How can I improve my launch?
How can I improve my launch? Hey guys...I'm looking to see how I can improve my launch for this season. I'd like to pull out a 12 second pass, and I think the car is more than capable of doing so, but I'm also looking to get every last bit out of it if I can to.
So little bit of background on the car, it's the v6 in my signature...Has QA1 single adjustable shocks on all 4 corners. Front sway bar is deleted, as is the A/C, it has a lightweight K frame and lower A arms up front...Car weighs in at 3280 with me in it. I'm looking to cut that number down some.
Last season I ran a 13.43 (in the 2 vids below) on 17" vette rims with a 275/50 drag radial. (I normally run a 15" prostar rim with a 26x11.5" MT ET streets tire) the prostar setup is much lighter (about 34lbs total for just the rears)
I know that's a lot of tire and I usually run it with about 28-30psi as it has been hooking like that. So I guess a couple questions here:
a) what is the skinniest tire I can/should go to? a 9.5"?
b) how can I improve my launch? the front shocks were on the softest setting, and the rears were around the middle settings....
c) How does the weight transfer on the below runs look right now? What should I be looking/watching for my car to do? (i.e, how do I know to look for improvement in the launch if that makes sense?)
Here is 2 different angles of the 13.43 pass if that helps any....
up until now it has been look at ways to squeeze power out of the car, I always hear that suspension plays a big role...I want to start squeezing what I can from the suspension now to make a difference
So little bit of background on the car, it's the v6 in my signature...Has QA1 single adjustable shocks on all 4 corners. Front sway bar is deleted, as is the A/C, it has a lightweight K frame and lower A arms up front...Car weighs in at 3280 with me in it. I'm looking to cut that number down some.
Last season I ran a 13.43 (in the 2 vids below) on 17" vette rims with a 275/50 drag radial. (I normally run a 15" prostar rim with a 26x11.5" MT ET streets tire) the prostar setup is much lighter (about 34lbs total for just the rears)
I know that's a lot of tire and I usually run it with about 28-30psi as it has been hooking like that. So I guess a couple questions here:
a) what is the skinniest tire I can/should go to? a 9.5"?
b) how can I improve my launch? the front shocks were on the softest setting, and the rears were around the middle settings....
c) How does the weight transfer on the below runs look right now? What should I be looking/watching for my car to do? (i.e, how do I know to look for improvement in the launch if that makes sense?)
Here is 2 different angles of the 13.43 pass if that helps any....
up until now it has been look at ways to squeeze power out of the car, I always hear that suspension plays a big role...I want to start squeezing what I can from the suspension now to make a difference
Play with launch rpm a bit? How wide are the 15s?
Weight transfer looks decent. The rear body isn't squatting. Looks like the front shocks are throwing the weight back and keeping it there. Might be a little low in the front. Could try raising it up a little and see if it makes a difference. Might be wasting energy getting it to transfer.
Just speculation on the launch. I'm in the same boat as you, just haven't had a chance to put it to practice.
Weight transfer looks decent. The rear body isn't squatting. Looks like the front shocks are throwing the weight back and keeping it there. Might be a little low in the front. Could try raising it up a little and see if it makes a difference. Might be wasting energy getting it to transfer.
Just speculation on the launch. I'm in the same boat as you, just haven't had a chance to put it to practice.
Play with launch rpm a bit? How wide are the 15s?
Weight transfer looks decent. The rear body isn't squatting. Looks like the front shocks are throwing the weight back and keeping it there. Might be a little low in the front. Could try raising it up a little and see if it makes a difference. Might be wasting energy getting it to transfer.
Just speculation on the launch. I'm in the same boat as you, just haven't had a chance to put it to practice.
Weight transfer looks decent. The rear body isn't squatting. Looks like the front shocks are throwing the weight back and keeping it there. Might be a little low in the front. Could try raising it up a little and see if it makes a difference. Might be wasting energy getting it to transfer.
Just speculation on the launch. I'm in the same boat as you, just haven't had a chance to put it to practice.
I do think I need to raise the car in the front some as well...question is, how much? I've been told I should lower the rear end as well, do you think that would have any impact?
