OK, last week in Bowling Green I was there racing and with my current set up I need to make some changes. My suspension is pretty much stock except for the SLP level II suspension which is mostly just 1le pieces.

I know I need tires really bad but I don't think that DR's are the answer, maybe on the street but not at the track so I'm thinking ET streets or better with front skinnies.

I was thinking of starting with adj. LCA's and brackets since my springs are 3/4" lowering from SLP. I looks like the angle of them are pointing up in the back insted of down.

Next I would probably go with BMR etxteme torque arm since some gas might be in the future.

It just seems like this is to easy for better times?

Thanks-Chris

 

Sounds like a plan. I'd pass on the adjustable LCA's, you shouldn't need them.

Dave

 

Your basically at the point I'm at running NA.

I would recommend ET Streets or Hoosier QTP's. Get the 26x11.5-15's. Then a good "front runner" tire.... anything in 26x4.5-15. I have Moroso DS-2's and they are about the least expensive you can get.

If you have the LCA axle connection point above the body connection point, you definitely need LCA relocation brackets. You want the axle point lower than the body point, so it tries to lift the body instead of letting it squat and make the situation even worse.

Fixed length LCA's are all you need. Adjuatables have limited value. Good for recentering the tires front-to-back in the wheel well, correcting thrust angle, or moving 28" slicks back from the front sheetmetal edges of the wheel openings, but not usefull for anything else.

I would add a tubular panhard rod to the list. That will keep the body centered over the axle in the side-to-side direction. If you are lowered, and if you have any indication the body is off-center now, you need an adjustable panhard rod.

For both the LCA's and the panhard rod, you need to decide what sort of "end" connections you want. Polyurethane bushings are a lot better than the stock rubber, but can cause some suspension "bind" because of their rigidity. Not a big problem for drag racres, but if you auto-x or road race, you need to think about at least one "spherical rod end" on the LCA's and panhard rod. For hard core drag racing, you need rod ends all around, but that makes a street car very noisy and harsh.

Then the torque arm. My preference is the one from Spohn Performance. Make sure it is "adjustable", since this is the only way to adjust the pinion angle and preserve the u-joints. Again...... poly end for a strictly street car, rod end for serious racing.

Then, consider preventing body roll on launch. You are at the point where you will be pulling the wheels, and trying to keep the body level, and pointed straight ahead. An airbag in the passenger rear spring will solve that problem.

Finally... springs and shocks. The stock springs, or even the V6 springs are fine for drag racing. A set of adjustable shocks helps.... loose in the front to bring the front end up, medium in the back to prevent excessive squat.

A lot to do..... .

I suggest you look at the Spohn parts.

Rear suspension using Spohn parts

 

Wow, thanks for the info. Fred.

This car is seeing less and less of the street everyday because of noises issues but will see light street action so I'll look into rod ends because I might not hear the added noise anyway. The car will not see any auto-x action, just the 1/4 and some time on the power tour, and other events.

Almost 3.0 60' times suck

 

Chris,
The only thing you might add to Fred's list of things to do, is a set of sub frame connectors. I used a set of KBDD and it really tightened the car up. And if you get the Spohn adj. TA, the cross brace that replaces the tunnel brace will be tied in to the sub frame. One last note is that your right about the drag radials, just get a set of slicks for the track.

Rick

 

Thanks, I do have BMR boxed subs now.

 

Far and away it's the rear tires that will make the biggest difference. The springs and shocks are the least important. With a stiff, lowered suspension, relocation brackets and the Spohn TA using 16x26" E/T Streets (10" tread) I was running low 1.5 sec 60' times (best of 1.51). That was with an M6, hard to launch well. Unless you are racing "heads up" for money, I would avoid drag springs and shocks. Adjustable shocks are fine, though with stiff springs I doubt they will make much difference. The drag srpings will ruin it as a street car, IMHO.

If you are getting some 15" rims, you might consider the new 27" Hoosier QTP. Fits very nicely without major violation of the body/fenderwell.

Rich Krause

 

So should I just look into a bag for the rear spring and keep the SLP springs and go with a QA1 shock?

I found a spohn TA with rod ends with 25 miles on it.

 

I'd stick with the stock springs and shocks, and give it a try. The LCA relocator brackets should provide most of the improvement... they did for me. If you are getting some drift to the side when you launch, or actually pull the wheels and get the drivers front tire higher than the passenger side, consider the air bag.

 

Ok, I had my front sway bar/STB hooked up so it wasn't pull the tires off the ground but the driver side was pulling up harder than the pass. on the only run made launching at 3/4 throttle.

 

Good info here. Excellent. Drag radials are a waste of time with that much HP. They are no better than a good street tire. Has anyone tried the Lakewood lift bars? It sounds like the best idea for traction to me.

Lakewood lift bars

 

Everything I have read indicates the Lakewood bar do exaclty what they look like they would do - put the rear suspension in "bind". I have seen posts which indicate they tear themselves apart from the bind, and a couple where people basically threw everything away but the LCA portion.

There are 1,000+HP "stock style" suspension 4th Gens out there, pulling 1.2X and 1.3X 60-foots, and they are not using supposedly trick pieces like the Lakewood stuff.... they are using simple tubular LCA's and well made HD torque arms.... and most likely a good "drag style" sway bar and front suspension limiters.

Here's my favorite photo of one of those cars, and one on which I have personal knowledge of whats underneath.... That's a 3,900# car.

Got Traction?

Fred

 

Thanks Fred. It seems like the idea is good but the implementation is not. Maybe Lakewood needs a new Injuneer?

Nice pic of George Baxtor's car, too. I love that one.

 

My advise is simple. Do tires/wheels first. Then put it on the track and do the next thing. Tires are the single most critical element in this picture and each car reacts differently to traction. Don't buy what you don't need. There are plenty of guys cutting low 1.5's with a stock torque arm and stock rear shocks.

 

Tires/wheels are first on my list but I have raced with ET street before my 355 was done and I had traction problems then also, so I know I need more than just tires.