gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

with the way guys in our cars are launching the m/t drag radials on a footbrake (1.35-1.40 60' are getting to be more common with some folks here), is a trans brake launch on slicks even worth it anymore?

is there a need for bias ply tires and shocking the driveline ( talking cars looking for 1.3 60' and slower)? here is one of our local "girl" ls1 4L60e racers getting it done on the 28" radials.

http://www.drivelinestudios.com/nbna...alsweb1024.jpg

just wondering what you all thought.

skipperbisket

iTrader: (4)

i was thinking about this a while back myself. with guys like Wolfe going 7.50s on drag radials, is there really any reason any of us in the 9-12 second range should need a full big *** slick. i mean if they can hook up those cars and run those numbers on a street tire, there is no reason a 9-12 second car should need any more tire than that. hell, even on his 7.5x passes on drag radials Wolfe was still going 5.1x 1/8th miles so its still getting out there pretty hard. i'm setting my car up to run radials and/or a 28x10.5" slick depending on what class it ends up in here locally.

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

well i dont want to compare the 7 second radial tire cars b/c they are running a 30" 315 drag radial. lets keep the discussion to 9 second and slower cars. basically the vast majority of drag cars on this board running a 28" tire.

skipperbisket

iTrader: (4)

i was just using that as an example, basically if a 7.5 second car can get it done on a radial, i see no reason that an 8-12 second car can't do the same.

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

it just seems so much more simple. no trans brake. no 2 step. no anything. just put in 20 psi in the tires and footbrake it. bam, 1.3-1.4 60' times.

skipperbisket

iTrader: (4)

i could see that a 2 step would be advantagious due to the same RPM launch consistancy, making it easier to dial in the suspension etc would be good. when i run on radials i intend on footbraking to whatever rpm and gettin it done. on slicks thats a different story.

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

ok, so definately reaction time is an advantage along with consistency. but to me it also seems like a slick/TB is more things that could go wrong (over complicating things). again talking 9-12 second cars here.

Ben R

Cars with DR's need to hit the tire harder than cars with slicks. DR's are certainly not superior to slicks. Most people with LS1 cars have super craptastic off the shelf converters that are super in-effecient and not what their car needs.

badass 2002 z28

iTrader: (5)

My car leaves better off a footbrake than a trans brake. It 60fts about the same with both, but overall the suspension works better footbraking.

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

you dont mean "shock" the tires harder with radials right? do you mean cars with radials to run the same number must put more power to the ground? i am confused.

what does converter efficiency have to do with hwo well the car launches on slicks versus DRs?

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

i remember joe overton saying the same thing about his car as well.

Ben R

Running DR's is a complicated mix. They're a lot less forgiving than slicks are. If I built a DR car it would definately hit the tires hard. The hard part is keeping them planted.

Converter effeciency is a trate of the crappy converters I was trying to describe. It really have TOO much bearing on how a car launches, but it does matter. Speaking of converter effeciency I have a racepak graph from a Nostalgia Pro Street racer who saw 1:1 through the lights. Pretty neat stuff.

LC

So, a Drag Radial will hook as fine as a Slick if the Suspension is prepared to.
a Slick would hook on "any" suspension setup...

Kinda like that?

325/50/15s vs Stiff Slicks... ( slicks are cheaper! )

MADMAN

iTrader: (4)

Joe O was scared of his trans brake.

I agree with Ben. With a drag radial you need to shock the tire. The harder the shock the better the hook if you can control it. If you set the car up correctly a trans brake will out launch a footbrake car.

Coach 02 A3 Z/28

iTrader: (10)

This statement is my car to a T.

Coach

Carbed4thGen

iTrader: (2)

The difference here is the guys runnin these 7.5's on a DR are making HUGE power and are in a "controlled" spin most of the time

Matt D

iTrader: (49)

I do not use a transbrake or 2 step, but I do use a proportioning valve so I can foot brake my 4600 converter higher with the MT drag radials. You might want to look into one of those John.

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

coach you dont run a transbrake? that really surprises me with you into braket racing so much. esp with how much madman pushes the tb. i figured the footbrake woudl slow your r/t

MADMAN

iTrader: (4)

Coach runs a No Electronics class. So we cant have a trans brake. He does have worse reaction times on a .400 pro tree on the foot brake.

Loudmouth LS1

iTrader: (10)

If I remember correctly, he runs the footbrake class, that's why no tbrake. If you run a tbrake, you have to run with the guys with all sorts of electronics like delay boxes and all that **** and it makes it a lot harder to win.