Best 1/4 mile ET's 2wd or 4wd? what would you build on?

[BBeach]

Speed limit should have been around 45mph on a 3 lane (each way) highway, and that Brairwood should be fairley light, and it pulls strong once it gets moving for a stock truck that's nearing 200k. The big thing was that she "cut a good light", and the truck was "in it's groove" buy the time Mr. Vette got moving. She also didn't know much other than it was a black and silver Corvette, which led me to wonder if it was one of the '78 Pace Cars specificly or just one of the pre LT1 C4's.

Eh I was just being sarcastic. They are some slow vettes out there that a stroked jeep would be able to walk all over, in the rain. :rof:

 

[bjoehandley]

Eh I was just being sarcastic. They are some slow vettes out there that a stroked jeep would be able to walk all over, in the rain. :rof:

I rememeber back in the 80's Hot Rod put together a hot, supercharged stroker powered ReNix era Comanche that looks alot like the Hesco shop truck with out the yellow repaint. When completed they ran that truck against a then new C4 Vette and that thing would run and hide from the Vette well into the triple digit terratory(sp?)!

 

[Flash]

The 500hp was just a random number. Have you ever brought your jeep to the track??? For the time you spend just sitting there spinning, or what I was doing was attempting to keep it at the brink of spinning, it still didnt seem to be much better than 4wd. Now trust me, with an open 500hp jeep you'll be much better off with 4wd. As far as a stocker AW4, 3.55 gears and 29" tall tires. In 4LO, you'll get slower average acceleration. Sure you'll move at a higher acceleration for maybe a second or whatver it takes to get through 1st gear, but'll it wont be that fast because you'l only make it to 20mph, and the torque converter slips too much, as well as the jeep basically "doesnt see it coming" and usually redlines and takes a bit to shift. However, if you go up a steep grade, you'll get better acceleration, trust me but i dont recall an drag strips like that...

Throw slicks and a locker in the back and you have a decent chance of beating a 4wd same power jeep. And dont start thinking im saying 4wd is better than 2wd, im just talking about open diff auto with stock sized tires. If you've got a 270hp stroker and an LSD, you'll deff beat a comparable 4wd launch (if used the whole way). One other possibilty for my poor launches would be that someone said the track had "the worst prep theyve seen there yet" so maybe on a good day i could grip and go in 2wd.

I have raced my 70 Ply Cuda for many a years at RMR, in the sportsman's class.....even won a few. Whether you are using street tire or slick, you will get double the traction out on the street, compared to the track suffice.

On street legal nights(street tire only nights) they don't bother prepping the track at all!!!!!!

When my cuda was stock, and had my 2.76:1 gear ratio, open diff and vary short (22" tall, low profile tires, to try and make up the for the gear ratio, and to be able to get past 2nt gear at the end of the 1/4 mile) tires.....and a stock auto tranny.
I could not brake my tire loose on the street, even if I power brake it.
at the track the tires would brake loose every time i left the line!

Put my spare 8.75(like the more popular ford 9") center section and my tool box in the truck and ran 2 tenths quicker!!! No tire slip off the line!

Flash.

 

[BBeach]

I could not brake my tire loose on the street, even if I power brake it.
at the track the tires would brake loose every time i left the line!

See what I mean, 2wd with A/T tires dont do so well at the track.

 

[whatevah]

don't ya know, thats the secret, for stop light to stop light racing!(Not that i have ever done this! )4lo and front drive shaft disconected.......YOu will impress then with your long smoke burn out. Or if gears and tire are right, that neck snapping launch

I roasted my stock tires doing that... I was expecting to launch and barely moved until I left off the gas. it didn't help that I was in a mall parking lot with really smooth blacktop (my tires squeal just coasting in turns there).

 

[BBeach]

I roasted my stock tires doing that... I was expecting to launch and barely moved until I left off the gas. it didn't help that I was in a mall parking lot with really smooth blacktop (my tires squeal just coasting in turns there).

yeah the torque converter feels like it slips the whole time, shifts+bucks, "slips" through second, then maybe 3rd or 4th you actually kinda get moving. But by then the guy in 2hi is in 2nd gear 1/8th mile down the road.

 

[Flash]

yeah the torque converter feels like it slips the whole time, shifts+bucks, "slips" through second, then maybe 3rd or 4th you actually kinda get moving. But by then the guy in 2hi is in 2nd gear 1/8th mile down the road.

I have never driven a auto jeep so i guess i real can't appreciate you complaint. if the tranny can't shift that fast from a dead stop in 4 LO this could really mess up an E.T.:doh:

another thought, as far as droving it in 4 Hi for traction reason........and with an auto.............Why couldn't you just kick it out of 4 back into 2wd after the tranny shifted into 2nt. YOU could have the best of both, so to speak.

Flash.

 

[BBeach]

I have never driven a auto jeep so i guess i real can't appreciate you complaint. if the tranny can't shift that fast from a dead stop in 4 LO this could really mess up an E.T.:doh:

another thought, as far as droving it in 4 Hi for traction reason........and with an auto.............Why couldn't you just kick it out of 4 back into 2wd after the tranny shifted into 2nt. YOU could have the best of both, so to speak.

Flash.

In my second post I said: "

What I did on some runs was powerbrake with 4wd, then take it out between the 1-2 shift by letting off that gas so it disengages.

