RebekahsZ

Cool. I don't think I'm on the bump stops, in fact, I need to add some bump stops as my crappy "drifting" extra calipers were hitting the floor pans last time I tried to lower an inch. Those extra calipers are coming off soon-that was a boondoggle gone bad. The bump stops I have are clearly too short to be doing anything. I'm pretty sure it is under damped, so I'll try to repeat all this when I go to the strip on July 13th. I'm hoping to go to a double adjustable shock in a couple of years, just too many projects that are higher priority right now. I will look at the Far North stuff, but I have to be honest, I'm a surgeon (basically a parts swapper), not an engineer-if it gets too technical mechanically, I'm gonna be overwhelmed. For now, I'm gonna do some trial and error testing with what I have learned so far from all the cool contributors that have responded. I gotta keep it simple. At least I have learned what is meant by rebound and compression-before this thread those were just abstract words that I've heard thrown around but really didn't understand-I get it now!

Oh, I get it-you are just teasing me. I'm a whore-just go ahead and change it! Wait, whores get paid....

I don't think either of us have any aero problems at the relatively low speeds we are traveling (although I've never seen 140). My only issue is that if I get out of the groove with my bias ply slicks at 15psi, I just gotta get off of it-there ain't no straightening up. The car just starts swaying too much for my comfort. I've only had to lift off once in the last 5 or 6 times at the track. It was the pillows-I mean slicks-that caused it, not aero problems.

I am going to get a whole different kit for my whole braking system this fall. If you can wait, my Maxima rear brakes will be available then as well as some spare calipers and brake lines. Sending my smallest wheels to Arizona Z Car for a test fit on Friday to see if I can use their kit.

Nitrous kit. Just kidding-ditto on the heater hoses!

Holy smokes that thing is fast! Got any trees out there (?), looks like one big drag strip as far as the eye can see. Really impressed by how straight the car runs-great machine.

Ahh-it's back!

Logged off and logged back in - Avatar is correct again. How often should I sign out? Didn't mean to be a problem, sorry.

My avatar just got changed to "Never Logs Off-No Permission" Am I in trouble? What do I need to do to stay I good standing? I'll log off and log back in right now in case that is the problem-I do stay logged in all the time-oops?

Not the Mcleod specifically, but I have an LSx-style T56 and it came with a stock coaxial hydraulic throwout bearing just like the Mcleod and I don't like it. The hydraulic fluid gets contaminated with clutch dust, which can lead to master cyl and slave cyl failure and requires frequent flushes of the hydraulic fluid. My clutch fluid starts to discolor after a single trip to work and is totally black in a month. I flush it after every couple of races trying fruitlessly to keep it clean. It is because the moving part of the hydraulics are inside the bellhousing. I've talked to other people who aren't bothered by the dirty hydraulic fluid and just let it ride, but it really bugs me. Have heard same problem exists with the Mcleod. The stock style LT external slave cylinder/fork gets around this because it is outside the bellhousing. I have actually thought about going to an LT-style T56 if/when this one pukes out. Also, the only way to adjust the hydraulic slave is to pull down the tranny and shim (and my stock TOB really needs a shim), whereas the external slave should be able to be adjusted with everything fully assembled. You may get different opinions, but I'd stick with a stock-style system.

Thank you socorob! Read it and will try to live it.

Try contacting a vocational high school or technical college in your area.

I am currently running 26x8.5x15 drag slicks on a 7 inch rim. I adjust static camber to be 1 degree positive at rest so that the tires will be close to zero camber on launch. I can also fit 26x10x15 on a 8" rim in the fenders if I adjust static camber to 2.5 degrees negative. I run 15 pounds of air pressure. Other than trial and error with 60' times, does anybody have a feel for whether I should use the wider tire with its associated required camber (which will be more than 2.5 degrees negative under acceleration) or stick with my skinnier setup?

Thanks, gentlemen. Johnc, I read the article and it was just what I needed-basic. The last change I made to my shock adjustment prior to this track outing was dropping from #4 to #2 in back to try to reduce throttle induced snap oversteer at the autocross-and it helped. I don't think I am hitting the bump stops at the drag strip. Rather, I think the spring rate is inadequately opposed my the shock. I'm gonna go to #5 in back and work back down using video to track my changes. Next trip to the track is July 13-I've now got a plan!

Dave at AZC has offered to test fit my wheels on a mockup brake system. He says he can do smaller rotors if needed! Looking for a box!

Is that a GTO LS2 DBW pedal peeking out under the dash?

A little off topic, but I noticed my oil pressure drop a bit on engine braking just after the timing lights at the drag strip this week (decelling from around 6200 rpm). Nothing really bad, I just noticed it drop below the grease pencil mark on my stock gauge. Once I got back on the gas for the drive down the return track, the oil pressure returned to normal.

Actually, those 60' times kinda suck. For me to do better with my 8.5" slicks I need some sticky stuff on the track. My slicks are starting to look like sponges, whereas Terry's are brand new-those guys weren't even warming them/just doing a cleanup spin. Terry's team was beating me on the short end of the track and I was running them down at the fast end. I think a gear change is the ticket. I'd like to see us capable of laying down equivalent ETs. Most fun I've had at the track ever!

Terry, your gear options at the diff are 3.54, 3.7,3.9 in the commonly available diffs in the junkyard. Special ordering R&Ps gets pricy quick. 3.36 is available in one model for part of a production year, but i have never found one. I don't know what gears are in your tranny but some shorter legs may get your rpms up after hitting third gear. But would they then be too high for an occasional trip to 1/4-mile. I'd be happy to loan you a diff for some trials. If that dang muffler and swaybar weren't in the way of the driveshaft bolts, we could probably do a diff change at trackside since you don't have a fuel tank to work around.

