I feel your pain...

Summer tires on the Z don't work well at the dragstrip.
Wheel hop is definitely not a good thing.

The best launch is a combination of factors - Tires, Temps, Track Condition ...
Finding the right balance takes a little practice.

A quick but not too abrupt coming off the clutch without feathering it along with an equally smoothed transition on the throttle without wheel spin or bogging is the goal to shoot for.

With street tires you can't expect too much better than about a 2.0 60' time.

You can improve your launch and 2nd gear with drag radials - Mickey Thompson makes a 305 that will fit the stock 19" wheels.
They will stop the hop as well...
They are made of softer compounds and have a softer side wall.
Find another set of 19" Z wheels and put them on when you want to go to the drag strip.

What was your trap speed ???

Bob

ok soooooo should i chime in? lol

i see a lot of posts that are correct and others well not so much.

yes

Chime In ? :tiphat: Please do !

How to run 1/4 mile, First time
 

Proper suspension set up will help eliminate wheel hop. Better bushings etc, anything that prevents your toe angle changing during acceleration. Better tires may eliminate hop, as a side affect, but if u increase power (go FI or something) wheel hop will come back unless your suspension is right. I haven't taken my Z to the 1/4, not sure if I will, but most of my recent and upcoming mods are diff, diff bushings, camber and traction arms and new bushings. These will all help u put more usable power to the ground. Now talking specifically for the 1/4, getting the best tires are a must as well.


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ok here's a few things. and most are aimed at the OP to help him and his AT run a good ET.

also some of these points may have been made but to be honest i didnt feel like reading every post. sooooo get over it. :tiphat:


1. you can go sub 2 second 60' on street tires.

here's a list of the top 1/4 mile ETs with street tires aside from #2 Z eliminator had drag radials.

MODIFIED - ALL MOTOR
1) jnaut ------------ 09 Base Sport 6MT 12.245 @ 111.81 mph 1.813 60ft street
2) Z eliminator ----- 09 Tour Sport 7AT 12.420 @ 114.37 mph 1.854 60ft DR
3) ts-c63 ----------- 12 Tour Sport 7AT 12.777 @ 108.23 mph 1.913 60ft street
4) secondnissan ----- 10 Tour ----- 7AT 12.856 @ 106.25 mph 1.944 60ft street
5) tranceformer ----- 09 Base Sport 6MT 12.860 @ 109.09 mph 1.921 60ft street
6) FPenvy ----------- 09 Tour Sport 7AT 12.899 @ 110.74 mph 1.950 60ft street


2. launching the 7AT does nothing from what i'm tested. anytime i've pre-loaded RPMs it just spins tire and costs you time. and thats with VDC off. there is really ZERO reason to do a 1/4 mile on a prepped track with it on. most times you'll get traction and the slightest slip with kick in VDC and bog the throttle to compensate. it's more effective to modulate the throttle slightly with your right foot to stay in the power and kill whatever spin you need to deal with.

3. the guy who said reaction time improves your ET someone please smack him.

4. please dont run a 1/4 in drive anyone :shakes head: the ECU for the tranny shifting is awful when going balls to the walls. put it in manual mode, do some runs, learn your car ,and hit those shift points hard. you and your ET times will thank me later.

5. street tires dont need burnouts. drag radials and slicks do. i mean have i done a burnout on street tires.....yes who haasnt. and yes i have done mini one here and there at the track to clean off any debris on bad days there. no full smoking pouring waste of my expensive street tires ones.

6. use the paddles. there is no difference in their shift times but its safer and less motion for your finger to pull that than the time it takes to move the stick. everyday driving i use the stick and racing applications i use paddles.

7. on the start you want to drop the hammer before the green pretty much you're going to want to hit it on the last yellow. also this is very dependant on where you stage. if you stage deep (far up) then it will take less distance to break the lasers. shallow would be the opposite obviously. soooo depending on how well you react and how your car gets off the line (all done with practice) then you will know where is the best place for you to stage based on your car and driving.

8. shedding weight is fine but i got a very fast 1/4 with full weight (minus cats), full tank of gas, and not a single thing removed from my car.

