Anyone that knows anything about dragging come in.
07-10-2005, 05:23 PM
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Anyone that knows anything about dragging come in. I was wondering if we could get a rear suspension setup for newbs thread going? I just started drag racing and have done lots of research on here but don't know how to set the car up, what parts to buy and when to buy them. If we could go into detail from setting up the car from amateur experience with bolt-ons and street tires outside the groove, then to necessary requirements and suspension mods to rear suspension with DR's to begin launching in the groove and still remain reliable DD if necessary. And finally all the way through to professional setup trailered F-Body with slicks. It would also be good to discuss the differences between m6 and a4. What each individual bolt on part does and which one to buy for your setup and when to get it. For example torque arms, LCA's, relocation brackets, sway bars, custom suspension, etc. etc. and whether or not certain parts and brands fit with your application. Also discussing different rear ends, springs, shocks, gears, and clutches would be helpful.
If we could compile what everyone needs to know as far as modding the car up for drag almost bone stock DD and highlight how to progress to a full race car that would be great.
My personal goal is to have a 400 rwhp (500 sprayed) F-body that can be ran competetively and safely on the track running 10's and 11's with 1.4-1.8 60's and reliable enough to take out on the weekends on street tires also. I know how to make the power already, just not how to put it to the ground at the track. I can't even put the power I have right now down at the track.
If we could compile what everyone needs to know as far as modding the car up for drag almost bone stock DD and highlight how to progress to a full race car that would be great.
My personal goal is to have a 400 rwhp (500 sprayed) F-body that can be ran competetively and safely on the track running 10's and 11's with 1.4-1.8 60's and reliable enough to take out on the weekends on street tires also. I know how to make the power already, just not how to put it to the ground at the track. I can't even put the power I have right now down at the track.
Last edited by joblo1978; 07-10-2005 at 05:39 PM.
07-11-2005, 01:50 PM
#3
Originally Posted by joblo1978
Thanks for the help! You guys rock!
I will tell ya what I did. I called Madman 281-543-1751. My car goes 1.32 to 1.42 60 foots.
Coach
07-11-2005, 06:02 PM
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yep, be patient with the answers, and remember your combo may be different from someone elses and results may vary. Trial and error can sometimes be the only way to truly find out, although help is always a welcome thing. But patience is a good first step, as Coach stated.
Derek
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07-12-2005, 11:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Villain281H
yep, be patient with the answers, and remember your combo may be different from someone elses and results may vary. Trial and error can sometimes be the only way to truly find out, although help is always a welcome thing. But patience is a good first step, as Coach stated.
Derek
Derek
Sorry, just thought with the wealth of experience in here, this thread would have been eaten up.
07-13-2005, 05:31 AM
#6
You do want alot of info... guess I'll start
First thing you really wanna do is get a rear end in the car. That, the driveshaft, and clutch in your case is the weakest parts. If you want reliable then start there. Now with a stick car, 12 bolt, or 9 inch are good chioces, I'd say go 9 inch, only because there's more gear choices then for a 12 bolt. Personally, I have a 12 bolt. Make sure you go with all teh upgrades too, as you'll want them. One thing to think about is if you are going to eventually tuen the car into a race car... don't waste time or $ on the parts to keep the abs/tcs working, better off using that $ elsewhere, because later, that stuff will be dead weight that you will lose off the car anyway.
Rear suspension is a good thing to do with the rear. For a race car, I'd go with all adjustable rod ended stuff, they are loisy, but work bind free. They are o.k. for a street car too, if you can tolerate the noise. I say think about the final goal, and buy parts accordingly, go with rid ended adjustable stuff. Rear sway bar... go STIFF! Keeps the car level, and can be preloaded for chassis weight distribution. Several choices out there, for a street driven car, I'd reccommend s spohn 1 inch solid chromoly bar, it's supposed to be the stiffest non chassis mounted one available, I have one on my car, works for me. Now, race car, wolfe, bmr and spohn all make a solid rod style unit that will be harsh on the street.. but people do drive on them, so it's not impossible.
TQ arm change is good too, depending on who you talk to will decide on which they like. Remember this, longer tq arm hits tires in a more even flow, good for real high powered cars, short arms like a spohn hit hard and quick, good for lower powered cars, or guys with big power that like wheelstands. But none the less, upgrade it... and I'd reccommend whatever you go with, get a chassis mounted one, te tailshaft design is not good IMO.
Shocks next, again, on a street car, regualr hal shocks and factory srpings are good, on a race car, I'd go for the R series front and double adjustable rears, or double adjustable on all 4 corners, and te 275 lb front springs.
Other chassis stuff that needs to be done is safety stuff, roll bar, blowproof bell housing once you are into the low 11's I think, tranny scatter shield on automatic's, roll bar, 5 pt harness, eventually cage, all that stuff.
