So next summer i plan on running my car in the 1/4 mile at a nearby track, i will, or at least should, have another vehicle by then but i'm wondering what could be done to the car (for cheap) to improve 1/4 mile times, the cars got high mileage so i don't expect it to hold up that much longer so i want to get my fun out of it while i still can, whether they be engine, exhaust, suspension, body, any mods that could improve times at all, doesn't have to be road legal, plan on trailering it.
Also i'd like to ask, a cavalier was up there last Saturday and broke an axle on the launch, a friend of mine has been drag racing professionally for a few years and he said that it happens a lot with the cavaliers, civics, etc. Due there's much better traction in the 1/4 mile, Would an axle be something that, in the case that it breaks, you can replace in the pitts in about 30-40 minutes, assuming you know what you're doing. And finally, I've noticed my car is kind of random with whether one or two wheels spin in a launch. My friend and i were doing some practicing at an abandoned drag strip near here and sometimes i got the one wheel peel other times i didn't. Is there something i can do to make sure it always actually takes off with 2 wheels.
2002 2200sfi 5-speed.
cheapest would be have fun with it the way it is all tho you could just gut the interior to make it lighter thats about it for cheap
RIP Cpl Derek Kerns And Cpl Robby Reyes
24th MEU VMM-261 (REIN) V22 Crewchiefs
11 April 2012 Morocco (African Lion)
well its not the best motor for 1/4 mile racing but you can still have fun with it I suppose. There is some info about the same topic on here somewhere. Thing is your not going to get big power out of it without boosting and regardless making more power isn't cheap. I've never broke and axel (mind you I didn't dive my car this year) but I had raced it 2 seasons at the track and haven't had a problem yet. As for your "one wheel peels" thats because you don't have a limited slip. Yeah sometimes it will hook both but this rarely happens. You would need an lsd to fix that. There is options out there to get your car faster but it really depends on your budget and what your goals are for the car.
It is ghetto, but to stop the one wheelers you can put less air pressure in the side that spins or more in the side that doesn't. Obviously, it is not as good as a LSD, but some turbo dodge guys have good luck with this technique.
An LSD insert will fix your one wheel spins. I got mine from
this guy. After shipping it was somewhere between $200-300, can't remember to be honest. Others have posted great reviews about these, mine isn't installed yet so I can't say much more other than Brian (link above), is a legitimate seller.
As for other performance mods, give us some sort of budget to work with and we can make suggestions based on that.
its all about power to weight ratio. if you cant afford the power then do the weight. GUT IT!!! you can easily remove 400 pounds off a j-body without even really trying. ditch all non-essentials. this is free, cheapest thing ever!
next thing, get a nice suspension. coilovers are preferred, definitely an adjustable strut. you do this and you can cut 1.9 60s on street tires if you practice up.... WITHOUT an LSD.
Underdog Racing
z yaaaa wrote:its all about power to weight ratio. if you cant afford the power then do the weight. GUT IT!!! you can easily remove 400 pounds off a j-body without even really trying. ditch all non-essentials. this is free, cheapest thing ever!
next thing, get a nice suspension. coilovers are preferred, definitely an adjustable strut. you do this and you can cut 1.9 60s on street tires if you practice up.... WITHOUT an LSD.
To me 1.9's seems a little extreme on street tires...my main reason I say that is (at least at any tracks on the east coast) your not allowed to run in the traction compound with street tires and sometimes they don't even let you with drag radials. Not saying its impossible but the only car I have seen do that on street tires is a mid engine rear wheel drive, and well a j-body is neither.
agreed, 1.9 60ft with street tires in a fwd is unlikely to happen. Especially without a real LSD. But hey, I like to be proven wrong. So go out and put down some mean 60 fts.
i put down a 2.1 60 ft on 195/70r14 street tires and i think with a two step i could get it down to around a 1.9
RIP Cpl Derek Kerns And Cpl Robby Reyes
24th MEU VMM-261 (REIN) V22 Crewchiefs
11 April 2012 Morocco (African Lion)
cheap and easy, intake, exhaust, suspension(wont help much but will look nicer lower and will handle better)
Cavi2Sunfire wrote:i put down a 2.1 60 ft on 195/70r14 street tires and i think with a two step i could get it down to around a 1.9
dropping from a 2.1 to a 1.9 is a big step unless you are currently not that great of a driver and plan on improving a lot.. If you are already decent driver then I would say you will trouble going from a 2.1 to a 1.9 on the same tires.
i run that pretty consistant but i think that with a 2 step i could dial it down but instead im just going to borrow a set of drag radials and if i dont like those then this winter im buying a slick setup for next season
RIP Cpl Derek Kerns And Cpl Robby Reyes
24th MEU VMM-261 (REIN) V22 Crewchiefs
11 April 2012 Morocco (African Lion)