Especially with the powerbraking in 4Hi it gives it a little jump, I would disengage and between the 1-2 shift i would let off 100% and instantly get back on it to let it release, sometimes especially under high load it'd stay in 4wd even if shifter was in 2wd so i let off to make sure it was off. My best run was still in 2wd with being careful (not flooring it but right at the brink of spinning for the first 50 feet or so due to traction issues.) Im sure with a regeared stroker or forced induction you'd get almost nowhere.

 

[Flash]

I still say put some (non movable) weight on the back axle or even further back will requires less weight for the same traction!

I know every body talks about lighter vehicles and going faster but, there is an exception to the rule, and this is it.

you could get 4, 5 gal cans of water(140 pounds) bottles and strap then all together and then to the back seat..........If it didn't work for you. You could pull them out before the next round off racing.

If you can stall it harder you will get a better E.T.(Make sure you have a extra tranny cooler, if your going to stall it that hard! and let it cool a little bit before you shut it off so you don't damage the T/Q.

Flash.

 

[BBeach]

Dont need any more weight in the back, itd help with traction a little but Ive got so much sag in the back that it basically helps out with the transfer haha. I dont have a tranny cooler, which i did but ive got to fix other things first.

 

[bjoehandley]

If you're looking to add weight to the back of an XJ, why not start making your passes with the tank full of fuel?

 

[BBeach]

I usually leave my subs, full size spare, half tank gas, etc. I always thought of measly weight reductions to be pointless and "ricerlike" (in most cases such as cherokees). Some people remove rear speakers? Maybe they shouldn't eaten them double cheeseburgers beforehand, that'd prolly have more of an effect.

 

[j99xj]

Weight savings does more than you think.

Look at Danica Patrick. She's much lighter than the guys racing and the weight savings adds up to an increase in gas mileage. It may not be much, but it could make a difference between 1st place and something less.

Ironically she did run out of gas a few years ago at Indy.

 

[BBeach]

Weight savings does more than you think.

Look at Danica Patrick. She's much lighter than the guys racing and the weight savings adds up to an increase in gas mileage. It may not be much, but it could make a difference between 1st place and something less.

Ironically she did run out of gas a few years ago at Indy.

Yeah it helps, and she has a better advantage cause her races are longer than 16 seconds. Same thing with jockey's on their horses. Its pretty simple in the F=MA to realize weight has its role but at the "near stock stage" I dont care to be ghetto and strip everything. Sure getting rid of some senseless weight is a great idea, but I didn't want to run the risk of not driving with a spare tire, had no extra car there to store it, obviously not leaving it somewhere...and the place is 40-50 miles away.

 

[Flash]

If you have a traction problem. Any thing that you can remove from the front bumper, and put on the back bumper will give you better traction and E.T......Even tho your vehicle still weights the same

Just a funny story.

A fue year back there was a guy that had a early dodge mine van with the 3.0L v6 eng in it. He raced at the track....I don't remember what E.T he ran in it but it wasn't to embracing. the next year i seen him again at the track. It look completely different, like he had put a "lift kit" on it or something:doh:

Curiosity got the best of me, and i had to go as why he had done this.

Well over the winter he decided that he was going to lighten up the van.

He remove every thing in the van that he could possibly remove. all of this gutting raised the van a good 2 or 3 inch.

He said that he had a lowering kit on order:scottm: :laugh3:

no real point here just some useless info

Flash.

 

[BBeach]

Im not going to remove my front bumper to lighten up the front. That sounds/looks/is retarded. Id rather spend a few dollars more and give it just a little extra horsepower than look like a fool. :eeks1:

 

[Flash]

Im not going to remove my front bumper to lighten up the front. That sounds/looks/is retarded. Id rather spend a few dollars more and give it just a little extra horsepower than look like a fool. :eeks1:

this is why racers put there battery in the trunk.

It was just an example, wasn't real intending on any on taking it literally.



Flash.

 

[OCMI_Teddy]

I usually leave my subs, full size spare, half tank gas, etc. I always thought of measly weight reductions to be pointless and "ricerlike" (in most cases such as cherokees). Some people remove rear speakers? Maybe they shouldn't eaten them double cheeseburgers beforehand, that'd prolly have more of an effect.

ussually wieght reduction is pointless. However, in a leight weight cars, such as a Lotus Elise, ever pound is a loss. About 10 lbs=1 hp loss. Also lighter wheels and lower profile tires make for more (felt)power because there's less rotational inertia that the engine has to push.

 

[JJacobs]

With slicks or drag radials a 2WD MJ hooks up awesome on stock suspension. I don't see why an XJ wouldn't do as well, though a lifted one with all else the same would launch better.
The long wheelbase of the MJ sucks on the street though, 4WD has a big edge there.

 

[Flash]

Loosing a 100 pound of weight will net you about 2 tents at the track(as long as the weight reduction doesn't affect your "traction'!!!!!!

Unless you are going to make it a dedicated race vehicle, it's not real worth the effort.

Removing the first 100 pound is easy........2nt 100, a lot more difficult ..........3d 100 pounds.........now your down to using a putty knife and a torch, to remove all the under coating of the hole vehicles........and from there it get real expensive

another trick is to lower you tire pressure but if its a street tire, don't go below 28 p.s.i.(the center of the tread will fold up, giving you less surface on the track) on the rear and max pressure in the front!

Removing you front sway bar help weight transfer a lot.

28 p.s.i. is what worked best with my Cuda.......How much weight is siting on the rear axle will vary that number. Drop a few pound out of the tire at a time until it it hooks at the line or until it get wore.

Flash.