Project Superman: '90 Talon - building my first drag race car

[907dsm]

I love the rims, hands down my favorite set of rims period. I want a set in black though. Can't wait to see them on the car. Hurry up and finish it alreAdy.

 

[caveman]

any updates

 

[DSM_PWR]

For a drag car...

Why not have gone with a lighter smaller wheel like Rota slipstreams? Not only are they dirt cheap but lighter and have been used on plenty fast setups

 

[eclipse gsx]

nice built man

 

[Kid4g63]

Saw your thread. Just wanted to give you kudos.

 

[Slippi84]

For a drag car...

Why not have gone with a lighter smaller wheel like Rota slipstreams? Not only are they dirt cheap but lighter and have been used on plenty fast setups

Smaller as in 15's or smaller as in thinner? I think that a 16x8 tire like this is perfect for drag racing when it comes to dsm's. Give you plenty of footprint and these don't look as cookie cutter as slipstreams. You can throw some 26x8.5/10x16 MT's on there and go beast mode at the track.

 

[TSimage]

A smaller rim is almost always better when drag racing, the problem is our brakes wont fit. Many who have modified brakes run the much better 15" setup with the popular 15" M/T slick.

The benefits DSM_PWR mentioned are all true. The lighter the better. Being cheap is only a plus and RPF1s are very common rims, odly enough they are considerd "cookie cutter" amongst wheel whores. If these were street rims then they are an awesome pick up... If they are strictly for the track then he had much better options.. At the end of the day though, its all about doing what you want to your own car. If the OP likes the wheels then +1 for him going around the norm and doing what he likes.

 

[Slippi84]

Lighter is not always better. There is a article on here about weight vs stability or something a long those lines that goes into the reasons why it's not always best to just get the lightest wheel possible. On a personal level though I think 15's are just too small anyway. They make our cars look like hondas. Ne bueno.

Not to mention most 15" tires aren't as wide as these hell most 17" tires are usualy 17x 7.5. That's why the FD wheels are so sought after. 16x8 gets you best of both worlds.

 

[DSM_PWR]

Lighter is definetly better

Its always best to take weight off the rotation mass not only to help save drivetrain parts, but you'll also pick up a "bit" of speed (Topend ). I personally bought a set of 15x7 Volk TE37's that weigh 8-9lbs each... while there not exactly budget, hence the reason i mention slipstreams.

For a "Drag Car", you cant go wrong with 15 or 16' wheels, but weight is also something that shouldn be overlooked

 

[DWR-DSM]

I had to go with 16" rims to fit my brake system on. 15" wouldnt of been an option for me to go any smaller for the fact I wouldnt be able to fit the brake system. I dnt kno if they even make a braking system for talon/gsx that would fit with a 15"rim.

 

[DSM_PWR]

I believe the TCE kits will fit 15'

 

[Slippi84]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/hangout/281387-wheels-high-rigidity-vs-light-weight.html

This explains it much better than I could.

 

[Gooberlog]

Not to mention that a very light wheel with decent power will be a lot easier to spin and break traction during the 60'. But hey that's what slicks are for right?

 

[Phil1320]

Not to mention that a very light wheel with decent power will be a lot easier to spin and break traction during the 60'. But hey that's what slicks are for right?

Right! Lightest as possible is best, period

 

[DSM_PWR]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/hangout/281387-wheels-high-rigidity-vs-light-weight.html

This explains it much better than I could.

none of those talk about a drag car.. in fact one article says how lighter wheels help acceleration, which is whats needed in drag racing

they mainly discuss strength, and while Rota may not have the best reputation.. at about $100 each, who can complain

companies like volk dont just price their wheels higher than the competition, its because they are made out of stronger material for strength.

take a look at sheps car and tell me what hes runnin

::Shepracing.com - Race Car::

.....a lot easier to spin and break traction during the 60'. But hey that's what slicks are for right?

exactly

 

[Phil1320]

none of those talk about a drag car.. in fact one article says how lighter wheels help acceleration, which is whats needed in drag racing

they mainly discuss strength, and while Rota may not have the best reputation.. at about $100 each, who can complain

companies like volk dont just price their wheels higher than the competition, its because they are made out of stronger material for strength.

take a look at sheps car and tell me what hes runnin

I agree. I had the Rays Gram Light 57F Forged Monoblocks on my EVO and they were literally the finest pieces of metal I've ever held in my hand. 17X8.5 weighed in at 15 lbs. 15.8 ounces each. Super light for that size and super strong. While I think the wheels were designed with the heavy side loading of roadracing in mind, never hurts to have the strongest wheels out there. I think Rays Engineering, and possibly Racing Hart make the lightest/strongest wheels out there. I would love a set of Te37's in 15 X 7 for my car......but the cost vs. gain ratio isn't in my favor.

So, that's why the Rota's or the Drag DR series like I have make sense. I think the Rota's are a bit lighter than the DR-17's that I run.......

 

[Slippi84]

none of those talk about a drag car.. in fact one article says how lighter wheels help acceleration, which is whats needed in drag racing

they mainly discuss strength, and while Rota may not have the best reputation.. at about $100 each, who can complain

companies like volk dont just price their wheels higher than the competition, its because they are made out of stronger material for strength.

take a look at sheps car and tell me what hes runnin

::Shepracing.com - Race Car::




exactly

Who said anything bad about VOLKS? They are probably the best wheel out there for us I think. That's why they go for 1300+ a set though without tires. Slipstreams on the other hand are just light wheels not made out of the same metal as volks and def not a strong. The concepts in that article hold true for all styles of driving not just autox or time attack. There is a reason that companys look at strength before weight. Not that slipstreams are bad just when people said he could have got better wheels for his car I think that Volks are such said wheel NOT slipstreams.

