rat7761
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As most of you know, the stock X-Runner suffers from major traction problems at the dragstrip. After some trial and error, I have found a good combination that works well to make an X-Runner hook. The following are just my findings and are in no way written in stone. This combination produced consistent high 1.8 to low 1.9 60' times. Not once did I drop into the 2.0 zone. My slowest time was 1.99. This is a rather long read but I'm spilling everything I know to help everyone out at the track.
I want to see more guys putting their power to the ground rather than getting discouraged and not going to the track again.
1st problem: Wheelhop. I ran my X-Runner on 275/50R15 (26x10) Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials without traction bars and the rear end hopped violently. It was so bad that some spectators commented that Toyota must make a good rear end to handle that kind of abuse. Even the fuel door popped open on one run.
The solution: CalTracs by Calvert Racing.
The best setting I have found is running them with 1/2 a turn of preload on each bar. This completely cured the wheelhop problem. If you run them preloaded on the street the ride will be a little stiffer. $579.00 2nd day aired to Hawaii. This total included the $190 rear U-bolt plate core charge which is refundable if you return your stock plates back to Calvert Racing.
26x11.50-15 Mickey Thompson ET Streets from Summit Racing. $571 2nd day aired to Hawaii.
My $45 eBay stock 15x6 Tacoma steel rims. You can use your stock lug nuts with these because they have a conical seat on them.
2nd problem: Wheel spin. I have tried 275/50R15 (26x10) Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials with the CalTracs but they didn't hook well for me. I would strike the tires at the hit and would have to pedal to regain traction. The best 60' I got with the drag radials was 2.02. According to Mickey Thompson, the ET Street Radial is tailored more to vehicles with automatic transmissions because of its stiff sidewall. The ET Street wrinkle walls help absorb the shock of a manual transmission launch.
The solution: 26x11.50-15 Mickey Thompson ET Streets. These tires are basically ET Drag slicks with grooves in them. They are DOT approved but I wouldn't recommend driving them in the rain or if you have a long drive to the track. Even at 30 PSI my truck wandered a little on the highway at speed. I have them mounted on stock steel 15x6 Tacoma rims (Got these for $45 ea. on eBay). A 15x8 would be better for these tires though. Also be aware that these are bias-ply tires with thin (wrinkle) sidewalls so they don't handle like a radial. Drag radials handle very well on the street compared to these ET Streets. You may want to consider changing the tires at the track just to be safe. The 26" tire also gives you a little gearing advantage because it's smaller than the stock tire. It's also a lot lighter than the stock tire. Tubes are recommended but I ran mine tubeless without any problems. Just be aware that they will lose air quicker than a regular radial if you run them tubeless because the rubber is so thin that air leaks through it. It's normal for them to go flat in a couple weeks if you run them tubeless.
Tire pressure: 15 PSI. For some reason the rear end of an X-Runner gets loose (wanders) with pressures below 15 PSI. The lower you go the better it will hook but you may encounter stability problems down track. This is the main "tuning" you'll be doing at the track. Experiment and find out what works best. Be light on the steering inputs when you are going down track. If you're not used to driving on drag tires, it may feel like you have flat rear tires at first. The rear end will feel a little "loose."
The burnout: It's best to start the burnout in 2nd gear. You won't get as much heat into the tires in 1st gear. My truck is blown so it can pull a 2nd gear burnout. I'm not sure if an N/A truck could pull a 2nd gear burnout. I don't see why not though because it takes little power to break the tires loose when you're in the water. Just rev it up and pop the clutch. Use the brake to keep the truck in the water. I keep the motor spinning between 4,000-5,000 RPM. Try to stay off the rev limiter. My burnout lasts for about 5 seconds then I power out of the water until I feel the tires start to hook. I have done a couple burnouts in 1st gear with these tires and they still hooked.
Staging: Be sure to line up "in the groove" where the rubber is laid down. This is where the track looks dull rather than shiny. Shallow stage for the best ET. Also be aware that reaction time has no effect on ET. So don't feel pressured to cut a good light in hopes of getting a better ET. And don't think that if you red light, you'll get a better ET. The ET clock starts when your front tires roll out of the stage beam. Try to remain calm. Don't get flustered because you're at the track and everybody is watching. Easy to say, hard to do.
The launch: I launch by ear. I glanced at the tach a couple times and it's usually around 3,000-3,500 RPM. Make sure to preload the clutch a little to help reduce the shock of dumping it. Let it out just before the truck starts to creep. You may want to practice this on a backroad to avoid rolling the beams at the track. With these sticky tires, I just pop the clutch off the line and give it full throttle. No feathering of the throttle is necessary. Give it all she has. They spin a little right at the hit then hook hard. I would highly recommend a Competiton Clutch if you're going to run these tires.
Notes: I have found that leaving the spare tire mounted helps plant the rear tires better rather than removing it for weight savings. Pump your front tires to the max inflation listed on the sidewall for less rolling resistance. Try not to leave anything loose in the cab of your truck when you race it. That bowling ball you have back there will knock you out if you tag the guardrail or sumthin. =) Leaving the tailgate up works better than leaving it down according to Mythbusters. Bring your helmet if you plan on running in the 13s.
Remember that the X has a deep first gear so the 1st to 2nd shift comes up very quick especially if you're blown so be ready and don't hit the limiter. For every studder of the rev limiter you're losing valuable ET.
Hope this helps. :smile: And for those of you scared to break anything....It's a Toyota....nuff said.
