Onion Posted April 29, 2012 Posted April 29, 2012 As many of you know, I bought a mustang a few weeks ago. I'm having some slight problems with traction... In second gear at 2000 rpm, if I go wide open throttle, I have no traction. I'm running nitto 555 285 tires, which are supposed to be the grippiest street tires available. I've given up all hope of finding grip in first gear, but it would be nice to have some in second gear. What size tire would I need? Or would I have to be running hoosier slicks? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
svburton Posted April 29, 2012 Posted April 29, 2012 There might be some suspension tweaks you can make that would transfer more weight to the rear in acceleration situations. You might think about joining a Mustang forum. Just like here you could benefit from the experience of others. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishop245 Posted April 29, 2012 Posted April 29, 2012 you want traction keep your foot off the floor simplest fix Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puck Posted April 29, 2012 Posted April 29, 2012 (edited) You need suspension mods to be able to hook from a dig. Nitto 555s are popular for their balance of grip and lifespan, not for being the best traction street tire and aren't the best by a long shot...but should have no problem gripping on your mildly modded stang. Honestly I'm still surprised that you have traction issues with a 285 nitto 555... Not sure how much different your suspension is but things like lower control arms, relocation brackets, torque arm, springs, shocks, panhard bar, and rear sway bar will all help you launch properly and keep the car straight. Like everything else there wil be a compromise - handling will suffer when you focus on straight line acceleration, and vice-versa. My car with a lot more power can dead hook on a prepped track on drag radials, but the back end slides out way too easily on a turn thanks to the huge solid rear drag bar. Edited April 29, 2012 by Puck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waco Posted April 29, 2012 Posted April 29, 2012 You shouldn't be losing traction in 2nd with those tires...certainly not from a roll. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bp9801 Posted April 29, 2012 Posted April 29, 2012 You could always hit up a local driving school to figure out the best way to control the car. And pay attention in it too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion Posted April 29, 2012 Posted April 29, 2012 I'm already a member of a mustang forum, I just wanted to see what occ had to say lol. And yeah I was surprised as well. It's surprising to be spinning all through second from a roll even if I start out of my power band. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_bowtie Posted April 30, 2012 Posted April 30, 2012 on a Used car the first thing is shocks.... when shocks go soft they allow the rear tires to "Lift" on acceleration and not stick to the ground... Fords are the absolute WORST for shocks and springs going weak... get you some good Bilstein (factory) shocks or better... if they are at least 80.00 each they arent worth a crap... I can break traction in 1st and 2nd gear with ease in my 95 F-150 with a 300-6 cylinder... only because the shocks and springs are whooped Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion Posted April 30, 2012 Posted April 30, 2012 on a Used car the first thing is shocks.... when shocks go soft they allow the rear tires to "Lift" on acceleration and not stick to the ground... Fords are the absolute WORST for shocks and springs going weak... get you some good Bilstein (factory) shocks or better... if they are at least 80.00 each they arent worth a crap... I can break traction in 1st and 2nd gear with ease in my 95 F-150 with a 300-6 cylinder... only because the shocks and springs are whooped It's already got eibach springs, but I suspect the rest of the suspension to be absolute crap since the car is 12 years old. That's a good observation though, thanks for the tip. I'm redoing my brakes soon so I think I'll hold off a bit and do the suspension at the same time. And I think part of the reason you can break traction so easily is because you have no weight over your rear wheels. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_bowtie Posted April 30, 2012 Posted April 30, 2012 you can have all the spring in the world but if the shocks suck it will let the spring be too springy... if that makes sense... if you accelerate and the rear squats thats a sure sign that the rear tires are lifting instead of digging... the rear should actually lift instead.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onion Posted April 30, 2012 Posted April 30, 2012 you can have all the spring in the world but if the shocks suck it will let the spring be too springy... if that makes sense... if you accelerate and the rear squats thats a sure sign that the rear tires are lifting instead of digging... the rear should actually lift instead.... Yep, that's not the only problem I have with these springs though. Since the previous owner ONLY put springs on it, and not shocks, I've got about 1 inch of space between the front tire and the wheel well/fender. If I take a tight corner at high speed, it rubs real bad. I'm gonna see if I can lower it a bit more and put the stiffest shocks possible to avoid any rubbing. It's already uncomfortable as hell to drive on the street, so I might as well make the ride stiffer lol. I'm thinking of selling the springs he put in and getting a full eibach or bilstein kit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waco Posted April 30, 2012 Posted April 30, 2012 you can have all the spring in the world but if the shocks suck it will let the spring be too springy... if that makes sense... if you accelerate and the rear squats thats a sure sign that the rear tires are lifting instead of digging... the rear should actually lift instead.... Wait what? The rear end should never lift from a dig. The rear squatting down increases traction to the rear wheels because of weight shifting. Granted, crappy shocks will get you wheel hop like a mother, but no shock will cause the rear to lift under heavy acceleration. Onion - if you want better traction on your rear wheels consider going to a softer spring and poly inserts for your rear end / suspension. It'll decrease wheel hop massively and give you a good hole shot...but your handling will suffer quite a bit. EDIT: Ouch, I didn't read your post till now Onion. Rubbing in a hard turn is absolutely one of the scariest things that can happen. Get that fixed ASAP! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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