keeping traction near WOT

[IanSzgatti]

I just have to ask this in the performance section.

How is it you higher horsepower guys manage to keep your wheels from loosing grip? wider tires? I mean hell, even with my mods it seems my cars so light it torque steers and then looses traction really easy... so i cant imagine 220 hp at the wheels in a malibu meant to only have 160 (1999 mali)

[RedBird]

hey, i have 220 at the wheels i have decent tires, and they're wide-ish(215's), and i still lose grip. stickier tires and a nice firm suspension are important. my suspension has all been replaced with aftermarket stuff but my struts and shocks are about due for replacement, they're getting soft. So, i'm getting airbags that go inside the springs, to help stiffen the rear so it doesn't squat. i don't think you can do that though, don't malibu's have struts in the rear? if so..... adjustable's are the way to go.

[IanSzgatti]

yeah malibus have rear struts... wow, 220 in a sunbird. that must surprise the shit out of people

[RedBird]

doesn't mean jack right now, something's fcked up internally. it's getting a ported/cammed/headered 3500 within the next month or two. driving it very gently til then, if it blows it blows, if not then i have a car to drive until i get the new motor ready :P

but yeah, my first suggestion would be some sort of adjustable struts. my friend has tokico D-specs in his sunfire, but i dunno if you wanna spend 600+ on a set of struts :P they helped his consistancy a lot though. just crank them up at the track and you're good to go.

[03wraith]

KYB has adjustable struts for the malibu

http://www.mpracing.org/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=273

[loner666]

Ive got atleast 300 at the wheels, probably closer to 350 and the only thing Ive found for traction is drag radials and those barely work

[RedBird]

^ slicks anyone? Dave's got 275 at the wheels and he has no traction issues, as long as the track is decent.

street is a whole nother matter though. that's what i was talking about. it's not too bad to get traction on the track, just need sticky tires + very little weight transfer

[IanSzgatti]

exactly redbird, thats what im saying... coming out of corner and trying to go back to the future... everything has it's limits though

[Superdave]

I still sometimes spin my slicks at the top of 1st and 2nd gear at the track. Also, if i launch too hard it'll roast them as well.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Inside-the-3500Z_195986.htm

you can see how i gotta launch, I need to figure out what's up with my E-Brake so i can do better burnouts and get the slicks hotter.



On the street, i just keep it out of PE mode..

[PCGUY112887]

I have 225wide BFG Traction T/A's on my wheels along with my heavy car... if it's dry if I don't get onto the gas TOO fast I will keep traction... and once I am moving I can go WOT going straight without spinning... but in a turn it's another story. If it's the least bit wet on the road, I will spin like mad even if I am going straight and 50 and I mash the gas.

[IsaacHayes]

My car doesn't spin them too bad. 225 width tire on heavy Z26 16x7" wheels. My car weighs 3,000lbs, a malibu weighs more.

If I feather it from a stop I'm fine. If I mash it to the floor I'll just spin, but who does that anyway?

Going straight is not much of a problem. Turns aren't either, except they used to be if I was pulling out of a parking lot onto a road, I had to baby it so slowly then straighten the wheel and then punch it if pulling out in traffic. Passengers would say PUNCH IT, and I'd have to explain to them wait until I'm going straight before I did or I'd just sit and spin...

But now I when from a 22mm front sway bar with rubber center bushings to a 28mm sway bar with poly and I can just turn the wheel and roll right onto the road with decent throttle no problem. The wheels stay flatly planted now.

But my motor is a well "experienced" 200k+ 3100 with large lower intake, large plenum, large throttle body, no tuning, and original (clogged?) cat + exhaust, and worn out trans.

I'm sure with a fresh trans it would bite harder, as my 3-1 downshift isn't as neck snapping anymore. Unless the original cat is getting clogged and to blame. I think the engine is plenty powerful despite it's age and abuse though. A fresh trans and a tune would help a lot.

I'll find out soon enough how much the cat is clogged. Going to full 2.5" mandrel bent SS pipe this weekend, with new cat. This also means getting rid of the 1.625" ID downpipe.

[IanSzgatti]

I'll find out soon enough how much the cat is clogged. Going to full 2.5" mandrel bent SS pipe this weekend, with new cat. This also means getting rid of the 1.625" ID downpipe.

you should compression test it.. i'd be curious to know how those cylinders are doing after 200k with your style of driving. You talkin miles or kilometers. im canadian, so im always refering to kilometers.. my engine has 220k (136k miles) kilometers on it now...

i just did head gaskets on a customers car and he had roughly 160 across all cylinders with 166k (103k miles) kilometers... mild everday driving..

[IsaacHayes]

Miles see my sig... And I don't wait for it to warm up in cold weather. Fire it up and goooooo. lol. My poor engine, just keeps going! I've thought about doing a comp test sometime when I'm not busy modding it... LOL

I bought this car with 104,000 miles on it back in 1999. It's been daily driven in the city ever since then. The first 100k was hwy driving I was told.