pressure when they are cool or your readings will not be accurate. Expect 1/2 to 1 pound of pressure increase following an average burnout in street tires or drag radials.

 

Sometimes real life experiance is greater than internet myths/logic
Try my methods and see what happens. Regaurdless of what you read on the interenet, it works. I have ten years of racing under my belt. I've been there and done it.

 

Well it's been twenty one years since I made my first pass. White smoking street tires and dropping the tire pressure that low does not work for me.

 

Go figure, i can't find the timeslip right now, but I have a slip wher ei spun and got the 1/2 mark of a 1/8 race that read 95 MPH. ill post a pic when i find it.

EDIT: Found it, the right side.

http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...t=DSC00930.jpg

 

My car does it all the time. it gets sideways, lays down tire marks and white smoke, and its very audible. It does it both on a very nicely prepped track and the street.

 

Damn your old Its been close to that since I've made my first pass. But I've done quiet a bit of bracket racing over the last 10 years. Including winning a championship. When I say white smoke, I dont mean boil them down. You simply spin till you see white smoke then spin out of the burnout. And lowering the pressure has worked wonders for me on more than one ocasion.

I'm not saying my way will work for everyone. I'm just saying if your having problems, give it shot and see what happens.

 

Sorry but that slip is a timing equipment error, it happens.