Trap Speed and 1/4 mile times.

[aliveguy5]

I'm trying to learn here so try not to grill me too bad. I have been noticing in some people's signatures that they are running 13.2's or 3's with 102 or 103 MPH trap speeds. I'm currently running 13.2's with trapping at 106.xx. Now my tires aren't in great shape so I don't hook up well but it seems for me to bog down low and come back at 4 mph higher at the trap is a big difference. Can someone explain this to me because it seems if I'm trapping that much higher I have a lot time left to gain in the quarter.

Also I have an '06 charger r/t with the SPARTAN cam jba shorties, gutted cats 180 tstat and just the canned tune for the cam.

[PaCharger]

Hmmm, well, you should be trapping 106-108. With your mods, i'd think mid to high 12's are possible. Sounds like you needs 1 more mod - drag radials....then the hook won't be the issue.

[aliveguy5]

I do need them I have to really stagger it off the line. If the engine is cold I can't hook up.

[HEMI~C~]

What Doug said..... X2. Horsepower is direct indicator of how much power your car is making....look at as the potential for an particular ET. Your ET is largely a factor of how well your car is able to translate that horsepower into forward motion. Two thirds of your ET is determined by first 1/3 of the track, soooooooo...... hooking up all that power on the launch, via drag radials is the first step towards producing an ET that more closely represents the potential that your MPH is showing.

106mph is generally enough ooomph for 12.7-12.6 ETs.

[metgo]

What do your 60' look like?

[kaisersteiner]

^^^^ What Hemi C and Metgo said. First 1/8 and 60ft will determine your QTR mile the most.

[formerice]

Even though you have drag radials, you may need better ones. I can powerbrake my Mickey Thompsons at 2800 cold, that is no burnout on a normal day, 70 degrees up, and they will spin 1 revolution and hook up, I hit the nitrous at 3200 in 1st gear and normally they stay hooked! If its cold I have to heat em up. You should be running 12's. Stickier tires and then a TQ Converter will let you rocket out of the hole!

[stevesrt8]

Trap speed is the most consistent indicator of HP at the strip.

ET is extremely relevant to the driver. Take a tenth off the 60 and drop .2 at the big end.

These cars always seem to trade trap for ET.

[aliveguy5]

What do your 60' look like?

2.0x something 9 out of 10 times.

[kaisersteiner]

Your converter can skew your trap speeds too though.

[TurboMinivan]

What Doug said..... X2. Horsepower is direct indicator of how much power your car is making....look at as the potential for an particular ET. Your ET is largely a factor of how well your car is able to translate that horsepower into forward motion.

An even clearer simplification that I have heard (and used):

Trap speed is an indicator of your current power-to-weight ratio.
Elapsed Time is an indicator of your traction at that exact power level.

Make sense?

[Fargo59]

An even clearer simplification that I have heard (and used):

Trap speed is an indicator of your current power-to-weight ratio.
Elapsed Time is an indicator of your traction at that exact power level.

Make sense?

holy crap, when did you join the LX fleet? i was reading your posts on turbododge years ago. might even have your site bookmarked on my old computer. welcome to the crowd.

anyway, that is the most sense of it ive seen so far. the faster i get, my MPH has stayed very much the same over the past year, even though my ET has dropped 0.7 second. weight of the car has remained the same, power has upped, but so has traction. my highest MPH is 104.5, lowest is, well, 89 (@24s quarter, shut the car off, restarted, and ran the whole 1320 in 3rd). needless to say, with less traction, my MPH is higher. when the car hooks, my MPH is lower usually but ET is better.

[TurboMinivan]

holy crap, when did you join the LX fleet?

Just last week, when my new Charger R/T showed up at my dealership. Long story short: I had to go 600+ miles away to find an acceptable car to purchase.

i was reading your posts on turbododge years ago. might even have your site bookmarked on my old computer.

I still host TurboMinivan .com, and I even maintain it once in a while.

[mhigham]

Just last week, when my new Charger R/T showed up at my dealership. Long story short: I had to go 600+ miles away to find an acceptable car to purchase.

Congrats...

I still host TurboMinivan .com, and I even maintain it once in a while.

Welcome to the club....

Me, I still have 60' issues. 12.0 @ 120.....trap is how much power you are making and ET is how well you put it down, especially on the short times.

Mike

[aliveguy5]

An even clearer simplification that I have heard (and used):

Trap speed is an indicator of your current power-to-weight ratio.
Elapsed Time is an indicator of your traction at that exact power level.

Make sense?

It does make sense. Now I have to study up on DR's and probably some rims to put them on too. I've been a long time car fan but this is my first time owning a powerful car let alone dragging it. The really bad thing is I'm hooked pretty bad.