SunnyZ-it was super fun. Door to door all night! Nexgen1IIc is a three man racing team composed of Dwight (car owner), Terry (the brain), and Houston (the boy wonder). It really stunk that the battery pooped out before Terry got some seat time because he was .1 faster than the other two last trip to the strip. With their experience in racing, they will likely be smoking me before summers end. Figured out why my last run was slower-Houston was in my passenger seat-Terry, what does that kid weigh?

I need help learning how to understand how adjustable shocks work and how any changes in adjustment relate to changes in performance. Recommend any books/articles for reading. I don't have a mechanical engineering degree, so try to use simple terms. I am running Illuminas currently and likely will be for the next several years. Best I can read is that increasing the number on the adjuster makes the shock stiffer to both compression and rebound at the same time. I read lots of discussions about compression and rebound, but I don't understand how those independent parameters change the behavior of the car. I use my car in autocross and drag racing and my hope is that I can have one setup for each activity. Any recommendations for initial shock settings are appreciated, but I also hope to understand some of the BASIC concepts. Super technical discussions may go right past me, but I'll try to be thick-skinned if any floggings ensue. Exhibit A is a video from my last trip to the strip. I would like to see weight transfer, causing the rear to squat-and stay down, at least until the first gear change. In the video, you can see the back of the car bouncing up and down. I don't think that is what I want-so how should I adjust my shocks to stop that bouncing? http://youtu.be/iLFARn5i9Ac

I made a new friend who just bought a '76 280z that is equipped with a cammed 350 SBC with a Turbo 350 trans. He has an R200 with what I think is a very loose CLSD and stock u-joint axles and stock stub axles. He bought the car already built but without a motor and trans. He put the motor and trans together on a budget. It has a solid engine plate, Hooker headers (that fit really well) and an aluminum fuel cell and a dynomax 2-in/2-out 3" muffler. He's on 8" wheels and 10" slicks. Stock suspension. The previous owner installed a little link between the rear crossmember and the control arm bushing bolt-anybody familiar with this?? We got together at his shop and convoyed up to Lawrenceburg, TN for 2 hours of running against one another. My car is a LS2/T56/240z with coilovers, line lock and 2-step with a tight R200 CLSD and CV axles and Chequered Flag Racing billet stubs. I'm on 7" wheels with 8.5 slicks. He only got 5 runs in, then his battery died and wouldn't keep the fuel pump running (no alternator). I hot lapped until the place closed-so I won on reliability. But, the competition was very close (look at the gaps). The videos posted show him beating me at the light. It was super humid and my 60' times and ETs were well below my best, but my mph's were pretty good. They did ZERO track prep and I was spinning off the line every run. I'll post our timeslips later. The videos I post show me getting beaten at the light twice! He had a case of the "red-lights" when running against me, but I was faster on the top end, so I got the fun of chasing him down all night. I had a case of the red-lights in the middle of the evening but cut the light pretty well overall. With a car so reliable, I could really concentrate on my driving; made lots of little mistakes, but I'm getting better. I'm uploading the videos onto Youtube and will add them shortly. I think these guys have the capacity to spank me with very little work, but I've told them that I'm doing no motor mods for 2 years, so I'm hoping they will go easy so we can stay close and keep competing from a driver perspective. I think he has some different heads and a looser converter up his sleeve (and hopefully an alternator). Next meeting is July 13th at Jake's Dragway in Moulton, Alabama. Timeslips: LS-#72, SBC-#17, .500 is a perfect full-tree reaction, *=win, +=first across finish Time Car Gap React 60' 1/8-mile mph comment 8:34 72* .544 1.579 7.181 97.8 17+ .113 .256 1.605 7.356 92.8 red light, 17 y/o driver! 8:39 72+* .048 .787 1.632 7.336 95.5 sleeping at the wheel! 17 .696 1.624 7.476 91.2 17 y/o driver 8:53 72+* .495 .504 1.603 7.279 97.3 17 .601 1.672 7.678 89.0 battery/fuel pump stumble/thought car was hot so took break, 17 y/o driver 8:58 72+ 1.11 .484 1.593 7.264 97.2 red light 13* .642 1.747 8.220 82.8 80's Malibu 9:00 72 .497 1.615 7.221 98.4 red light 9:04 72 .374 1.591 7.290 85.7 can't figure that ET at that speed-what's up red lights??? 9:08 72 .529 1.596 7.219 98.0 pulling it back together 9:14 72 .530 1.571 7.221 97.5 9:20 17+ .215 .056 1.700 7.506 91.8 new driver (61 y/o car owner) really-a half second red light? 72* .600 1.594 7.178 98.4 had to sit for a while gawking at the flagrant red light 9:25 17 .293 1.678 7.523 90.8 red light, battery died after run, third driver (crew chief) didn't get to run 72+* .093 .563 1.579 7.161 98.2 time for a hamburger and coke 9:49 72 .517 1.697 7.463 95.3 great light, but must have been a big hamburger! Gearing is my friend. We both have 3.54s, but I am between the shift light (6000) and the rev-limiter (6600?) in 3rd gear going thru the beams, and he has JUST shifted into 3rd and is well below max power going thru the beams. We are already planning a 1/4-mile trip sometime this summer, or perhaps going on the trip to Silver Dollar Raceway that is being planned on the forum. http://youtu.be/iLFARn5i9Ac http://youtu.be/kd1qIms7bKQ

Alcohol helps everything. If you have vertical play, I would order up a new set of bearings.

Yeah, my circlips stay inside the diff.

I think we are getting apples and oranges. There are two washers: the copper washer which seems to be optional (I don't use it) and a thick heavy steel flat washer under the but nut. I use a big washer under the nut. I'm not sure if this would cause insufficient preload or not.