Traction

[dethinboots]

The GTO allows for minimal tire width and that has given me hell on the strip. Cam is being installed as we speak and my worries of hooking are also increased. Any remedies or tips?

[35th-ANV-SS]

Mickey Thompson Drag Radials or ET Streets.

[dethinboots]

If I went with a smaller diameter rim could I fit wider tires?

[35th-ANV-SS]

I'm running stock OEM tires and have no issue with traction. When I was running Nitto 555R Drag Radials and they were newer, I dead hooked on the street with a lot of power. This time around I stepped it up and went with MT ET Streets which are a lot more aggressive.

Was size tires are stock for a goat? Or rather, what size wheels are currently on the car?

[dethinboots]

In z signature. But 18/35/265 and those scrape

[0rion]

drag radials and drag bags should help quite a bit.

[pajeff02]

Depending upon the tire you go with, air pressure will affect bite as well. I run around 18 psi in my QTP's at the track. Also, getting the front end up at the line to transfer weight to the rear will help. Unbolt or simply remove your front sway bar. You can also upgrade to something like Koni double adjustable shocks that will allow the front end to rise quicker and then settle back down after the launch. Lastly, you will have to experiment with your burnout to determine what works best. The QTP's like a short burnout rather than a "big smokey hero" one.

[35th-ANV-SS]

In z signature. But 18/35/265 and those scrape

Signatures don't show from my phone unless I click on each comment and that's not going to happen lol. Drag Radials is still my answer. That and suspension mods (LCA relocation brackets).

[dethinboots]

Drag radials are certainly my first choice, and I know they will make a world of difference. However, the wife has kept quite about the current round of mods and I don't know how much more she stay quite about. The future list has drag radials and suspension mods for sure though. Anyway. What are the down sides to removing the sway bar? Is it noticeable?

[SMWS6TA]

at the track no, on the hwy and street yes. More body sway/roll as you shift lanes and go into the turns.


Also for future reference - do not mix slicks with radial tires. They don't work well together.

You're going to have a fun time looking for DR's in that wheel size. I'm looking for a set to use just for track duty alone. It looks like I may need to grind some off the calibers to fit Prostars or Weldstar Wheels.

[SMWS6TA]

You have an IRS rear correct?

[35th-ANV-SS]

I think Jeff runs his car on the street without the front sway bar and he hasn't noticed any noticeable difference. I could be wrong.

[dethinboots]

Yep it has an IRS. What's a more manageable size to find DR's at?
@35th I don't think I'm going to remove the front bar. This thing is pretty big and unruly without upgraded suspension, so I figure weakening it wouldn't bode very well.

[pajeff02]

Jon is correct. I ditched the front sway bar last Spring and have had no problems. Honestly do not even know that it is missing even when we street drive the car.

[dethinboots]

Is it hard to get to?

[35th-ANV-SS]

On a TransAm and Camaro, it is real easy. A lot of people just remove the bolt from the one side so it becomes non-functional...especially at the track. Then they bolt it back up after they are done. Not sure on a GTO, but I would assume just as easy to fully remove.

[Firebirdjones]

Driving without the front sway bar isn't a big deal. My father took his completely off on his 69 GTO, a car that wasn't meant for handling anyway so if you are worried about sway and poor drivability, Just know that people do it on the old cars, so it shouldn't be as much of an issue on a new sporty model that handles worlds better anyway

He has driven the car on the street for about 10 years without the front bar, and uses 90/10 shocks on the front as well. Yeah it does lean a bit in the turns but it's not a car that he goes road racing around on the street with so it's no consequence.

On my old stuff when stock racing the rules dictate the front bar has to be hooked up and functional, so I would space the frame brackets down so they weren't compressed, allowing the bar to rotate freely up and down.

There are all kinds of tricks to do for traction. The easiest for someone like you that isn't stuck with rules is to put a drag radial on the back. With the IRS in a new GTO, which I believe is coil spring if I'm not mistaken, I would go for some air bags to help with squat and wheel hop. These 2 simple things would get the car to 60 foot pretty well for the power you're making.

[SMWS6TA]

Yep it has an IRS. What's a more manageable size to find DR's at?
@35th I don't think I'm going to remove the front bar. This thing is pretty big and unruly without upgraded suspension, so I figure weakening it wouldn't bode very well.

I asked about IRS because I've heard that the half shafts on your system are a weak point when using Drag/DR's. Like POS 10 bolts they snap the shafts on hard launches with sticky tires.

Getting the right shocks and springs will help more then disconnecting the sway bar IMHO.

[dethinboots]

Wouldn't want to destroy my drive shaft... Yeesh. I have been looking at the drag bags for quite awhile, I'm just not really too sure about them. I know it will keep the wheels from hopping. But does that translate to traction when they are in contact with the road. And is the driveshaft snapping a very common concern? Should that be upgraded before I look at DR's?

[SMWS6TA]

not the drive shaft, the half shafts from the irs differential section to the the wheel hub. Think like the Hummers have. High TQ builds seem to have this problem.


Here read this article:

Bulletproof Your Goat - High Performance Pontiac