How to drag race your classic

[BullittStangV8]

muddslide, any update?
I checked the Rancho 9000 part number..and it codes for a Land Rover shock? 9 way adjustable?

 

[Bonzo]

Disconnect the sway bar (you only have to take the attaching ends off) and the car will have more upward travel in the front end because there is less resistance and this will also happen at a faster rate.

Just to help my understanding with disconneting the sway bar do you just remove it at the ends and leave on the car. Or is it best to remove total for racing.
Many Thanks Tony

 

[dennis112]

Disconnect the sway bar (you only have to take the attaching ends off) and the car will have more upward travel in the front end because there is less resistance and this will also happen at a faster rate.

Just to help my understanding with disconneting the sway bar do you just remove it at the ends and leave on the car. Or is it best to remove total for racing.
Many Thanks Tony

Best to remove all because you save weight.

Alternately, remove just the driver's side link that goes to the control arm. That will give you the same function as removing the whole arm and yet keep the bar in check from unforseen damage that could occur when both endlinks are removed.

This was the tip I got from Joe Sherman. . . . .

 

[ga289stocker]

Disconnect the sway bar (you only have to take the attaching ends off) and the car will have more upward travel in the front end because there is less resistance and this will also happen at a faster rate.

Just to help my understanding with disconneting the sway bar do you just remove it at the ends and leave on the car. Or is it best to remove total for racing.
Many Thanks Tony

On my 65 I just removed the whole thing, I figured any more weight off the nose is better for weight transfer and track weight of vehicle. Suprisingly it was the stock sway bar from factory and i honestly can not tell any difference in how it drives w/o it on...

 

[washMO66]

Yep, all the way off for weights sake.. Mine is not a stock sway bar and is heavy as hell. My car is night and day on the street w/o it, doesn't track well on the street tires without the sway bar but it takes 10 minutes with air tools to get it on & off.....

 

[washMO66]

Hey Muddslide, any updates on the suspension set up?

I am curious as to how well it is going to work for you because I have a feeling based on how my car is running with the mods that it is not going to hook anymore with my stock style set up.

My cage is done finally that the season is over. I am thinking I want to get my suspension set up before next season so I am not thrashing with it all year.

 

[forplay]

I use the rancho shocks in too they work awesome. I use the summit adjustable shocks in the front,no sway bar and old worn coil springs. The car lifts real easy in the front. The rear leafs are stock 4 leaf set up with the leafs clamped and real easy and cheap fix for wheel hop.I have some CE bolt on slapper bars.
Tires I really like the MT drag radials awesome traction and a great ride on the street. Becareful in the rain with these tires.

 

[dennis112]

I use the rancho shocks in too they work awesome.

The Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks are great for the rear of a street/strip car. They use a convenient little adjusting knob to change shock settings.

For my own experience with them, I first ran them on the street using the recommended strip setting of "5" and found the ride to be quite harsh. I rode around for a day like that an got tired of the bone jarring ride. The next day I pulled off the side of the road for a couple of seconds and set them to "1" (the softest setting.) I found that the ride was much, much improved.

A nice drag only OR dual use shock. Ranchos get a from me for practicality and ease of use.

 

[Cannoball888]

I have another noobie drag racing question but this is on technique. When you launch your car do you just keep the rpms revved high and then drop the clutch hard while maintaining the same position on the gas pedal waiting to see if your tires grab before flooring it, or do you floor it WOT when you drop the clutch?

 

[Rusty67]

There is no 1 best way to launch. It really depends on your drive line setup. Some cars benifit from droping the hammer at high rpms while others will never hook up if you do that (or the trans/clutch might grenade and then you REALLY wont go anywhere). My friend use to drop the clutch at 3000 rpms all the time and thats what he thought was best but it didn't work too well. When he switched out to a lower initial rpm and more delicate clutch pedal work he improved his launch dramatically. Oh, and the kind of tires you have is going to change this as well.

 

[forplay]

The Rancho 9 way adjustable shocks are great for the rear of a street/strip car. They use a convenient little adjusting knob to change shock settings.

For my own experience with them, I first ran them on the street using the recommended strip setting of "5" and found the ride to be quite harsh. I rode around for a day like that an got tired of the bone jarring ride. The next day I pulled off the side of the road for a couple of seconds and set them to "1" (the softest setting.) I found that the ride was much, much improved.

A nice drag only OR dual use shock. Ranchos get a from me for practicality and ease of use.

I run mine at 3 on the street and rides just fine for me. At the track I run the drivers side softer then the passenger side.

 

[washMO66]

What is the part # for those Ranchos? Sounds like they them along with some Caltracs or snubbers and some 90/10's up front and light springs will get me on the right path.

 

[Cannoball888]

RS99204

 

[Vinyl66]

RAN-RS99204 is the part number at Summit Racing. I am looking to get the same shocks myself.

 

[dennis112]

RAN-RS99204 is the part number at Summit Racing. I am looking to get the same shocks myself.

That is where I ordered mine from--about $90 ea.

No instructions came with them as far as what the various settings mean. I called Rancho and the tech told me that 1 (ccw) is the weakest and 9 (cw) is the firmest. You can use any setting in between and can even set them between the notches if you wish, ie 5 1/2 notches. Definitely much better than the traditional way of removing one end of the shock and then rotating.

A 5 is supposed to be a good starting place for a strip Mustang.

I bolted mine on so the little knob faces toward the rear of the car. Since the knob is on the bottom of the shock, near the spring plate, it is very easy to reach.

 

[muddslide]

What are you guys running them at the track. I tried the 5 but it didn't work, I think I'm all the way at 9. That might be too much

 

[muddslide]

No updates on my set-up. I brought it to the track a few months ago and it didn't run good. With my blower I could only run a mallory crap cab and i hate it. At the track the plug wires wouldn't hold so my car was breaking up the entire day. There is nothing like drawing a big crowd watching your car, only to get out of the gas and cruise to a 14.00 pass, wow...I brought the car home and went with a marine plug end set up, it seems to work. Also in Fl is was too hot for blower cars, it is cooling down nice and the moster will run again. I still can't solve my rear suspenion set up, i have all the after markets parts but can't get it to hook good. I might try to power break the car, I just can't get 600 torqe to hook!

 

[10secgoal]

keep at it. It took me a few months to get it dialed in. I got it to where it won't make a noise. No scratching, chirping, nothing. What track are you going to ? I always had good luck at Bradenton. Gets a little greasy there in the summer, but when 7pm rolls around, look out.

 

[muddslide]

bithlo is where I go. I know there must be something wrong with my setup, I should cut better times.

 

[10secgoal]

How much preload are you giving the bars ? Do you have wiehgt in the car when they are adjusted ? How long down the track before you get traction ?