second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

I've just added everything in my sig to my car minus the cam and stall. Well I'm on a 275/60/15 and spraying a 150 shot. I've adjusted my lca's placement in my relocation brackets both up and down, but for the life of me I can not get my car to hook. I have a progressive to tune the nitrous down, but I am trying to hook out of the whole. I'm sure slicks will probably make my car hook. But I am wondering if getting some SA shocks and springs would get my car to hook on the drag radials. Which one do you think do you guys think would benefit me more? I dont understand how some of these guys are running so fast on radials and I can't hook with a measly 150shot????

Gary Z

In general tires are a bigger factor than front shocks but that doesn’t mean tires are your main problem. How much have you experimented with tire pressure? What is your rear gear ratio? The difference between drag radials and slicks is huge. The guys who go fast on radials have a lot of experience and have everything working. You can't just throw parts at the problem. You need to experiment.

custm2500

iTrader: (11)

Shocks probably, with almost certainty, won't make the car hook. They will help but you will still be fighting the radial and dialing in your set up. Event then you won't always make it out of the hole. Just how radials are.

Buy the slicks and you can sell the progressive because you will be hooking like a Honda that can't burn the tires in the water box.

Bitemark46

You want your LCA parallel to the ground or at a minimum slight elevated to up from the rear to front no more than 1". Some adj shocks would help. If you can afford it, a DA would be the best option. Alot of SA's only allow you to adj the the rebound (extension). But with a DA you can do both rebound and compression so it'll hold the hit better.

Whats the front suspension consist of? Is your sway bar connected?

-Mark

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

Thanks guys for the replies! I dont have any aftermarket front suspension, just my sway bar taken off. I have experimented with my tire pressure and 17-18psi seems to work best, but still spins. My lca relocation brackets have 4 different holes with the top whole being the stock location. I have put my lca's on the second hole down, and the third whole down, seemed to do better on the second. I have a 3:90 gear ratio, but with the 28" tall tires it gears it down some. I'm sure JL will tell me to get the slicks as well, I just know that front shocks and springs are good for weight transfer. Thats why I'm not sure which will be better. Its looking like the slicks would be better though so far.

TA1364

iTrader: (11)

I just went through the same decision. I went with slicks, those radials dont hook unless the track is good and suspension is right. ET drags are the way to go.

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

Yeah as much as I dont want to put on a slick I guess I will grab a set and go, probably should have done that from the start. The shop that tunes my car, RPM(sponsors on here) keep telling me not to go to a slick and that it will slow me down a little.

Bitemark46

Do you have any vids of the car launching? What do your friends say your car looks like when you launch? If the nose is not lifting at all then a lighter spring will help to get the nose up and shift weight to the rear.

Which DR? M/T? 18psi seems a little high for me. Hell I used to run a 17" nitto DR at 14psi. You heating them up good?

-Mark

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

What drag radials do you have now? The M/Ts are by far the best out there if you don't have those or hoosiers then I'd highly recommend them. Why go to a slick though? thats only going to be a band-aid fix and doesn't necessarily mean the car is gonna hook. If the suspension is off its free to tweak it in or see what the true problem is. What is your pinion angle set at? Does the car unload off the line and spin or is any weight being transferred?

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

I have M/T steet radials. I had them at 14psi and a buddy bummed them up to 17psi and it was doing a lot better. Another problem I have is trying to figure out if I'm fighting poor track prep or if my suspension is really off. A couple weeks ago the car lifted the front left about 2 or 3 feet and carried it, but I was still spinning a little. That run was a 1.69 60'. But I took my car to the shop to have them fine adjust everything mainly to get my rear centered and they moved my control arms down a hole. I went to the track that night and the front wasn't even lifting, I was just spinning from the whole. I just moved my control arms back up a hole and am taking tools, a jack, and jack stands with me to the track tonight to see how it does and adjust it there. I agree that slicks would be a band aid, I just dont know what else to do. My pinion angle is at -2*. From what I'm told by a couple members on here, pinion angle doesn't really have much or anything to do with traction, just keeps everything mechanically strait. So all the only thing I have to adjust that will effect my traction is the position of my lca's in my relocation brackets.

TA1364

iTrader: (11)

A slick isnt going to slow you down hardly anything, what size are you thinking about getting?

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

I dont know what size is best, I dont know anything about slicks.

Dragman

I have 295x45x17 M/T DRs on my C5 dont have any issues hooking at all even on 150 shot. Run 18 to 20 pounds with QA1 shocks all the way around. U just dont have car dialed in right. Too many people hook on DRs to say they dont hook. Been 1.46 60ft with my DRs.

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

Yeah I know my buddy has been 1.32 short time on the same tire I have. Like I said I moved the lca's up a hole and will play with my tire pressure and update everybody, I'm leaving now for the track.

Bitemark46

Good luck. Between rounds/passes take a walk to the starting line and inspect it. Showing bare concrete is a bad thing. Walk up to where the rear tires are when shallow staged. If your foot sticks to it then I'd say prep is pretty good.

If you have all solid arm joints in the rear then your PA should be no more than 1.5*. If you have poly joints then 2-3* is fine. Stock rubber... 3-4*

If you haven't left yet, have a buddy stand on the pass side rear of the car behind the starting line watching you leave so he can see if there is any squat or separation between the pass side rear tire and the fender.

custm2500

iTrader: (11)

Nothing you will notice on a perfect run vs. perfect run. But what you will notice is consistently faster times due to having traction.

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

Why are you going up a hole on your LCAs? If your spinning you want to move down to where you were or further. Having the LCA level is good for cornering with the car but when your drag racing you want the force to push down on the back tires.

TA1364

iTrader: (11)

Just went 1.52 60' on a 150 shot tonight, still chattered the tires a little.

second_2_none

iTrader: (6)

Well like I said, I moved the lca's to the second hole down on my relocation brackets and left the tires at 18psi. I still wasnt able to dead hook but it did a WHOLE LOT better. I hit a 6.92@99mph 1.58 60' still spining. That was also progressed, 70% for .5 seconds. I think I need adjustable shocks and springs to hook on the radial, just not as consistent as a slick. I just like driving to the track with the radial and not having to change my wheels and tires, but I can if necessary.

TA1364

iTrader: (11)

Were you spraying out of the hole? Try leting it hit the tires on motor then flip the arming switch.