I am putting about 420 to the wheels with my APS twins and it's starting to feel very slow. I'm trying to think of ways to breath new life into the Z without going for a build. My first thought was upgrading my alxes and switching to drag radials. I think it would feel like a whole new car if I could go WOT in lower gears.

I assume there are people around my power level who have made this switch. My question is: how much of a difference did it make? Can you go WOT in 2nd gear? Any problems with understeer from the traction difference between the front and back?

Thanks.

 

Drag radials and decent camber in the rear will easily put down 420whp from a dig and 1st/2nd gear rolls. Unless you drag race and want extra piece of mind, you shouldnt need axles. FWIW-Ive run many times NA, ST and 1X TT with slicks on stock axles and never had an issue, just preload the drivetrain.

 

Built motor and up the boost Harry! DOOOOOOOOOOO ITTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!

 

driving on DRs is like a completely different car. traction goes way up, handling goes way down

 

Trust me, I want to very bad and normally, I would just pull the trigger. But I have been spending a good deal of time cruising the Vette boards lately and I'm getting an itch for a TT C5 -- maybe even another APS TT car . If I do that, I will still keep the Z, but leave it the way it is... but we will see. Prolly Feb-March before I make a firm decision (the Z was an impulse buy -- it worked out well, but I don't want to do that again).

How about you? Have you made up your mind about doing the build and switch from single to twins? (PM if you want)

 

What do you mean by the handling going way down? Understeer cause buy increased traction in the rear? Flimsy sidewalls? Please elaborate.

If the handling is really that bad, I may just switch to a street (near) r-compound like the AO48. Expensive, but less expensive that putting my car in a ditch on a curvy back road because of squirelly handling.

 

they are just soft tires with flexible sidewalls, not good for cornering...


you CANT have a tire that will be REALLY good at both. just like you cant have a Z that will be REALLY good at both handling and drag racing.

each field requires the complete opposite of the cars setup and tires...


you just need to figure out what you like and go one direction or find a happy medium that you can live with...

 

how about the NITTO NT 555 ?

 

What about them? That's actually what I use right now. They are OK for a summer performance tire, but the traction just isn't suffecient.

 

well, the drag radials still have their grip in the turns, but the predictability and feel is what goes out the window. they are super spongy feeling and even with higher pressure in them, the cars stability and confidence level goes way down - but i am a high speed guy. if you never go over 80 perhaps you will be fine.

 

Having tried out quite a few DR's and slick setups over the last year I can say that without a doubt the MT ET Street Radials are by far the best drag radials I have ever used. You get slick performance but it feels like a street tire, no wobbling, they are amazing.

 

I have found that the stock viscous LSD is very limited on the amount of torque that it can take. I am make a bit more power than you and I am burning up the inside tire on corner exit with my RA1's.
I am looking for a new LSD that can handle FI power, (I am leaning towards a gear type rather than a clutch type)

As far as changing to R-compounds, it is like night and day. Yet, mine are for road coarses, so my R's can actually be driven on the street if I wanted to, if I still drove my Z on the street still. Yet, since my R's (RA-1's) have very stiff side walls, they wouldn't do well in a drag race. But, take it around a corner and watch out.

As far as getting a Vette - I would save your money! I have not met one Z06 (even the 2007) that could pass my FI Z on track!