Does anyone get traction on the street?

[Budnicks]

I have never had traction on the street but I'm also running true street tires and the best way I learned to deal with it is to feather the throttle to control tire spin. This worked well in the 80's and still does but requires a lot of practice to not completely screw up the launch.

A while back I got to meet Brian Rock at Bakersfield and spent some time chatting with him. Great guy by the way and a lot of knowledge. You are all wondering who Brian Rock is and I had no idea either before I met him, but he has a 65 GTO that I watched pull the wheels and run a 10.06 with drag radials. Here is what he said about drag radials and it makes sense. Drag radials tend to bounce under hard acceleration. The force that plants the tire during acceleration needs to be controlled with good shocks so the tire doesn't bounce back like a basketball. The shocks are set to extend freely and damp the rebound thus keeping the tire on the ground. Another thing he did was lower the front end and remove or modify the upper travel limiters to allow the front suspension to lift more or just have more travel. I suppose the reasoning behind that is to get as much of the weight transfer on the back wheels during suspension travel and without lifting the front wheels. There are no traction aids to the rear suspension! Just heavy duty control arms (no leafs on the GTO). He is running a 200R4 and found that putting taller gears in the rear end as well as playing with different ratios in the tranny made a big difference. The taller rear end gears made the car less violent off the line perhaps by stuffing more of the power in to the converter (lack of a better term) and the result was a better launch. This car is a representation of many years of R&D and at this point it's probably one of the best set up cars around. Pontiac Schmontiac - but anyone who can drive a 4000 lb car to the track, unload the wife and kid, pull into the staging lanes and run damn near a ten flat has my undivided attention.

That car really works well, great set-up, thanks for sharing

 

[67Satty]

67 Satty,, I have only one timed pass, and I was spinning off the line then too,,, but not like on the street.... 10.42 1/4 mile.....

According to this calculator, you should be able to do a 1.45 60 foot time with that ET. But I'd say if you are spinning at the track under ideal conditions, there is no way you are NOT going to be spinning on the street running more air pressure and not doing a burnout no matter what you do.

 

[67 B-body]

According to this calculator, you should be able to do a 1.45 60 foot time with that ET. But I'd say if you are spinning at the track under ideal conditions, there is no way you are NOT going to be spinning on the street running more air pressure and not doing a burnout no matter what you do.

Yes,,, I will be spinning on the street,,, I'm just looking to limit it some.... I think if I hook up better on the road,, I'll grab more at the track..... I do most of my driving on the road, so this is where I'm focusing my attention.... Just trying to get the most out of it before blowing the rear tires off.... I have seen videos of cars hanging the front tires on the street... They have to be doing something pretty well,,, and I'm interested in what that is....

 

[67 B-body]

Couldn't get it out this evening for videos ......
By the time the Wife and I had some food, got over there to mow the grass, and back home, it was simply to late... Bummer!
My little one went along and had to play at the playground onsite,,, so that added some time to the trip as well.....
I'll be jumping on the airplane tomorrow so I'll have to get some video when I return....

 

[benno440]

maybe too much power, did you ever think of that? feel to give me some of your spare

 

[Jeremiah]

Get rid of the SS springs! They just don't work with Caltracs. YOu might think about picking up a used MSD three step timing retard box and experiment with it. I have also had some luck using the low side of the two step to get the car moving and then letting it rip on the high side. Lots of fun stuff to try. One thing is for sure. YOu are never going to get the car up on the tire like at the track. Your only hope if to get it moving gracefully and then mash the gas.

 

[383 a4 runner]

im running 29x12.50 m/t sportsmans 4.56 and a very healthy 383. For some reason this car hooks awesome. I even have air shocks. It doesn't make sense. Factory springs also. I don't know why it hooks so good but it does. The car will run 7.80 in the 1/8 mile.

 

[383man]

I dont get much traction on the street either. The street is nothing like a treated track. I drive on my Hoosier radial slicks that are 30 x 9 and I can fry them on the street. I use just SS springs and the long MP shocks. But at the track after a small burnout it hooks fine. Its pulled a 1.50 best 60 but hooked so consistent last time out in Oct I ran 10.76 three passes in a row. But really I dont get any traction on the street either. Here is how mine sits. Ron