Drag tips...

5.9 R/T · Jul 26, 2006

O.K. Guys
I was thinking that some of us could share some drag racing tips with others...

like do you turn the overdrive off?
with how much psi do you guys run?
do you have any launch tips?...
I thought this tread could help some of us (including mysefl) to get better times at the track...

:drive:

bad360rt · Jul 26, 2006

Here's my routine:

O/D off, burnout in 2nd gear, punch it and hold rpms at 5K for about 5-8sec (this is for QTP's, ET Streets need a bit more of a burnout, 8-10sec used to work well for me), roll out of the burnout and go straight to the line, no dry hops. Then I stage barely lighting up the second set of lights. Bring the rpms up to about 1K, then floor it on the third amber. Then I hold on and try to not to forget the 2-3 shift LOL For my Hoosier QTP's I run 14psi, 35psi in my front skinnies. On street tires I used to run 22psi in the rears and 45 in the fronts, and not much of a burnout, just spin 'em a couple times to clean 'em off. For my DR's I run about 20psi, and a 3-5sec burnout.

Biggest thing is to try to stay consistent, stage the same way and launch the same way every time. As with anything, you'll improve with more practice.

5.9 R/T · Jul 26, 2006

bad360rt said:
Here's my routine:

O/D off, burnout in 2nd gear, punch it and hold rpms at 5K for about 5-8sec (this is for QTP's, ET Streets need a bit more of a burnout, 8-10sec used to work well for me), roll out of the burnout and go straight to the line, no dry hops. Then I stage barely lighting up the second set of lights. Bring the rpms up to about 1K, then floor it on the third amber. Then I hold on and try to not to forget the 2-3 shift LOL For my Hoosier QTP's I run 14psi, 35psi in my front skinnies. On street tires I used to run 22psi in the rears and 45 in the fronts, and not much of a burnout, just spin 'em a couple times to clean 'em off. For my DR's I run about 20psi, and a 3-5sec burnout.

Biggest thing is to try to stay consistent, stage the same way and launch the same way every time. As with anything, you'll improve with more practice.

so you launch on 2nd gear and then shift it to 3rd manually?

and because it's a pick-up and there's no weight in the back, leaving the spare tire wouldn't get more weight in the back and help for the weight transfer???
and in the same field of idea, running with the tail gate opened would help for the weight transfer too aand help for a better traction???

WicKed R/T · Jul 26, 2006

5.9 R/T said:
so you launch on 2nd gear and then shift it to 3rd manually?

When you manually shift the truck into 2nd at a stop, it's still in 1st. It'll shift 1-2 automatically but wont shift 2-3. You have to manually shift 2-3 on the column.

5.9 R/T · Jul 26, 2006

WicKed R/T said:
When you manually shift the truck into 2nd at a stop, it's still in 1st. It'll shift 1-2 automatically but wont shift 2-3. You have to manually shift 2-3 on the column.

ok thx... but (sorry if i have dumb questions) how do you shift it to 3rd?? i mean do you just take the arm down while holding the gas???? you have to get your foot off the gas for a second right?

realdeal7369 · Jul 26, 2006

5.9 R/T said:
ok thx... but (sorry if i have dumb questions) how do you shift it to 3rd?? i mean do you just take the arm down while holding the gas???? you have to get your foot off the gas for a second right?

um no. just shift it up to the D. thats third. hell no dont let off the gas either. you lift, you loose. remember that...lol

full throttle all the way man. what i do is fill the front tires up to about 50 psi. the more air (to a point), the less resistance. i dont have enough power to really notice a difference in my 3.9, but my ram on the bfg drag radials like 18 or so. been so long, the numbers are fuzzy. think ill have to go run my dak again and see what the deal is. gotta fix my front end first though.

if your running street tires, drive around the burnout box, then back into a spot where its moist. dont soak the tires, youll only drag water up to the line with you and youll be skatin instead of runnin full tilt boogie. heat up the street tires barely. once they are spinnin, count out about 6 seconds or so. then pull up a bit. powerbrake, and mini launch, then stage. get both ambers lit, then leave at first sight of thelast yellow light. i did that in my dak one night at maple grove, cut my best light. .008 i think it was. man i thought i red lit. sux my 394 aint done yet. i wanna chirp third damnit..lol

5.9 R/T · Jul 26, 2006

but what about the issue of the spare and the tail gate?

WeezyRT · Jul 26, 2006

5.9 R/T said:
but what about the issue of the spare and the tail gate?

i would think leaving the spare tire on would be a good idea since theres no wieght back there, you need all the help you can to get these suckers to hook...unless you got some drag tires, then it might not matter? (never been to the track, so somebody correct me if im wrong)

with the tailgate, im pretty sure its been proven that with it down it actually causes more drag than with it up, so its better to just leave it up :biggthump

AmberFireDaK · Jul 26, 2006

Will shifting from 2 - 3 manually like that, without lifting from the gas... hurt the tranny at all? Even if you do it repeatedly

WicKed R/T · Jul 26, 2006

AmberFireDaK said:
Will shifting from 2 - 3 manually like that, without lifting from the gas... hurt the tranny at all? Even if you do it repeatedly

As long as you dont wait until 5400rpm to shift you should be fine. But be warned it doesnt shift right away, you have to give it about a 2-300 rpm leway (sp?) since the stock tach is a bit slow. In other words if you want it to shift at lets say, 5200rpm move the shifter when it reaches 4800-5000

race D · Jul 27, 2006

45 lbs front, 20 lbs back tires
spare off, 1/4 tank gas.
O/D off. leave it in drive and let it shift.
on the 1/8 mile I'll leave it in second.
remove floor mat, it can shift around on you.
pull around water and back in
slight burn out. running street tires.
dry hop when the sun starts to go down. the track will start to get some moisture. if it breaks loose on the dry hop, I will leave off idle.