9. i've never changed my tire pressure once when i got the track. how i drove in is how i race and drove home. probably around 32psi on PSS's. never had any wheel hop ever. you people confuse me when you say how much wheel hop you get in many situations.

any more PM me :tiphat:

104.87-105.34 was my best. I was getting clutch slippage off the line and from 1-2 change, bogging down, wheel hop. Did 7 runs.

Awesome !!!

What suspension mods have you done ... ?
Any specific information would be greatly appreciated.
Suspension know how is not my forte tho' I've tried my best to find out about it.
My Z is supercharged and I did go with the Mickey Thompsons after experiencing some vicious wheel hop with the Michelin PSII's.

I have put in camber arms at the rear and set the camber to zero so far at the advice of other members ...I am only interested in the 1/4 mile.

Feel free to steer me in the right direction if I post something that is not expressed correctly...I am here to learn as well as share.

Thanks,
Bob

I'm no suspension guru, I'm learning everything as I go on this car (my first sports car). Anyways I have a lot of plans for this car and I'm just going about it little by little, getting all the basics locked down before I go FI. Right now I've just got swifts and some spl rear camber arms. I want to replace all the mushy stock bushings so I'm going to get some spl traction arms and their rear bushing set. I've got some whiteline diff bushings and I'll get them installed as soon as I get my quaife diff. This is everything I think you would need on the rear, the only other upgrade would be to get coilovers. U want to zero out your toe, and keep it that way. When your car squats down during launch, your toe comes in and you loose some traction causing wheel hop. All the suspension upgrades I mentioned help minimize this. Now u know as much as I do ;)


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for drag racing and if thats what u plan to use the car for ditch the OEM rear camber. get as close as you can to flat. that'll give you more traction. i DD mine as well as drag race so i leave mine OEM. still broke 13 seconds like that.

[IMG]http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8c193a39.jpg[/IMG]

So far that's my best time (#13 right side) on 20s Axis Wheels...its about 70-75F outside temp. Idk if this helps also but I'm running a New Set of NGK Iridium One Step Colder plugs...still a novice at the track and trying to beat that last yellow light.

How to run 1/4 mile, First time
 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/04/ese3yvyv.jpg

On the right.
Street tires (Michelin pss's)
Mods listed in sig
Capitol raceway in Maryland.
Followed this up with a 12.900 so it was not a fluke. Have that slip as well just no pic on this phone to load.

Who or what ran a 10.89????

Evo lol

Say it ain't so.

Oh it was so. That thing was a monster. All slicks and a mean sounding turbo.

:tiphat:Thanks for the reply !!! Someone please get me some Band-Aids to help stop the bleeding !

I see where you are coming from ... I think you've listed all that you are NOT in agreement with ???

Re:

The list of sub 2.0's are the who's who of Z drivers !
And most are driving 7AT's...such as yourself...and not 6MT's
There is a reason why drag cars are automatics.

I didn't say that it was impossible to run 1.9's 60' times on street tires.
I was addressing the concerns of a new racer driving a 6MT...in a more or less stock car...
Just starting out the learning process of how the car works on the track.

I did mean to say (rather than imply), that 'around 2.0' would be more the norm to expect when you are just starting out with a 6MT at the track ... Probably should have been more specific realizing that this thread is inhabited by some serious racers ... such as yourself.

Hope that restates my post more clearly...

I arrive at the track with about 1/4 tank of gas as you do ... it does help with the traction ... I do, however, take out the spare tire and tools.
Some of the Top Z Drivers you listed also lighten their cars considerably.
Removing passenger seats and other excess weight including draining the Windshield Washer Fluid reservoir.
Their philosophy is that lighter is better...and evidently it pays off...and I do suspect that you don't get to achieve results like this without practice : practice : practice : and maybe a few other learned tricks as well.

The 1/4 tank of gas might also help with the wheel hop.
Consider yourself fortunate not to have experienced that awful situation.
I've had wheel hop with the Bridgestone Potenza's and the Michelin PSII's.
Gave up with the street tires and went with the M/T DRII's.
Problem solved.

