RebekahsZ

My favorite is to check the wind direction, put on the line lock and burry the other car in a cloud of tire smoke. When the light changes, I just creep away leaving him in a smoke screen. That line lock is so much fun. Gonna finish my side-exit electric exhaust cutouts this winter-another fun toy, but nothing more than that. Hilarious at a drive-thru window.

Worked last night from my PC. I will work on it.

Married? Or are you going to the track? And I thought you sold those Rotas? And I thought you hated trailers? You know if we sat down for a beer, I bet I would do all the talking and you would just walk away shaking your head. You need to hang one of those nut-sacks from that hitch!😜 Is it snowing out there yet?

Look back in the suspension forum for the guy who just got his car hacked to death by trying to save a few bucks. If I lived within trailering distance to johnc, he would do all my chassis work (assuming he had time to do it) if I had to get a second job to do it. Every time I have attempted a cheaper alternative to one of his suggestions I have regretted it. I will be buying my next set of konis from him, just so I know that what I get will fit. The devil is in the details-you can run into incompatabilities between your shocks and and your pillow bearings. Make sure those cooperate or you will spend the difference in custom machine work. I love my DP bolt in camber plates that John put me in. They are not infinitely adjustable but they are super easy to install and adjust. Google images for them.

I ran those ARE wheels for ten years. They use a standard tapered lug nut. I think that is what you guys are calling an acorn nut.

Thanks for the examples, johnc. The answers come with testing. That is why we do qualifying races for bracket racing-to see where the car is running TODAY. As the temperature and humidity drop into the night, everything changes. And testing is expensive. CobraMatt recently talked with me and described how he wound up totalling out his Corvette in testing (not at a race) just to get the angle optimized on his rear wing. Had to reconstruct car to get back to testing. Jesse-my argument for 17" wheels is brake clearance and availability of used race tires (Hoosiers). I'm working my way into 275/40?/17s for that very reason-lots of those available from the S2000s and Mustangs. The most readily available 15" race tire is the 205/50/15 from the Spec Miata bunch. There are always lots of R6s available in that size for CHEAP. Everytime you change diameters you gotta spend $1000-ish on wheels. I'd go straight to 17s so you don't have a bunch of wheels and tires you can't get rid of when you upgrade your brakes next year.

Johnc, if EVERYTHING else is optimized: ( dry, clean pavement, sticker new, perfect temperature of the perfect tire compound, perfect inflation, perfect shocks and spring rate, unlimited funds, infinitely stiff chassis, infinite power and torque, perfect alignment for the venue, perfect driving ), is there a down side to trying to achieve the largest contact patch that you can? I know this is a super complex question, so I'm really asking it for the original poster in order to get him to a simple answer to a complicated question.

A lot of the LS guys don't cruise the member projects. Makes ya feel kind of neglected 😩😢😩.

Matt-get off the internet and get that car slow asked car on the road!

Trying to fit a wheel wider than 7" on an S30 is a pain in the ask. If you are looking to run a 225/50/15, make your life easier and limit your wheel width to 7". Zero offset or, 4.5" back spacing. Bolt it on and go. Johnc gave me this advice years ago and it has proven true. Even going to 8" has been very painful without flares.

Looking at getting some custom t-shirts made. Whatcha think? Hope link works.... http://www.jaybrasher.com/p1042343142/e713751e5

Good luck with that. Beyond the aluminum Weld Draglite, the only place I know of that has 15" steel wheels in our bolt pattern is Diamond Racing. But, I think Mickey Thompson makes one drag slick in the 14" wheel size, so that is an option too. Another option is a 4-lug, 4.5" (that's the Datsun lug spacing) to 4.25" (that is 4-lug Ford Mustang lug spacing) 1" wheel spacers. Then you would get a 5.5" back spaced wheel to bolt up to that. Sometimes you can find those spacers on the internet to allow you to use Ford wheels. I am going to be looking for some spacers like that in order to space over my new brake kit (the weld is dual-pattern). Getting big tires on the back of these cars with stock fenders (even rolled) is a real chore. Sorry to wear you out-I'm just happy to have another LS equipped drag racer in the group.

I like the option that the 4L60E/4L80E gives for being able to manual shift or automatic shift, and the ability to make setup changes electronically. Plus, the ability to get the engine/trans as a package. Can't wait for you to get some slicks on that thing. I am giving a very used set of mine to a friend this weekend for his LS1/280z. Wish I had another set to share with you. If you get to that point, the easiest way to get slicks on the car will be with a set of 7" Weld draglites with a 4.5" back spacing. MT ET drags will fit inside stock fenders in a 26X8.5X15 size. You have to run a super high ride height to run 10" slicks-they hang out the side, so you will have trouble with them rubbing when the rear squats unless the car is jacked up pretty high. The 8.5s should hook up fine if they prep the track and you get them smoking hot. Stay away from drag radials unless you want to replace a lot of axles. The soft stock spring rate hooks up great, but squats like crazy.

