Drag racing traction issues

[Torchdd]

I have a 1995 z28 auto,3.73,3800 stall,4l60.The car is lowered and has eibach pro springs, umi lowercontrol arms,panhardbar,torque arm,bilsteion hd shocks and struts,relocation brackets,315,35,17 mickey thompsons rear.Im trying to get the car to be more consistent in the 60 foot times.Best of 1.67.Usually 1.80ish.BEST OF 7.98 on test and tune night but can only get 8.33 on grudg nights when track isnt prepped.Air pressure set at 18psi.Any suggestions,thanks!

[Randy L]

Are you spinning off the line all the time? Do you floor the pedal and let 'er rip at launch? If so, try and find that pedal position that gets you just to the point of breaking the rears loose. I, for one, can attest that throttle control is one HARD puppy to master!

[Torchdd]

I have tried some different ways of launching the car but cant get it consistent???Thats really what Im looking for.On a test and tune day with the track prepped it will do 8.0 in the 1/8 all night long on motor but on a grudge night only a 8.30.I was thinking maybe ann air bag in the right rear on those days may help.Again this is a multi purpose car not a drag car so I figure thats the biggest problem.

[95z28onjuice]

are you foot braking the car? if so i would bet its you not the car, track surface does come into play but are you heating tires up enough? to much? launch at the same rpm everytime? how far you go out till its floored/? alot plays into all this

[Blown1993Z28]

My last car, (a 1985 Monte Carlo SS with a 406c.i.d. sbc, 150HP hit of nitrous and an old 12 bolt rear end with a Southside Machine launch kit and drag radials) was an automatic. I could hold the brake down and rev the engine to stall speed (2000 rpms) and then let the brake go as I floored it WOT, and I would get not so much as a squeal from the tires. There should be some suspension upgrades like that launch kit I bought to help you launch. Tubular upper and lower control arms and k member will help the front suspension travel. There are also kits and parts to help the rear end "squat" when you launch. When everything is set up right (like I had in the Monte SS) when you hold the brake and take the engine up to stall speed you preload the suspension. This means the rear of the car lifts up a couple of inches. When you release the brake the rear squats, simultaneously the WOT lifts the front end up. This is called weight transfer.
Problem for me now is I have a stick. I can use my left heel on the cluth with my toes on the brake and right foot on the gas to just about burn some clutch while I take the engine up in RPMs but its not really worth the clutch wear without a launch kit installed. All I can do is feather the clutch as I floor it, but this too burns clutch. I have considered line lock brakes and slicks but the stock 10 bolt wont stand up to that very long. The automatic's cushioning effect was the only thing I liked about it. (the auto softens the shock to the tires allowing a bit more launch)
P.S. before anyone tells me to just dump the clutch, I just paid $600 for a centerforce dual friction clutch plus labor. Anyway the tires would just spin.

[Dave632]

You have hit on the problem every racer has. As we start to go quicker we need more traction. As traction increases we find the weak link in our drivetrain.
I think an airbag on the right rear might help but it will not be a cure all. I also noticed that you said the car was lowered. This may be OK for an all out drag car with an adjustable 4 link suspension, but for a regular car lowering it will hurt weight transfer some. There is not much you can do if there is no track prep. You pretty much have to adjust your driving for the different conditions.
Most of my drag racing problems were traction problems. Even with the Don Ness chassis car and 17" slicks I could never get all the power I could make to the track.