Need some help...track times inside

[MustangMatt1966]

Hey guys, I need some help here. Last night I went to the track with my car (I havent been in a while) and decided I wanted to run. The outside temp. was probably around 95 to 100 degrees (florida) and the track temp was probably around 140? so traction was hard to come by. First run i get paired up against a 5.0 89 mustang hatchback with a cowl hood and all. So im thinking to myself, Im gonna get my A$$ beat. Well I do my burnout and stage my car. The lights go and I absolutely smoke him. At about half track i look to my left to see where he is and i couldnt even see his car.

R/T .296
60' 2.218
330 6.079
1/8 9.280
mph 79.00
1000 12.006
1/4 14.302
mph 99.97

the 5.0 ran 15.252

So I think to myself, I rolled the clutch out and got pretty good traction, so on my second run i wanted to launch a little harder (granted i have 14 by 6 skinny a$$ cooper cobra tires on my car). So next race i get paired up with a lancer evolution turbo thingy and i think im gonna get beat again. Well i did my burnout and staged. This time i launched a little harder and started to light the tires, i got off the throttle and then back on and gunned it again. Once im out of first and into second the car just wants to go. So i know my problem is in that first 60'. My 60 foot times have always been bad, not that the car doesnt want to perform, but that i have horrible traction.

Second run
r/t -.115 (red light)
60' 2.324
330 6.167
1/8 9.355
mph 79.21
1000 12.027
1/4 14.307
mph 99.82

Evo ran a 14.648

So i am pretty consistant, but the reason i posted this is to hear how you guys think i can get in the 13's. I dont have a lot of money to spend so the options have to be reasonable. I dont care if i run a 13.999. I just want to be in the 13's. I think the best bet would be slicks or drag radials on a wider tire but im not sure if that will be enough to get me there. The mods are listed in my sig and if you need more info on the car i will be more than willing to list it. Thanks again guys.

Matt

 

[mikemustang289]

a set of slicks or a D.O.T slick like E.T. streets should get you there.

 

[Stang_1973]

How wide of a tire can you put on those 14X6 rims, You didnt mention what you currently have. I think with pretty much any performance tire you should see a difference. Also since you said you dont have alot of $$$. Even though some people are against it. Why not add some giggle juice just for the track. A moderate set up that wont strain the engine should get you into the mid
13's. Anbother thing to think about is Suspension set up. I hear on these boards often that suspension can help out too. Oh and weight. If you know your gonna go race, try and eliminate as much dead weight before going out.

Good luck and nice numbers.

 

[66Runt]

Disconnect the sway bar and work with tire pressure

Both those are free. A set of slicks on a cheap set of wheels would be my first choice for spending money. Then some good drag shocks.
Also if you are running street tires, have you tried not doing a burn out. Most the time hot street tires get slippery, but I have no experience with Cooper Cobras so I may be totally off base.

You are driving *around* the water box right?

Scott

 

[MustangMatt1966]

thanks for the quick reply's guys. The cooper cobra's are some cheap wanna be performance tires i got at action gator tire. They are not very big, because using a 14 by 6 tire limits the size greatly. I have looked into getting some new rims and adding some kind of dot slick or street drag radial on the back.

The suspension in the rear is stock with slapper bars to help prevent wheel hop (which i dont have a problem with). I drove around the water box, but did do a burnout. I did not try running without doing a burnout, but that might be an idea for next time. Thanks for your ideas guys and if anyone has some cheap or free drag ideas let me know. I hear 13.99 calling my name haha

 

[PJx5x]

i vote for tires. a set of 15x8s with some drag radials can be had cheaply on a local classifieds website/board.

