Hey guys. I dont post here much but I have a 03 Cavalier Coupe with a magnaflow muffler, a Cosmo WAI 5 Speed and about 80k miles on the car. The car also has 17" wheels. I'm hoping to run a 15.5 in quarter but who knows. Is there any point to switching the wheels to my 14" steel snow tires. My car seems slower with the 17's on and my gas millage dropped a lot too with them on too.
I'm going to Cayuga Dragway in Ontario, Canada Friday night if anyone is down to race.
2003 Cavalier 2dr. 5spd
You'll definitely want to change to a smaller size. I went from my 18s to the stock 14 steelies and dropped a half second. Might have been more, as there was a large temp change (85 degrees vs 110 degrees).
did you swap out the rear tires too Colt or just the fronts to 14's.
2003 Cavalier 2dr. 5spd
dam if I was in town I'd go with you but not in a J. I know a lot of people just change their fronts. Would it hurt to do all of them?
No, it won't hurt. It is just a pita to lug tires up and down my condo. I will probably do all four.
Something came up tho, so I'm not 100% for this Friday. If I can't make it this Friday, for sure the next.
2003 Cavalier 2dr. 5spd
I just did the fronts, as the other 2 tires are smoother than drag slicks and have a few cords showing. Wouldn't hurt to do all four.
You'll probably run in the mid 16s.
PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
It all depends on track conditions. I know this year has been bad at Greenfield. People usually in the mid 15s have had trouble getting out of the mid 16s this year. Its just been to humid.
Thanks for the advice guys. I hope I can hit a 15 at least or at least not be the slowest car there. lol.
I'm not going to make it this friday to the track, So I am planning track day for Friday August 5. I will let you guys know what I run.
2003 Cavalier 2dr. 5spd
I ran 16.8 with my 04 auto on stock wheels and tires and I've definitely been dragging before.... Only mod is an eBay 2.4 intake. I'd switch to the 14s if it's convenient because there is less rotating mass since rubber weighs less than metal
Mike wrote: The secret ingredient is purple..it brings out your natural porch inhabiting, people watching tendancies
wow 16.8 is horrible lmao ...i ran 16.01 on a 4dr auto with just a aem cai . i would deff run with 14s or 15s 17s can slow you down.
Well, I went to the track Friday night. I didn't reach my goal but I'm sure the car is capable of it with a better launch.
My best time was a 16.3 @ 85 mph
My 60' times need improvement, they were around 2.5 to 2.6 seconds. I tried to up the launch RPM every run becuase it didn't seem like I was spinning much off the line. I got up to 3000 rpm and I got some wheel hop. Is it possible that i lost low end power with the intake and muffler upgrade, just becuase my car used to peel out with ease in first at low rpm but lately it seems like the car has not much down low but more on the top end.
All in all, fun as hell. My reaction times were steller at .134 and .149 sec and others close to that. I beat a old pick up truck lol and a new gen mercury cougar.
If you guys have any tips for me to drop my 60, I can use them. I changed all four wheels to my winters but I didn't check their pressures. I think they were 35 psi in winter, so I have no idea what they are at right now. I want to install a manual fan switch to keep my car cool in the staging lanes.
2003 Cavalier 2dr. 5spd
60's arent going to get much better with street tires to be honest
Im not sure about any mods done to your car so...
You are going to want the power to hit the wheels. Get new upper and lower mounts. (Turbo Tech Racing of course).
Then work on your suspension. A good setup will help you launch a lot better.
Good struts and springs (you must do both) and control arm bushings will also help a lot with wheel hop.
After you get used to the racing at the track, try preloading the clutch for the launch.
i ran my stock 04 dr with a 5spd, and got 16.0 @ about 86mph...mine only has: intake, strut tower brace, and Tein S/AGX setup with 18" Katana's on 225's all around. I had so much wheel hope if I spun em at all, it KILLED my times. I know with my steelies back on and putting the pressure to about 14 or 15lbs in the tires, I'll launch better and have slightly better times (at least 15's!). The compound of the rubber is just as important as the size and other factors on that hard slick surface. Soft rubber gets hot and grabs better than that hard street compound, which is what caused my hop and it sounded terrible!
oh...and I've got 167xxx miles on the car, everything is flawless and works perfect still
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
you can do better with street tires trust me. i got a 2.19 60 foot my first time at the track with 15" wheels and falken ziex 512's aired down to 18 psi, and that was with terrible wheel hop... 5 speed ecotec... im going to try airing them up more next time i know i can get a 2.10 out of these if i could get a better launch, this is at kcir, in kc, mo
also..i dont think intake and muffler are going to do anything noticable....you probably got a fraction of a unit of TQ...top end you may notice more with maybe a 2-4 HP gain from a slightly better airflow.. I know my car reacts differently on the track and different surfaces on the street when I try to launch.