Every situation is slightly different ... Track conditions, Temperatures, Drivng Skills, etc ... & Not every car is set up the same.
Open Forums such as this can be a learning experience for those listening in on the debates.

The debate about how the ET is determined is a good example ... someone learned somthing from that debate for sure.

I know I've learned a lot about my 'Z' as a result of participating in these Forums.

BTW ... Thanks for those who posted those Time Slips !!! AWESOME :tiphat:

Respectfully submitted,

Bob

i've never done this before but wouldn't you just press the gas pedal and keep the steering wheel straight?

i.e. don't go in an angle like this?

Thats what i did and i ran 13.9 :tup:

Did you pull the brake fuse?
i got the 60 fts down to 1.800
do not have the slip but my best run was a 12.32 or 12.34.
It will go quicker if you drop the air pressure in the back tire, try 26 to 28 psig.
Add some air to the front tires.
Best launch is at 1800 rpm.
If you have stillen G3 intake. remove the rad cover plate between the top of the front bumper and the rad , under the hood. More air for the filters
Best oil temp to race at is 85 to 90 C.

Z

!!!!!
 

Hey Steve - Great to hear from you !!!

Sent you a couple of PM's regarding your build with the GTM long block...
Is that still on the table ???

Haven't gotten mine back from it's 'Winter' upgrade ... still a few more little glitches to iron out...and the Line Lock is the last install...

Worked up a way of switching off the Brake Fuse via switched relays and at the same time enabling the Line Lock for the track.

Checked to see if there were any other options on the 19" tires available for the 19" sport wheels ... no go on that so far.

Been in the shop longer than expected ...
But did get the Dyno done - 483 rwhp and a really nice and flat 378 tqe curve ... The car should handle the upped power demands nicely.

Along with those tips you gave me I should be in the mid 11's this season...(always the optimist)
Many thanks for that ...

Hope all is well and you are attacking the track !

Bob

Great Info ...
Already have the rear Camber Arms and camber set to '0'
Will double check the toe ...
I also have the Quaife LSD ... replaced the Nissan LSD with it.
The Quaife is a little different than the OEM which I think is a hydraulic LSD .. ? forgot aaarrrggghhh...
The Quaife bites more and with the added HP and seems to want to break loose a little bit quicker but really digs in ... not a big problem tho'.
Will fwd your info to the shop, especially the bushings ... have talked it over with them regarding the coilovers previously.
Bad roads here in NJ...

Hahaha damn this race had disaster written all over it. The guy in the Dart couldn't back up and the GTR driver... Ouch!
http://25.media.tumblr.com/22ad28683...8nzio1_500.png

Took my 370 a/t on the strip for the first time yesterday

Stock apart from cat back and k&n's and I lowered the tyre pressures to 28psi (RE050's)

Tried a hard launch in manual with t/c off and it span up hard in 1st and 2nd and headed for the wall , came off it and drove down to a 15.1

Second try , in auto with t/c off span hard again 1st and 2nd and ran a 14.0@105 (2.5s 60')

Third try , in auto with t/c on and cutting in 1st , 2nd and 3rd , ran another 14 at 95 again 2.5 60 foot.

Fourth try , a good dry hop to clear the tyres , traction off but trying to launch just as the trans gives drive again 2.5 60 foot and 14.0 @ 105

Gave up

Track was very slick , first RWYB of the year really and the temperature only hit about 50 degrees , just too cold I think

Another try later in the year I think

How to run 1/4 mile, First time
 

Ouch! Please put a Honda badge on that thing until you get mid 13s.

Damn! :icon18:

I got smoked my first time out by a rhd integra because of a crappy launch and tire spin. I also learned that night after I got a rock through my window from a wrx passing me that this platform is for racing with turns not straight lines.

Lol , just been looking at the 1/4 mile table and apart from the aborted run my terminals were all 105mph , which bodes pretty well once the weather warms up .

The 'Z' Can do straight lines ... Just need to get serious and bone up on info (a lot of experience here on this site) ... Spend some bucks to up the performance potential ... and then put it all in to practice ... does take effort and time...

