How to keep the wheels on the ground?
How to keep the wheels on the ground? I just got my cam only car tuned and launched it on the street a few times. The car pulls the front wheels about 8-10 inches and I want to know If I can tweak the suspension the keep the nose on the ground and still hook. Right now the front shocks are at the softest setting. Should I try to stiffen them a bit or will this hurt traction significantly? What about the rear? Is there anything I can do? I'm sure that pulling the wheels hurts my ET a bit. Thanks.
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From: Hot Rainy Humid +2000 DA South Florida
Somethings you can try:
1. Stiffen the front shocks a little
2. Travel limiters
3. Wheelie Bars
I have messed with all kinds of launching techniques and settings on my suspension. I'm an all motor 346 Solid Roller LS1, depending on what I do to my suspension I can pull some monster wheelies or no wheelie at all. I do however get my best results from a nice 2 foot wheelie that pops up right off the line and set down just before the 60'. On a decent track I average 1.37 - 1.39 60's and have cut best ever 1.32 60'.
You need to find that sweet spot where the weight transfers to the rear wheels putting every ounce of your motors power to the ground while the car is moving forward. Then you want the nose to come down nice and smooth before the 60' let the front suspension settle, no bouncing, and get the car into that nice "rake" mode and hual *** the rest of the way.
Here's a video of one launch from N vs S taken by DooD
Lee 1.35 60' Launch
Lee
1. Stiffen the front shocks a little
2. Travel limiters
3. Wheelie Bars
I have messed with all kinds of launching techniques and settings on my suspension. I'm an all motor 346 Solid Roller LS1, depending on what I do to my suspension I can pull some monster wheelies or no wheelie at all. I do however get my best results from a nice 2 foot wheelie that pops up right off the line and set down just before the 60'. On a decent track I average 1.37 - 1.39 60's and have cut best ever 1.32 60'.
You need to find that sweet spot where the weight transfers to the rear wheels putting every ounce of your motors power to the ground while the car is moving forward. Then you want the nose to come down nice and smooth before the 60' let the front suspension settle, no bouncing, and get the car into that nice "rake" mode and hual *** the rest of the way.
Here's a video of one launch from N vs S taken by DooD
Lee 1.35 60' Launch
Lee
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Loganville, GA
Originally Posted by Dear John
I just got my cam only car tuned and launched it on the street a few times. The car pulls the front wheels about 8-10 inches and I want to know If I can tweak the suspension the keep the nose on the ground and still hook. Right now the front shocks are at the softest setting. Should I try to stiffen them a bit or will this hurt traction significantly? What about the rear? Is there anything I can do? I'm sure that pulling the wheels hurts my ET a bit. Thanks.
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: minnesota/misouri
Originally Posted by FEAR THE LS1
Somethings you can try:
1. Stiffen the front shocks a little
2. Travel limiters
3. Wheelie Bars
I have messed with all kinds of launching techniques and settings on my suspension. I'm an all motor 346 Solid Roller LS1, depending on what I do to my suspension I can pull some monster wheelies or no wheelie at all. I do however get my best results from a nice 2 foot wheelie that pops up right off the line and set down just before the 60'. On a decent track I average 1.37 - 1.39 60's and have cut best ever 1.32 60'.
You need to find that sweet spot where the weight transfers to the rear wheels putting every ounce of your motors power to the ground while the car is moving forward. Then you want the nose to come down nice and smooth before the 60' let the front suspension settle, no bouncing, and get the car into that nice "rake" mode and hual *** the rest of the way.
Here's a video of one launch from N vs S taken by DooD
Lee 1.35 60' Launch
Lee
1. Stiffen the front shocks a little
2. Travel limiters
3. Wheelie Bars
I have messed with all kinds of launching techniques and settings on my suspension. I'm an all motor 346 Solid Roller LS1, depending on what I do to my suspension I can pull some monster wheelies or no wheelie at all. I do however get my best results from a nice 2 foot wheelie that pops up right off the line and set down just before the 60'. On a decent track I average 1.37 - 1.39 60's and have cut best ever 1.32 60'.
