solid rear axle

Poodles

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Jul 22, 2006
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You'd be wrong ;)

Proof if you don't believe me: http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41973

Top time is not running a solid rear. Supra's don't have some of the horrible quirks that other IRS setups have (like horrible camber when squatting, or toe, ect..) and unless you're at the level that Slow is (read here: http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25138) you might need it though he has said he would have gone the way IJ did with his IRS if he could do it all over.

It's up to you, it's your car, but it's not like our rear suspension is weak or faulty.
 

figgie

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Mar 30, 2005
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Poodles;1112835 said:
You'd be wrong ;)

Proof if you don't believe me: http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41973

Top time is not running a solid rear. Supra's don't have some of the horrible quirks that other IRS setups have (like horrible camber when squatting, or toe, ect..) and unless you're at the level that Slow is (read here: http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25138) you might need it though he has said he would have gone the way IJ did with his IRS if he could do it all over.

It's up to you, it's your car, but it's not like our rear suspension is weak or faulty.

actually no.

There is a reason it take all that power to get them that low. A solid rear axel car would be sunk in the 10's with 600 rwhp. IRS are great for road racing but they have way to many moving parts where precious energy is lost in the form of flexing.
 

Poodles

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Jul 22, 2006
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I'd disagree. 60' times aren't high enough to say it's limited by the suspension.

The limiting factor in my mind is the inability to fit enough rubber back there. MKIV has more room and most of the drag cars are IRS and I don't see them having issues lifting the front wheels...
 

figgie

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Poodles;1112841 said:
I'd disagree. 60' times aren't high enough to say it's limited by the suspension.

The limiting factor in my mind is the inability to fit enough rubber back there. MKIV has more room and most of the drag cars are IRS and I don't see them having issues lifting the front wheels...


with close to 1600 hp. I sure as hell, hope not.

It one of those simple physics things and nothing more. More moving part = more energy loss. There is no way around it.
 

Bigdough666

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Apr 4, 2005
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Poodles;1112841 said:
I'd disagree. 60' times aren't high enough to say it's limited by the suspension.

The limiting factor in my mind is the inability to fit enough rubber back there. MKIV has more room and most of the drag cars are IRS and I don't see them having issues lifting the front wheels...

I also dont see 8-900 RWHP Mustangs/Camaros/etc running 11's either. Its all about the rear end setup. Hell, Ive seen 500RWHP solid axle cars lift the front tires.
 

Poodles

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Jul 22, 2006
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They also weigh a hell of a lot less and have low end torque.

Titan still runs an IRS setup so far as I've seen as well. It's not a limitation.
 

figgie

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Poodles;1113061 said:
They also weigh a hell of a lot less and have low end torque.

Titan still runs an IRS setup so far as I've seen as well. It's not a limitation.


it is. If they would go to a solid axel they would pick up time.

btw. Vinnie ten in his early blue supra was running a solid axel in the back for quite some time. Was doing quick times with less power ;)
 

Poodles

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Jul 22, 2006
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We could argue for days at this, but if you're lifting the front tires you've got more than enough traction.

Another comparison was the monster turbo camaro vs titan in Houston. Titan had to let off because they lifted the front too high and lost. IIRC they where running simular trap speeds all day...
 

figgie

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Poodles;1113157 said:
We could argue for days at this, but if you're lifting the front tires you've got more than enough traction.

Another comparison was the monster turbo camaro vs titan in Houston. Titan had to let off because they lifted the front too high and lost. IIRC they where running simular trap speeds all day...


argument? There is no "argument". Physics are on my side plain and simple.

They lifted can be anything, from incorrect suspension settings to to LIGHT a wheel tire combo upfront, to not slipping the clutch enough.

Eddie Bello used to run two sets depending on track conditions, lightweight and stock. Depening on how much lift there was up front which was dependant on track conditions and suspension settings for the day.

which is no different from the top fuelers where they always tweaking the clutch slip v the rear suspension setup.
 

Poodles

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Jul 22, 2006
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Physics yes, but real world application is another thing. Same amount of money for two builds, on stock rear suspension other solid axle. I bet the stocker would win.

