[Guest]

Ok so this is the first time I have ever been on a drag strip. I had no idea what I was doing. The owner of the track was tring to help me. I'm very mad at this wheel hop crap. My car bounced like a basketball downthe track. All I can say is damn GM. I have the GM bushings and it did nothing not a thing. The only ggod thing was everyone at the track loved the car. As I went by the finish line I changed to 4th and spun the tires and I got chears from the stands. This was only a 1/8 mile track so my Cam really did'nt come into play till the end of the track. I did win my heat against some Ram Air Trans Am. My reaction time was 1.3995, 60ft was 2.2111, and 1/8 time was 8.9575 at 83.47 MPH. The next race was against a drag truck with a chute and all. He had a reaction time of .5071, 60ft time of 1.3292 and 1/8 of 6.1111 at 110.08 MPH. To tell you how much I know about when to go this guy took off on the last yellow light and I left when it turned green. My 60ft on this one was 2.4499 so he was ahead 1.1 out of the gate. I know I had no chance with him it was just I DON'T KNOW WHEN TO START! I do want to say one more time Damn you GM my car even bounced like five times on 1-2 shift. Oh I almost forgot my third rear end is leaking now! Days like this I think I should just make GM buy the car back!:stirpot:

 

[rgd]

If you want to stop the hop, check out the Kars cradle. It's great and helps overall handling too.

It's true!

 

[Blacksport350]

If you want to stop the hop, check out the Kars cradle. It's great and helps overall handling too.

It's true!

Yes it does but my understanding is that he stopped production due to the fact that he sold his V! :crying:

The TSB bushings seem to fix the hope in most real world applications but it still goes nuts when you try to lay a patch on take off.

I wonder how a full set of poly bushings would work?! :stirpot:

 

[Seattle CTS-V]

Why were you shifting into 4th gear on a 1/8mile track???? Sounds like you're shifting waaaay too early to make the most of your powerband.

Did you play w/ tire pressures much (not that it really matters w/ these runcraps)??

Your reaction times mean nothing as they don't add into your times. Just take your time and get those runcraps to hook a little more before you go WOT. What RPM were you dumping the clutch at??

I feel your pain with all these diff problems. Mines starting to whine a bit and I never dump the clutch. If you want to fall back in love with your car though, take it to a road course. That's really what the rear suspension was designed for anyway.

 

[crowan]

1.3995 isn't a "reaction time." Its more like waking up from a deep sleep!:histeric:

Seriously, drag racing looks alot easier than it is. It takes practice to get your hand/eye/feet coordination together. I agree with Seattle that if you are hitting 4th gear before the end of a 1/8th mile track, your shift points are way off.

Also, you can't take a V to the track and imitate the huge smokey burnouts and high-rpm clutch dumps of purpose bult race cars unless you like to see your car on the back of a flat bed truck. A steady diet of drag racing is not what this car was built for in stock trim.

 

[MCaesar]

You don't have to be ready to drag race but you don't want to get off the line on hard launches with your wheels on the ground.

 

[GOTTSPD]

sounds like you should have bought one of dem camaros or mustang.

The V is not intended to be a drag car. Its a very, very fast luxury sports dedan.

 

[CVP33]

Seattle's got a great question there. What are you doing in 4th gear on an 1/8th mile track. I just shifted into 4th at the end of the quarter. My one embarassing trip to the 1/4 (first in 20 years) netted a best 13.5 secs @ 106.5. It was hotter than hell and the track sucked as evidenced by the new GTO in the other lane with similar mod's who could only get a best of 14.1 secs. I did leave about .3 to .4 secs at the track because I sucked. Couldn't launch worth a damn (bogged) and missed 3rd once and forgot to shift into 4th once. The insult to injury was my first run when I staged with my rear wheels. :histeric:

 

[MCaesar]

sounds like you should have bought one of dem camaros or mustang.

The V is not intended to be a drag car. Its a very, very fast luxury sports dedan.

All the more reason it should have wheel hop

Have you ever seen an AMG or M have that problem?

Ever?

 

[turbojimmy]

All the more reason it should have wheel hop

Have you ever seen an AMG or M have that problem?

Ever?

Did you mean not have wheel hop?

I've seen SRT-8s, M3s, M5s and yes an E55 AMG run the 1/4-mile at the track. None have wheel hop. They just go like stink - my brother got waxed by the E55 in his T-Type. He didn't know what it was - I had to laugh when he pulled up after the run with this "WTF was that" look on his face.

Back on topic: drag racing is harder than it looks. With some practice you'll get some decent times. It's a lot of fun and helps you know what to do when launching your car from a stoplight.

Jim

 

[Guest]

Well let me explain about fourth! I was already through the end of the 1/8 and sort of just kept going. I have the G-force KDW not the run craps. I also did'nt know till today you take off on the last orange light not the green. I must say though that a few of you guys here are as bad as the guys at GM. You tell me I should buy a Camaro! What a joke. I took the car to the track for fun and that was it, but I ended up mad about the Wheel hop. You don't see that problem with other cars in our class with wheel hop. I'm on my third rear end and It is going out as well so I wanted to help it along at the track. So This will be my fourth Rear End And I guess I should not complain about that or the Wheel hop. I still can't get over I should have bought a Camaro or Mustang. Remember Guys It was just for fun and it was my first time. Unless I can stop the wheel hop I won't be back!

 

[NoSlackCadillac]

I feel your pain. I was frustrated running 14.1 with lots of wheel hop. Some others on here gave me some tips on launching that helped. The biggest diffence, I never drop the clutch now. Much better for the rear end and much faster down the 1/4.