You need to find that sweet spot where the weight transfers to the rear wheels putting every ounce of your motors power to the ground while the car is moving forward. Then you want the nose to come down nice and smooth before the 60' let the front suspension settle, no bouncing, and get the car into that nice "rake" mode and hual *** the rest of the way.
Here's a video of one launch from N vs S taken by DooD
Lee 1.35 60' Launch
Lee
A) i'm not buying this story unless you poured down a pile of vht and did a fat burnout on slicks. if this post is for getting attention and not tech content lets not do that, thanks.
to answer your question. you have to go to the track and see what the car likes to do. every car and setup is different.
lay down some base suspension settings and go from there. you may find the car does its best sixty foots with the tires in the air or maybe not, who knows.
lee just gave you some good info. you want your power moving the car forward, not up. pulling the tires up in the air and plopping em back down while not moving forward worth a crap does nothing other than look cool. i'm sure you've seen cars at the track that do that. the cars that pulle the tires and still sixty foot well are ones that CARRY the tires, not just hop em in the air and back down again, that is wasted motion, just be sure you are moving forward, that is the goal.
i think Lee's car is a perfect examply of the right way to get a car out of the hole.
to answer your question. you have to go to the track and see what the car likes to do. every car and setup is different.
lay down some base suspension settings and go from there. you may find the car does its best sixty foots with the tires in the air or maybe not, who knows.
lee just gave you some good info. you want your power moving the car forward, not up. pulling the tires up in the air and plopping em back down while not moving forward worth a crap does nothing other than look cool. i'm sure you've seen cars at the track that do that. the cars that pulle the tires and still sixty foot well are ones that CARRY the tires, not just hop em in the air and back down again, that is wasted motion, just be sure you are moving forward, that is the goal.
i think Lee's car is a perfect examply of the right way to get a car out of the hole.
No VHT, just water. 
If you feel disbelief then be my guest. A4s almost always launch harder than M6s anyway. 
However, the car comes out of the hole great, meaning it is moving forward nicely, but I just think that it might be better if I kept the wheels down if that's possible. I'm going to try stiffening the front little by little and see what that nets me. By the way, Lee rocks! That car's rollin.
If you feel disbelief then be my guest. A4s almost always launch harder than M6s anyway. However, the car comes out of the hole great, meaning it is moving forward nicely, but I just think that it might be better if I kept the wheels down if that's possible. I'm going to try stiffening the front little by little and see what that nets me. By the way, Lee rocks! That car's rollin. Last edited by Dear John; Jul 29, 2004 at 03:03 PM.
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It's not uncommon for a car to yank the wheels on the street. I've seen a handfull that can do it. Even know of the car locally that'll pull the wheels a good foot off the ground on Asphalt!
dear john, i'm not being a jerk..as i said, if you are a A4 on a slick then ok. i just wanted to be sure the thread is legite, so enough of that.
M6's can do ok, low 1.5's on a 26" dot tires ain't too bad don't ya think
M6's can do ok, low 1.5's on a 26" dot tires ain't too bad don't ya think
Originally Posted by SilverGhost
lee just gave you some good info. you want your power moving the car forward, not up. pulling the tires up in the air and plopping em back down while not moving forward worth a crap does nothing other than look cool. i'm sure you've seen cars at the track that do that. the cars that pulle the tires and still sixty foot well are ones that CARRY the tires, not just hop em in the air and back down again, that is wasted motion, just be sure you are moving forward, that is the goal.
Although everyone in this thread probably has a bunch more horespower than I do 
I experienced the same thing. On 26" ET Streets at 11psi I would pick the front end up about 6-8" plop it down and it was only good for a 1.7x 60' time. I added a pound and a half of air, only picked the front left up 2" and was able to 60' in the 1.6x range.Wheel stands are cool no doubt, but if you don't have the horsepower to pull you forward, wheel stands aren't going to do you any favors.