Any idea how fast he went? This is a bucket list trip for me.

Thanks beerman and everybody. The car cranked fine today using a screw driver so I think NewZed is gonna have the answer. When it acts up, it usually just takes 8-10 tries on the key to start up. Just kind of embarrassing in the staging lanes at the strip. Last night, I checked Volts at the battery, both sides of my aftermarket firewall bulkhead connector and at the big cable on the starter (all12.64V). I will check the signal wire as instructed tonight with my wife on the key. I'm a good eye surgeon, but it takes a village to make me an electrician!

I did some searching last night on the trans brake. Seems only one company makes one. I went to the site and read all their warnings and staging procedures-a bit more complicated than I had envisioned. On the second z, I just have to decide how much more I want to push this addiction. You did well with used parts.

That sounds right for what I'm hearing. The purpose of that relay is to turn off any accessories that would compete for starting amps? Have I got that right in my head?

I may have a chance to buy a 280z with a solid axle/ladder bar conversion. If I get it, I would make it my auto trans z-car specifically for bracket racing. I'm kind of mentally comparing powerglides, T350, and now I'm learning about the E-trannies. I like the idea of being able to control shift points. What system are you using to tune the tranny? HPtuners? Also, what would you say you have spent on the tranny (shifter, stall, etc) beyond the initial purchase? I think I would try to get my LS motor/trans as a complete pullout. I already have a T56-equipped LS in my current Z. Can one get a trans brake for that tranny in order to launch off a button? As you know, for bracket, I don't need to be super fast, just reliable and consistent and cut a good light. Thanks.

Ok. I did have LOTS of trouble with Wilwood and tilton master cylinders on my clutch master. Some of them are bad out of the box. Mine would just slowly leak down with constant pedal pressure. Finally figured out it was bad by putting a plug in the outlet and seeing if it would hold pressure-it wouldn't. I freakin hate hydraulics. I am blowing off the parking brake. I did pay extra for the comparable bracket, but from reading posts, it seems like the AZC p-brake needs more development. I will just park it in gear in flat places and use a block on hills. I just wanna stop! I may also play a little more with my hydraulic handbrake. That sucker is kind of handy for staging. If I don't use it, I'm staging a little too deep and am more apt to red light.

Thanks guys. Just needed a reality check.

Electrical idiot here. I looked at the wiring diagrams and still can't figure this next question out. What do you call the relay that clicks just before the starter cranks? It sounds like it is under the dash on the passenger side. When it clicks, the stereo lights dim. I think i have been hearing this relay click and was thinking that was the starter solenoid. I have to turn the key a fraction of a turn further before the starter cranks. In the garage, it is cranking everytime with the switch taken apart. If it starts all day tomorrow I'm gonna chance twisting that tab up inside the keyed portion of the switch as suggested by New Zed. I'm just afraid I will break it. That old switch is mighty rickety.

I sure have noticed an improvement in ETs when it is cooler outside. Is there a place for an intercooler (air to air radiator) on a non-boosted car? I see them for sale cheap all the time and it would be an easy mod. Anybody got advice (even if you want to tease me for a stupid question)?

I'm sure you have already done this and I'm just trying to help. Have you checked to make sure the master is fully returning and failing to let fluid return to the reservoir? My "maxima problems" got resolved by giving the pedal more travel (more on the return swing) and by removing the rear check valve in the master cylinder. You are a brake guy so I'm sure you already tried these things. After a year with Maximas, I'm replacing them with Wilwoods. Yes, they are easier to service than drums, but they haven't been good stoppers for me.

Beautiful car. Whatever color you do with your air dam, make it a color that you can repaint easily. Air dams get smacked on things. I left mine un painted (dirty black color right out of the box) because I smack it every time I load onto my trailer and my tie down straps rub on it.

Consider driving around for a while applying no brakes or almost no brakes. Coast to a stop. Check brake temperature. If rears are still hotter than fronts it likely isn't a bias problem but a dragging problem. I can't get good enough rear bite out of my maxima brakes to lock them first even with the PV allowing 100% pressure to the rears. The brake rotors did purple up with heat on my track day, so try are making some contribution just not much. The front pads and rotors were destroyed.