 

[MCaesar]

Did you mean not have wheel hop?

I've seen SRT-8s, M3s, M5s and yes an E55 AMG run the 1/4-mile at the track. None have wheel hop. They just go like stink - my brother got waxed by the E55 in his T-Type. He didn't know what it was - I had to laugh when he pulled up after the run with this "WTF was that" look on his face.

Back on topic: drag racing is harder than it looks. With some practice you'll get some decent times. It's a lot of fun and helps you know what to do when launching your car from a stoplight.

Jim

Exactly

Even Chrysler can get a 425HP IRS car down the strip without it!

 

[65mph_Roll]

On street tires, try engaging the clutch just above idle or about 1,000-1,500rpm and gently roll the throttle to the floor for about the first half or all of first gear, depending on the car.

It takes some discipline (to give it less but get more) to not rev it and dump the clutch; going fast on street tires is night and day different from slicks.

 

[DansCTSV]

I have the specter bushings and DO NOT have a problem with wheel hop. I have made at least 20 runs down the track and since I put them on, the car does great at the track. My best time is a 13.3 with a 1.9 short time and HDMLNIUM has run a 12.9 and he doesn't have wheen hop either.

I just can't get over you guys saying that the V isn't a drag car. It's an American muscle car with a big V8 that will go fast everywhere. Including the drags. Now it does take a little practice to get used to launching it hard but that is true about all manual V8 cars.

 

[CTSV05]

Well, I don't care what the xcuse makers say. I don't want to drag race my V either, but I sure as hell should be able to go and do some timed runs in a legal and controlled environment without drama!

And for now, our V is still in the family, and I have 2 kits I can sell.

 

[VELOSE]

Well let me explain about fourth! I was already through the end of the 1/8 and sort of just kept going. I have the G-force KDW not the run craps. I also did'nt know till today you take off on the last orange light not the green. I must say though that a few of you guys here are as bad as the guys at GM. You tell me I should buy a Camaro! What a joke. I took the car to the track for fun and that was it, but I ended up mad about the Wheel hop. You don't see that problem with other cars in our class with wheel hop. I'm on my third rear end and It is going out as well so I wanted to help it along at the track. So This will be my fourth Rear End And I guess I should not complain about that or the Wheel hop. I still can't get over I should have bought a Camaro or Mustang. Remember Guys It was just for fun and it was my first time. Unless I can stop the wheel hop I won't be back!

My opinion on your input is you don't know how to drive our delicate V's. Not trying to insult you but you really don't have experience on the 1/4 mile track or better yet the 1/8 mile track you were on. You have a few more things to learn to be better prepared out there. That would be why you had the results you had. I also don't know if you were blaming everything on the V but I really hope you realized it was driver failure. Like many have said on this forum and very clearly recognize, it's a road course car. It's development was for fast handling laps, not 1/4 mile track use. Why do you think the CTS-V just won the Speed GT Challenge? Cadillac also took the manufacturers win.

Also seeing how you are now on your 4th differential is a sign that you like dumping clutches. You can argue all you want on how the car should be durable and bulletproof. However the rearend shouldn't go out that many times unless you are putting that much stress from light to light too often. Like 65mph_roll said, "On street tires, try engaging the clutch just above idle or about 1,000-1,500rpm and gently roll the throttle to the floor for about the first half or all of first gear, depending on the car."

 

[turbojimmy]

Like many have said on this forum and very clearly recognize, it's a road course car. It's development was for fast handling laps, not 1/4 mile track use.

Do we really know enough about the V's "development" to know for sure or are we assuming this based on how Cadillac is marketing the vehicle? As someone else said, an American car with a big V8, manual transmission and RWD should shine at a dragstrip. There are lots of examples of cars designed for 'fast handling laps' that can also leave a stoplight or Christmas tree without drama. I've seen Ferraris, NSXs, Porsches, various Benz, BMWs, etc. at the local 1/4-mile track. The turbo Subarus (WRXs and non-WRXs) and STis are setup for road courses, too (but they're also AWD). None had their back tires hopping wildly at launch. Actually, wheel hop in general is a pretty rare event at the track.

I think the 'wasn't designed for it' is a sour grapes excuse. For the money the car should be well-rounded. Particularly, again, a RWD V8 car. I think a potential buyer for such a car has certain preconceived notions about how the car would be used, one of them being able to drag race it on occasion.

And, since I'm on a roll, you shouldn't have to worry about 'babying' a $50-$60k car out of the hole for fear of breaking the rear. Every platform has a weak spot that will eventually show itself as you modify it. However, it should be built to handle whatever the stock powerplant is capable of delivering - even, IMO, if the owner decides to put on slicks. There are lots of examples of vehicles whose drivetrains hold together exceedingly well even as modifications put the HP and torque close to double stock figures (Turbo Regals, for example).

I think GM dropped the ball and that making excuses like "not made for that" or "driver error" lets them off the hook too easily.

Jim

 

[CTSV05]

You Go Boyeee!

 

[MCaesar]

it should be built to handle whatever the stock powerplant is capable of delivering

Exactly

how to drive our delicate V's

Since when is something with a Corvette motor "delicate"? Is this a Prius?

I have the specter bushings and DO NOT have a problem with wheel hop. I have made at least 20 runs down the track and since I put them on, the car does great at the track. My best time is a 13.3 with a 1.9 short time and HDMLNIUM has run a 12.9 and he doesn't have wheen hop either.

Maybe there is just a large variance of wheel hop from car to car?

Some guys say they have almost none and others can't get off the line hard.