how do i get her to hook up?

[71chevytruckguy]

just got back from runnin my '69 at the drag strip for the first time ever. she did good but i can't get her to hook up off the line. the motor's a '86 305 from a camaro, flat tops psitons, comp 268h high engery cam, vintage offhauser dual port intake, rebuilt q-jet, with flow tech headers. the trans is a 4 spd saginaw with a hurst shifter. 12 bolt open rear end with 3.43 gears, opnen diff. 275/60/15 street tires. once i can finally get her to hook by back peddalin it in 1st a couple times, she runs real strong. any idea on how i could get her to hook up better? thanks yall. chris.

[rage'nrat638]

start with posi
heres what i did

[Green Machine]

I think your're going to need to get a good posi as step number 1. If that doesn't help then more tire etc.

[71Dragtruck]

Posi, and drag tires.

[qksilver]

spool, tires and some weight!

[GMCPaul]

without buying and adding parts lower the tire pressure it helps, if you use no front shocks or worn front shocks AT DRAG STRIP ONLY NOT ON STREET it will help achieve faster weight transfer to rear wheels as truck launches and the front end lifts from the torque, you can buy special front shocks just for this purpose that still work decent on the street, from there on you gotta start spending money for posi as already suggested and different tires.
GMCPaul

[franks72]

rancho makes a 9-way adj shock thats great and not to much money. You can set it for the track then a few clicks back for the street..

[67chevytrk]

Now that's what I am talking about, I am building my own 4-link setup for my 67, that is a beautiful job you have.....

Originally Posted by rage'nrat638

start with posi
heres what i did

[70c10]

What did your truck run in the 1/8th or 1/4 mile?

[71chevytruckguy]

ragenrat- that's a very nice set up but a little outta my price range

gmcpaul- ill give that a shot next weekend and see what happens.

70c10- 1/8, the best was 10.895 @ 69.025 mph.



i was think posi and drag tires but wanted to see if there was anything else cheaper. this is my daily driver so anything too crazy is outta the picture. thanks yall for the ideas, keep them comin. chris.

[Longhorn Man]

You can try deflating the tires a bit, but I'll bet a kick in the nads that it'll hurt your time, not help. Make sure to bring a can of compressed air with you if you decide to try that.
As far as free things, you need balast. If your track will let you, drop the tail gate, and grab 2 or 3 good rachet straps, and strap down something that weighs 100 pounds or so.
Don't bother with the bleach box with street tires, drive around it and do one or maybe two quick dry burnouts.... not a smoke show. You just want to wipe the gravel and dirt off the tread. if you pull into the bleach, water will stay in the tread grooves and as you wait for the lights to come down, the water will roll down to the bottom of the tire and kill your launch.
Experiment with launch RPM and technique. With street tires, you'll want a mild launch RPM, say, hold it at about 1500 - 1800 and let the clutch out. You'll want to let go of the clutch fairly quick, and even let the engine bog just a tad before really laying into it. Again, experiment with it in a big parking lot.

[71chevytruckguy]

i learned the bleach box thing doesn't work good at all on the first run. for a rest of them i did a little dry one. i was strarting at idle, then droppin the clutch and hammerin the gas. thanks for the ideas. chris.

[71Dragtruck]

Ask around the track for a used set of slicks, or DOT slicks. Slap them on a old set of rims for when you race. That's about the cheapest thing you can do, they will be night and day differance to your radials. Just remember, dropping the clutch with slicks means a chance of broken parts.

[71chevytruckguy]

sounds like a good idea. ill have to launch a little easier if get slicks. don't how much abuse that saginaw can take. thanks. chris.