Won't Hook Up

Ty Peterson

New Member

Oct 2, 2012

20

0

1

Oct 14, 2012

#1

• Oct 14, 2012

• #1

Brought my 90 fox gt to the track last night and ran terrible. I was spinning half way down the track and wouldn't hook up for nothing. I have some like street radials on it and I know I need some slicks or drag radials but my car barely even squats at all and do u think I need to do something with the suspension plus new tires or just tires?

 

darthcual

Member

Mar 31, 2005

985

19

18

Arlington, TX

Oct 14, 2012

#2

• Oct 14, 2012

• #2

Street car? Track car? Depends on what you want

 

Ty Peterson

New Member

Oct 2, 2012

20

0

1

Oct 14, 2012

#3

• Oct 14, 2012

• #3

Want it to be both

 

gearheadboy

15 Year Member

Jan 15, 2003

1,425

177

84

Greencastle Pa

Oct 14, 2012

#4

• Oct 14, 2012

• #4

Start with what does it have done to it currently? And drag radials would be your best bang for the buck right now. And it wont squat till it hooks.

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

15 Year Member

Nov 11, 2003

6,945

1,597

223

Northern KY

Oct 14, 2012

#5

• Oct 14, 2012

• #5

Start by adjusting the nut behind the wheel. With practice you should be able to get 2.0-1.9 60 foot times on street tires unless you make ridiculous power. Learn some throttle control, then get better tires, then watch the ETs drop.

 

f8tlfiveo

My wife likes my spool and blow-off valve.

Aug 8, 2007

1,585

102

64

Lancaster, PA

Oct 14, 2012

#6

• Oct 14, 2012

• #6

Practice...

 

Ty Peterson

New Member

Oct 2, 2012

20

0

1

Oct 15, 2012

#7

• Oct 15, 2012

• #7

It has cam shorty headers reworked heads headers cold air intake 5 speed rebuilt 5.0 h.o engine and trans and flow master true duals and all she does is spin through 1st and 2nd down the track with some street radials with a good bit of thread on them

 

ThatBear

Active Member

Nov 29, 1999

143

30

38

Oct 15, 2012

#8

• Oct 15, 2012

• #8

Get some control arms for the rear. Try dumping the clutch at a lower rpm moderate the gas a little. If youre spinning youre not going very far very fast obviously

 

darthcual

Member

Mar 31, 2005

985

19

18

Arlington, TX

Oct 15, 2012

#9

• Oct 15, 2012

• #9

I can tell what I did on my previous car which was a 93 coupe. Drag springs, Lakewood 90/10s, four cylinder mustang rear springs, removed front sway bar, A/C delete, Smog delete. On Goodyear Eagle street tires H/C/I car ran a 12.9xxx with a 1.6x 60 ft. And I'm not that great of a driver. The street manners were fine for me but their was much body roll.

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

15 Year Member

Nov 11, 2003

6,945

1,597

223

Northern KY

Oct 16, 2012

#10

• Oct 16, 2012

• #10

As for street tires, i see people making two big mistakes.

1) A huge John Force style smokey burnout is NOT NECESSARY. All you're doing is wasting your tires. Drive AROUND the water box, don't even back into it, stay out of the water completely, and just before you stage drop the clutch and spin the tires for a second or two just to clean them off and that's IT.

2) Don't let a bunch of air out like you do with slicks or drag radials...leave them at the proper air pressure. When you let the air out, you cause the tire to flatten out at the sidewall, but the actual contact patch of the tire concaves up/inward towards the rim and you actually lose contact patch, resulting in less traction. In the opposite way you don't want them over inflated either, stick with the manufacturer's recommended psi.

Beyond that, try being really gentile coming out in 1st until you get moving and then ease into it, and when you hit 2nd don't immediately mash the gas, ease into it. That might sound like an easy way to be slow but it's faster than spinning tires. A fast ET is all about forward momentum, and when your tires are spinning you're not moving even as fast as you would be if you were easing out the clutch.

 

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reldla1996

Member

May 4, 2011

356

22

19

Dayton, Ohio

Oct 17, 2012

#11

• Oct 17, 2012

• #11

I second what 85_SS said above, plus add that on street tires, I would leave the line just above idle to avoid spinning tires, and run a 12.9/13.0 at 107/108 with a 1.9/2.0 60 foot time with a h/c/i 306 I used to have. If I spun the tires, I'd immediately let off, let the tires catch, and then get back into it. I'd also go with a full tank of gas, and with the spare tire in the trunk, to help traction. Spinning some would cost me 1-4 tenths, but that was a lot less than spinning the tires a bunch.... Drag radials or slicks are a different animal.

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

15 Year Member

Nov 11, 2003

6,945

1,597

223

Northern KY

Oct 17, 2012

#12

• Oct 17, 2012

• #12

I like to leave at about 3k but slip the clutch to control tire spin. Also if you really wanna get serious, unbolt your front sway bar to allow better weight transfer to the back tires.

But yeah, better tires are where it's at. My old and busted 302 was stuck running consistant 14.20s for years. The first time i bolted drag radials on it went 13.7 and was still spinning. My car is stiff and sucks at weight transfer though.