Traction question, 60\' expectations on stock suspension w/ slicks

[esams]

Hi guys, I just bought an \'03 with a Gen III swap.



I would love to know what 60\' I can expect to run at the drag strip. Here is what is done:



\'03 extended cab

375hp 5.3 motor

Yank 3000 stall converter

3.42 gears, posi.

Slicks (26 or 27\", help me pick)

Stock suspension that the X-treme comes with.



How well may she hook and what size slicks should I get ?



Thanks in advance--Erik

[mzoomora]

Stick with a tire around 26\" tall, with the 3.42\'s a 27\" or 28\" tire will be tall for the track. I would think if everything is working properly and it leaves hard you should hit some 1.8-1.7\'s even without bars if you hook it hard. I saw a guy with stock ZQ8 leafs running 1.6\'s, but that was a dedicated race truck.

Are you running a 327 or a Gen III motor?

[Knanthrup]

I would recommend some form of traction bars. Buy whatever type is in your budget, any will help.



60\' times vary a LOT with these trucks, but im going to say if you get things down pretty good in the low 1.8\'s, maybe 1.7\'s once things are smoothed out



With those gears im thinking 26\" or so, you cant run too tall without killing your bottom end. Width wise, probably a 10.5\"

[Scotty_S-15]

I\'d recommend 26\" tires also to help make your 3.42 act like 3.73s. I like my MT Drag Radials, (275-50-15) and if weather is decent, no problem driving them to and from track. They\'d probably be OK in case it rained too, if the tires are new with deep treads.

......... I\'m wondering about the posi. Stock posi? Maybe Mzoomora can tell us (me?) if it\'s a gov-lok, and if it\'s up to the task.

.......... I\'m thinking you\'ll need some traction bars for max effort, but it might be worth a try first without, just to see if you can squeak by without them.

[mzoomora]

If it is a factory posi it is most likely a gov lok, ehh. But, some have taken beatings pretty regularly so who knows. Most traction bars just limit wheel hop, but if you hook hard you usually wont hop too bad anyway. Good bars like the cal tracs, slide-a-links or even the lakewood S10 specific bars actually move the instant center pretty far forward. The X-treme should have the 3rd \"no-hop\" shock so traction bars may not even be an issue. I used the niversal bars and had no wheel hop problems at all with them, but 60 fts are better now.

You never know until you try.

[esams]

Good stuff, thanks.



The truck has a 5.3 bottom end out of a wrecked Envoy, LS1 heads shaved to hold 10:1, and the Z06 cam with long tubes.



It isn\'t an Extreme, but it does have that ZQ8. It doesn\'t have the 3rd shock; I guess in \'03 they ditched it.



The rear is factory posi. I know the ol\' 10 bolt won\'t hold too much over time.



The other thing I forgot to tell you guys is that there is a nitrous kit on the truck. I actually got the personalized plate \"NOS10\" to strike some conversations http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif. It will only be sprayed as a 100 shot rarely at the track, and not out of the hole because I know the rear would pop then.



I think you all are right about the 26\" tires. I\'ll get E.T. Streets 26x10.5. Maybe when I get a beefy rear end and want to spray the juice out of the hole, a 27\" tire would make more sense.



Thanks again, keep the replies coming if you want; I\'m eager to learn all about racing this truck. It\'s my daily driver and also my tow rig for a 20\' boat, but I\'ll give her hell at the track !

[MARKYMARK]

if your running a 4l60e tranns you may see a 1.6 -1,7 60 foot a few times. tic tic tic .

[esams]

It\'s a fully built 4L60.



Really you think it could pull a 1.6 !?! I would crap my pants if it did. 1.7 would tickle me to death as well. My \'91 Z28 with full drag suspension only got a best of 1.78 on Nitto drag radials.