I have a 69 convertible with a 383/2004R/12 bolt posi 3.73 gears. I have 245/60/15 BFG radial TAs and GW leafs, coils and cheapo Napa gas shocks. Is there anyway to get any traction(without going to slicks)? I'm not looking for rock solid launches, but traction is pathetic. If I get squirly at all off the line the tires just spin through first and into second. I can ease off the line and nail it at just about any speed in first and the tires just spin and when it hits second the tires continue to spin and the cars goes sideways. I'd like to get at least a little better traction with street tires not only at the track but on the street. It's not that I race on the street, but when I need to punch it and go I'd like to not just spin the tires as it gets kind of old burning rubber every time.

i'd tell ya to get rid of the radial TA's, but i know of a guy that could carry the front wheels past the 60 foot lights in a 406 powered 78 Impala 2 door with 275/60/15 Radial TA's. shocked the hell out of me when i saw what tires he had on that thing.
what air pressure are you running them at? if you have them at 35, try lowering to 30 or so. don't get down into the "ford rollover" territory at 20-25psi, tho.

Taller tires may help some too.

i know of a guy that could carry the front wheels past the 60 foot lights in a 406 powered 78 Impala 2 door with 275/60/15 Radial TA's Wow, that's impressive!!! The air pressure is around 25. I have been experimenting with different PSI with no success. It's not that my engine is all that powerful. It makes good power and I'm happy with it, I just didn't expect to be able to roast the tires so much. I have been spending some time tuning the engine a little and everytime I get it to run a little better traction just keeps getting worse. I'm sure that there is some way to get better traction as there are people with much more power getting much better traction than me.

I'm wondering if subframe connectors would help. I wonder if my engine makes enough power to slightly twist the body and take some of the weight off one side, effectively turning the car into a peg leg......Just thinking out loud here as I don't know squat.

WEll Paul, up here in da nord country fer traxsion we put sand bags in the trunk and if we git stuck in da snow, we have sand there to un-stick us agin. :D

Sorry I cant help ya on that pal. graemlins/waving.gif

Pulling the front wheels on Regualar T/A radials? Not the drag radials? Pulling the wheels with drag radials is impressive enough. Sorry, but I'd have to see that to believe it.

I agree. No car will pull the fronts with Radial T/As...sounds like something you'd see in "Fast and the Furious". Had to have been Drag T/As...those tires will hook as good as any if you've got it dialed in right.

Pulling the wheels is very hard to believe. But doing it past the 60'? Come on now :confused: . Is this an 8 second car or what?

Here's an idea....How about better shocks in the back? I have the cheapo kind, would an adjustable shock help?

Paul, I really think you're only going to be able to do so much with those tires. If you want to try to hook, you're going to have to go to a drag radial, or an ET Street.

OK....What is a good drag radial that works good on the street?

Nitto and BFG makes drag radials. I've run both on my car, and I think they both work fine on the street. I wouldn't recommend driving in the rain much though, due to the lack of tread depth.

Do a search on www.discounttiresdirect.com, (http://www.discounttiresdirect.com,) they sell both brands.

You may be able to fit the 275/50 15, depending on your wheels backspacing. Is your tire close to the fender now? Or, you may have to go with the 235/60 15 in the BFG.

The BFG's tread pattern will probably match your front tires better.

We don't get much rain here, but either way I drive my car. I'd hate to drive home in the rain and have it turn into a dangerous situation. I want traction, but I won't sacrifice safety.

I have read that the Nitto's are better for everyday driving. Their website even has a comment about everyday driving. On the other hand, BFG disclaims everyday use due to the minimal tread depth. I was going to get the Nittos for that reason. They make both a 275/60 and a 275/50/15.

Besides tires there must be other stuff that can be done to the suspension. I know my TA's will probably never hook, but isn't there some tuning that can be done to try and improve traction?

I've heard about pinion angle, adjustable shocks and even leafs springs that are stiffer on the front.....

I don't think any of those little tuning tricks will make any noticable difference when dealing with a car like yours. Some shocks can transfer weight better, but your tires are just going to spin before you even get a chance to transfer that weight. It's all about where the rubber meets the road. If you want to hook, get drag radials, or just keep spinning, smile.gif .

I talked to the guys down at Global West and at QA1 and they said that the mid range horsepower cars are sometimes the most difficult to get to hook. Global west said to get adjustable rear shocks and go to 275/60/15's and the guys at QA1 said to try and adjust the pinion angle and get bigger tires.

I guess I was just curious at to what tuning could be done to get better traction. I don't know the first thing about it and I haven't been able to find too much information on the subject.