I was wondering if anyone else had traction problems with there cars and what parts helped the most. My 88 'ROC is a stock tpi 305/auto with a 373 gear. (was a 273, had traction probs then too) I have run Goodyear, BFG, etc. but still no luck. It toasts them out of the hole (normal and fun too) but she's real tail happy. I will be picking up a set of control arms soon but I'm not sure what works best. I dont drive it much, about 35,000 in 11 years so I think I can get away with something like a TOYO T1R. Opps, its a vert so thats why its here. I also have poly sway bar bushings front and rear and the rear springs are 87 trans am non ws6. rear sway bar is from an 84 z28. Its more controlable and the ride is better too. It doesn't snap around or anything, its just tail happy. I hope this is enough info. thanks again.

 

i dont have that problem. i dont have enough power to spin my 275/40/17 BFG KDW's

 

No probs here. I have brand new falken tires and I don't spin unless I load it up to much. It does smoke shows good but if I just nail the throttle off of the line it just goes. The 273 gears don't help in that department.

 

Why do some cars spin easily and some don't? I can dump the clutch at 4k and not get the rear to break loose.

Does your car have an open diff? Mine has the stock limited slip/posi with Nankang Sport ns-1 245/45 17's.

Do the auto trans cars have a more favorable 1st gear than the t5's?

 

I have a 90 IROC vert, with 245/50/16 IROC wheels on bfg sportline tires. I have also instaled boxed control amrs tubed panhard rod, and alston sfc's. I have no traction problems at all. My rear gears are stock 3.23 posi disc set up, with kyb's on all four corners.

 

It's got a 373 posi. Off idol if I bring it out hard it spins about 10 feet or so. If I load it up it spins through 1st hits 2nd and spins another 10 feet or so. It's fun and all but I'd like to get her to hook. By contrast, my dads 91 Z hooks well. If you load it to say 3g and foot brake it , it leaves fairly well. These cars are the same save for my 373 vs his 273. Same tires and all. I was just wondering if this was common with the convert as opposed to a t-top/hardtop. Going around corners it hooks pretty well but still a lil tail happy. I would like to address this problem before I put in more power. Has anyone tried TOYO T1R tires? If it helps, stock 245/50/16s on it now but when I had 295/50/15s it was much worse.

 

After reading your post, I took my vert out and floored it from a dead stop. It barked for a second and then grabbed real quick. I also took a hard left turn from a dead stop at a stop sign and it spun for about 3 or 4 tire rotations and then took off. I've never heard of a heavy vert being this loose. Sorry I couldn't help.

 

Thanks for the help guys. I guess maybe its just something with my car. I'll keep throwin' parts at it as I can. TIP...wife and 4 kids are detrimental to project cars. gcgarner, tell you how loose mine is, I got pulled over leaving wally-world a couple of years ago. The nice officer let me off with a warning but said I was sideways enough that he could see the marker light on the left front fender. This after a stupid 5.0 did a little chirp.....had to show him how its done. WHOOPS I need to change my info. I have a t-5 323 setup to put in but changed my mind. Still a 700r4 373.

 

Do you have LCA relocation brackets? Those help on launches majorly.

My cars like yours... weird. It's modded from previous owner and I have NO clue whats on the inside. All I know is it rips tires like no tomorrow.

 

1.6X 60fts on 17's. Side-stepping clutch around 5k, mine hooks in the rain on fresh asphault. Time to start saving up for some suspension parts. - Or DIY if you have the know how. Mine's all homemade motorsports.
- Start with the lca relocates. Then a good, not-trans mounted tq arm.
I'd bet on either your lca angle or your pinion angle.

 

My daughter's '91 has the base 305 V-8/auto (no posi) and it still will spin the right rear anytime you floor it from a dead stop. Don't know why the variation from car to car.

 

when my car was stock, there was no way i burn rubber off the line u must be punching in around tight corners. My car now breaks loose all the time but that is cause the motor.

 

Nope, off the line it'll spin 'em 20 feet or so. The motor has about 140k on it. Pulled it this morning to drop in a temp while I build a 383. Thanks for all the help. Will update how it reacts to new motor. BTW, 90 iroc, funny thing is that if I punch it in a corner, it hooks. Go figure.

 

To the guys who are spinning the tires, are you spinning one or two? I wonder if the posi clutches are burnt up in some cars and power is only going to one tire. This may explain why in a turn it hooks. You may be putting more weight on the side with the power and not spinning.

Evidently I have been trying too hard to get mine to spin. Last night when I was on the way to a car show, the clutch started to slip during hard acceleration. I started reading about replacing the clutch. I see a lot of aftermarket clutches offer a lot more clamping pressure than the stock setup.
I think the stock clutch is designed to have less clamping pressure, probably to keep the trans from exploding.

I think with an aftermarket clutch, you are more likely to get the rear to spin.

 

LCA brackets do wonders for helping rear end traction.

I was wondering the same thing about the guys that have LSD rear ends (with relatively stock engines) and still have traction problems. I can almost never break traction with my stock posi. If I do, it's either punching it out of turn or it only lasts about 10 feet.

 

It's a 373 posi......leaves 2 nice long burning patches of rubber. Did the same with the 273 posi also. The car IS NOT a stick...yet, but I intend to correct GM's oversight on this. Maybe mine is just odd. I didnt mean to confuse anyone, just wondering if anyone else had this problem. Think I caused confusion here what till you read my next question.

 

I can still spin 'em quite easy when I mash the pedal from a dead stop. I'm running the 3:45's out back.

And this is with aftermarket performance rear lower control arms, stabilizer shaft, axle tie rod, brace, and torque arms, and BFG drag radials.

But it doesn't get squirelly. The mother always rips in a straight line

 

Dude, you got a 350. The rest of us are running 305's. It also looks like your not running with the extra weight of a vert.

 

I see your point.

But even when my z led life with as a 305 tpi and a few bolt-ons, she would still let loose on demand.

 

And, according to your info., a 'heavily modded' 350 at that... ! Not that the extra weight in a vert is anything substantial, but the power differential between a 305 and a 350 certainly is.


...which is what an LSD rear end is designed to do.

 

probably just tires... ive had Falken Ziex 512's on the car since i bought it... 1st with 2.73, then 3.23posi, now 3.73 posi. i had 255/45ZR16 before and now i have 275/40ZR17... still 512's and if i punch it, the rear will walk a little with e 350 TBI and 3.73posi, but if i stop punchin it its not too bad... just dont floor it around corners and you should be ok...

 

daily driving it normally, if i ease into it and floor it, it walks out fine until about 15 to 20mph, where the engine starts to really wake up... then the tires spin. i dont floor it on street tires from a stop.

now at the track, it yanks the fullsize fronts, so no problems there.


why do you guys keep saying "heavy verts"? dont you know that a sheetmetal tonneu cover, some canvas and a framework of bars weigh LESS then a 100lb glass hatch and two glass roof panels? convertibles normally weigh more because of bracing (that sheetmetal channel doesnt add much) and because of the pumps, rams, ect for the power top.... that we dont have.... add in the lack of the heavy glass rear hatch, and just because a vert doesnt mean its heavy.

 

No actually its the other way around...

A 350 weighs no more than a 305. Just the inside of the engine is different. The outside of it is exactly the same.