dizwiz24

Hi i want to see what you guys have done when you get into this dilemma...

550 rwhp, p1sc, meth/water inj, 6spd vert, 12 psi boost at 6000 rpm

Cooler air temps = more boost/ more power and less tire traction.

315 ish bfg drag radial 2's on the back (discontinued).

1st, sometimes 2nd kicks the back end out once rpms go past 5k.

I see all these '700 or 800 rwhp' stock bottom end builds.

How do you maintain traction?

What is the point of having 800 rwhp if you cant hook it to the ground?

Do you just pedal it around town, being careful not to open it up (unless you are on the highway in 4th gear or above) ?

And then put some real slicks on it for the track and hook / run 9s on the weekend (but be otherwise handicapped on the street).

With me being at 'entry level' boosted hp levels, i am dying to know How do you guys do it?

Is there some magical tire that hooks (and is somewhat streetable)? Im thinkin of trying toyo r888's next

Ive heard the turbos can have boost dialed back by gear which would be nice...

C52K3

I'm making 656whp 591wtq and run mt et street II 305/35-18 tires and I can hook all of 2nd just fine. Depending how hot it is out I can even hook up 1st. My tire pressure is 28-30 psi on the street

stevieturbo

At only 550hp, you really shouldnt be having too many problems with traction.

95wht6spd

Most guys can't hook in first or second, and a lot in third, even with sticky tires, especially when colder if they get on it. I have 607 in a Z, so Lighter, more power, and more aggressive gearing, on summer regular Z rated tires, and it spins all the time, just have to learn how to manage it and role into it. I have noticed a huge difference when it is in the 90's vs 60' or less temp wise. once it gets in the 60s or less, I drive my C4 w 403whp, and it doesn't have much issue, even when colder, so more fun in cooler weather. A lot of the high HP guys drive around on sticky DR's. Don't you have a C4 too?

ONE BMF

At 550whp all you have is traction problems in 1st thru 3rd. Your learn to feather the throttle and then cross your fingers in third at wot in higher rpm range. 4th and 5th shes a rocket.

WA 2 FST

I understand completely.

I've owned my car since new, and had the TT kit on it for 11 years, so this last year I finally ditched the stock MN12 and went with an RPM-built trans with C6ZR1 spec gear ratios. Now I can do 65+mph in 1st and 93+mph in 2nd. It hooks better and the turbos love the longer gearing.

silver408z

I hook just fine on 305 35 18's mickey Thompson drag radials. My setup is a 408 with a 200 shot. The nitrous is full on with no progressive control. I hook 2nd at 40 to 45 with no problems and 735 rear wheel torque and 705 rwhp. I set my tires to about 20 psi. Concrete roads are much different than asphalt roads too. That is also a mn12 trans.

95wht6spd

What tires?

WA 2 FST

I did LPE mini-tubs, so I'm running 345/30-19 NT05Rs now.

stevieturbo

I can put more than that to the ground, with skinny 235 tyres in a ****** 35 year old car. That sort of power is actually a very nice balance for a road car because it wont give too many traction problems.

When you're up to 7, 8, 9, 1000hp+ then there are problems like you describe.

550hp either you're using really crap tyres, driving on wet roads or simply cannot drive or have ridiculously short gearing in which case you're going nowhere fast anyway.

CamminC5

If those BFG's are old they are probably hard. I have to buy a set of ET streets every year. Not because I wear them out, but because they get too hard to stick on the street.

ONE BMF

You saying i don't know how to drive. I'd bet you've never driven a Z06 based on your profile here let alone own a Corvette of any sort based on where you live. A Z06 at 550 rwhp even on MT or other name street drag radials in a stock rear fender well ( no mini tub) ,and I've owned them all, will break loose on the street thru 1st, 2nd at WOT and if you say otherwise its because you have no experience in the cars this forum is all about. You have no real world experience in a Z, i'm sure of that, let alone a blown one with 650 crank hp. Now stop pretending or post up the pics of your high hp car that you drive so well and back up what you say. Hooking on 235's ,in what ,,your 250 hp Bavarian Manure Wagon. troll

stevieturbo

No I havent driven a Z, but I'd like to think a light car, with a transaxle offering weight over huge rear tyres would give pretty damn good traction.
If it doesnt there's something badly wrong. Everything in it's design says good traction.

And 235's ( usually 888's ) are on a non bavarian manure wagon with a 382 twin turbo LS that can make up to around 1200hp, but never much lower than 600 at lowest boost.

I never said it hooked superbly, but at low power levels like 550hp, it isnt difficult to get good traction.
When applying higher power levels say for 1/2 mile or 1km events, traction is obviously very different and it always breaks loose again around 185mph at the 1/2 mile

Shoaf85

I think you need some new tires. Maybe even go to a 17" wheel setup for some more sidewall. With that said I'm on 15" radial pros and can hook (ish) 700 (waste gate pressure) in low gear with an auto.

LSOHOLIC

All of these rwhp # are arbitrary with out a standardized unit of measurement ....

You think 500rwhp in 1st gear with a M12 (6 speed) and 4.10's is even remotely close to 500rwhp in 1St gear with a glide with 3.42's.........

Speaking in rwtq as a standardized unit to convey the power you are trying to control at the tire. Then it will start to make sense why some guys have traction problems while others think their crazy....

Tq at the specific rpm x trans ratio x gear ratio....that should get you in the ballpark for the discussion.


This is just my $.02....


Thanks.....


.

_zebra

shoot... if you ain't expecting to spin at 5k WOT in 1st gear, maybe a stock C5 is too much

but really, you gotta learn the different throttle positions between off & full. that's the key to controlling a high-torque car. also, a 27-28" tire helps when you start getting into more power. your 25.5" 315s (assuming 30 aspect on an 18" wheel) also spin pretty quick just because of how short they are.

Anti_Venom99

I have a single turbo 6 speed car. I make 628/588 and hook 1st on 295/50/16 MT ET Street ll's. Gonna go e85 and turn it up from 11psi to 16-18psi (hopefully 800-850 whp) and I'll report back

95rtturbo

Exactly. Also, the OP asked about colder weather... There isn't a tire out there I know of, that can hook consistently (2nd gear) in < 50 weather, with over 500 to the tires. To answer your question OP, yes, you need to pedal the car in colder temps, with a decent amount of power - just no way to get around it.

dizwiz24

This is useful info.

I imagine boost-by-gear is useful too.

I am sure my tires could be better (I think BFG cheapened up the cmpd or something in the last few years before discontinuing the Drag Radial 2. I had 275 BFG drag radial's that hooked amazing way better than the 315s.)

Lastly, lets not forget the time of year. This is ohio where 40 F is about the norm. So Im being kind of silly expecting an UHP compound to hook.

I just wanted to make sure and check that there is not an AWD mod or something that I dont know about.

WA 2 FST

We can only wish there was AWD for traction purposes... but then again, that would add a ton of weight to the car, not to mention necessitating a different packaging of the engine/front suspension components.

After being in the hi-power, RWD game for 25yrs, I've come to the same conclusion as you. After a point, it is truly diminishing returns as far as adding power for a TRUE street-driven car that you want to enjoy. I cut my teeth building a 5.0 Mustang...that platform, while easy to work on, was terrible for hooking up power efficiently on a street tire. And when you hooked up using slicks, the unibody construction struggled with twist/flex until a roll cage is installed.

Taking gear out (I did so with the trans instead of the rear, so I could keep good TQ multiplication in 3rd-6th) helps significantly, and as others have said (and you realize) in cooler temps and various road surface conditions, you have to learn to pedal the throttle.