i always try to stage last. "personal preference"
barley bump in second stage of lights. if you just roll in you don't know where you are and are pron to red light.

about 1k rpms. go by sound of motor more then looking at tach.

i prefer to concentrate on second light. when it goes out, I'm leaving.
This will depend on you more so, and the way your track has the tree set at as far as the roll out and if it is set at 4/10 or 5/10.

practice practice PRACTICE.
I had been away from racing for 13 yrs. When I got back in to it in the fall of 04, I would go every chance I got.
I use to just hot lap it just to get back into the swing of things. I probably made 400 laps between July and Nov of 04.

AmberFireDaK · Jul 27, 2006

race D said:
pull around water and back in
slight burn out. running street tires.

You shouldn't get in the water box with street tires......you get little bits of water stuck in the treads and you'll lose some traction when launching

2001RT · Jul 27, 2006

can't forget, don't floor it off the line and goodyear reccommends puting more air in the tires up to 50 PSI, instead of letting some out

InTeNsE98RT · Jul 27, 2006

2001RT said:
can't forget, don't floor it off the line

I learned that one the hard way

SmokinCummins · Jul 27, 2006

I pull way in front of the water box, and cook the tires. Mine have to be very hot before they will hook.

Something to consider, once you are pre staged ans staged, you are anxious for the start. Occasionally you will get an opponent that will play mind games. He will let you sit there waiting - the longer you sit, the more it screws you up. My advice, try to be the last to stage and be ready to go, because the lights will come quick. This does not work for all vehicles, I have to get to the line first and start to build boost.

wrkofrt · Jul 27, 2006

bad360rt said:
Here's my routine:

O/D off, burnout in 2nd gear, punch it and hold rpms at 5K for about 5-8sec (this is for QTP's, ET Streets need a bit more of a burnout, 8-10sec used to work well for me), roll out of the burnout and go straight to the line, no dry hops. Then I stage barely lighting up the second set of lights. Bring the rpms up to about 1K, then floor it on the third amber. Then I hold on and try to not to forget the 2-3 shift LOL For my Hoosier QTP's I run 14psi, 35psi in my front skinnies. On street tires I used to run 22psi in the rears and 45 in the fronts, and not much of a burnout, just spin 'em a couple times to clean 'em off. For my DR's I run about 20psi, and a 3-5sec burnout.

Biggest thing is to try to stay consistent, stage the same way and launch the same way every time. As with anything, you'll improve with more practice.

Dave,
Do you remove your front sway bar while at the track?
Bill

bad360rt · Jul 28, 2006

wrkofrt said:
Dave,
Do you remove your front sway bar while at the track?
Bill

Hey Bill, sure do, forgot about that. Not only is it weight savings (about 35lbs for the Hotchkis sway), but it also allows for better weight transfer. When I first started dropping the front sway, it was the difference between 1.8 and 1.7 short times for me. I even drove the truck for about a year with it off, cause I got tired of the constant putting it on and taking it off (for a while I was hitting the track almost every week). The truck handled fine, but it was funny how big of a difference it made when I put it back on for the Nats this year

Oh, and I guess I should have put a few caveats in my original post. I used to manually shift the 2-3 because my pcm was only shifting at 5100rpm and I ran it up to about 5800, but now I had it reflashed and it's shifting around 5600, so that's good for now. But I had the rev limiter bumped to 7K so I can run it higher if I need to. Now keep in mind that my truck is nowhere near stock, so you're going to have to take your setup into account. Techniques will also vary depending on whether or not you're running street tires or slicks, etc.

race D · Jul 29, 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by race D
pull around water and back in
slight burn out. running street tires.

You shouldn't get in the water box with street tires......you get little bits of water stuck in the treads and you'll lose some traction when launching
__________________

Your right just to clairify, not all the way into the water.

I will drive around, look at the track and see where the groove is. Back up and line myself up, but not back all the way into the water.

Also a small portable weather station if your serious about this.
As night starts to fall, it will cool off, but the humidity can start to rise.
If you only pay attention to it cooling off, it will throw you off.

Two weeks ago, between second & third round, it cooled about 15 degrees, but the humidity went up about 30 %. this slowed me by a full tenth.

shakerR/T · Jul 30, 2006

In my stock R/T I turn the OD off and do get the tires spinning for 2 seconds let off the break and mash it till it hooks. Stage it at 1500 rpm's and mash it on the 3rd yellow. My rear street tires run 40 psi and 45 in the front and I get no wheelspin and cut consistant 2.0x 60 foots. leave it in drive and let it shift. It shifts at about 4800.

In my satellite I do about a 5 second burn out on drag radials. Launch from 2500 rpm's shift it myself at 6000. It cuts consistant low 1.9x 60's

Never get street tires in the water box. Heres my take on street tires in the water. If you can't turn em over on the dry part then they arent going to spin off the line

. I don't even get my drag radials in the water. This kid at the track was running like 14.50's in his 69 440 stock GTX and by the end of the night I got him running 14.0's. He was using water on street tires :nono:

Drag tips...

5.9 R/T

bad360rt

5.9 R/T

WicKed R/T

5.9 R/T

realdeal7369

5.9 R/T

WeezyRT

AmberFireDaK

WicKed R/T

race D

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AmberFireDaK

2001RT

InTeNsE98RT

SmokinCummins

wrkofrt

bad360rt

race D

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