Drag suspension setup Need your help
Thread Starter
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,341
Likes: 1
Drag suspension setup Need your help Hey Fellas 
I need to get my sixty foots in the 1.4 range consistently.
What do you guys recommend for a drag racing suspension setup that gets driven on the street alot?
Here is my current setup:
28x9 inch slicks. 12.5 pounds air cold
Stock shocks and springs (front and rear)
Stock PHR
Stock Rear swaybar
Hotchkiss (old as the hills) LCAs
BMR Extreme torque arm
!front swaybar
I have run a best sixty of 1.52 so far with that setup at 3620 pounds. (The 11.10@125.05 pass was on a 1.54 sixty)
Right rear airbag is going in this week but I am thinking forward to the end of this season and next season.
I have looked at the Spohn drag swaybar which looks like a decent alternative to the solid bars but will an aftermarket bar be necessary with the airbag setup? I am on a budget and I drive my car frequently on the street so that needs to be taken into consideration. (I drive it 4-5 times a week)
How about Hal shocks and springs?
Is an aftermarket PHR really necessary for drag racing?
Thanks guys, greatly appreciated, I want a 10.90 before the snow flies.
I am going to compete in the OSCA Modified Street 10.90 class in the spring
I'll racing against the trailer cars with my emissions legal Formula so I'll need all the suspension help I can get! LOL!
I need to get my sixty foots in the 1.4 range consistently.
What do you guys recommend for a drag racing suspension setup that gets driven on the street alot?
Here is my current setup:
28x9 inch slicks. 12.5 pounds air cold
Stock shocks and springs (front and rear)
Stock PHR
Stock Rear swaybar
Hotchkiss (old as the hills) LCAs
BMR Extreme torque arm
!front swaybar
I have run a best sixty of 1.52 so far with that setup at 3620 pounds. (The 11.10@125.05 pass was on a 1.54 sixty)
Right rear airbag is going in this week but I am thinking forward to the end of this season and next season.
I have looked at the Spohn drag swaybar which looks like a decent alternative to the solid bars but will an aftermarket bar be necessary with the airbag setup? I am on a budget and I drive my car frequently on the street so that needs to be taken into consideration. (I drive it 4-5 times a week)
How about Hal shocks and springs?
Is an aftermarket PHR really necessary for drag racing?
Thanks guys, greatly appreciated, I want a 10.90 before the snow flies.
I am going to compete in the OSCA Modified Street 10.90 class in the spring
I'll racing against the trailer cars with my emissions legal Formula so I'll need all the suspension help I can get! LOL!
hmmm. my comments will be with consideration to waht you said..budget and you street drive alot, but some of it will depend on what you are willing to put up with for street manners.
def need to do front and back shocks and front springs. I would go with hal "R" series personally. I need to switch to these up front,too, i'm bounching way too much when i land the front end with regualar hals.
You know my opinion on doing a rear drag bar, its the way to go, period. BUT since you are on a budget and street drive a lot, maybe just see how the air bag does for the car first and go from there.
A decent adjustable panhard really isn't gonna do things for you for drag racing...I have one pretty much just so I can make sure my rearend is centered and because I don't tend to trust stock suspension pieces on my car, period.
I would put the R series shocks and springs at the very top of your list for sure.
def need to do front and back shocks and front springs. I would go with hal "R" series personally. I need to switch to these up front,too, i'm bounching way too much when i land the front end with regualar hals.
You know my opinion on doing a rear drag bar, its the way to go, period. BUT since you are on a budget and street drive a lot, maybe just see how the air bag does for the car first and go from there.
A decent adjustable panhard really isn't gonna do things for you for drag racing...I have one pretty much just so I can make sure my rearend is centered and because I don't tend to trust stock suspension pieces on my car, period.
I would put the R series shocks and springs at the very top of your list for sure.
oh and i know budget..but have you considered a good K frame up front? I really like my BMR one. nothing like taking 30 something lbs off the front of the car and clearing up a bunch of room in the engine bay,too...
Thread Starter
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,341
Likes: 1
thanks man
I have thought about the BMR Kmember with mounts but no budget for it
My wife is leaving her consulting job in 3 days so the money tree is drying up fast!
Would you leave the stock springs in the back and just do rear shocks?
I have thought about the BMR Kmember with mounts but no budget for it
My wife is leaving her consulting job in 3 days so the money tree is drying up fast!
Would you leave the stock springs in the back and just do rear shocks?
yeah, the hals just the "r"series..they have a fixed compression and adjustable rebound so they dont' bounce even on the softest setting(fronts only)
i run stock rear springs, i would def suggest that for you,too.
if you want to just change the rear shocks only you can spend next to nothing on a set of comp engineering 3 ways and stick em on 50/50 setting. they just aren't that hot cuz they only have 3 settings and you have to pull them out of the car to adjust them(no dial).
i would just go all four shocks r series and the hal front springs, that would give you a big advantage over your current setup imo.
i run stock rear springs, i would def suggest that for you,too.
if you want to just change the rear shocks only you can spend next to nothing on a set of comp engineering 3 ways and stick em on 50/50 setting. they just aren't that hot cuz they only have 3 settings and you have to pull them out of the car to adjust them(no dial).
i would just go all four shocks r series and the hal front springs, that would give you a big advantage over your current setup imo.
Trending Topics
I'm going through the same situation as you. After alot of research, I've decided on HAL R-series up front w/ the drag springs, and the HAL f-series out back with stock shocks. I'll also be adding a BMR k-member w/ motor mounts. This is on a car that sees 1500 miles a month.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Launching!
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From: NV
For a "drag racing suspension setup that gets driven on the street alot" I would nix the suggestion to go with a tubular K-member. You might get lucky and get away with it for a while, but if you truly drive on public, pot hole ridden streets, you could be asking for big trouble. 
Your car and your life, but in my humble opinion, the weight reduction isn't worth a cracked/snapped K-member which could lead to more trouble than you ever bargained for. Those tubular pieces were never intended for street use like you say you are doing "alot". Just a word to the wise.
Your car and your life, but in my humble opinion, the weight reduction isn't worth a cracked/snapped K-member which could lead to more trouble than you ever bargained for. Those tubular pieces were never intended for street use like you say you are doing "alot". Just a word to the wise.
he keeps the car on skinnies full time. i'd say that would be a bigger/first concern over a tubular k member for alot of street driving.
i drive mine everywhere and anywhere when i have it out. i've had the k member for 2 years with no problems
i drive mine everywhere and anywhere when i have it out. i've had the k member for 2 years with no problems
Thread Starter
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,341
Likes: 1
I have heard the mild steel Kmembers hold up well.
I literally just cruise around on the street. No fast driving here. I go 75-80mph on the interstate to the track but otherwise I just putt around
I literally just cruise around on the street. No fast driving here. I go 75-80mph on the interstate to the track but otherwise I just putt around