RED 97 GTS
Enthusiast
I HAVE NEVER USED SLICKS BEFORE AND THOUGHT I MIGHT TRY THEM OUT. WILL MY STOCK HALF SHAFTS HOLD UP FOR A FEW RUNS AND WHAT RPM DO YOU TAKE OFF AT. THANKS
QUESTION ON SLICKS FOR A VIPER.....
- Thread starter RED 97 GTS
- Start date
Tom Welch
Enthusiast
Matt,
I assume you are talking about for drag racing use?
Slicks will not improve your elapsed times much if your car is stock. I know that this sounds crazy, but its true. I tested several stock vipers including my own with slicks and only found about a tenth of a second difference from Pilots.(our track hooks good)
Your half shafts will hold up to a "few" runs as long as wheel hop is not an issue. I chose the added piece of mind and put better ones in.
Good luck with your viper.......check out my website at the link below as we offer many performance items for your viper as well as an instructional video based upon drag racing both street tires and slicks.
Tom
Http://btrviper.com
I assume you are talking about for drag racing use?
Slicks will not improve your elapsed times much if your car is stock. I know that this sounds crazy, but its true. I tested several stock vipers including my own with slicks and only found about a tenth of a second difference from Pilots.(our track hooks good)
Your half shafts will hold up to a "few" runs as long as wheel hop is not an issue. I chose the added piece of mind and put better ones in.
Good luck with your viper.......check out my website at the link below as we offer many performance items for your viper as well as an instructional video based upon drag racing both street tires and slicks.
Tom
Http://btrviper.com
NascarDave
Enthusiast
Matt,
Get Tom's Video. I got it and my ET's dropped from low 12's to high 8's based on his driving technique.
His video is very comprehensive and outlines tools you'll need, launching techniques, air pressures, and so on.
Dave
Get Tom's Video. I got it and my ET's dropped from low 12's to high 8's based on his driving technique.
His video is very comprehensive and outlines tools you'll need, launching techniques, air pressures, and so on.
Dave
Venom Lover
Enthusiast
I assume also that you are talking about slicks for drag racing. If so, you know that there are no ET streets for the stock Viper rims? Also, there are no "standard" after market 16" rims that fit around the rotors, etc., so you're talking about custom wheels. So, now you're talking $1200+ for custom rims and ET streets for the rear. Next, once you do that, you need skinnies for the front, unless you really want to die from total loss of handling. Plus, they will help bring your mph back up. So, now you're talking another $1200+ for custom skinnies. See John Purner for all the above.
Now that you're out $2500 or so, you might as well drop another $800 for beefed up half shafts. First, you're kidding yourself if you think you're only going to make a couple of passes, especially after dropping some fairly serious money to get the slicks in the first place. Second, and more importantly, you don't want a half shaft failing on you. It pretty much ruins your day or week, and it may cause a lot of collateral damage. I speak from personal experience.
As far as launching technique, after you do a good wet burnout, rev to about 4000 rpm (depending on your track conditions) and dump the clutch. It is so much easier to launch on slicks than on stock street tires. I agree with the above comments -- get Tom Welch's drag racing video. You will learn a lot.
I was a little surprised to hear Tom say that ET streets don't matter much for a stock Viper. Since I didn't put slicks on until after the mods in my signature, I cannot say what they would've done when I was stock, but they knocked a good 0.5 sec off my ET. (Also, for G-Tech 0-60 runs I went down from 4.1 sec to 3.6 sec.) I guess if you're really great at launching on street tires (which I bet Tom is), and you are on a sticky track, you're probably already seeing 1.8 sec short times stock. ET streets for a stock Viper might drop you to 1.7 sec short times, 1.6 sec if you're lucky, so maybe Tom is right, assuming you are really good at launching on street tires.
By the way, were you talking about drag racing???
Now that you're out $2500 or so, you might as well drop another $800 for beefed up half shafts. First, you're kidding yourself if you think you're only going to make a couple of passes, especially after dropping some fairly serious money to get the slicks in the first place. Second, and more importantly, you don't want a half shaft failing on you. It pretty much ruins your day or week, and it may cause a lot of collateral damage. I speak from personal experience.
As far as launching technique, after you do a good wet burnout, rev to about 4000 rpm (depending on your track conditions) and dump the clutch. It is so much easier to launch on slicks than on stock street tires. I agree with the above comments -- get Tom Welch's drag racing video. You will learn a lot.
I was a little surprised to hear Tom say that ET streets don't matter much for a stock Viper. Since I didn't put slicks on until after the mods in my signature, I cannot say what they would've done when I was stock, but they knocked a good 0.5 sec off my ET. (Also, for G-Tech 0-60 runs I went down from 4.1 sec to 3.6 sec.) I guess if you're really great at launching on street tires (which I bet Tom is), and you are on a sticky track, you're probably already seeing 1.8 sec short times stock. ET streets for a stock Viper might drop you to 1.7 sec short times, 1.6 sec if you're lucky, so maybe Tom is right, assuming you are really good at launching on street tires.
