Kicking a dead horse > Removing quad shocks

My best time at the track is 13.6 at over 105 my best 60 foot is 1.9 and the 1/8 under 9 sec. the car runs great but just isn't as fast and doesn't lauch like I think it should. would removing the quad shock's help or hurt me at the drag strip ? my rear tire's are Nitto 555r 275/40/17 drag radials> yes I heat the h3ll out of them before I run

Its a 1998 mustang cobra 32v 4.6 > Chrome-BBK long-tube headers and x-pipe , no cats with a MAC cat-back exhaust > CJ pony 1-3/4 drop spring's and Maximum Motorsports rear lower control arms and adjustable upper's. It has a AJE K-member with the stock arms and Steeda ball joints and steering rack off set bushing's . Cross-drilled rotors at all four coners , JLT cold air intake , BBK 62mm throttlebody ,B&M ripper shifter, alum driveshaft ,3:73's gears and SVO rear girdle. car also has a 100 shot of nitrous .
I have Maximum Motorsports subframes and camber plates and a Lakewood driveshaft loop not yet installed.

any idea's ???????
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Sounds to me like you just need more practice. And I'm guessing that your best 60' of 1.9 doesn't match up to the best run at 13.6 @ 105. If it does, you need to get a little better at shifting gears.

My best run so far was a 13.1 @ 104, and that's on the same tires as you cutting a 1.92 60'. And I know for a fact that they are capable of doing more than that. I was on the stock stall, stock 3.27 gears, making over 300 ft-lbs of torque at launch, 35 psi in the tires, launching at 2000 rpm (all the brakes would hold), and dead hooking. More power, a higher stall, or lower ratio rear gear and I'd be in the 1.8s. I watched a guy on a 5-speed rwd import cut very low 1.8s with the same set of tires. Probably could have gotten 1.7s with more practice. IIRC, bhuff on here cuts 1.7s on a set of 245/45-17 555R.
 
Is that 13.6 at 105 on motor or nitrous?

I don't think you'll get a very straight answer on the quads, lol. If they are in good working order, leave them. If the secret to having harder launches and better E.T.'s was dumping the quads, a lot more people would be doing so. That in itself could end the debate.

But, if you want to do some testing, remove them and see what happens. It's not going to hurt anything.
 
I e-mailed Maximum Motorsports today about a pan hard bar > ($350) because I was wondering if that would help with my traction issue's

I forgot to tell you I was running 12-15 PSI of air in my drag radials> and even heating the heck out of them didn't help with my traction.
 
Not sure about the quad shocks,but 4v's LOVE gear. I would go atleast 4.30s on a 4v. Also the low e.t could be due to the crappy weather. I would listen to the others annd practice your launching and shifting now in the heat. Then when the cooler months come go set p.b's
 
my nitrous isn't working right > it spray's but I'm getting NO power out of it > ?? so thats something else I have to look at too. :(

Then it's not really spraying, lol.

Have you double checked the correct jet size?

Is it a wet or dry kit?

Are there any pinches in the feedline, or line from the solenoid(s) to the nozzle?

How are you activating the nitrous (TPS switch, wide open throttle switch)?

What pressure is the bottle when you spray?

How are you verifying it's spraying?

Are you sure the solenoids are working properly (as in receiving power, not stuck shut)?


Usually fun stuff to troubleshoot, lol.
 
I e-mailed Maximum Motorsports today about a pan hard bar > ($350) because I was wondering if that would help with my traction issue's

I forgot to tell you I was running 12-15 PSI of air in my drag radials> and even heating the heck out of them didn't help with my traction.

The panhard bar is really more for turning. No need to take off the quads, they help with wheel hop on turns.... I think, I'll have to look it up. I highly doubt they will do anything for your 60ft. The mods that will help are the DR's, subframes, and LCAs. A 1.9 60 ft is not all that bad. Keep practicing.
 
Not sure about the quad shocks,but 4v's LOVE gear. I would go atleast 4.30s on a 4v. Also the low e.t could be due to the crappy weather. I would listen to the others annd practice your launching and shifting now in the heat. Then when the cooler months come go set p.b's
I plan on pulling the 3:73's and going to 4:10's but not yet


Then it's not really spraying, lol.

no it's not really spraing > the kit is used / I got it of another forum for my lightning and the guy had all the fittings teflon wrapped > I've pulled most off and out but I think it still might have gottin some in the nozzle or ?
Have you double checked the correct jet size?

Is it a wet or dry kit?

it is a wet kit

Are there any pinches in the feedline, or line from the solenoid(s) to the nozzle?

no nothing like that

How are you activating the nitrous (TPS switch, wide open throttle switch)?

It's off a TPS micro switch

What pressure is the bottle when you spray?
I don't know what the PSI is at i don't have a gauge on it yet .... it's on my to do list

How are you verifying it's spraying?

I pulled the line off just before the jet's and purged it and it had very good PSI / but I don't know if it is constant or fades off > :(


Are you sure the solenoids are working properly (as in receiving power, not stuck shut)?

yea there both working .

Usually fun stuff to troubleshoot, lol.

The panhard bar is really more for turning. No need to take off the quads, they help with wheel hop on turns.... I think, I'll have to look it up. I highly doubt they will do anything for your 60ft. The mods that will help are the DR's, subframes, and LCAs. A 1.9 60 ft is not all that bad. Keep practicing.

well your not the first to tell me that> so I guess I'll scratch that off my list> I don't road race the car only drag it and normal driving :nice:
 
Removing Quad shocks will destablilize your rearend, removing will give your Stang rear steer, I ask my mechanic to remove them and he refused, said something about the rear end moving, plus you put more torque on the battle boxes and could possibly rip them out, when that happens dosn't matter if you have quad shocks or not. Keep them on and or replace.
Trinity actually had a really decent explaination for keeping the Quad shocks on, hope he chimes in I wanna read that explaination again.
 
I removed mine and didn't really notice any change. I removed them because they are shot and were useless dead weight in the rear. However, I don't drag race my car, and I have MM LCA's and the FRPP UCA's which probably help. If you're looking for better times at the track it sounds like you may just need some practice. I haven't heard of the quad shocks hindering 1/4 mile times.
 
I removed mine and didn't really notice any change. I removed them because they are shot and were useless dead weight in the rear. However, I don't drag race my car, and I have MM LCA's and the FRPP UCA's which probably help. If you're looking for better times at the track it sounds like you may just need some practice. I haven't heard of the quad shocks hindering 1/4 mile times.
I don't see them ruining any track times, but if your car is a daily driver, turns are gonna move that rear end.
 
I don't see them ruining any track times, but if your car is a daily driver, turns are gonna move that rear end.

I disagree completely. The 4 link rear is what holds the rear in place, not the quad shocks. The quad shocks simply dampen the rotation of the axle when you are hard on the throttle. The main reason the axle wants to turn some when you launch hard has to do with the compliant rubber bushings from the factory. Replacing the LCA's with something from MM that has a spherical bushing on one end and a poly bushing on the other does a great deal to reduce this tendency to rotate the axle when you accelerate. In fact, with stock suspension I had wheel hop like a mother f'kr. Once I upgraded to MM LCA's the wheel hop went away. Later on I removed the quad shocks and noticed absolutely no difference in performance while launching or turning. If you are launching hard on slicks at the track, I could see the quad shocks helping because they will again prevent the axle from excessively twisting resulting in an awkward pinion angle and stress to the torque boxes.