Does ride height drastically effect launch traction?
Does ride height drastically effect launch traction? Ive gotta 2001 SS with stock springs and decarbon shocks, ive got a spohn adj tq arm, BMR boxed LCA's and LCA re-location brackets and E/T streets 26x10.5x16.
Problem i have is, ive been doing weight reduction and the car has be gaining ride height to the point the rear tires look tiny in the wheel wells. My car has like THE highest ride height i ever seen on a 4th gen f body ever, and itsall stock springs at all 4 corners.
Last year with stock suspension i could cut 1.5 60's this year i struggle to get 1.6's and it keeps blowing the tires of on the line no matter what you do with tire PSI. i have the tq arm set at -2.5 ive tried -3 no change, ive tried the LCA in the lowest holes on the brackets,(seemd to work OK) but the LCAs were pointing up at such an angle twaords the body... just moved them up the 2nd postion and seems the same.
Im wondering if because my car sits so high in the back its messing up my suspenion geometry so much that it cant launch decent. I watched Silver ghost run at GLD last night and hes coming out off the rev limiter damn near and that car just about dead hooks, his car is also VERY low too compared to mine.
Anything suggestions or thoughts are appreciated im contemplating cutting a coil out of the back springs and see if it may help.
ive gotten the car down to 3190 w/o me in it.
P.S. started at 20 psi and was down to 12 psi at the end of the night... still wouldnt hook...
Tom
Problem i have is, ive been doing weight reduction and the car has be gaining ride height to the point the rear tires look tiny in the wheel wells. My car has like THE highest ride height i ever seen on a 4th gen f body ever, and itsall stock springs at all 4 corners.
Last year with stock suspension i could cut 1.5 60's this year i struggle to get 1.6's and it keeps blowing the tires of on the line no matter what you do with tire PSI. i have the tq arm set at -2.5 ive tried -3 no change, ive tried the LCA in the lowest holes on the brackets,(seemd to work OK) but the LCAs were pointing up at such an angle twaords the body... just moved them up the 2nd postion and seems the same.
Im wondering if because my car sits so high in the back its messing up my suspenion geometry so much that it cant launch decent. I watched Silver ghost run at GLD last night and hes coming out off the rev limiter damn near and that car just about dead hooks, his car is also VERY low too compared to mine.
Anything suggestions or thoughts are appreciated im contemplating cutting a coil out of the back springs and see if it may help.
ive gotten the car down to 3190 w/o me in it.
P.S. started at 20 psi and was down to 12 psi at the end of the night... still wouldnt hook...
Tom
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 9,246
Likes: 3
From: Troy, AL
Are those pressurized shocks? If so, ditch them for a set of regular shocks. On second thought, they're at least stiffer than regular Z shocks so ditch them anyway.
Remove the rear spring cushions (this will drop you about an inch) and replace with a piece of thin rubber just for sound dampening if you street drive. I think if you do this then you won't have to cut the coils.
Put the LCA relocators in the lowest setting.
Remove the rear spring cushions (this will drop you about an inch) and replace with a piece of thin rubber just for sound dampening if you street drive. I think if you do this then you won't have to cut the coils.
Put the LCA relocators in the lowest setting.
Yeah the shocks say right on them "warning pressuried gas and oil contents" they are the stocker SS Delphi de carbon orange shocks.
I dont drive the car on the street much so ill lose the rubber spring caps and see how much it drops, one thing i noticed my 1/8 mile mph was almost 3 mph faster w/ 1.8 60s last time i was at the track with the LCA's in the lowest hole, so obviously they were doing something right.
One would think though just by appearance of those LCA point up at the body at such an angle you would think the instant center would be off quite a bit. But the car seems to feel stronger with them in the lower so i will certainly give them another go.
I dont drive the car on the street much so ill lose the rubber spring caps and see how much it drops, one thing i noticed my 1/8 mile mph was almost 3 mph faster w/ 1.8 60s last time i was at the track with the LCA's in the lowest hole, so obviously they were doing something right.