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
D-Mac wrote:60's arent going to get much better with street tires to be honest
lies... ive personally witnessed an n/a j-body pull several 1.9 60 foots on goodryde all season street tires.
OP- not bad for ur first time at all man... you can get those 60's down, dont let anyone tell you different. you should be able to get 2.2's fairly easily...
Ya, I'm pretty sure 2.6 isn't the best I can on street tires. I see a lot of low 15 sec times on here with stock cars. I was using my 14 inch winter tires, probably the next time I go I will have new all season tires on. They wont be that great but the car is definitely capable. It is going to be a personally goal of mine to hit a 15.9 at minimum. I'm going to try and go again probably in September sometime.
As for mods, I don't plan on spending money on my car unless something breaks. So the goal is to get the car as quick as I can Stock. I will let you guys know what happens the next time I go. I'm going to try more wheel spin next, and set up the tire pressures more accurately
2003 Cavalier 2dr. 5spd
make sure you try RAISING the pressures in you're REAR tires. having them as stiff as possible will help the car not squat as much in the rear. the idea is you want the front to stay put, you dont want it raising. minimizing this will help you get traction.
I found all season tires hooked better at about 28-30 psi front with the rears near 35 psi. Higher pressure in the back is less rolling resistance.
Why don't you guys stop being cheap and ACTUALLY buy DRAG RADIALS for a pair of wheels??? Yes, Buy 2 wheels ans 2 tires for Racing. I can't believe people are even considerind "Steelies and Snow tires" to be a Race Set-up.
Yes you free'd up some rotational mass, but you just lost traction.
Wheel Hop is another thing I find Funny, Everyone launches thier car so high in the RPMs, are you trying to have a crappy launch on purpose?
Anyway, you went ahead and switched your tires, you have mods ans still didn't run as fast of a time as EITHER one of my 4dr Cavs STOCK
My 2002, BONE STOCK ran a 16.03 @86mph
My 2003, BONE STOCK ran a 16.00 @87.5mph
No wheel HOP at all.
I got ZERO wheel hop with my 02 that is Supercharged.
Love having the Air Ride, My 20s in the Rear and tires @40psi, Bags @ 100psi - NO SQUAT at all
Front Drag Radials @ 20psi - 16x7inch wheels with 215/45/16 tires
I really find it amusing when people say "EWW, you have an Auto?" when my car launchs smoother and my times are Consistant. 5spd drivers I guess need more practice.
5spd drivers DO need more practice..theres a lot more involved than just pre-loading the throttle with your foot on the brake and gas waiting for a green light.
And not all of us take our cars to the track 10x a month...Ive been once. Anyone who goes on a regular basis or enough to really want to make an improvement, knows to get DR's.
I myself am looking for a cheap used set of DR's that have a few good passes on them still, but in the mean time if I hit the track again, will use my 14" steelies with brand new Michelins that will spin more than hop if i launch too hard.
And mine doesnt wheel hop because i launch in high RPMs, its because mine breaks loose easily after about 2k on the track surface, so I havent perfected the 'g spot' of my launch yet that gives me the most torque off the line without spinning em. its an art, you have to practice a lot to get it right with these kind of cars (low powered FWD).
Notice his title says "FIRST TIME at the drag strip"...not everyone is as god-like at the track as you and your air ride sedan lol..ill take the 5spd over an auto any day..except in heavy traffic..lol
04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.
Yes, I can read the title, but others Chimed in with "14" Steelies" as to what they are using also, if that's the BEST you have and you are working with what you have. Use the damn 17" wheels with Perfromance based tires, not some 14" HEAVY steel wheels with tires that are barely 6" wide.
I'm also not "GOD-LIKE" with my air ride sedan. I find it FUNNY as hell that people Go to the track and do unnecessary things to their cars only to make their ETs Slower.
I take mine to the Track maybe twice a year. Stop being cheap