 

[twicks69]

I believe the TCE kits will fit 15'

Todd's brake kits for our cars (www.tceperformanceproducts.com) are usually for 16" and larger wheel setups.

The 12.2" rotor diameter setup with FSL calipers fit nicely with an aftermarket 16" rim. The 13.0" rotors require a 17" rim, the 14" rotors require an 18" rim.

As well, the FSL calipers or BSL 4-piston calipers are more than enough for drag racing.


I have been running one of his kits since 2002 on my Eclipse consisting of 12.2" x 0.81" Wilwood directionally vaned rotors with aluminum hats, Wilwood Forged Billet SuperLite 4-piston calipers and Wilwood "D" pads currently. I ran standard BSL calipers in the past from 2002-2007 without issues.

The "D" pads are a bit harsh on the rotors and you will be replacing them every couple years if you are regularly stopping from 150+mph. They are also fairly high dust levels. The "D" pads are great for cold/medium temperatures, and have the highest cold coefficient of friction value for its class.

If you want pads that are going to last a bit longer and be more forgiving on the rotors, I would go with a "B" pad, or "BP-10" pad. They will both provide less dust and wear and are nice all-round pads. The "B" pad is also a high-temperature pad so they are normally recommended for race applications, while the "BP-10" pad is more of a street pad.

I have ran Wilwood "A", "B", "D", "H" and "BP-10" pads over the years, and like the "D" pad for its high cold friction value. It is very heavy wear on the rotors though, so if you want it to last, go with "BP-10" or you can go with a Performance Friction or Hawk compound.

As for those brands, I have ran some of each manufacturer's pads over the years, including the Hawk Black, HP Plus and HPS, and the Performance Friction Z's and another medium coefficient pad I cannot remember the model information for. The Hawk HPS was probably the best street/strip pad of this group of models that were low dust, low wear of pads and rotors, and were great at the track or on the street. They wore a bit faster than the Wilwood "BP-10" pads also.



Personally, when it comes to wheel sizes and tire diameters, it really depends on your intentions with the car for ET's and MPH.

A 24.5" diameter tire will be more useful for DSM's trapping below 150mph to get a better ET. A 26" tire will be more useful over 150mph for its ability to lengthen your vehicle's gear ratios and finish the run in 4th gear.

The 15" rims will be a better choice for the 24.5" slick as there are more options. The 16" rims will be a better choice for 26" slick as there are more options and should be a bit more stable under high speeds.


I run Hoosier QTP's 26"x9.5"x16" with 16x7 Rota Slipstreams. Never had a problem, super stable, the rims are light as hell, and cheap. All the stuff that Sean posted up is more directed towards superior handling and structural rigidity under lateral loading of the wheel. With a big gummy slick it doesn't matter if you have forged monoblock ultra-expensive rims or a set of standard aluminum rims. As long as they are decent quality, you won't have problems. The weight is more important than the cost, as the idea is to reduce your unsprung mass to reduce drivetrain loss.

The previous sentence also goes for brakes. Lighter is better. You don't need a $5000 brake setup to stop a DSM at a drag track. The proper pads, and the properly sized brake setup will be best found by contacting Todd at TCE Performance to find a kit that is properly sized for your application.


I intend on running Wilwood Scalloped 12.2x0.81" rotors w/ "D" pads and my FSL's for 2010, as my rotors are toasted.

As for the rear brakes, I have ran the original OEM rear rotors, calipers, EBC Green pads, and stainless lines since 2003. Same pads, no issues, very low dust, low rotor wear; great pad to retain a decent brake bias.

 

[TSimage]

So that all goes back to the aforementioned post. The lighter, the better. I've never seen anyone kill Rotas on the drag strip, I've seen them killed after bapping them into a curb going around a turn but hell I have seen HREs lose all their rivets on such a hit as well.

If the OP likes his wheels, then perfect, that is what counts. But if he bought as his best option for his goals then he's a little off kilter. Either way it goes, less wheel talk, more car building. I must live through you guys since my motivation is still lacking. hahaha.

 

[Superman]

Good info guys. I bought these rims because they are light (not the lightest) and they look good. I wanted the Volks, but they are too pricey. These were my second choice.

 

[Slippi84]

Good info guys. I bought these rims because they are light (not the lightest) and they look good. I wanted the Volks, but they are too pricey. These were my second choice.

nuff said

 

[Phil1320]

Good info guys. I bought these rims because they are light (not the lightest) and they look good. I wanted the Volks, but they are too pricey. These were my second choice.

And the RPF1 is an awesome wheel nonetheless.....

 

[twicks69]

RPF1's are AWESOME wheels!

 

[Superman]

Superman Update

Ok guys, I decided to hold off on the cage for now. JMF is still in the process of moving so the cage will have to wait. Winter is here, so I decided to pull the car in the garage to continue the build. In staying with the build path, I am going to focus on the suspension. The goal is to install poly bushing all around, get the rear diff serviced, install shocks and springs (still need to pick them up), and clean and paint parts. First I started with the rear subframe. Four bolts and a jack to lower it down and it was out. Next up is the front subframe.

 

[dceptn]

How did you get the car that high on jack stands?!