I could be wrong but I don't think 100mph is capable of 12s. That would leave you with cutting weight or restalling the converter. The car isn't spinning or unloading the tires after you launch, the launch dosnt look bad at all
Factor that, with going back to my prostar rims, with a smaller tire, as well as cutting the rest of the weight that will be coming out of this car, and all the other fun/custom stuff I have to do, plus the fact that this cam makes power to 6500rpm and I was only turning 6000rpm, she'll get there.
My main concern is how to use the suspension I have to maximize the launch. I don't want to leave anything on the table even if it's .001 of a second.
I guess my main purpose here is to learn how to read what the suspension is doing and how I can maybe make changes/adjustments in the smartest way possible that could positively effect the car.
Your not spinning so I dont see how suspension tweaks would net you any gains. Only options are bigger stall, more power, or less weight IMO.
Have you tried launching without footbraking and letting the stall flash? What 60' are you getting now?
Have you tried launching without footbraking and letting the stall flash? What 60' are you getting now?
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Your not spinning so I dont see how suspension tweaks would net you any gains. Only options are bigger stall, more power, or less weight IMO.
Have you tried launching without footbraking and letting the stall flash? What 60' are you getting now?
Have you tried launching without footbraking and letting the stall flash? What 60' are you getting now?
Focusing back on the suspension setup/aspect, it's to my understanding that you don't need to be spinning to make tweaks and see gains?...What you don't want to do is to loose power through unnecessary weight transfer, i.e rear end squatting. You don't want the rear end on your car to squat but rather you want the suspension to apply just enough pressure to the tires to keep them from spinning, without having to waste energy on the car kicking back and down.
Now, my car isn't squatting, but I am concerned with the movement upfront...it seems when the car launches the front unloads then falls quite quickly. Would it not be better to have no movement at all? How can you achieve that through setting the suspension up?
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Maybe foot braking works best with the suspension set up you have, but many guys see best 60's flashing the stall as long as their not spinning. Do your tires break loose when you flash the stall?
by flashing the stall you mean pulling up the line, not foot brakeing, and just flooring it when the light goes green?
No, my tires don't break loose ever at the track, I'm running too much tire for this car with an 11.5" ET streets. I'm going to downsize to a 9.5 this season
No, my tires don't break loose ever at the track, I'm running too much tire for this car with an 11.5" ET streets. I'm going to downsize to a 9.5 this season
You want the front to extend(planting the rear tires), unless you have DA shocks and tighten the compression all the way up, you may not have enough power to keep the noise up which is giving you that back and forth motion. Now you can tighten the extention of the shocks to control the rise of the nose and see if that helps....but I doubt it will. The general opinion here is more power or cut weight. Both seem to be in your agenda. Only other option would be to restall the converter if your willing to pull it out.
would adjusting ride height affect anything? either lowering the rear more, or raising the front? The car has quite a bit of a rake as it sits now, not sure if this has any effect on weight transfer?
I'm no expert on it but it would seem that a rake would be a negative thing....as to how much this translates into ET....idk. Personally I would shoot towards more level.
Also by flashing the converter you can bring the car up halfway on the stall say 3000 instead of all the way and let it hit the tires Harder. All set ups respond differently though.
so the question then becomes, is it better to raise the front end, or lower the back end to make it level/leveler? or does it make any difference at all?
fair enough. Does anyone have any thoughts on switching from a 26x11.5-LT15 MT ET street tire to something like a 26x9.5-15LT quick time pro D.O.T tire from Hoosier?
I know there is almost a 10lb difference between those two tires vs maybe going with a stiffwalled drag radial? Maybe even going down as small as a 225/50R15 hoosier drag radial if it will hook?
I know there is almost a 10lb difference between those two tires vs maybe going with a stiffwalled drag radial? Maybe even going down as small as a 225/50R15 hoosier drag radial if it will hook?
Launching!
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 215
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From: Honey Brook, Pa.
If you have LCA relocation brackets then lowering the rear shouldn't be a problem, but if you don't then raise the front. I also run the QA1 SA w/275# springs but I usually have mine set on 2 or 3. As for tires I think the DRs will 60' quicker, slicks have more sidewall movement before the car moves forward, and as long as all the tires are 26" tall gearing won't change.
