Basic Drag suspension recommendations

Currently running a basically stock 455 (cast iron intake, qjet, full 2 1/2 exhaust) on street tires BFG 275 60 15 on 8" rally wheels. Runs best 13.3 but very inconsistent. Best 60' is a 1.965, mostly 2 plus 60 foots most of the time. Seems to run best with a mostly full tank of gas and about 30 to 40 pounds of tools in the truck. Having fun but want to get it a little more consistent with out going too crazy. Running a basically stock rebuilt TH 350 behind the 455, running the stock sprag. So being a little cautious about running drag radials. Drive it to and from the track. Looking for mostly recommendations on springs and shocks. Have basically stock Moog springs and honestly cannot remember whose shocks, nothing fancy gas shocks. Looking primarily for recommendations on shocks and springs leaving it still reasonable for the street. Have run Air Lift bags but these newer red ones do not seem to hold up as wheel as the older black ones. Any and all opinions appreciated.

 

I've run 90-10 and 70-30 front drag shocks on the street...not that bad but do really help transferring weight.
One airbag at 12lbs (right side) helps a lot....
I would get drag radials....a clean hook is easier on sprag than hopping, chattering and spinning the TAs.

 

Agree. Tires first it will never be consistent of street tires....from there you can work on getting weight to transfer

When I tan street tires I got a 13.10 once but normally in the 30s and 40s. Slicks was an instant 12.90..

My opinion keep track tires and street tires seperate

 

BF Goodrich drag radials were worth almost .5 and a lot of consistency. The Southside Machine Lift Bars helped a bunch too.

 

MT ET STREET 275/50-15 (26")
Boxed lower arms with a swaybar..
Air lift drag bags....
Front and rear drag shocks
Was the rear gear ratio of the car mentioned?
Jim

 

X2 on the south side machine bars....i just sold a set on the board not long ago, but summit sells them for really reasonable

 

3.73 gears behind a rebuilt but basically stock TH 350

 

Viking Coil-overs adjustability 38 settings each shock look into them they r amazing

 

X2 on Viking coil-overs, you are able to adjust compression & rebound (up and down)

 

I have viking but not coil overs

 

My dads street car will go 1.70-1.80 sixty foots with 90/10s and 3 way adjustable in the rear. Moroso springs out of my race car and who knows what the rears are from. Factory sway bars. 235 drag radial. Car only runs 13.0s. You dont need big dollar parts.

 

I can pull off 1.82 60 fts in my 71 GS on 245 street radials..boxed/F41, 3.73s. I keep the front end loose with 90/10's and F-body tall ball joints, rebound bumpers removed. Rear has regular gas shocks, airbags and stock springs on the rear. I keep left airbag at like 20, right at 25 and the tire pressure at 23. Full tank, no ballast unless the track is greasy. It likes the weight transfer, but had to stiffen the rear to hit the tires, 70/30's just absorbed the impact..all this was on a low compression, small valve motor - I expect to improve with an actual performance build.

 

You can get some Moroso front drag springs, cheapo Competition Engineering 3-way front shocks, loosen-up the control arm bolts, remove the front sway bar, and get an HR bar for the rear. Stock rear springs and shocks will be fine. That will be good enough with room to into the 10’s with slicks. That’s all I use for this car, 10’s and 1.50’s

 

1.42 to 1.48 with Viking DA Crusaders
HR rear bar
BMR DA lower lca
TrZ DA uppers
Global West TLC front arms
No front sway
MOOG springs can't remember the # but lots of stored energy
Replacement GS rear spring
5.75 in of front suspension travel
325 50 Drag radials
Would pull the tires on the street a few in hooked on gravel

1.55 60ft
STOCK front suspension all tightened down
Monroe shocks all corners
Stock rear sway
325 50 drag radial on good track hit or miss traction

 

I guess we will start with the drag radials. MH 275/60R15. Will see how it goes Sunday at Lebanon Valley

 

The ManH work well

 

Any recommendation on what air pressure to run on the new tires when starting out. Running 15x8 with what seems to be the same back spacing as my 15x8 rally wheels

 

The more air you can get away with the more stable te car will be on the big end.

I'm running 18psi in my Hoosier slicks with tubes, much less and i wrinkle them all up and mess

 

I run 16 psi in my M/T ET Streets DragRadials at the track. Jim

 

18lbs works well in the ManHs