cksnah252

Hey guys, I was just thinking about this while at the track. I'm still a noob at this so please dont flame me! Well anyways like the title says, will having a better traction yield me faster speed? I know obviously having better traction off the line will give u a faster 1/4 mile time but what about the trap speed?

cksnah252

Cmon fellas I know someone who can at least
Give me a simple answer...

CD8

Not generally no, more wheel spin off the line will produce higher trap speeds. Even with a slower et, the mph maybe higher.

More traction will net you a quicker et, but the top speed will suffer.

I think.

drmix

Hmm I would think more traction would mean higher trap speed.

My thinking is with little traction yeah your tires are spinning quickly but your using up track distance without really picking up *actual* speed. I believe if you had traction that you will be picking up the most *actual* speed per foot which would mean a higher trap speed in the end.

Idk haha

93ericSi

I personally saw a drop in trap speed when I initially switched to slicks. Initially being the key there because I learned how to drive the car better after so speed went up.

Traction from slicks is a major + at the short end, but you have to remember that means you have more traction/friction at the top end also which slows it down.

Trying to think of a comparison but I'm tired so... hope that helps

93ericSi

Reading my post before this doesn't even make sense to me. So I apologize. Lol. The 'actual speed' comment above describes it enough I think.

blackeg

when you are spinning the tires they make more rotations than they should in the 1320 so it makes the track "longer"

DC4KiD

iTrader: (4)

The only thing I can think of at the moment is a NA car vs FI car in the 1/4 mile.

cksnah252

Great answer, thanks a lot guys

nonvtecallmotor

Better traction = better MPH with the correct sized tires..

civic-steve-94

I use slicks and when I ran 12.4 my mile per hour was 119 and later on I brought it down to 11.6 and trap speed was 117. Wheel spin out of the gate gets you higher trap speed.

ZCHondaCRX91

Slicks provide more traction, which means increased friction. Off the line you want friction because that means you are actually moving instead of just spinning. Then on the big end, the slicks are a disadvantage because you have more friction to overcome. Street tires can achieve a higher speed more quickly than slicks. This is why trap speed remains the same or decreases slightly.

If you are in 3rd or 4th gear at the track, and are still spinning the tires your trap speed will be low. But spinning in 4th gear means you need to learn how to drive or you are making way too much power.

Also, tire size plays a big role unless you use the exact same tire height with slicks vs. street tires.

ekcivicf20b

I have always heard back and fourth answers but the only logical reason I could ever find for lower speeds would be the tire pressure drop on slicks. When you run 7 psi in a slick it has a lot more resistance and takes more to keep them rolling. From my experience I have never lost mph because of traction. It is also hard to compare apples to apples. I am always making changes and trying different things.

I agree 100% with DRMIX but that is just my opinion. I feel he explained it very well and is the most logical answer I have heard about the trap speed vs traction theories.

Ron Burgandy

iTrader: (1)

Lots of factors here. Simple answer as stated above: the right tire combo will net mph gains due to actual chassis speed increase. Also, matching proper tire pressure as well as suspension that doesn't dip down and allows the tire to stand up is a big friction reducer.

93egSLEEPER

I'll be headed out this friday on a different set of slicks than I have ran my other 2 outings. I felt my traps are low for the power I made on the dyno and for my setup. A slick that is too tall will slow you down. I've been told numerous times you want to be as close to redline as possible in 4th when crossing the line. Going from 23" to 22" on my NA setup. I expect better ET and better MPH. When all is said and done I'll report back.

cksnah252

If my slicks comes in by Thursday, I'll probably hit the drag strip this Friday as well.. Slicks I got were 24.5x8x15, why 15s because of my fast brake kit I have.. Hopefully it doesn't slow me down bad..

93egSLEEPER

Curious to see how those big slicks do on your setup. I have a similar build and just went to SMALLER slicks. 22's on lenso 13's

cksnah252

Thats the thing because of my fastbrakes upgrade.. Well I think I should be alright because I have a 4.9 final drive so my gearing is short.. We'll see...