TireSmoke.org

Those drawings are actually clearer than the instructions! Several weeks back I put a new cardboard on the bench and my artists went at it with Sharpies for an hour or two.

Somehow I was not aware you could change the final drive on a FWD until recently. Today I see I can get 3.29 or 3.69 ratio for my SS (stock is 2.93). Looks like it could be easier than changing a ring and pinon. I'll need to do this after the HP tuner.

I have the same crappy gear in my Regal that you have, which equates to 2000rpms at 75mph. I'm sure this is why I have such traction problems and the tiresmoker didn't have such issues with the GTP, which has the better gear. Not to mention the good times made with the stock car vs GMJohnny's modified one.
You might loose a mpg or so on the freeway (and might gain a little back in the city), but a bunch of tenths on the track (and street) would be more than worth the small freeway sacrifice. I'm betting the 3.69 gear would get you to about 2500 at 75mph.

Time to get that thing to the track...

-BP

Gearing may not be the whole reason you have traction problems BP. My GS stalls around 3,000. Does yours?? How about the SS?? With such a loose converter, traction is going to be an issue, particularly with the super charger making such torque. Also, I don't think switching to a gear lower than 3:42 would help too much in the quarter, as you would have to shift 3 times, not 2. The GS finishes in 2nd gear @ 98.5 MPH.

Basement Paul wrote:the tiresmoker didn't have such issues with the GTP, which has the better gear. Not to mention the good times made with the stock car vs GMJohnny's modified one.
-BP

I think it was due more to my Chupposity.

-Dave

"The Force is strong in this one"

-BP

Chupposity is difficult to combat.

Live update from dragway 42

Ran 14.20 @ 100.4

Practically no one here - may be due to the rain that is now falling.

How are you posting from the track?

-Dave

blackberry

Need to add an electric fan override switch to the mods list, and remember to pull the LF headlight on race day.

Lowered the car's best to 14.18 last night.

Over the past couple days I have been playing with the laptop and tuner software. Mostly I am trying to learn what I can do to increase performance. There are a lot of things you can easily change.

For instance I lowered idle RPM by 20 to 580 (at warmer engine temps), I raised the fuel cutoff RPM for 1st and 2nd gear and I lowered the threshold for the over-rev light (if it actually has one I will plan to use it as a shift light).

I also learned how to download the program and upload the new one. The upload was a little troubling since the first upload failed. I contacted the vendor who said I had to use the "write entire" as opposed to the other write process. There were warnings everywhere that said not to use "write entire" so I was hesistant.

One of the problems when a write fails is the car won't start since it wipes the old one before writing the new one, so I was not too pleased when my car would not start.

There are a thousand different things you can change and it will take a while to get a handle on what they all do.

On Friday night I took the car out again for test and tune. It was low 70's all night. Got some practice with the tuner software, and tried my own tune for the first time. Made a best of 14.14 at 99.5 mph. Had the front headlight out for the first time also. (Had 1/4 tank of gas and did not unload all the "optional" stuff like last time at TDR.)

The stock tune was good for 14.26 at 98.65 mph.

I did one other adjustment on the spot and tried it. I proved I could slow the car down by leaning it out at the top end.

Best 60' was 2.13. Was able to log several of the passes. From what I see so far the traction control is kicking the throttle back to about 50% right after 3000 RPM to get the car hooked. Hmmm. It'll be interesting to see what the new tires do.

I am now fairly well convinced that heating these tires is not good. Overall traction here was not as good as Thompson as I had no problems smoking up the tires.

I am also getting knock retard right at the end of the run.

Had some great lights: .008, .093, .030, .020, .0078. The first was .148 and the last was really slow as I was trying to turn the traction control on as the bulbs were coming down.

There will be hours of analysis and prep for the next time.

On the ride home tonight I'm doing my usual thing, just moving along with traffic, watching the mileage meter and listening to Fast Money on my XM. Someone is closing in on my bumper so I move to the slow lane to let them go by. As I do this I see this dark blue Honda Civic come flying down the on ramp. It's got the can muffler, looks pretty clean.

So I pick it up and move back over to the fast lane. The car I let by I am now behind and it is between me and the Civic. Eventually the Civic pulls to the slow lane and the car in front picks up speed and I go by. I see 3 gauges in the A pillar and an Si badge on the back. As I get past I give it a little gas and my Flowmasters beckon the little Honda. He obliges and starts following. It took a couple minutes to get to a spot with clear road ahead. Finally the high speed lane road cleared up and then I pushed the shifter to 2 and opened it up. Pushed it up to the redline and made the shift. Looked in the rear view. Not gaining, not losing. Still some clear road so I stay in it. I'm lugging in 3rd, still no change. He has plenty of room to close up but he is not closing. I'm starting to come up on traffic so I have to back off. Right before backing off I the needle pass 120.

There's no more room to run and my exit is coming up so I go to the right lane. The little Honda pulls up and I look over and the guy has a sh*t eatin grin on his face, as do I.

What a blast!

not related to the post but don't u need to change ur avatar?

It's 6:05am and I'm laughing out loud in my little cubical....and there's no one around to hear me...
God story.
'Buck 20.... I might have hit 90 in my Imp - once.

And... yea, what Matt said.