I am looking to write a mini-article on how to improve your launch, just looking for suggestions. This is what I have so far.

Free Adjustments/Techniques

Feather the Clutch
Deflate your front tires (as low as you can go with out running on them flat)
Inflate your rear tires alittle? (More PSI can act the same as a stiffer spring rate?, is this a good/bad idea?)
Try reving from 3,000 -> 5,500 in 500 rpm incraments, see which works best
Start moving at the third yellow light (for lower R/T)
Quick spin of the tires before staging to clean them off, burnout for slicks

Modifications

Stiffer engine mounts (polyurethane inserts/replacements)
Z10 Radius Arms
Stiffer front/rear suspension (if adjustable, max on rear.. not sure about front?)
Drag Slicks/Radials/better tires

Any comments, suggestions, corrections would be great
Thank you

 

You don't want to run the tires too flat. If you do you'll find the tires get worn on the two outside edges and not the center, like so:

|/\| Imagine that's a tire . Not so extreme but you get the idea.

I've gotten best results dropping tire pressure about 4psi from street. I also increase the rears up to slightly above the max tire pressure in order to decrease rolling resistance (ghetto fabulous mods).

HTH

 

Yeah, no doubt its really bad for the tire.. but I always herd that really low was better for launches, if you don't care about your tires condition?

 

But look how much tire is actually touching the ground. Decreasing pressure too much on street tires actually shrinks the contact patch.

 

practice is the best way to improve launches. then comes stiffer springs and shocks and good tires.

 

i run mid 20's pressure in my tires and it seems to work ok.
play with the launch
practice makes perfect

 

Thanks for the suggestions, no doubt practice is the most important part.. but knowing what to do for better traction, etc, no doubt does help

So as far as tire pressure, you want it low enough where you have a bigger contact patch.. but not so low that the tire no longer sits flat.

So this is what the bottom of the tire normally is like

|....|
\__/

This is what you want

|....|
/___\ (though not so extreme)

And this is too much

|....|
/_--_\ (center of the tread isn't touching)

Does that sound right?

(edit to fix my crappy drawings)


[Modified by StyleTEG, 4:12 PM 9/9/2002]

 

no matter your suspension setup, tire psi, motor mounts etc. blend the clutch.
lil squeeks no squeels = a win