Weight reduction... need to be done on a race car for sure, everything that can come out, should. On a street car, I'd leave stuff like bumper supports, door bars, stuff taht could save your life in an accident... the rest is up to you, who chopped looking can you tolerate? There's a weight reduction list, look at that, and choose your removals, so to speak.
Tires are important, the stickier the better... and the bigger the better, for the most part.
You can run a tire that measures about 27 uinchs in height and 10 inches in width before any real modification for clearance will be needed, I'd reccommened to run the biggest stickiets tire you can. if you can, spring for a set of bogarts, they will clear the factory brakes, something that you will replace later with lightweight ones, but for starting off, not a must, but I'd go with the rims that clear, so you won't ahev to grind off 1/2 the caliper. Presonally, I skipped over drag radials completely, went from the factory tires strait to e.t. streets, so I can't speak from any experience on those. If you wanna drive on the tires every day, I'd go with nitto drag radials, they seem to last o.k. If it's a race car... then you'll be running e.t. drag's, or a dot slick if you occasionally drive on them, which is what I personally do.
As far as suspension settings, there's a few guru's on here for that stuff, they can tell you pinion angle, shock settings, etc. etc and get you going.
Hope this helps, you have such a broad range of questions, I wasn't really sure where to start.
First thing you really wanna do is get a rear end in the car. That, the driveshaft, and clutch in your case is the weakest parts. If you want reliable then start there. Now with a stick car, 12 bolt, or 9 inch are good chioces, I'd say go 9 inch, only because there's more gear choices then for a 12 bolt. Personally, I have a 12 bolt. Make sure you go with all teh upgrades too, as you'll want them. One thing to think about is if you are going to eventually tuen the car into a race car... don't waste time or $ on the parts to keep the abs/tcs working, better off using that $ elsewhere, because later, that stuff will be dead weight that you will lose off the car anyway.
Rear suspension is a good thing to do with the rear. For a race car, I'd go with all adjustable rod ended stuff, they are loisy, but work bind free. They are o.k. for a street car too, if you can tolerate the noise. I say think about the final goal, and buy parts accordingly, go with rid ended adjustable stuff. Rear sway bar... go STIFF! Keeps the car level, and can be preloaded for chassis weight distribution. Several choices out there, for a street driven car, I'd reccommend s spohn 1 inch solid chromoly bar, it's supposed to be the stiffest non chassis mounted one available, I have one on my car, works for me. Now, race car, wolfe, bmr and spohn all make a solid rod style unit that will be harsh on the street.. but people do drive on them, so it's not impossible.
TQ arm change is good too, depending on who you talk to will decide on which they like. Remember this, longer tq arm hits tires in a more even flow, good for real high powered cars, short arms like a spohn hit hard and quick, good for lower powered cars, or guys with big power that like wheelstands. But none the less, upgrade it... and I'd reccommend whatever you go with, get a chassis mounted one, te tailshaft design is not good IMO.
Shocks next, again, on a street car, regualr hal shocks and factory srpings are good, on a race car, I'd go for the R series front and double adjustable rears, or double adjustable on all 4 corners, and te 275 lb front springs.
Other chassis stuff that needs to be done is safety stuff, roll bar, blowproof bell housing once you are into the low 11's I think, tranny scatter shield on automatic's, roll bar, 5 pt harness, eventually cage, all that stuff.
Weight reduction... need to be done on a race car for sure, everything that can come out, should. On a street car, I'd leave stuff like bumper supports, door bars, stuff taht could save your life in an accident... the rest is up to you, who chopped looking can you tolerate? There's a weight reduction list, look at that, and choose your removals, so to speak.
Tires are important, the stickier the better... and the bigger the better, for the most part.
You can run a tire that measures about 27 uinchs in height and 10 inches in width before any real modification for clearance will be needed, I'd reccommened to run the biggest stickiets tire you can. if you can, spring for a set of bogarts, they will clear the factory brakes, something that you will replace later with lightweight ones, but for starting off, not a must, but I'd go with the rims that clear, so you won't ahev to grind off 1/2 the caliper. Presonally, I skipped over drag radials completely, went from the factory tires strait to e.t. streets, so I can't speak from any experience on those. If you wanna drive on the tires every day, I'd go with nitto drag radials, they seem to last o.k. If it's a race car... then you'll be running e.t. drag's, or a dot slick if you occasionally drive on them, which is what I personally do.
As far as suspension settings, there's a few guru's on here for that stuff, they can tell you pinion angle, shock settings, etc. etc and get you going.
Hope this helps, you have such a broad range of questions, I wasn't really sure where to start.
07-13-2005, 05:33 AM
#7
Oh, I almost forgot, frame connectors, get them before you start drag racing, or you WILL twist up your car. Several good options out there, I went with SLP as they looked the most heavy duty that I saw, but do cause some problems with other suspension options, best thing to do si map out what you will be using, and make choices from that.