What's required to do a wheelie?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,065
Likes: 39
Well let me just say this, I don't have my AFR 195s yet, and I'm using stock wheels and tires, in the rain, I tapped the gas by accident, spinning tires and the front of the car lifted up pretty high, not high enough to do a wheelie, but still with no traction and cast iron heads. I have 315s that I'm waiting for spring to put on, so when I get those on and when I get the new heads, maybe I might be able to pull it off! 
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 92
Likes: 2
Why would you want it to wheelie? On street it wont ever do wheelie and when on track, at least I try to go for as low et as possible. And to get low et you want your car go forward, not nose up. Why would anyone lower their et for wheelie?
Here's one vid from last fall, both first pontiac and the c5 have waaay more than needed power to do a wheelie, still they dont do it, hmm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-vsiV6KgZM
Here's one vid from last fall, both first pontiac and the c5 have waaay more than needed power to do a wheelie, still they dont do it, hmm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-vsiV6KgZM
Last edited by Tapio@FTTRacing; Jan 8, 2014 at 02:20 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,616
Likes: 111
Pull up on the steering wheel a little and gas it, dude! Take a picture for us! If you still have the garage with an uneven surface, I'd start there, you might even get airborne! That would be really cool dude!!!! But be careful; that could be more dangerous than checking oil
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,264
Likes: 3
From: Orchard Park NY
Well let me just say this, I don't have my AFR 195s yet, and I'm using stock wheels and tires, in the rain, I tapped the gas by accident, spinning tires and the front of the car lifted up pretty high, not high enough to do a wheelie, but still with no traction and cast iron heads. I have 315s that I'm waiting for spring to put on, so when I get those on and when I get the new heads, maybe I might be able to pull it off!
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Put a sticky tire on it heat it up GOOD
Put it in first clutch in
Get that sucker on the rev limiter
Sidestep clutch make sure camera is on
Bring 5 gal bucket broom and trailer
Something will bounce up front end, parts or?
Or just photoshop it.
Put it in first clutch in
Get that sucker on the rev limiter
Sidestep clutch make sure camera is on
Bring 5 gal bucket broom and trailer
Something will bounce up front end, parts or?
Or just photoshop it.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,065
Likes: 39
Pull up on the steering wheel a little and gas it, dude! Take a picture for us! If you still have the garage with an uneven surface, I'd start there, you might even get airborne! That would be really cool dude!!!! But be careful; that could be more dangerous than checking oil
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,700
Likes: 1,667
From: moraga ca
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 189
Likes: 0
From: petersburg il
wheelie
Not true at all. I drive my 84 on the street all the time. It handles and drives fine on the street with street tires on it. In 2yrs I have put nearly 10K street miles on the 427 SBC in it.....
As for setting a car up to do it.... my car has STOCK Rear Suspension. It even still has the 100K mile rubber bushings in the camber and trailing arms.
The only thing I spent any money on in the suspension of my 84 was the rear shocks. Koni SPA1 double adjustables. Of course a small length of chain for the front (where the sway bar use to be) to limit the front end travel.
C4 Corvettes (espc pre 1988), have a very high Anti Squat percentage designed into the rear suspension. They also have a very stiff rear spring rate (espc 84 Z51) which helps the suspension transfer all the weight transfer energy on launch to the tire....
They really don't require alot of suspension work for drag racing and once you have enough HP you need to resort to electronic controls (progresive NO2 controller) and limiting front suspension travel just to keep the launch manangeable.
You do need the right driveline combo. Biggest thing I spent time getting right was the TQ converter. Getting one that hit soft and didn't demolish the IRS took a little work but PTC did a great job for me.
It took a fair amount of $$$ to get my car where it is today (It took about $15-20K to build the car). On the plus side these cars are dirt cheap to buy and 90% of that money is spent on engine, trans, converter and rear end.
This winter I have spent another 10K on engine upgrades and a new CM 8.50 certified cage for this comming year.... but it takes big bucks to gain half second when your already this fast.
So honestly following what I have already done.... For $15-20K you could build a low 9 second street legal 84 Corvette.... or spend $30K build a mid 8 second Corvette.
Will
As for setting a car up to do it.... my car has STOCK Rear Suspension. It even still has the 100K mile rubber bushings in the camber and trailing arms.
The only thing I spent any money on in the suspension of my 84 was the rear shocks. Koni SPA1 double adjustables. Of course a small length of chain for the front (where the sway bar use to be) to limit the front end travel.
C4 Corvettes (espc pre 1988), have a very high Anti Squat percentage designed into the rear suspension. They also have a very stiff rear spring rate (espc 84 Z51) which helps the suspension transfer all the weight transfer energy on launch to the tire....
They really don't require alot of suspension work for drag racing and once you have enough HP you need to resort to electronic controls (progresive NO2 controller) and limiting front suspension travel just to keep the launch manangeable.
You do need the right driveline combo. Biggest thing I spent time getting right was the TQ converter. Getting one that hit soft and didn't demolish the IRS took a little work but PTC did a great job for me.
It took a fair amount of $$$ to get my car where it is today (It took about $15-20K to build the car). On the plus side these cars are dirt cheap to buy and 90% of that money is spent on engine, trans, converter and rear end.
This winter I have spent another 10K on engine upgrades and a new CM 8.50 certified cage for this comming year.... but it takes big bucks to gain half second when your already this fast.
So honestly following what I have already done.... For $15-20K you could build a low 9 second street legal 84 Corvette.... or spend $30K build a mid 8 second Corvette.
Will
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,713
Likes: 105
From: Manassas VA
They are cool to watch and fun to be in the car when it happens. That is, if you dont tear anything up when it comes down.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,624
Likes: 431
From: Dale City VA
In it's place where the front sway bar end link attached to the lower A Frame I have a bolt run thru that and attached to a length of chain which is also bolted to the frame above it (where the way bar bushing was attached).
Like I said before I typically race with about 3" of droop (lower suspension travel)...
On a really lose race track I can remove it completly. The front end on my 84 has about 4.5" of droop with no chain/limiters.
On a really tight race track I can chain it down so there is no droop at all in the front suspension.
I remove the chain/limiters on the front for street driving.
Will
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 170
Likes: 24
You just have to pull on the steering wheel real hard! Haha
You need some decent power and a good suspension. Mine is running my 4link suspension that dead hooks. These were taken while playing around with settings. It now carries them about 70' about 2ft off the ground.
You need some decent power and a good suspension. Mine is running my 4link suspension that dead hooks. These were taken while playing around with settings. It now carries them about 70' about 2ft off the ground.
Last edited by _ski_dwn_it; Jan 24, 2014 at 08:13 PM.