Lets see your 1/4 mile times

[AllOutZX2]

Originally Posted by NanoAnimal

While the suspension doesn't preload the same as a rwd, a fwd does preload the a-arm bushings. you can preload them past the point needed which usually ends up causing the tires to spin or bad wheelhop (urethane a-arm and engine mount bushings usually cure it in a modified svt. Did mine anyway). Gotta remember on a fwd the engine, tranny, a-arm bushings are all part of the suspension and they preload. Its a totally different geometry to a rwd. altho both do the same weight transfer to the rear, which in a fwd if its not controlled will cause traction loss.

In a FWD Escort or Focus chassis you would swap in Wagon rear coil springs, and install 90/10 shocks if you can get them to keep the rear end up. If these shocks are not available you can use air bags in the rear springs. You would also swap over to some skinny tall rear runner tires 1-2" taller in diameter then your fronts to get that rack going forward.

As stated above i havn't done the A-arm urathene mod yet, but I have ES Inserts in rear and a Wagon front motor mount.

[SMITHBOY76908]

Originally Posted by AllOutZX2

In a FWD Escort or Focus chassis you would swap in Wagon rear coil springs, and install 90/10 shocks if you can get them to keep the rear end up. If these shocks are not available you can use air bags in the rear springs. You would also swap over to some skinny tall rear runner tires 1-2" taller in diameter then your fronts to get that rack going forward.

As stated above i havn't done the A-arm urathene mod yet, but I have ES Inserts in rear and a Wagon front motor mount.

Pretty much this!

I'm running 24.5 x 8 slicks on the front with 25.5 x 4 skinnies on the back with Koni adjustable rear shocks set as stiff as they'll go. I'm building ~7psi on a 4000rpm 2-step which is nice with the manual because it doesn't load the suspension. The FSWerks lower stress bar, control arm poly bushings, and LSD did wonders on reducing wheel hop.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as elsolo. Being a fox body / radial tire car guy for so long, learning to launch this car was a whole new experience. Trying to apply some of the same principles from a RWD to a FWD didn't turn out so well. Just learning how to launch FWD took me from a 14.18 on my first pass to a 13.42 on street tires. Slicks got me in the 12s.

[AllOutZX2]

Originally Posted by SMITHBOY76908

Pretty much this!

I'm running 24.5 x 8 slicks on the front with 25.5 x 4 skinnies on the back with Koni adjustable rear shocks set as stiff as they'll go. I'm building ~7psi on a 4000rpm 2-step which is nice with the manual because it doesn't load the suspension. The FSWerks lower stress bar, control arm poly bushings, and LSD did wonders on reducing wheel hop.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as elsolo. Being a fox body / radial tire car guy for so long, learning to launch this car was a whole new experience. Trying to apply some of the same principles from a RWD to a FWD didn't turn out so well. Just learning how to launch FWD took me from a 14.18 on my first pass to a 13.42 on street tires. Slicks got me in the 12s.

You could get extreme and install wheelie bars :) It's more challenging to get a FWD to hook then rwd, the weight transfer isn't going where you need it to. I mean in a RWD first thing I would do is pop that front sway bar off, in a FWD if anything I would add a larger one so it keeps both front tires planted evenly.

[SMITHBOY76908]

Originally Posted by AllOutZX2

You could get extreme and install wheelie bars :) It's more challenging to get a FWD to hook then rwd, the weight transfer isn't going where you need it to. I mean in a RWD first thing I would do is pop that front sway bar off, in a FWD if anything I would add a larger one so it keeps both front tires planted evenly.

I've haven't removed the front swaybar from any of my foxbodies. I just go with adjustable shocks and struts with suspension limiters on the front. I will then adjust the shocks stiffness and front suspension limitation depending on track conditions. I always kept the front swaybar in and added the panhard bar to the back so the car would lift the front wheels evenly and keep straight ahead.

For FWD, just make the rear as stiff as possible. A ghetto trick you can do is take 2 footballs, take the air out, put them inside the springs, and then air them up. This will help stiffen the rear end up a bit. Also, adjustable shocks and just set them as stiff as they'll go. For the front suspension, you want it somewhat moderate stiffness. Too stiff of a front suspension can be just as bad as being too soft. I will be adding suspension limiters on my Focus when I do the tubular control arms to help the front end from leaping up so bad.

Here's a video from a couple years ago. The track prep that night sucked (It's crapitol dragway, shouldn't expect more) and as the night went on, the track got colder and colder and I was spinning worse and worse no matter how much heat I put in the tires. I had gotten in the 12.9s earlier in the evening but on these last two runs of the night, I was spinning the slicks pretty bad.

YouTube Video

[AllOutZX2]

I've actually seen that football trick in a Cobalt SS/TC. A guy I run with was having some traction issues and did what you described, helped him out. but that was a low 12 high 11 second car.

[elsolo]

Two footballs isn't that much cheaper than the purpose built airbags.

[DoomsdayFAN]

When you do the football thing, is there a specific spot in the springs you should fit them into? Do you do this just to the rear end on a FWD car, or on both front and rear?

[bespurcell]

Just the rear.

[Royce01]

I ran my time on this side road by my apt. I estamated a 1/4 mile as accurated as i could with my odometer. I did like 16.6 @ 84mph with overdrive on. when i turned it off I took almost a whole second off my time.
15.84 @ 93mph. but remember I'm not sure how accurate it was so there may be a significant difference if I had a chance to take it on a real dragstrip.
these are the parts i had when i did it.

1) magnaflow exhaust and high flow cat.
2) spectre high flow cone filter
3) sport aluminum radiator
4) lightweight battery (not the optima)
5) just had the transmission rebuilt a week before I tested my 1/4 mile time.(may have made a difference)

[LD5050]

can't wait to see what my car will do.

Still need 67mm TB, quaiffe diff, and stiff rear suspension.