I'm looking at ways of improving my launches without spending too much right now. I've seen guys using airbags and am wondering how well they work and what is the theory behind how they work. My car has pulled a best 60' of 1.64 but it is really inconsistent. It squats quite a bit in the right rear but it does it so quickly that I feel it may be unloading the rear when it pops back up. Would the airbag be one practical way of eliminating this? I've seen some guys on this board post some of the most amazing launch pictures, with both wheels hanging evenly in the air. I wanna do that. I've heard of folks using v-6 springs in the rear. How well does this work? I currently have BMR bolt-on relocation brackets, removed the front swaybar, and mac subframe connectors. Those are the only suspension/frame strengthening mods I currently have.Thanks for any help you guys can give.

 

The way they work is that your car has a natural torque reaction to squat more one the right rear. I have seen some people with just one air bag, but I'd recommend using two. Put significanly higher air pressure in the right one. Play with the pressures until both contact patches are equal.

 

I run a right rear air bag on my 3rd Gen - same rear suspension. I run about 7-9 psi. Basically, how I do adjust it - I add about 6-7 psi. then take the car out and stand on it from a 1st gear roll. Then I add a pound or two of air until the tire marks progressively get shorter. I ran low 1.7 60 ft. times on BFG DR's w/ a bolt on L98 motor. I also had a right rear bag in my L98 TA that was very mild - it helped eliminate most of the 1st Gear wheelspin in the TA.

Just my $0.02

 

The idea is to get the weight transfer of the body to plant the rear tire. Air bags will increase the spring rate and weight transfer will plant the rear tire instead of getting absorbed by the spring. If you are rebounding and breaking loose I would try playing with your tire pressure or changing the shock. If the tire has too much pressure it can act like a basket ball and rebound after being compressed. If this is the case you will usually see the tire rebound and compress the spring before the body moves. If the tire compresses and stays there but the spring rebounds, pushes the body back up then unloads the tire then you want to play with your shocks. There is a very fine line to get all these items to work correctly. Having a cam to record and play back at slow motion will help.