No Traction!

I have an ’05 Mustang GT with the following add-on’s, all by Steeda: a Vortech blower with SCT tune, 4-10 gear with lower and upper trailing arms upgrade, pinion set at 3º, Steeda shifter and loud mouth axle back tubes.

Steeda’s dyno called my pony at 400 hp, give or take a few.  My problem is traction!  After several tire and wheel combos, it currently runs Nitto 305/25ZR18 drag radials.  Here’s what happens at Moroso…at a 2500 to 3000 rpm launch the car is out of control with wheel spin at first and second gear.  I go nowhere!  At 1500 or less, my ET suffers with 13.5’s at best.  What amount of air pressure is good for my Nitto’s on the track?  I’ve read about other GT’s with more ponies that seem to hook quite well.  Desperate for advise, ideas or suggestions!!

Try about 15-18 psi.  You're not overdoing the burnout are you?  If you are, then the oils and resins in the tire come to the surface and makes them slippery.  No need to boil them down.  A 3-5 second solid burnout is all that's necessary.  If that doesn't help, Steeda has some control arms and springs that help traction.   

I launch with my traction control on at 3000.  I get some wheel spin but not bad and it hooks pretty fast.  I hit second, power shift and get some wheel spin but not bad.  With the traction control off forget about it.  It seems like the throttle is all or nothing.  I'm still running the stock BFG KDWS tires. Try it with the TCS on.

I experimented with slipping the clutch or just dumping it at 3000 and had the same results.  I good 60' time for me is 2.10.  I had two runs at 2.1 and 2.13 60' times.  It seems my traction issue is on the first to  second shift.  If I have the nitrous on it's a smoke show going into second.  Third gear I still spin'em a little bit but I think it's just right.

What was your top speed? I was 105. xxxsomething.

Hey cool ride.  Try removing the front sway bar end links to diconnect the sway bar. (allows more weight transfer)  Also not to offend, but driving style is a way too.  Try rolling on the throttle it seems wrong at first, but if you can launch with just little chirps from the tires you are getting the most out of them.  Dropping the hammer no matter what rpm will give you tire fire unless you are running a wrinkle wall.  I ran my '90 GT on street tires and was able to pull consistant 1.9 60ft times with an ET of 14.1.  I found that I could not improve the time with a more aggressive lauch.  Just takes practice to convince your brain to squeaze the trigger instead of yanking it.  Otherwise you will need full on slicks to hook up that kind of power.  My '84 has 26x10.50 Mickey Thompson ET streets.  I could side step the clutch at 4600 and it would hook and go. 

Just remember anytime you are spinning, you might as well be on the brakes, time will tick away. 

hold'er to the floor and hope for the best...

I agree with rolling on the throttle.  Off the juice, I can hammer it straight from the line and keeps just that little squeel going.  I am fairly new to the 1320, feel much more comfortable with carving corners.  I'm fortunate enough that my job lets me do this all day long every day (driving fast around corners and such).  Beofre I hit the striopp again I have to save some cash for a fire jacket and some new0er, better, stickier rubber.