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MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:51 pm
by 2lucke4u
Hi Guys
Here it is.... new best 60ft @1.43,new low et @10.507 at 126.64,this is on a 150 shot instead of the 100,I'm guessing on the shot size but for reference the jets were 73 squared, the track was Tri Srate Dragway in Earlville IA, on the fastest run I got a little loose on the 2-3 shift and got it staightened out and stayed on it,the two previous runs on the slippery track were aborted as I got too close to the other lane,I rode the first trip sideways to about the 330 mark,the second i hit the line,the fast run was done in the other lane and the guys said the car twisted up on the launch putting a big space between the top of the drivers rear slick and lip of the fender,I'm guessing that the air went out of the air bag on the passenger side, did'nt think of it untill on the way home,the current combo should be good for a 10.20 on a good day with good track conditions.

If anyone has sugestions on getting this puppy to settle down on the launch now is the time to chime in.
also noticed when we were loading the car up that the valve stems are at a severe angle,I will have to scew the tires to the rim for next season.

for the 1/4 mile chart
rt -.159
60ft- 1.438
330- 4.297
1/8- 6.676
mph -103.63
1000-8.739
1/4-10.507
mph-126.64

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:23 pm
by spyder_xlch
2lucke4u wrote: If anyone has sugestions on getting this puppy to settle down on the launch now is the time to chime in.
Less power? :lol: But that wouldn't be fun. Good job and keep with it.

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:17 pm
by bill1978v8
Put air in the airbag? :P Maybe try front suspension limiters or change the front shock valving. Nice times though, any videos?


Bill

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:33 am
by 2lucke4u
Thanks Guys
yes air bag,,checked it today,,,EMPTY...no psi,,,
has anyone thought of limiting the upward motion of the drivers rear fender over the tire with a cable or chain,
would this work and transfer the weight back to the other side??? the gap grows to about six inches on the drivers side while the other side only dips about two inches,,odd as it seems most have said that it pulls both wheels up,drivers about three inches and passenger side about two,a 1.44 60ft time suggests some traction but the car is still skating sideways on every run,,,less horsepower ???? no way,,, need to find a way to stay straight and use the power we have,,anyone have stability problems on the top end ,,as in a little wobbly/shakey?? Cure?? I was told to think about upgrading the brakes because of my mph but I can come to a full stop on the first switchback without issue,,is there a cheap upgrade other than the s-10 one???
Charles

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:52 am
by spyder_xlch
Do you run a rear sway bar?

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:18 am
by 2lucke4u
Yes..rear sway,lowered boxed contol arms,camaro springs,adjustable panhard rod,,good??? no???
Charles

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:24 pm
by Hoonbash
Cool ride and fun I bet!!

I'd try some drag shocks on the front,play with air-bag and tire pressures,possible rear spring change and try out these guys anti-roll bar kit http://www.d-mproducts.com/antirollbars.htm Also if money permits a nitrous controller.

I'd sure like to try out a 150 shot on my Vega ,recently ran 11.76 at 113,what's your times without the gas?

Hoonbash

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:53 pm
by myvega
Your high speed stability issues are an easy fix. Drive some caster into the front end and all your wandering, darting, and random moves at speed will all go away. Been there, done that. Try to get AT LEAST 1 degree for every 50 MPH. (a good rule of thumb) but more is even better. You may need to step up and do something drastic, like swapping your upper control arms side to side, but believe me, it'll solve your problems. Your frame twisting headache is a direct result of Einstein's theory......for every action there is an equal and opposite REaction. As the engine torque is transferred to the track, the rear end housing tries to rotate in the opposite direction. The left tire tries to drive itself into the track, the right one tries to come off the track. That's why one legger rear ends always spin the right tire, and why drag racers always put the battery on the right rear corner. At the same time that is going on, the body is trying to do just the opposite, dropping the right rear corner and lifting the left. How to fix it is probably one of the most debated topics in drag racing, but everyone agrees that it can be minimized by stiffening up the car and preloading the right rear suspension. An air bag is strictly a band aid. Does the car have a roll cage and frame ties? Poly bushings or rubber? Adjustable rear shocks are a BIG help, especially if they're adjustable on both compression and rebound. (NOT CHEAP THOUGH) A little trick I use is to set the left front shock to 50/50 and the right front to 90/10. All of these things together should make your ride a better race car, but be ready to sacrifice some comfort in the real world for performance on the drag strip.

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:26 pm
by 2lucke4u
thanks for the replies
the car has run 11.50 at 115mph with no juice,,the car has 50/50 on the rear and 90/10 adjustables on front,how do you adjust them,,they have three little arrows stamped in them,the car has a 8 point in it and custom connectors tieing it all together,here are some figures I was given off this site years ago,,camber 0,and caster 2 positive,does this sound right?
I just have to say,,,it is good to be back,this was the first time to the track since last year,and back online,went through some major health problems over the last year as in lupus,psoriatic athritus,and open heart surgery at 45 years old due to damage caused by the lupus,I'm not complaining,just informing,there are people that have it worse,my car stable looks like this at the current time,will be selling a few off soon,
1974 GTO original 36k
1980 monza coupe v-6
1978 monza coupe 383 stroker drag car
1968 firebird 400 4 speed original 80k
1998 sebring convertible 60k
2000 chrysler t&c van
2002 dodge grand caravan
2 1998 E-350 cargo 18ft trucks,v-10,monza drives into the back easily,great race truck,

sons cars
Scott 2000 trans am,ls1,runs 12.90 @107
Kyle 1999 z-28,ls1,runs 13.00 @106
1998 s-10,5.7 engine,4sp auto
Charles

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:31 pm
by gerbsinmd
Don't you want negative Caster for high speed stability? You want the top of the spindle tipped back for high speed stability

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:07 pm
by myvega
If your car has 2 degrees of pos. caster it has got to be one hell of a white knuckle ride. Do you wear your racing shorts when you go to the track? You know, the ones with the skid marks in them? Holy crap get that thing in an alignment shop and put some Neg. caster in it. Look at a Top fuel car's spindles. They lay them back like that for a reason. Factory alignment specs are for daily drivers. NOT FOR THE TRACK!!!!!!! The NHRA rule book even requires a certain amount of neg. caster. No wonder the thing felt loose. Sorry for venting. I'm just trying to save your ass from a very ugly crash.

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:55 pm
by 2lucke4u
I have not had it adjusted from the stock setting,I was looking for the correct setting to get it done,,lets say the car will be running 130 mph in the quarter,,what would be the best setting to put the camber and caster at,,I hope to get the car down to the shop this week to get it adjusted,,thanks in advance,,,and yes my racing shorts are brown,,,heh heh heh
Charles

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:14 pm
by myvega
Camber @ zero Caster at least 1 neg for every 50 MPH (with the AJE arms I run over 5 degrees) stable as a brick

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:45 pm
by cosvega76
Just to set the record straight, positive caster is where the upper ball joint is behind the lower one, like a dragster.

Chuck

Re: MADE IT TO THE TRACK,,THE LAST TEST/TUNE DAY

PostPosted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:51 pm
by gerbsinmd
gerbsinmd wrote:Don't you want negative Caster for high speed stability? You want the top of the spindle tipped back for high speed stability



I had the right idea, wrong terms.... Sorry guys.