As soon as I launch my car is going everywhere but straight.
I've removed the front sway bar and was running 11.5 hot with 28x11.5 MT ET Streets (bias). Is my tire pressure just too low? Stock 16x8 wheels.

How long of a burnout do you guys recommend for these tires?

 

Yeah, thats low pressure.

 

even if the track wasn't prepped well, I'd say your tires are way too low. Try starting at 15-18 psi and work your way down .5-1 pound per pass(or every 2 runs to rule out any oddball runs). You want to run as much air as you can without spinning to help the down track characteristics.

Derek

 

ya got some good part in it, most likely tire pressure, try what Villain said.

 

My tires are at 14psi cold. No problems here.

 

How long of a burnout should I do each time. I usually do a second gear burn out for about 5 seconds, turn off the lock then let it spin up to the start. The tires are still smokin when I get up to the line.

Well I know 16-18 hot is probably gonna be too much. I tried that a couple weeks ago and sat there spinning. I did have my sway bar still on at that time though.

The best 60' Ive got is 1.7. I'm guessing I'll need coil overs to do better than that. This is a stick.

 

Thats a LONG time for a burnout...way too long. Making the tires too hot (and greasy).

 

So maybe 3-5 the first time, then 2 seconds the rest. I've had other people I should do a good long burnout. I thought it was just the street tires that got greasy when heated.

 

Really 16 to 18 too much? I'm sure when mine are hot they are in that area. I cut 1.42 to 1.44 60 foots on a 26'' tire. I was still in mid 1.5's on 16'' rims.So,you need better tires or your suspenshion is not up to par my friend. goodluck to ya.

 

No, it's any tires that you can put too much heat into them. And yes, you WILL get different opinions on this, but what has always worked for me (and been as quick as 1.29 60' on a 28-10.5) is a short burnout. Just enough to get teh tires cleaned and some heat into them. Does not take much at all.

Tell you what, if you want video...hop over to Phil99Vette his build thread, and on page 106 or 107 or something like that (of his most recent time to the track) and he has his burnout in there. If you count, it is probaly, 2-3 seconds long and how he goes through it, is exactly how I do a burnout (except I do not spin the tires over in teh water). Nice, quick, and short. A long burnout, all you are doing is making the tire too hot and reducing life on the tire.

next time to the track, if your car is a 10 sec ride do this:
Roll through water, and pull far enough that your rear tires are on teh edge of the water box (but make sure you are out of the box)
Can not see your sig so do not know tranny, but lets' assume you have an auto, 350 or 400.
Grab 1st, floor it, grab 2nd AS SOON as tires start moving, then grab 3rd, again, just as quickly, start rolling out then grab neutral/left off throttle.
The whole process should take only 3-4 sec (give or take).
But to just sit there for 5 seconds, then roll out, yes, way too long.

Try the shortened version, see how it goes...but do 4, 5 or so short burnouts to get a good baseline to see how you are doing, before you jump to any conclusions.

 

I just went and watched Phils video again, and @ the 57 second mark is where he does his first burnout, and from the time starts his burnout, and stops rolling forward after his burnout was 3 seconds....

 

And also, the reason I say 10 second ride is, basically, a slower car than that, is a little bit harder for teh motor to pull high gear during a burnout, usually. But once you hit teh 10 sec zone, motor is making enough power to pull high gear doing a burnout.

Also, the reason I could not see your sig, is when I am typing, I can not see it, so....


Well, just read your sig, and you are a M6 guy (good man!!!) 4.11's and a 28" tall tire, you MIGHT want to try 3rd gear burnout. The faster you can get your tires going (higher speed) the easier (and shorter) it takes to get heat into your tires.
If you don't have enough motor, might be a LITTLE harder to get tires going in 3rd gear, but if you have enough motor, should not be a problem...

 

I'm pretty much stock as far as power other than the spray. I'm thinking headers and coilovers up front, hopefully next season.

Could it also be that I'm running a 28" tall tire without drag coilovers up front? Since the rear is sitting up higher maybe its making the weight not transfer as well.

