I was going to go to the track today so at lunch time I went home and put on my brother's drag radials (16x8 camaro wheels/BFG's 255's). I went out and heated them up for a while on the street (I live in the middle of nowhere so no one was around) and tried to launch... Spun through 2nd gear. I even tried easing into it and still did not feel that much better than my street tires. I know the tires are good b/c my brother uses them on his Formula 305 TPI 5 spd. I have the mods listed and my rear end is open (many tests have proven this). Any how, does anyone think this is in direct relation to my open rear? I was regularly getting 2.3 - 2.4 60's on new street tires. Should I just start saving for a new rear end?
Thanks for any past experiences and ideas.
Jonathan

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1990 Formula 350
*Hooker Headers
*Random Technology 3" Exhaust(no cat)
*Accel AFPR
*K&N
*Airfoil
*170* Thermostat
*Metco Lower Control Arms
w/ Lowering brackets
*F-Body Perf. Panhard Rod and Strut Tower Brace
*1999 16x8 Formula Wheels
*White Face Gauge Overlays

 

You may think the tires are OK. How old are they? You also need to store them in black trash bags. Drag tires are very suceptable to heat. Every time you run the tires you put them through a heat cycle. This hardens the compound each time. Sun light and oxygen also hurt the tires and this is why you should store them in a trash bag. Drag tires become sticky when heated and will pick up everything they run over. On the street you could be trying to launch a tire covered with gravel. If they are not sticky then they are bad or used up. A posi would be nice also.

 

Drag slicks are heated up in water not on dry pavement. You need to heat them up not wear the rubber off.

Asphalt isn't a good surface to launch from. It's an uneven surface full of pebbles. A launching surface of a drag strip is a smooth surface of concrete which provides a good surface for the tires to stick to. A drag strip launch pad is also covered with a traction compound called VHT. When they don't spray enough VHT down, even race cars with large tires can't hook up.

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Follow my racing progress on Stephen's racing page
and check out the race car

87 IROC-Z SuperPro ET Bracket Race Car
461 naturally aspirated Big Block

Best ET on a time slip: 11.242 altitude corrected to 10.89
Best MPH on a time slip: 121.52 altitude corrected to 125.89
Altitude corrected rear wheel HP: 497.9
Best 60 foot: 1.546

Racing at 3500 feet elevation but most race days it's over 5000 feet density altitude!
Member of the Calgary Drag Racing Association

87 IROC bracket car, 91 454SS daily driver, 95 Homebuilt Harley

 

What does everyone think about my 2.4 60 ft times with good street tires? Is this normal for what I have?

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1990 Formula 350
*Hooker Headers
*Random Technology 3" Exhaust(no cat)
*Accel AFPR
*K&N
*Airfoil
*170* Thermostat
*Metco Lower Control Arms
w/ Lowering brackets
*F-Body Perf. Panhard Rod and Strut Tower Brace
*1999 16x8 Formula Wheels
*White Face Gauge Overlays

 

I regularly got 2.2x to 2.1x 60-foot times with my 305TPI/A4/2.73 posi combination. With a 2200 stall (more like 2300-2400 in reality) converter, I was hitting 2.1x and 2.0x short times, still with 255/50ZR16 BFG Comp T/A ZR's. With 3.42 gears and headers (engine still stock), I was able to hit some high 1.9's.

I'd say that with the 350, automatic, decent (3.23 or higher) gears, and a posi rear, you should have no problem hitting sub-2.0 60-foot times on street tires. With Drag Radials and a higher-stall converter 1.8's are within range, assuming the strip has good traction. You won't be able to hook up good on the street because of the different surface, as Stephen pointed out. I was able to spin my bald 255's easily on the street, but they hooked up great on the strip since they had a great contact patch.

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Greg Westphal
'87 IROC 355TPI/A4

 

Hey Stephan, not to be picking or anything but we usually pull out of the water box before heating the tires. This also prevents water from dripping on the tires at the line. I also have done some testing and right after the burn out the tires would loose heat. After about 6 seconds it would come back. We think the heat transfered to the air in the tires then evening out and dissipated back to the tread.

 

Just making a comment about him trying to do a burnout on the street compared to at a track. Anyone with slicks at the track will go through the water box first to get the tires wet. How they do their burnout after that is up to them. The majority of the cars do the burnout in the waterbox then come out of it in high gear. A few then do a short dry hop after that to clean off the tires.

Trying to do a completely dry burnout is hard on the tires. I can't afford to buy new tires twice a season by burning off excess rubber from a dry burnout.

 

It is official (I changed the fluid in the rear) my car has 3:08's and is open. I can't wait for a new rear end. What is the numerically highest gears you automatics run in you cars? I was thinking about 3.73's, but would that be too much for a daily driver?

 

How did you heat the tires? My nittos need a good 4-5 seconds of smoke before they get sticky. You can still spin drag radials, I can, but you just have to take it to the track and make lots of passes, practice makes perfect. I can cut a 1.84 60ft on street tires, and the same on the nittos with the right track. Try leaving at idle, 1000, 1250, 1500, etc. and see which is the best rpm to leave at.

 

try lowering tire psi. i run at about 17psi to get my drag radials to hook

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1988 Firbird Formula 350
150hp NX kit, Air Foil
K&N, Jet Stage 2, 8mm wires, MSD 6AL, Trailing Arms, Panard Bar, 3" Ex. with cut out instead of cat. 5" tach.

e.t.= 14.33 no nos yet
mph= 96.6 no nos yet

 

3504mula

I am getting 3:73's and a new posi unit installed on my car right now as I write this. I have a 305 auto (700R4), 87' IROC. I had 2:73's with a 10 bolt 7.5 inch. Needless to say, I am getting a whole new rear. I was told by one of the best in the business that 3:73's are perfect for the track and it will still keep the car streetable. No problem.

 

Damn I have a posi and my best 60' time is 2.4! I need street slicks or something...oh well might go tracks friday. Hopefully I'll be faster then...

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Chris
91 RS 305 TBI
Eternal Rev

Possibly one of the worlds only drifting Camaros!