What are your goals ?

By All Means ... Get back out there and apply what you've learned.
105mph - your car runs like it should and it wants to go fast ... Congrats !
Quick 1/4 miles aren't as easy as you'd think :-) but it is both challenging, rewarding, and definitley a learning experience ....

I am building the car more towards autox and road course driving now. Plus now since I live in ct now the nearest drag strip is 3 hrs away either direction before when i lived in San deigo I lived across the street from one 1/8 mile strip, so that is another reason why too. There are two road courses within an hour of me now, lime rock and Thompson. My best 1/8 mile was 9.309 @ 80.21mph, 2.359 60 ft, 1.04 rt. that was 1 sec faster than my bolt on 2.5 Altima coupe CVT. Now that I have a real LSD it would lock up better but I would need a better tires.

Before I put 305's and my SC kit on, here's what I did.
At my drag strip i can not go around the wet box, so I did a quick burnout to get the water off my tires. I'd then creep forward to the prestage area, then when set, I'd hold down the brake and rev to around 1.5 to 1.7k RPM. I found that any more and I'd spin off the line. But now that I have all these mods added, it will be a whole new ball game this racing season.

here's one of my first nights on a 1/4 mile track with my Z.

this run i only had my exhaust on so far at this point.

think this was like a 13.2 idk i did like 5 or 6 runs this night. only one filmed.



aslo the loud click you hear on the 3rd yellow is my gas pedal lol

Interesting to see your sister in shorts or perhaps a skirt , its pretty strict here for RWYB's my local track insist on covered legs and arms and you must wear a helmet , they even scrutineer the vehicles before they go on track.

My 1/8th was 9.32@80.65 mph also , best 60ft was 2.44 but most were 2.5

Opening myself to ridicule here but here are my vids taken from my Blackvue, you can see I varied my technique each run but nothing made much difference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2jk5RJC3rw

In my defence I spent 15 years drag racing and building bikes , running cars down the strip is not my forte I'm more used to slicks and wheelie bars and 1.2 60ft s

that track is relaxed compared to most. their rule on helmets is anythings below 12.999 i think. most places it's 13.999 or faster is required to have a helmet. that track is in ohio i know that might not mean anything since i see you're in the UK lol oddly around my area i never broke into the 12's. i got my 12.899 down at capitol raceway in maryland. that track seems less prepped and maintained then the others up here but dont care lol ran my best there and the oddly when re-watching old top gear UK episodes they raced there on a US special.

We only have two drag strips in the UK that are regularly used at least, both are converted airstrips the one I visited is Shakespeare County Raceway which is close to Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford upon Avon and Santa Pod Raceway a former WW2 USAAF base , both are in the middle of England.

Santa Pod is prepared to a much higher standard and larger events are run there with Top Fuel Dragsters etc and it is built to NHRA specifications and the track is better prepared. Unfortunately it does tend to be much busier on RWYB days and you have to queue for about 1 hour to run the car

sucks that your options are limited over there track wise. i have one in either direction of me about 45 min drive to each. one west just into ohio and the other just to the east. plus theres a bunch of tracks around within reasonable driving distance.

the one where that vid was filmed is quaker city raceway

Quaker City Motorsports Park

then the other which i did importfaceoff at last year (took 2nd) is the one to the east of me. its called PRP

Pittsburgh Raceway Park - Official Website

man 'o' man 'o' man !
How did you manage any rest living across the street from the 1/8 mile strip !

6 hour round trips to the track would definitely make for a long day...
I've always been a 1/4 mile kind of guy ever since I was a kid.
Something about that straight line acceleration makes me salivate.
Never wore off :-)

Never did like the idea of racing around in circles but road courses are tempting.
Have decided to set up my car up for the 1/4 mile while still being able to enjoy driving it around town.

aaahhh the best of both worlds ...

Nice Pass ... every thing went like clockwork ... it's nice when everything works together !

;-) and ... I see you left just before the last yellow with no wheel hop ... (-;

i've never had wheel hop in any of the many runs i've made lol

i dont get how people get it so much. must need a driver mod :stirthepot: