Need traction help..

[Gutling]

Need some help getting traction for my 240. Its a s13, redtop. It still has the fact open diff (i know I am doing something about that first. Weld locd prob) and running bridgestone potenzas 245/45/18.

I went to a local 1/4 mile last night (first time running the car) and practiced and practiced but I could not get wheel spin down. It spins pretty bad 1st, and 2nd, usually i have to ease off in 2nd to stop it from hitting the limiter. I think one of my firsts runs (lol dont say anything, this was my first time at a track period) was like a 15.2 with a 2.8 60ft at 98mph. my 3-4th run i had it down to a 14.2 with a 2.4 60ft at 103mph. Everything would beat me off the line, then i would just fly catching up to them. I was gaining on cars running mid-high 13s.

its got the mph to be a seriously faster car, but i cant get it to hook till 3rd. Im going to do something with the diff first, then looking at maybe a set of 15inch wheels with some drag radials. what are some good rims/tires to look for. (still fact 4x114)

What have yall done to get better traction? im launching at about 3k.

gt25r, .64a/r. act street/strip clutch, fidanza flywheel, 230whp 14psi

sorry if i didnt post something pertinant, I tried to give all the info that would help.

[ThatGuy]

If your launching at 3K and getting wheelspin, the first thing you can do is lower your launch RPM's. Traction is helped by tires, suspension, differential, RPM's, etc. It's not just one part to fix the problem. Learn to launch your car as it is, then start upgrading parts.

[Gutling]

anything less and it bogs.

[tchenku]

i watched a best motoring vid one time and noticed that the way those SNIP launched was insane! depending on the car, they would launch near redline and just ease off the throttle to help gain traction then full throttle again. still posting awesome times. plus, that's the way i launch!;)

[ThatGuy]

tchenku: Do not use the word "japs". It is considered derrogatory and will get you banned.

Gutling: If you can't get the RPM's right for a good launch, then look into the other areas I mentioned.

[OptionZero]

If you're drag racing, you should ditch the Fidanza flywheel and go back to a stock SR one.

A lighter flywheel means RPMs rise faster...but also drop faster. That would allow you to launch slightly below 3000 rpm without bogging, and use the traction you have.

That, or get better tires.

Question: if you're drag racing, why run 18's?

[LB.Motoring]

I would deff look into a new tire set up, If your really into drag, Lower the tire size and get aggressively more stickyer

[ZX88]

what about your tire preasure?

[Gutling]

i got 18s because i like the way they look. im not planning on dragging the 18s all the time, just wanted to try it out and see more what the car can do. i asked what was some better wheel sizes for drag radial tires to put on when i do drag it instead of the 18s. i know smaller/more sidewall will help better, but what size rim/dr should i be looking for. and im not planning on draggin all the time, maybe once every two months or so. i dont drift, or autocross

[ThatGuy]

Use the smallest wheel that'll still clear your brakes. So, probably, 15's. You can get steel 15" drag wheels in a wide range of widths. It all depends on how much money you want to spend on a hobby you only do every couple of months.

[wootwoot]

Its your driving. With sticky tires like you have you should not be doing 60 foots in that range. No LSD isnt helping either ofcourse. Just practice. Do a burn out for 1/2 a second after going around the water. This is to just clean your tires. Dont just dump the clutch completely but slip it so the shock isnt so big to your drivetrain, feather the throttle as you are getting wheel spin just to where they are barely spinning. Dont worry about tire pressure to much, with street tires it isnt going to make to much of a difference. Dont worry about the flywheel, you dont sound like you are a hardcore drag racer but just someone having some fun at the track. Really its the differential and the driver at this point.

Almost none of that applies to drag radials/slicks though. Look into BFG's and MT's in 15. Try and get atleast a 235 and a decently high sidewall. Come back when you get those and we'll talk more.

[Gutling]

Thanks so much for the help so far.
How wide of a 15" rim should I be looking for?
Also, please excuse this if its noobish, but would a mustang 4x114 wheel fit? their forums are slap full of sets of drag wheels and tires

[theicecreamdan]

whatever width it takes to mount the size of tire you choose.

[tchenku]

[QUOTE=ThatGuy]tchenku: Do not use the word "japs". It is considered derrogatory and will get you banned.

Oops, sorry about that! my apologies, ThatGuy!

[charlie a.k.a. chuck]

get 355 wide tires

[wootwoot]

I dont know what a Mustangs center bore is but if its the same bolt pattern and a decent offset you can get it to fit. I would want atleast 6.5'' for some 235R55's or something of the nature. MT's are better then BFGs but dont last as long but if you are only tracking them it doesnt matter for longevity, they will last long enough.

p.s. a 225 drag radial would be more grippy at the strip then almost any 355 non drag tire =P