Help needed to set up up a Drag car

[SmsAlSuwaidi]

Originally Posted by Toyarzee

500 hp give or take how much?? Forged bottom end components and all else stock, what the hell else are you running? You have to be running more than upgraded pistons and rods under boost to almost triple the power output like that.

These motors hold boost better than you'd imagine. I had 500whp on my stock block for almost a year and i beat on it daily; only reason it blew up was putting it under constant boost for too long. I was doing a top speed pull and it was under boost for too long, from second all the way to redline in 6th, I clutched in and heard a slight rod sound. I drove it for two more days and after that I tore it apart to find out rod one was slightly bent.

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by SmsAlSuwaidi

The Mickey thompsons with skinnes the wheels stacked in the back are my Viper TA track set.

Lol and yes they are huge, 345s

Fancy. Let see that Viper!

[SmsAlSuwaidi]

Originally Posted by solidONE

Fancy. Let see that Viper!

Now back to setting up a drag car

[solidONE]

So meaty, those Vipers. Like them thick chicks with the big booties. Nicki Minaj lol

From what I've seen, which is not very many, drag oriented suspension you would want something with a good amount of travel and 'give' for those launches to maximize traction in the rear tires. So you'd want to take that into consideration because most of the aftermarket suspension out for this car tend to have the "hellaslamed" market in mind. KW v3 come to mind when you look at what's available off the shelf for our cars. They seem to have plenty of damper stroke compared to many other setups. Another one is Bilstein B16 B14, but you might want to call them for ride height and damper stroke specs as both the KW and bilstein also have their setups designed with some lowering in mind. Both applications are damping adjustable so that will allow you to adjust the damping for a good launch.

Here is a good read for drag applications (mustang specific, but some of the info should apply to all cars)
http://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories...z-motorsports/

Damping and suspension tuning:
http://www.racingjunk.com/news/2014/...ension-tuning/
https://www.afcodynapro.com/file/131...token=L9zcJo0C

[86Tony]

That viper hella nice and love the colour too

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk

[Racecomp Engineering]

I'd highly recommend a double adjustable shock with lots of travel. Doesn't need to be too stiff. On the cheaper end of things that means KW V3. Remove the rear bar, you don't need/want it. I'd probably replace all bushings so you can focus on suspension tuning via shocks/springs.

- Andrew

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

I'd highly recommend a double adjustable shock with lots of travel. Doesn't need to be too stiff. On the cheaper end of things that means KW V3. Remove the rear bar, you don't need/want it. I'd probably replace all bushings so you can focus on suspension tuning via shocks/springs.

- Andrew

Are there any other off the shelf coilovers that offer decent amount of damper stroke? Most seem to have shorter stroke than factory (3.5" or so in the rear) coupled with firmer springs, obviously.

[SmsAlSuwaidi]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

I'd highly recommend a double adjustable shock with lots of travel. Doesn't need to be too stiff. On the cheaper end of things that means KW V3. Remove the rear bar, you don't need/want it. I'd probably replace all bushings so you can focus on suspension tuning via shocks/springs.

- Andrew

I like that the v3s are on the cheaper side, I'll call you guys

[solidONE]

Originally Posted by SmsAlSuwaidi

I like that the v3s are on the cheaper side, I'll call you guys

I suggested those KW's first. Where's my phone call?! lol j/k

Keep us updated with your build.

[Sportsguy83]

Good deals @SmsAlSuwaidi hope all is good my friend

[SmsAlSuwaidi]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Good deals @SmsAlSuwaidi hope all is good my friend

! Thanks, you too

Been supervising things from far for the past year or so, as other priorities popped up, but now im back trying to make this thing faster.

[Shankenstein]

Originally Posted by solidONE

So meaty, those Vipers. Like them thick chicks with the big booties. Nicki Minaj lol

From what I've seen, which is not very many, drag oriented suspension you would want something with a good amount of travel and 'give' for those launches to maximize traction in the rear tires. So you'd want to take that into consideration because most of the aftermarket suspension out for this car tend to have the "hellaslamed" market in mind. KW v3 come to mind when you look at what's available off the shelf for our cars. They seem to have plenty of damper stroke compared to many other setups. Another one is Bilstein B16 B14, but you might want to call them for ride height and damper stroke specs as both the KW and bilstein also have their setups designed with some lowering in mind. Both applications are damping adjustable so that will allow you to adjust the damping for a good launch.

Here is a good read for drag applications (mustang specific, but some of the info should apply to all cars)
http://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories...z-motorsports/

Damping and suspension tuning:
http://www.racingjunk.com/news/2014/...ension-tuning/
https://www.afcodynapro.com/file/131...token=L9zcJo0C

The DragZine article is a good read. I'm no drag car expert, but RCE Andrew's comment jives with my thoughts.

Compliant suspension + solid bushings/joints + adjustable arms/links + sway bar delete + bracing

I see 2 modes for the suspension:
1) Launch - Cars have an inherent amount of anti-squat (resistance to compression of the rear suspension, when the car is accelerating).


For drag racing, this is bad. You want to dig in and get the most out of your tires. Front-to-rear weight transfer is generally good, until you pop a wheelie or bottom out the suspension. More weight on the rear tires means more potential power is delivered during launch.

Adjustable arms may allow you to dial in some squat. When the suspension is compressed, a little toe-in and camber will help with stability (during launch). Too much camber can reduce the effective section width of the tire, so keep it reasonable (check tire temperature distribution).

Sway bars can be helpful if there's massive torque on launch... but for low/medium-power cars you'll want the wheels to articulate freely. Small sway bars or none.

Bushings can be stiffened. This let's the suspension work it's magic and control the body motions. As others have said, a softer spring is good here. The ideal dampers would have a supple low-speed with a slight bias towards rebound damping (this will jack down under stress and loosen as you move down the strip). Medium and high speed damping should be aggressive enough to settle bumps and shift motions quickly.

2) Acceleration - Once you've transitioned from grip-limited power delivery to engine-limited power delivery, it's important to keep the wheels in contact with the ground and settle any bumps/shifts quickly. You want plenty of travel and neutral geometry. No need for excessive toe-in or camber. This car's geometry shouldn't get twitchy unless your static alignment is too aggressive.

To your main question:
Something like the Bilstein B14 is probably what I would pick (assuming that your wheels aren't crazy wide). The soft, progressive springs and height adjustability should be good for drag. Saving money on coilovers will allow you to spend it on bushings, adjustable arms, and bracing.

If you can catch a deal on KW V3, they have tons of adjustability and will accept a wide range of 2.5" springs. Probably a better choice, if you have the budget.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Actually that reminds me @Shankenstein...there is a neat trick to reduce anti-squat in the rear suspension that I would recommend for a drag car.

Using the Whiteline rear camber adjusters (which are eccentric poly bushings) in the rear upper control arms, you can set one up and one down to change the angle of the arm and reduce anti-squat.

- Andy