 

[ga289stocker]

Nice times, the 289's will for sure run, I'm also hoping to get 13's soon w/ mine. I would recommend against drag radials w/ a stick shift car. I have some 215/60/14 bfg's dr's now and my car is a 4sp. They hook better than a street tire but they are limited I believe w/ a stick shift car. Problem is that on a stick shift car you are shocking the tires more on take off. The drag radials sidewalls are just to stiff and don't give like dot slick or full slick would. Drag radials usaully work better on automatic cars. I found that once the drag radials spin on take off they are just like any other street radial and don't recover well as well. With the said I noticed your 60' was a 2.2, w/ the drag radials i have the best 60' I've managed is a 2.26. That is of course on only 6 passes ever. I need some more seat time. Your mph is for sure 13's. Like mentioned before take off front sway bar. I did that on my 65. Also I would recommend some front drag shocks set on 90/10, these are fairly cheap, I got mine for $40 used. Suspension can play a big roll in your search for better et's...that's my .02

 

[Dark Knight]

Cheapest way to get into the 13's would be to wait for cooler weather

 

[dennis112]

Tires will make a difference.

For a stick shift, forget the DR's and either get a "full on" drag slick (best) OR if you prefer a DOT tire, one that is bias ply. A DR "might" hook up with your 4 speed, but once you get it spinning its all over.

A Hoosier Quick Time Pro 26 x 9.5 is DOT and will fit in your rear wheel wells. They are equivalent in size to a 235/60 radial. Available for both a 14" and a 15" rim and can be squeezed on 6" wide ones. Decent tread life too.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=HOO-17410&N=700+115&autoview=sku

 

[MustangMatt1966]

Thanks guys...DK, yes the cooler weather would def. be a benefit. It was just soooo hot that everyone was having trouble. Dennis, thanks for the link, i didnt even know they made slicks or dot slicks to fit a 14 inch wheel. I will def. look into those. 289stocker, I have seen your previous threads and you have some really good times for the mods you have on that 289. Keep working at it and you will def. improve. I am pretty shockey that your 60' was worse than mine and you have the mods and knowledge to get it better, but like you said, i may have a little more seat time thanks again for the replys guys...if anyone has some other ideas or maybe has some used slicks with cheap rims on them that they want taken off of their hands let me know

 

[Vinyl66]

Matt, your 60 foots are bad. That is what is keeping you out of the 13's. It's the only reason.

With your engine and gearing, your 60's should be less than 2 seconds. First and foremost you have to have a set of sticky tires. Slicks are the ultimate in traction but DOT slicks or drag radials will work very well. A 235/60 would be a great size for your car. First time out on my 235 MT drag radials I turned a 1.69 60 foot.

The better your suspension transfers weight the better your car will hook. That being said:
Remove the front sway bar.
Adjustable drag shocks front and rear. Even the cheap ones will work much better than a stiff gas charged shock like a KYB.
Your slapper bars will work fine but try to get the snubber directly under the spring eye if you can. Also set them up so you have about a 1/4 inch clearance bet. the eye and the snubber.

With just good tires you should be in the 13's. With a few cheap and easy suspension modifications you can drop your 60 foot much more and really reap the rewards of your 13 second MPH!!

 

[OrlandoStang]

I'm guessing those runs were done at Orlando Speed World. If they were then those were great runs. OSW is notoriously known for wheel spin. OSW = Orlando Spin World. Those are very respectable times for OSW and to put it into perspective my 01 Cobra runs low 13s at OSW and my friends blot-on 00 GT w/315s runs 14.1s. It's very hard to hook there. Unless you have slicks or are John Force, OSW is a hard track to run good times at. Plus the heat & humidity never help. The best way to tell how good you are doing there is to just compare your self to the other cars there that night.

