Drag Radial Help
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From: Valley Center KS
Drag Radial Help Last night I went to the track. I'm was using BFG DRs. I adjusted the pressure between 21 and 15 psi. I have line lock, so I was doing 2nd gear burnouts for a few seconds until I saw some good smoke. The results:
2.3 60 foot times. I tried all kinds of launch techniques (did manage 1 2.2xx 60')
What am I doing wrong. Nothing I tried seemed to work. Slip the clutch, ease into the throttle, off idle, 2000 dump, nothing. I made 10 passes and I'd either spin or I wouldn't but still end up with crappy 60s. Best I could manage was a 13.6@106
Some advice would hopefully help.
2.3 60 foot times. I tried all kinds of launch techniques (did manage 1 2.2xx 60')
What am I doing wrong. Nothing I tried seemed to work. Slip the clutch, ease into the throttle, off idle, 2000 dump, nothing. I made 10 passes and I'd either spin or I wouldn't but still end up with crappy 60s. Best I could manage was a 13.6@106
Some advice would hopefully help.
Re: Drag Radial Help If your spinning the BFGs after a burnout, then you did something wrong. Maybe you did'nt pull far enough out of the waterbox, so you made some smoke, but you kept picking up water.
Next time open your driver door as you leave the box, look and make sure you pull out completely.
If you did'nt spin, then you probably bogged at the line, which means the BFGs hooked, but you need to launch at a higher rpm. Try launching 3000-4000 rpms next time, but beware if you still have the stock clutch, because you run the risk of burning it up by launching at higher rpms.
When you burnout, do it in 2nd gear. Raise rpms to 4000 and dump clutch. You should see smoke pretty quickly, watch for the rpms to start slowly going down as you hold the gas pedal steady. The rpms going down is telling you that the tires are starting to grab. Release the linelock and pull up to the line quickly. Stage your car as quickly as possible, the tires will cool off if you take too long.
If your still having problems, ask others how they're doing. Maybe the track prep just sucks that day and nobody is hooking up! It happens even at HRP here in Houston.
Give it another try and see what happens! Practice makes perfect.
Randy
Next time open your driver door as you leave the box, look and make sure you pull out completely.
If you did'nt spin, then you probably bogged at the line, which means the BFGs hooked, but you need to launch at a higher rpm. Try launching 3000-4000 rpms next time, but beware if you still have the stock clutch, because you run the risk of burning it up by launching at higher rpms.
When you burnout, do it in 2nd gear. Raise rpms to 4000 and dump clutch. You should see smoke pretty quickly, watch for the rpms to start slowly going down as you hold the gas pedal steady. The rpms going down is telling you that the tires are starting to grab. Release the linelock and pull up to the line quickly. Stage your car as quickly as possible, the tires will cool off if you take too long.
If your still having problems, ask others how they're doing. Maybe the track prep just sucks that day and nobody is hooking up! It happens even at HRP here in Houston.
Give it another try and see what happens! Practice makes perfect.
Randy
Re: Drag Radial Help BTW, the most effective mod I have done so far that improves traction is putting the 12-way adjustable HAL shocks on the front suspension. I set them to 4 or 5 and the car shifts weight to the back wheels on a launch squeezing the tires into the pavement and making the rear-end squat properly for great 60' times.
I highly recommend this mod!
Randy
I highly recommend this mod!
Randy
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From: On the Bumper!
Re: Drag Radial Help I'm not a M6 expert , but here's my .02.
Make sure you go around the water and back up to the edge of the box, do your 2nd gear burnout and burn the tires to the line. Start at a solid 2800 rpm (no reving) and see if you bog or spin. Work up or down depending on your results. The track prep may have been the main problem.
I would also highly recommend a Harlan 2 step so you can manage a solid consistant pass each time.
Be patient grasshopper. It is easy to get excited when you are on the line ready to feel that awesome Ls1 Horsepower.
Goodluck and keep us posted!!!!
James
Make sure you go around the water and back up to the edge of the box, do your 2nd gear burnout and burn the tires to the line. Start at a solid 2800 rpm (no reving) and see if you bog or spin. Work up or down depending on your results. The track prep may have been the main problem.
I would also highly recommend a Harlan 2 step so you can manage a solid consistant pass each time.
Be patient grasshopper. It is easy to get excited when you are on the line ready to feel that awesome Ls1 Horsepower.
Goodluck and keep us posted!!!!
James
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From: Valley Center KS
Re: Drag Radial Help Thanks for the help. I was setting my line lock with my tires in the burnout box and doing it there, so I probably was continuing to pickup all kinds of water.
Maybe next time I'll do a light spin out of the water box, then set the line lock for the burnout in front of the water box. 3000 RPM DUMP!!!! I was spinning doing a 2000 RPM dump.
Someday I'll get it right.
The clutch is the stock clutch (21,000 on the car) and seems strong for now. Tire size is 255/50/16.
Maybe next time I'll do a light spin out of the water box, then set the line lock for the burnout in front of the water box. 3000 RPM DUMP!!!! I was spinning doing a 2000 RPM dump.
Someday I'll get it right.
The clutch is the stock clutch (21,000 on the car) and seems strong for now. Tire size is 255/50/16.
