Hey all experienced draggers, I'm wondering about who has broken things at the DRAG STRIP. If you can state the following, I'd appreciate it:

1. What broke (the main failure and any related parts)
2. Power level of motor
3. What you did to fix the problem (get used parts, new parts?)
4. How much the parts cost you
5. Tires & suspension mods on your car
6. Lessons you "learned" from the experience
7. (related to 6.) Why you think the failure occured

I'm trying to figure out how much more money I'd have to dump on driveline bits just in case I break things at the strip (want to push the car a bit at this point). Thanks in advance!!!

 

1. my bank account (main failure: rx7)

 

Not me.
P.M. AZ'sfastfd3s for more details.

1. Stock rear gears
2. 500 rwhp
3. New Kaaz lsd, chromoly axle's, Solid diff mounts.
4. $1000-1400
5. 26-11.50-16 M/T Et's, Grex springs, Bilstein shocks.
6. Kaaz+solid diff mounts= not streetable at all. Clunk, clunk, bang, noises coming from rear end always.
I learned from him and am planning to get a TII Rear end.

 

You could save the rear differential by pre-loading it. If you straight out launch it, chances are it will break. Pre-load could have prevented that, but there is still a chance it breaks it's just not as great.

 

1. shattered gears
2. 300hp
3. bought used stock diff
4. 250$
5. at the time it was stock suspension, now coilovers, diff bushings, trailing arms, toe-links blah blah blah
6. pre-load! and when your friend tells you to launch at 7500rpms and says he'll give you 5 bucks dont do it.
7. alot of wheel hop on stock setup. took care of that with the coilovers, trailing arms, and toe links.

 

^^

So what do you mean by pre-loading? Sorry for the dumb question

 

you know when you left off the clutch very slowly, the car will start rolling forward? but if you move it back like half an inch, it doesn't roll anymore? Well you find the point just a hair before the car rolls. Then you give it some gas... but keep the clutch at that point where the car is not rolling still... this way.. you're actually loading the drive train and putting all the stress on the clutch and drive train rather than dumping it all there at once.

When you rev to like 7500 and then dump the clutch, you go from 0 force to 100% and it 'shocks' the drive train causing things to break. Some people add in the e-brake as well... or an automatics they'll brake-boost.

Like I said, find that point right before the car starts to roll, rev it up a bit.. and hold the clutch there just before that rolling point. When it's time to go rev it up a bit (not 7500 rpm) and as soon as the car rolls forward, floor it (if you can keep traction).. if not then you'll learn how to feather it to keep traction. Either way, dumping the clutch is a bad idea unless you got a rear end to support all that shock.

hope this helps