Links:
-ET Streets: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MTT%2D3753&N=700+115&autoview=sku
-CalTracs (Call to order): http://calvertracing.com/
-Informative link on M/T drag tires: http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/0810chp_mickey_thompson_drag_tires_tips/index.html
I want to see more guys putting their power to the ground rather than getting discouraged and not going to the track again.
1st problem: Wheelhop. I ran my X-Runner on 275/50R15 (26x10) Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials without traction bars and the rear end hopped violently. It was so bad that some spectators commented that Toyota must make a good rear end to handle that kind of abuse. Even the fuel door popped open on one run.
The solution: CalTracs by Calvert Racing.
The best setting I have found is running them with 1/2 a turn of preload on each bar. This completely cured the wheelhop problem. If you run them preloaded on the street the ride will be a little stiffer. $579.00 2nd day aired to Hawaii. This total included the $190 rear U-bolt plate core charge which is refundable if you return your stock plates back to Calvert Racing.
26x11.50-15 Mickey Thompson ET Streets from Summit Racing. $571 2nd day aired to Hawaii.
My $45 eBay stock 15x6 Tacoma steel rims. You can use your stock lug nuts with these because they have a conical seat on them.
2nd problem: Wheel spin. I have tried 275/50R15 (26x10) Mickey Thompson ET Street Radials with the CalTracs but they didn't hook well for me. I would strike the tires at the hit and would have to pedal to regain traction. The best 60' I got with the drag radials was 2.02. According to Mickey Thompson, the ET Street Radial is tailored more to vehicles with automatic transmissions because of its stiff sidewall. The ET Street wrinkle walls help absorb the shock of a manual transmission launch.
The solution: 26x11.50-15 Mickey Thompson ET Streets. These tires are basically ET Drag slicks with grooves in them. They are DOT approved but I wouldn't recommend driving them in the rain or if you have a long drive to the track. Even at 30 PSI my truck wandered a little on the highway at speed. I have them mounted on stock steel 15x6 Tacoma rims (Got these for $45 ea. on eBay). A 15x8 would be better for these tires though. Also be aware that these are bias-ply tires with thin (wrinkle) sidewalls so they don't handle like a radial. Drag radials handle very well on the street compared to these ET Streets. You may want to consider changing the tires at the track just to be safe. The 26" tire also gives you a little gearing advantage because it's smaller than the stock tire. It's also a lot lighter than the stock tire. Tubes are recommended but I ran mine tubeless without any problems. Just be aware that they will lose air quicker than a regular radial if you run them tubeless because the rubber is so thin that air leaks through it. It's normal for them to go flat in a couple weeks if you run them tubeless.
Tire pressure: 15 PSI. For some reason the rear end of an X-Runner gets loose (wanders) with pressures below 15 PSI. The lower you go the better it will hook but you may encounter stability problems down track. This is the main "tuning" you'll be doing at the track. Experiment and find out what works best. Be light on the steering inputs when you are going down track. If you're not used to driving on drag tires, it may feel like you have flat rear tires at first. The rear end will feel a little "loose."
The burnout: It's best to start the burnout in 2nd gear. You won't get as much heat into the tires in 1st gear. My truck is blown so it can pull a 2nd gear burnout. I'm not sure if an N/A truck could pull a 2nd gear burnout. I don't see why not though because it takes little power to break the tires loose when you're in the water. Just rev it up and pop the clutch. Use the brake to keep the truck in the water. I keep the motor spinning between 4,000-5,000 RPM. Try to stay off the rev limiter. My burnout lasts for about 5 seconds then I power out of the water until I feel the tires start to hook. I have done a couple burnouts in 1st gear with these tires and they still hooked.
Staging: Be sure to line up "in the groove" where the rubber is laid down. This is where the track looks dull rather than shiny. Shallow stage for the best ET. Also be aware that reaction time has no effect on ET. So don't feel pressured to cut a good light in hopes of getting a better ET. And don't think that if you red light, you'll get a better ET. The ET clock starts when your front tires roll out of the stage beam. Try to remain calm. Don't get flustered because you're at the track and everybody is watching. Easy to say, hard to do.
The launch: I launch by ear. I glanced at the tach a couple times and it's usually around 3,000-3,500 RPM. Make sure to preload the clutch a little to help reduce the shock of dumping it. Let it out just before the truck starts to creep. You may want to practice this on a backroad to avoid rolling the beams at the track. With these sticky tires, I just pop the clutch off the line and give it full throttle. No feathering of the throttle is necessary. Give it all she has. They spin a little right at the hit then hook hard. I would highly recommend a Competiton Clutch if you're going to run these tires.
Notes: I have found that leaving the spare tire mounted helps plant the rear tires better rather than removing it for weight savings. Pump your front tires to the max inflation listed on the sidewall for less rolling resistance. Try not to leave anything loose in the cab of your truck when you race it. That bowling ball you have back there will knock you out if you tag the guardrail or sumthin. =) Leaving the tailgate up works better than leaving it down according to Mythbusters. Bring your helmet if you plan on running in the 13s.
Remember that the X has a deep first gear so the 1st to 2nd shift comes up very quick especially if you're blown so be ready and don't hit the limiter. For every studder of the rev limiter you're losing valuable ET.
Hope this helps. :smile: And for those of you scared to break anything....It's a Toyota....nuff said.
Links:
-ET Streets: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=MTT%2D3753&N=700+115&autoview=sku
-CalTracs (Call to order): http://calvertracing.com/
-Informative link on M/T drag tires: http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/0810chp_mickey_thompson_drag_tires_tips/index.html
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