By the way, were you talking about drag racing???
Venom Lover
Enthusiast
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dave 96 R/T:
Matt,
Get Tom's Video. I got it and my ET's dropped from low 12's to high 8's based on his driving technique.
Dave
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Wow! And I thought I needed a blower, nitrous, stroker motor, Lenco tranny with solid rear axle, etc. to get in the 8's. I guess I need to watch Tom's video again!
Please tell me there was a typo in there somewhere....
Matt,
Get Tom's Video. I got it and my ET's dropped from low 12's to high 8's based on his driving technique.
Dave
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Wow! And I thought I needed a blower, nitrous, stroker motor, Lenco tranny with solid rear axle, etc. to get in the 8's. I guess I need to watch Tom's video again!
Please tell me there was a typo in there somewhere....
RED 97 GTS
Enthusiast
A BUDDY OF MINE HAS SLICKS ON HIS DAKOTA RT AND IS GOING TO LET ME BORROW THEM WILL THEY WORK THEY HAVE DIFFERENT RIMS ON THEM. I HAVE HEADERS EXH. NO CATS,COMPUTER,3:55 GEAR,K&NS,SMOOTH TUBES,1.7 ROLLER ROCKERS. I WAS RUNNING 1.8s 60 FT. WHEN THE CAR WAS ALL STOCK. I HAVE NOT RAN IT SINCE I HAVE DONE ALL THESE MODS, I WAS RUNNING 11.92 AND 12.0s all stock. WHAT SHOULD IT RUN NOW. THANKS
Tom Welch
Enthusiast
Matt,
You'd better make sure to have BIAS ply tires on the front if you put bias ply tires on the rear, or be prepared for a scarry ride!
My 97 GTS has run loads of 11.30's at over 123mph on slicks(e.t. streets, M/T does not make the 16" slick anymore) in good air and 11.40's in summer air and my only mods are headers and exhaust.
With a decent track and launch you should expect similiar times(weather permitting) should you have a decent exhaust system.
To run an 11.60 though in the sweltering heat of this summer with 1.70 60' times will probably be the norm this time of year at about 120 mph.
Good luck,
Keep us posted.
Tom
Http://btrviper.com
OH!.......a freebe......set tire pressure to 14.5 and adjust after each run as heat will increase tire pressure.
You'd better make sure to have BIAS ply tires on the front if you put bias ply tires on the rear, or be prepared for a scarry ride!
My 97 GTS has run loads of 11.30's at over 123mph on slicks(e.t. streets, M/T does not make the 16" slick anymore) in good air and 11.40's in summer air and my only mods are headers and exhaust.
With a decent track and launch you should expect similiar times(weather permitting) should you have a decent exhaust system.
To run an 11.60 though in the sweltering heat of this summer with 1.70 60' times will probably be the norm this time of year at about 120 mph.
Good luck,
Keep us posted.
Tom
Http://btrviper.com
OH!.......a freebe......set tire pressure to 14.5 and adjust after each run as heat will increase tire pressure.
HouseofSpeed
Enthusiast
Actually, MT does still make a 16" slick...and I have a pair in my garage on wheels for my TTA. They are a 16 x 9 wide and 26 tall....it is an ET Drag and not a Street. Just an FYI.
Tom Welch
Enthusiast
Kyle,
You are correct about that, but the tire that Im referring to is a 16"x 11.5 that fits(used to fit) perfectly on the purner wheels. I have a barely used set hanging in my garage if someone is intrested. The e.t. streets seem to hook just as good.
Tom
You are correct about that, but the tire that Im referring to is a 16"x 11.5 that fits(used to fit) perfectly on the purner wheels. I have a barely used set hanging in my garage if someone is intrested. The e.t. streets seem to hook just as good.
Tom
Venom Lover
Enthusiast
Bill, are you doing runs on slicks? If so, I most strongly encourage you to get better half shafts. If not, I wouldn't worry about it.
Doug Supercharged Vipers
Enthusiast
Just a bit more heads-up info,
M/T <u>USED</u> to make a 16" E/T Drag for drag racing only. The size was 26.0/10.0 - 16.
The 10.0 was measured at the tread width. The now available: 26.0/11.5 E/T streets are measured at the side walls (11.5") not the tread width.
As far as I'm aware, the E/T streets are still available. We purchase them regularly.
Regards,
Doug
M/T <u>USED</u> to make a 16" E/T Drag for drag racing only. The size was 26.0/10.0 - 16.
The 10.0 was measured at the tread width. The now available: 26.0/11.5 E/T streets are measured at the side walls (11.5") not the tread width.
As far as I'm aware, the E/T streets are still available. We purchase them regularly.
Regards,
Doug
