Ok I need some help I keep going backwards at the track. I have a bolt-on 98 Z with a Yank SS3600 converter. My car was running its best about a year ago. At that it was a bolton car with 3.42 gears, the SS3600 converter, 255/50R16 ET Radials, with completly stock suspension except for the removal of the front sway bar. I cant remember the trap speed but it ran 7.71 with a 1.70 sixty foot time. The car felt good there but I thought it might have a little more in it since I would have traction problems if I stalled any more than about 2000 rpms.

This is where it all went bad. At this time I added UMI subframe connectors, lca relocation brackets, single adj lcas, and a single adj panhard bar. I set my lca's in the lower hole and set all my bars to factory length. I go back to the track I start going backwards. My et fell to a 7.9 with about a 1.8 sixty foot time. It seemed like the car was wanting to leave but then it would start breaking loose. So I talked to some people and then I came to the conclusion that the car was unloading to quickly. So I got some single adjustable QA1 rear shocks this winter.

So I set the shocks at 6 and went to the track last Thursday. I started with about19 psi air pressure and made a pass. I tried to launch at about 1500 rpms and it just blistered the tires. So then I came back and launched at about 1100 rpms and the same thing happened. So then I adjust the shocks down to 5 and the same thing happened so I took them all the way to 4 with the same results. So now I tried it on 7 with no positive results. Now I put the shocks back to 6 and I started working the air pressure. I played with it at a few setting with the lowest being 15 psi. It seemed like the traction was a little better at 15 psi but it was still bad. I never broke out of a 2.0 sixty foot with a 8.4 et all night. It was terrible and I don't know what is going on. I have never seemed to be one to have traction problems but I sure am this time. If you have any advice I would really appreciate it. Oh yeah the track is always preped pretty poorly but I always run at the same track. I always pull all the way through the water box and then do a 5-6 sec burn out.

,Chase

 

How much psi are you running in your tires?

 

It's your position on your relocation brackets. . . are the bars (LCAs) PARALLEL with the ground with you in the car?

 

What he said. Most people buy relocation brackets and immediately move the LCAs to the lowest position...big mistake. I also think you'll have better results if you flash the converter from just off idle, maybe 1k RPM.

 

try moving up control arm! and lower your air pressure some more u have stiff side walls on those things i sixty foot with same tires before 1.35 stock suspension i ran 13 lbs!

 

Before you go and move the lca's try different tire pressures and lower settings on the QA1's. I have my lca's at the bottom hole, shocks at 5, and tires 15-17. My car hooks with out a problem. Do you have QA1's on the front?

 

The lowest I have been is 15 psi so I will try lower. How low can I go on this tire/wheel combo?

 

So far it looks like I am going to check the angle the lca's are at. If they look good I am just going to continue to drop the tire pressure and the shock settings. I will also lower my launch rpm. By the way I only have the rear shocks. Thanks for any help.

,Chase

 

your pinion should be -2..now your changeing to many things at once and your just chassing your tail..every car is different..leave the bars where there at,shocks where there at,air pressure where its at and play with just stall rpms..if you cant get it to hook with stall rpms..then change air.no luck then you change shock settings..its a long thing to do but in doing this you will see what changes you do an how they effect your car which will just help you out down the road when your on a good track or **** track because you will be able to make the proper changes you will need...now that being said..i seen you kept moving your stall speed lower an lower..when doing this you where just making the stall flash harder there for you where hitting the tires harder on the hit..(you where going backwards)..try stalling up to where your car begins to start to push threw the brakes and then launch around 400 or 500 rpms below that...how old are your dr's also..they could be shot.

 

Tire pressure is going to do nothing..

You should be dead hooking with the little mods you have.. I'm guessing you go to Huntsville and it is a decent hooking track.

Something is off in your suspension. I am guessing it the LCA spot.. Try it in the middle spot and see how that does. If you are looking to improve any more, buy front shocks.. Everyone looks over them but they will help tremendously.

What kind of tires are you running?

If you go to Hville, hit me up.. We will be there this weekend if I get my fuel issue straightened out.

 

Some videos would help w/ a diagnosis...

 

Thanks, the car tries to push about 2500 rpms. So are you recomending launching at about 2000 rpms? I will try it and I agree I have to many changes going on at once. The tires have some miles on them but they aren't worn out.

 

Nah man I am running at North Alabama Speedway "near Muscle Shoals". This track is horrible but I plan on coming up to Huntsville in the near future. When I get a chance to go up there I will get up with ya.

 

It has nothing to do with tread depth on the tires. Age and heat cycles will make the Mickey dr's go away. From personal experience I can only get a season out of them with limited track time before they wont hook for me.

 

Sweet man, we usually have a good size group go.. Just hit me up!
Try flashing the car off idle.. If you idle at 7-800RPMs just take the "slack" out of the drivetrain.. Meaning pull the RPMs up to around 950-1000 RPMs.. All cars are different.. Some like to be flashed and some like to be at the point they are pushing through the tires.
Are you storing them inside in garbage bags in a controlled temp? That is not normal.

 

Are you storing them inside in garbage bags in a controlled temp? That is not normal.[/QUOTE]

No the tires dont come off the car. The car is garaged but not climate controled. My car is not a daily driver but gets driven on the weakends when weather permits. Ive been through three sets of mickey dr's and all went south traction wize with plenty of tread depth left on them. Dont get me wrong I think they are an outstanding tire thats why I keep purchasing them and will continue to. But it appears to me in my case that heat cycling from street driving and age cause them to go away.

 

high hp radial cars run 15 to 20 passes on mickeys do to after that the side wall is shot on them..it looks like you have tried barely flashing,mid flashing an then 2k..next would be 2400 or so....remember dr's is a fine line..you need to hit them hard off the line an keep them planted..hit to hard you spin..your car was unloading the tires after the hit on stock springs due to the rebound being to fast..you want a stiff shock to plant the tires and then to hold the plant..air pressure will change your 60s..dont let anyone tell you diff..some radial guys only have 1 or 2 psi window from tire shake or blowing them off..

 

I leave near 2500 by the way

 

With my SS4000 I have had the best luck leaving between 2200 and 2500. I also run the 255/50/16 MTs with 18-19 psi in them. Car went a best of 1.530 to the 60ft yesterday with bone stock 140k mile suspension.

 

Get the lca's in the middle hole, start with that. 2nd tires might be shot, plain and simple.

Shocks if you have the rears and the front's I'd put the frotns on abotu 4, and the rears around 7 to 8, depending on the track prep. Air pressure should be about 17 to 18 with that size.

If you do that and it still doesn't hook I'd put a new set of tires on the car and see if that solves it. You haven't killed the sidewalls you aren't makeing enough power to do that, but the heat cycles/age could be a factor, your track prep might be shitty too, and the radial tire will not recover when the track or car isn't there.

I usually tell people, if you go to the track on an occasion, just put a bias ply tire on the car, and don't waste your time with the radial. They're not going to work if the car and track aren't there, and that will frustrate anyone. Better to have a tire that will recover that you can work with then one that won't and will make you waste alot of runs. At least that way you can work on the car, get it working better and at least have somewhat successful runs.