One would think though just by appearance of those LCA point up at the body at such an angle you would think the instant center would be off quite a bit. But the car seems to feel stronger with them in the lower so i will certainly give them another go.
Guys, seriously his car is THE highest 4th gen in the world. it sits higher than my dad's Buick Reineer.
Tom, next time i see you, i'll give you my stock Z shocks just for the hell of it. for the price
and the 20 minutes to swap them, it can't hurt.
PS- read the post on the MWAS board i made in the "one"
thread
Chris
Tom, next time i see you, i'll give you my stock Z shocks just for the hell of it. for the price
and the 20 minutes to swap them, it can't hurt.PS- read the post on the MWAS board i made in the "one"
threadChris
Hi Tom.
I spent a few minutes discussing your car last nite with Chris and have a few thoughts for you.
You really need to do something with your shocks and springs. Ditch those shocks all the way around. Your car just isn't transferring weight from what i could see. and yes you do have a SS 4X4 for sure.
If you've got some coin to spend I would really do Hal's all the way around like I have. My car is slammed in the front like it is because of being able to adjust the ride height with them. My rear springs are stock and my car is a tin can, its most likely lighter than yours(weighed 3000 lbs without me in it with no exhaust and one leather seat last october, half tank gas)
I removed my stock spring cup a long time ago..i believe its 1" heater hose I used instead, it helps. The rear also seemed to drop down with the Hal's compared to other shocks( i had 3 way comp engineering on there before the Hals)
You just need to do a bit more suspension work to get where you want to be. The track sucked last nite..and no I wasn't hooking, i was spinng horribly I managed the 1.56 sixty foots by playing with my suspension after every pass.
I spent a few minutes discussing your car last nite with Chris and have a few thoughts for you.
You really need to do something with your shocks and springs. Ditch those shocks all the way around. Your car just isn't transferring weight from what i could see. and yes you do have a SS 4X4 for sure.
If you've got some coin to spend I would really do Hal's all the way around like I have. My car is slammed in the front like it is because of being able to adjust the ride height with them. My rear springs are stock and my car is a tin can, its most likely lighter than yours(weighed 3000 lbs without me in it with no exhaust and one leather seat last october, half tank gas)
I removed my stock spring cup a long time ago..i believe its 1" heater hose I used instead, it helps. The rear also seemed to drop down with the Hal's compared to other shocks( i had 3 way comp engineering on there before the Hals)
You just need to do a bit more suspension work to get where you want to be. The track sucked last nite..and no I wasn't hooking, i was spinng horribly
I managed the 1.56 sixty foots by playing with my suspension after every pass. Trending Topics
Nasty-
I used the 50/50 setting, that seems to be a good place to be to try and work with different track conditions when on a slick.
the softest setting squats too much in my opinion..not enough forward motion and the stiff obviously is pointless.
Try 50/50..
I used the 50/50 setting, that seems to be a good place to be to try and work with different track conditions when on a slick.
the softest setting squats too much in my opinion..not enough forward motion and the stiff obviously is pointless.
Try 50/50..
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Verdad Gallardo Yeah the stock shocks i think are meant for road racing more than anyhthing...
Thanks for all the info so far guys, really appreciated!!! if anyone else has some insight to please toss it out there!!
This suspension is turning into a damn enigma to me how with totally stock suspension i can pull better 60's....
But ill just keep playing with it and prolly get it back down there on real street drag night to take advantage of the major amounts of track prep for that event.
yeah it looks like the Hal's will be the next investment!!
Thanks for all the info so far guys, really appreciated!!! if anyone else has some insight to please toss it out there!!
This suspension is turning into a damn enigma to me how with totally stock suspension i can pull better 60's....