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Re: Drag Radial Help guy i know with an 02 z m6 was cuttin mid 1.8's on the same setup youve got. lid and catback with 16 inch bfg's out back and a stock clutch. i dont know his launch technique but he was going 12.40's with just those mods. damn 02 cars. he comes here sometimes maybe he'll chime in. FWIW, ive gone 1.97 60's on a stock converter a4 with bfg's. in my car ive got to work pretty hard to really spin the bfg's alot outta the hole. they stick very well.
Re: Drag Radial Help that track sucks in its prep for radial tired cars but still derek i pulled 1.9-2.0 all day just doing 2500 rpms riding the clutch out (ofcourse spinning) but not bogging. i would def spin the tire in the water box a few revolutions then get out of the box, set the line lock, and do a burn out. i cut 1.9 pretty consistently that way. it is very frustrating and notice how fast i went to the et streets 
from the way you said you were sliding it was teh track, not your setup. but i think HPT is now preping the track (supposedly). good luck bro!
from the way you said you were sliding it was teh track, not your setup. but i think HPT is now preping the track (supposedly). good luck bro! 
Re: Drag Radial Help I agree with the 2-step for consistenty on M6's.
BUT, BUT, with 255's you are just blowing them right off. With or without track prep, this will continue. You need bigger tires.
I did run the BFG DR 275's, with line-lock, prior to the 2-step. Cut 1.8 and high 1.7's. Set the tire pressure at 15lbs cold (you can adjust pressure up or down depends on bog - set higher - or spin - set lower by a pound. 2nd gear burn out - do not dump the clutch during the burn out, no need with the line-lock adjusted correctly, just ease into the burn out, apply gas and clutch, at least a good 5 second burn out for DR. Pull up to the line. Set your target launch RPM - start at 4500. If you spin, drop your RPM's, bog raise the RPM's. Dump the clutch on the 2nd yellow light.
Hal front are a great mod also. Helped me tremendously on the 60'.
Problems: stock clutch; stock tranny (I am betting) and stock rear end. Any (or all) of these will give you crap.
Good luck. And as said before, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
David
BUT, BUT, with 255's you are just blowing them right off. With or without track prep, this will continue. You need bigger tires.
I did run the BFG DR 275's, with line-lock, prior to the 2-step. Cut 1.8 and high 1.7's. Set the tire pressure at 15lbs cold (you can adjust pressure up or down depends on bog - set higher - or spin - set lower by a pound. 2nd gear burn out - do not dump the clutch during the burn out, no need with the line-lock adjusted correctly, just ease into the burn out, apply gas and clutch, at least a good 5 second burn out for DR. Pull up to the line. Set your target launch RPM - start at 4500. If you spin, drop your RPM's, bog raise the RPM's. Dump the clutch on the 2nd yellow light.
Hal front are a great mod also. Helped me tremendously on the 60'.
Problems: stock clutch; stock tranny (I am betting) and stock rear end. Any (or all) of these will give you crap.
Good luck. And as said before, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
David
Re: Drag Radial Help In addition to the burnout and launch advice, if you want your F-bod to hook well at the track you will need some suspension mods. LCA's and LT1-era V6 rear coil springs will make a big difference, as well as the Hal adjustables that someone else already mentioned. If those mods don't make you happy, get an adjustable torque arm. A good one does not flex like your stock piece, and you can adjust it to start at a negative pinion angle (don't go past ~ minus 3 deg.).
OK, now for the controversial part: BFG's are RADIAL tires. They LIKE air! Don't treat them like old school slicks. I know we are going to have some "experts" get high blood pressure reading my comments, but I have tested this at the track. Furthermore, GMHTP says the same thing. They also tested drag radials and got the same results. That issue is at home and I'm at the office, otherwise I'd tell you which one.
OK, now for the controversial part: BFG's are RADIAL tires. They LIKE air! Don't treat them like old school slicks. I know we are going to have some "experts" get high blood pressure reading my comments, but I have tested this at the track. Furthermore, GMHTP says the same thing. They also tested drag radials and got the same results. That issue is at home and I'm at the office, otherwise I'd tell you which one.
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Re: Drag Radial Help you were definitely picking up water.
Back into the box, lightly spin the tires and move forward about 3 feet out of the box. (pavement is still slightly damp there)
set the linelock and burnout in second gear almost to the rev limiter. Release the line lock and roll forward still spinning and ease out of it. Stage and bring the revs to about 3000-3500rpms to start.
Cheers,
Chris
Back into the box, lightly spin the tires and move forward about 3 feet out of the box. (pavement is still slightly damp there)
set the linelock and burnout in second gear almost to the rev limiter. Release the line lock and roll forward still spinning and ease out of it. Stage and bring the revs to about 3000-3500rpms to start.
Cheers,
Chris
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From: Maui, Hawaii
Re: Drag Radial Help i have 275/4017 bfg dr's. my best run with out my jet hot lt's and true duals was 13.20 @ 106mph 2.0 sixty. my tire pressure was 21psi, i was launching @ 3k i tried launching @ 4300 rpm but my clutch spun instead of my tires ( i guess somthing had to give). i was shifting from 1st to 2nd @ 5800 and 2nd to 3rd 6k. just got my jet hot lt's and true duals las week so ill be running my car this week end hope i hit 12.9s!
Re: Drag Radial Help I always back into the water a little then pull back up on the pad. Then heat the tires. That way you know your not pulling water to the line. Also,there could be water at the line if there are alot of cars with street tires pulling through the water before staging. I alway like to TNT behind a rail or a big tired car.
