General Challenger DiscussionThis section contains general discussion about the Dodge Challenger. If it does not fit into a more specific area, it probably belongs in here. (Dodge Challenger General Discussion)
Off the bat, I'm not a drag racing expert. Been only doing it for 3 years, last couple years I was drag racing an AWD Magnum R/T (Nitrous). The car practically launched itself.
So I Finally went to the strip yesterday first time since April. Since then I've lowered the car via the Eibach Sportlines and installed SLP Line lock kit to help warm/clean the tires. Ran pressure @ 28psi. (Mods in sig)
So, good news first. Wheel Hop is all but gone. I've ran 12 runs and only had slight wheel hop once that went away on it's own without having to lift off. No 1-2 Wheel Hop once.
Bad news my 60' is still atrocious sitting @ 2.2 (best was 2.16) and I have yet to beat my PB of 13.40 @ 110 from back in April.
I've tried quite a few launching techniques including launching with varying RPM's (from 1800-4000), Anything below 2000 rpm bogs the engine down big time. Anything above 3000 rpm is mad wheel spin.
I've tried feathering the clutch and tried pretty much dumping it, with mixed results.
I'm speed shifting, not sure if I want to try power shifting, heard too many bad stories about shot synchros. I still occasionally mis-shift when speed shifting. That being said, I believe the 60' includes the 1-2 shift so this is possibly the core of the problem.
Yesterday I ran with 2 300 SRT8s and a Charger SRT8 and they all consistantly ran 2.0 60's
Any input is GREATLY appreciated. I know the car can do at least 13 flat. The SRT8's were doing it all night long with the exact same mods (CAI, Predator)
Not sure I can help, but 60' is all about traction. Any wheel spin will kill the 60'. Any! Reminds me of when I started racing my 4-speed street '65 Cuda with M/T M50/14?? street tires. Would never hook despite the 12" wide street tread. 2.2 second 60' and I just knew it could do better.
First thing you know I have drag slicks on the car. Since have broken a factory 4.56 gear, an aftermarket 5.13 gear, shredded a 4-speed A-833 Hemi transmission, twisted the stock axles, bent the rear end housing into a banana shape, etc... And if you want to go fast, the gas pedal should never come off the floor. Synchronizers are not made for that abuse. I now have a pro gear, spool, braced rear end housing, aftermarket axles, McLeod soft-lock clutch, lugged transmission (no synchronizers) and 1.46 second 60' (10.80 last time I ran). But guess what? The car is no longer streetable and I do miss that.
Point being if you want that Challenger to hook, you need slicks. You will then start breaking parts and it will progress from there. There's no way I would drag race my new Challenger. Why would I want to bust it up? Drag racing is just too addictive. Just something to think about.
Here's a wild idea- what if you jacked the Challenger up a few inches? Maybe that would magnify the weight transfer at launch and increase effective traction to combat wheelspin?
As impossible as it sounds, maybe the Challenger is engineered too "low" such that the moment reaction over the center of gravity is just not enough to leverage weight transfer benefits to the rear tires?
This I will completely buy. Problem is, I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. This is why I'm asking for help
To launch a stick shift off the line, you will need to slip that clutch. Think "no RPM drop allowed". If you dump it and the tires hook, but you drop that RPM, you're down on the torque/horsepower curve. If you dump it and spin the tires, it's over. In other words, you'll need to abuse that clutch and find the sweet spot. The McLeod Soft-Lock I run (on my Cuda) is a metallic, aggressive disk. The hotter it gets, the more it grabs. But it is made to slip off the line. I launch at 4000 rpm and the motor only spins up from there. Good luck!
To launch a stick shift off the line, you will need to slip that clutch. Think "no RPM drop allowed". If you dump it and the tires hook, but you drop that RPM, you're down on the torque/horsepower curve. If you dump it and spin the tires, it's over. In other words, you'll need to abuse that clutch and find the sweet spot. The McLeod Soft-Lock I run (on my Cuda) is a metallic, aggressive disk. The hotter it gets, the more it grabs. But it is made to slip off the line. I launch at 4000 rpm and the motor only spins up from there. Good luck!
Yep all ABOUT clutch slip, that is basically what a torque convertor does in the automatic. You have to rev to about 2500, slip the clutch while giving more gas and the best of both while minimizing tire slip till it is on the floor!
Good luck.
Agree with above post, at some point you will loose the street car if you want anything like sub 1.6s from 0-60 in a car this heavy.
I guess I'm showing my age, but when I was a kid, guys were running slider clutches at the strip. It worked on the same principle as a go cart clutch, centrifical force and RPM would gradually engage the clutch and the full engagement was adjustable. It took the guess work out of working the clutch with your foot, just experiment with the adjustment for the best launch and you're locked in until you decide to change rear end gears or increase engine HP or change tires. Haven't heard about them in a long time though.
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