But ill just keep playing with it and prolly get it back down there on real street drag night to take advantage of the major amounts of track prep for that event.
yeah it looks like the Hal's will be the next investment!!
well if you were sixty footing better before with a stock TQ arm, I have seen that happen before when upgrading to a beefy piece and not changing anything else. the fact that the stocker will flex some on a slick will actually help compensate for the lack of weight transfer.
i may be having a retard moment and explaining that in a way that makes no sense, but trust me i know what i'm talking about
i may be having a retard moment and explaining that in a way that makes no sense, but trust me i know what i'm talking about
I knw exactly what your trying to explain, those tq arms are meant to bend and flex.
What exact Hal's do you have on the front? because i have some cash availible to get some shocks and front springs. what would be your recomendation?
What exact Hal's do you have on the front? because i have some cash availible to get some shocks and front springs. what would be your recomendation?
well i have the standard Hal 12 way adjustables with the Hal front springs. the "R" series Hals were not out yet when I got mine or I would have those..
i recommend the R series for the front. they adjust only on extension(coming up) and stay firm on compression, which keeps the front end from bouncing and unloading the rear tires. my buddy has them on his car and they are working great. if i had unlimited coin rolling around i'd get them and replace my standard Hal's.
i recommend the R series for the front. they adjust only on extension(coming up) and stay firm on compression, which keeps the front end from bouncing and unloading the rear tires. my buddy has them on his car and they are working great. if i had unlimited coin rolling around i'd get them and replace my standard Hal's.
I have the same problem too, with weight reduction and changes my car is getting pretty high, I have attached a pic (28x10.5 slicks on Pro Stars).
If you need a bigger drop, then try a set of lowering springs in the back, you want really no more than a inch of space between the tires and the fender.
If you need a bigger drop, then try a set of lowering springs in the back, you want really no more than a inch of space between the tires and the fender.
Yah mine looks a little worse even LOL, ive got 2 inch less tire too hahaha
Im going to try the spring cup removal with just the spring no rubber cushion what so ever, and then drop the LCA's to the lowest hole and see if it helps a good bit in the wheel well gap dept. At that point ill double check the pinion angle and see what it does on some of my local test roads. regardless im gonna have to pony up for some Hal's in the front at minimum...
Im going to try the spring cup removal with just the spring no rubber cushion what so ever, and then drop the LCA's to the lowest hole and see if it helps a good bit in the wheel well gap dept. At that point ill double check the pinion angle and see what it does on some of my local test roads. regardless im gonna have to pony up for some Hal's in the front at minimum...
Hey Tom, at this point, i don't know. Possibly. Got to talk to the Autofab company about their coilover stuff. I'm getting the HAL "R" series when the car's down at speed inc. for front's. I don't want to get as frustrated as you were the other night If you have the money, it'd probably just be best to buy the whole "package" since you'd be pretty close anyways buying my rears and then new fronts. That and I might keep mine for a bit till the $ account gets back up to normal operating range
If you have the money, it'd probably just be best to buy the whole "package" since you'd be pretty close anyways buying my rears and then new fronts. That and I might keep mine for a bit till the $ account gets back up to normal operating range Tom don't just leave those rear springs in there bare, you need to wrap some heater hose around that top coil.
I'm not sure on running stock springs with the front hals..the springs are cheap though..something like 100 bucks for both, and worth doing IMO.
as for the rears, don't bother with stock Z28 shocks. if you want to save money, the comp engineering 3 ways are only like 80 bucks for the both..you can get them from Speed inc along with the Hals. I'd get those and put them on the 50/50 setting and put the R series fronts on 1(most loose) and go launch that **** off the limiter.
I'm not sure on running stock springs with the front hals..the springs are cheap though..something like 100 bucks for both, and worth doing IMO.
as for the rears, don't bother with stock Z28 shocks. if you want to save money, the comp engineering 3 ways are only like 80 bucks for the both..you can get them from Speed inc along with the Hals. I'd get those and put them on the 50/50 setting and put the R series fronts on 1(most loose) and go launch that **** off the limiter.