It's not a big enough limitation. The horrible reputation supras get for running shit times with huge HP is 100% setup. Lowered car on 19's isn't gonna grip and the 60' times prove it.
 

DefiantWs6

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I havent been around supras much until lately but as far as going from irs to solid rear axle there are a lot of cobras around this area that have done it with amazing results. I'm not trying to say you cant launch an irs car but the solid rear axle does have quite a bit less rotational mass than an irs setup, and yes I agree completely with the 600hp car should be running 10s. Throw 600hp to the wheels of a well setup fbody or mustang and if its not running mid to low 10s somethings wrong with the car or the driver, as a disclaimer I'm not bashing supras I personally love and hope to own one of them someday but I've never seen any other car have 700hp and run a mid 11 second quarter mile so Id say go for the swap if its within your budget, though I may be largely biased as my car is solid rear axle itself.
 

mk3_chris

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Jul 31, 2007
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I didn't mean to start an arguement but honestly its not a traction problem, i can launch the car all day long just fine, but with a solid axle i could leave harder. Which in turn would lower my 60 ft and over all make me faster. And i've found a tire that would hook just fine.
 

jawsgear

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Jan 29, 2006
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HAHAHAHAHA! Solid axle = better performance hands down. Better traction to the ground with equality from tire to ground. Ask any racer, any real racer and they will tell you the same thing.
 

mk3_chris

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jawsgear;1113466 said:
HAHAHAHAHA! Solid axle = better performance hands down. Better traction to the ground with equality from tire to ground. Ask any racer, any real racer and they will tell you the same thing.

so what you are saying is its not how you stand beside your irs car its how you launch it hahahaha.
 

frontierguy25

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Mar 26, 2007
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Ok, a 93 Mustang GT or LX weighs a ton just like our cars do. However a mustang with 400hp with the same tires as a 400hp supra, the supra will get left. Ask me how I know!! I can launch my car pretty good, this was when I had my dr's. A buddy of mine would leave me consistantly with similar hp, 5spd, and same exact tire. I would catch up with him in the 1/4 but not the 1/8 mile. I would love to ditch the IRS, and just make my car a drag car, however I do like mine the way it is and I know that I'll always be playing catch up.
 

jawsgear

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This is prob the best explanation I have read by Cummins from SF

cummins;229703 said:
Custom built shocks. Can have any of the manufacturers build them for you. But ya for IRS cars you want the rear to stay squatted for the entire run and only way to do this is to get an adjustable rear shock with compression and minimal rebound (adjustable for compression only). Also, having a front adjustable limiting strap works well too. That way you can adjust how much travel you get for weight transfer and also rear tire planting pressure. You don't want too much squat from IRS because of the negative camber it creates. But you do want enough to where you get a good contact patch with the weight transfer. Take lots of video. Of course this also depends on tire pressure as well. Once you get that point then you can adjust the front travel. The front travel serves not only to adjust weight transfer, but it helps to either plant or not to plant the rear tires that's why its good to have adjustable limiting straps. If the front's too tight you may have good traction on launch but the car could unload on the big end. If its too loose your car wastes energy going upward instead of forward and the front end feels a lil loose up top as well (unless you have great aero that keeps the front end down).

When you do alignments have the car aligned with the rear end strapped down and squatted. Try to get your camber and toe all zero'd out at this position. If its not possible to do the alignment with the rear end squatted then just add a degree of positive camber and a very slight bit of toe out when you do the alignment.

The rear of my car is already set to squat at a certain point and I leave it at that. I get the most contact patch this way and good enough weight transfer to where I can just play with tire pressure or front limiting straps. My driver side rear shock is set a little stiffer than the passenger rear due to my body weight. Here's how I adjust the suspension at the track, they are just starting points of what I adjust when I first encounter traction problems and keep in mind that my rear suspension is set and I leave it as is.

- If its not hooking from beginning to end I lower tire pressure
- If its not hooking on launch but hooking down track I tighten up front limiting straps
- If its hooking on launch and not down track then I loosen front limiting straps
- If its hooking all the way then I just turn up boost :)