 

OK, stock power, gotcha. 2nd gear burnout with 4.11's and 28" is fine. Just try and get them going as quick (MPH/Speed) as possible for as short (time) as possible.

No, lack of coil overs should not have any affect on your car like that. You should be able to HOOOOOK up. That is a monster tire for your combo (stock motor) and should be able to run a completely stock suspension with that tire, and it hook up and drive straight.

So, we move back to your tire. Raise the pressure (as mentioned above) and do a nice quick, short, clean burnout.
Again, as mentioned above, you want as much tire pressure as you can, and still hook up, and if that meant you could run 30 PSI, you would do it. (of course, I am exaggerating, but to make a point) as the higher the pressure, the better "down track" or "top end" manners the car will have (again, as already mentioned above by the OP).
I would start with @ 15 PSI or so, doing a short burnout, and move up/down in pressure from there. But again, try and do it 3,4, 5 time with one change at a time (so you can monitor what works and what does not work) and don't just assume that if it does not work 1 pass, that you need to change someting else. Again, it could have been a fluke deal, and that is why you need to do it a few time before you change something else.

I know that raising the tire pressure and doing a short burnout are 2 changes at once, but I think it is safe to assume, your tire pressure is too low to begin with, so we know we need to raise it some, and the long burnout, while questionable, I feel that a short one will help you out.

GL



Edit: I can not stress enough, REPEATABILITY...doing the same procedure over and over and over and over, etc...to get a baseline. And that way, when you make 1 change at a time, you will know it works or does not, and you can throw all other variable out the window. For example, DON'T do a 1st gear burnout, then next time a 2nd gear burnout, and then do it for 5 seconds and the next time, 2 seconds (you get my point). If you keep it consisitent, when something goes wrong (or does not work) you can go directly to the known problem.
For example:
You have done 10 short burnouts running 12 PSI, and your 60' has been in the 1.80's (just throwing numbers out there).

Then, you want to raise pressure because on teh top end, car is a little "loose", so you decide to raise pressure. So, you go up to 15 PSI (again, just throwing numbers), and now your 60' drops to a 2.00. So, you MIGHT say, that does not work, BUT, don't assume it. Go give it another shot, as there MAY have been some fluid on the track that was missed by the track personnel or you accidently raised your launch RPM, etc....So, you go back do it again, and you cut a 1.80 AND top end feels GREAT. So, now you have a 2.00 and 1.80 60' @ 15PSI? Well, go back and do it AGAIN, and again, a 1.80, BUT great top end manners again. So, make another one to determine if it works. And after a few passses, you will then be able to determine what works or not, again, because of just the 1 change at a time.

 

Thanks for the detailed advice! I needed that. Hopefully I'll get to the track this week to test it out.

That is definately one of my problems. I only get 3 or 4 runs in when I go to the track so I'm trying to solve problems too quickly. Also as soon as I get it hooking, my friends bug the crap out of me to spray it so that throws another huge variable in. I need to just leave the spray alone for the rest of the season.

 

You are more than welcome of course, anytime. Yeah, track night, normally so many cars, can only squeeze in a few runs (like you said), which makes it doubly tough. This is where patience will pay off....BIG time. And yes, been there, done that (friends bugging ya to spray it) all you have to do is tell them to go spray THEIR car..hahaha!!
But yes, it would be a good idea to get teh "hook up" figured out on motor (cause obviously, you have a hard time hooking up on motor, gonna be near impossible to get it hooked on nitrous) and once you get it hooking and booking on motor and dialed in, THEN do the nitrous thing. Talk about hard to do (repeatability) is getting it figured out on nitrous, keeping all variables the same...bottle pressure, launch RPM, timer delay (if equipped), etc...full throttle activated or "button" activated, etc...and doing the EXACT same thing over and over and over...more difficult.
The GOOD news in all that is, once you get it figured on motor, and you have done teh same thing over and over and over on motor, alot easier in transferring that method over to the nitrous.
You'll get it.....GL