 

[mustangman70]

Come to bradenton on the west side......nuff said lol

Oh

Sway bar GONE

drag shocks

Sticky tires


BOOM 13's

 

[MustangMatt1966]

I'm guessing those runs were done at Orlando Speed World. If they were then those were great runs. OSW is notoriously known for wheel spin. OSW = Orlando Spin World. Those are very respectable times for OSW and to put it into perspective my 01 Cobra runs low 13s at OSW and my friends blot-on 00 GT w/315s runs 14.1s. It's very hard to hook there. Unless you have slicks or are John Force, OSW is a hard track to run good times at. Plus the heat & humidity never help. The best way to tell how good you are doing there is to just compare your self to the other cars there that night.

thanks, that really means a lot...and yes they were at OSW..there were full drag cars that were really struggling and traction was hard to come by..but my times were def. beating almost all Gt mustangs with mods and most ricers...its hard to beleive that a 14.3 can hold up against most cars on the road...Vinyl66, thanks for the help, I think tires are def. the next mod.. I am sure that I can get int he 13s but the traction was just so hard to get, i could light the tires so easily. I just want to have a good pair of slicks where I can launch the car at like 3,000 rpm and be able to hook and fly!!!!!!

 

[67Dylan]

Matt, your 60 foots are bad. That is what is keeping you out of the 13's. It's the only reason.

With your engine and gearing, your 60's should be less than 2 seconds. First and foremost you have to have a set of sticky tires. Slicks are the ultimate in traction but DOT slicks or drag radials will work very well. A 235/60 would be a great size for your car. First time out on my 235 MT drag radials I turned a 1.69 60 foot.

The better your suspension transfers weight the better your car will hook. That being said:
Remove the front sway bar.
Adjustable drag shocks front and rear. Even the cheap ones will work much better than a stiff gas charged shock like a KYB.
Your slapper bars will work fine but try to get the snubber directly under the spring eye if you can. Also set them up so you have about a 1/4 inch clearance bet. the eye and the snubber.

With just good tires you should be in the 13's. With a few cheap and easy suspension modifications you can drop your 60 foot much more and really reap the rewards of your 13 second MPH!!

That is how to do it, plain and simple.

No offense to the ppl thinking DR's won't get you there and tire sidewall being an issue, but that's a bunch of BS. If that was the case then why are there cars running in the 8's on DR's? <---NMRA record holder Chad Doyle ran an 8.13 You have to lower the pressure a bit (15-20psi), heat 'em up real good, and they'll do just fine. If you want to go full slick, be prepared to find the weak link in the drivetrain... that initial hit can be murder! It may take a while, but it'll find it. Also, more seat time.
Good luck!

 

[MustangMatt1966]

K, so i have come to the conclusion i want to get a good drag radial that i can use on the street, but also take to the track and bust out a 1.7 60'. What is the best brand for a drag radial? Nitto? BFG? Hoosier? and what size will fit my 14 by 6 rim?

thanks guys
:SNSign:

 

[mustangman70]

Mickey thomson ET streets dude!!!!!!


They ****ln rock man....http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/strip.php?item=ETStreetRadial


But you will need a 15 inch rim.....

 

[dennis112]

That is how to do it, plain and simple.

No offense to the ppl thinking DR's won't get you there and tire sidewall being an issue, but that's a bunch of BS. If that was the case then why are there cars running in the 8's on DR's? <---NMRA record holder Chad Doyle ran an 8.13 You have to lower the pressure a bit (15-20psi), heat 'em up real good, and they'll do just fine. If you want to go full slick, be prepared to find the weak link in the drivetrain... that initial hit can be murder! It may take a while, but it'll find it. Also, more seat time.
Good luck!

DOT DR's are good tires and do very, very well on automatic equiped cars. No doubt about that.

4 speed cars need additional help in the form of either real slicks, or as a near substitute with some street duties, a DOT bias drag radial. A good bias DOT will hit harder and more consistantly than a comparably sized DR DOT with a stick shift.

 

[67Dylan]

Good choice in going w/the DR Matt. I've run BFG's into the 11's on a 5-spd so I'd vote for them...but those MT's look/hook nice as hell! Whichever tire you choose just remember to heat them up, keep the pressure down, and play w/the launch RPM and you'll be happy.