Best ACRE setup tips for Drag racing

[Viperawi]

Well, there is a big race coming up here in our region, 1/4 mile race that might be on a prepped drag track or a runway, and I am planning to participate in my 2016 viper ACRE, it has full boltons and Arrow PCM. I have a set of GTD-1 wheels 18’ all around, so I am getting MT street SS tires in the back.

The question is, since the suspension are manually adjusted, what would be the best starting base numbers for the compression and rebounds front and rear ?

Also, any tips in the setups would be really appreciated as well. Thanks !

[CajunViper09]

Those sticky tires and your factory clutch won't really be best friends. Many folks have killed the stock clutch at the track with sticky tires on a prepped surface.

[SRT_BluByU]

the wings not helping..

[Steve M]

The MTs are the wrong tire for a bolt-on Gen 5.

You want to be on the Hoosier 335/30-18s. It is a substantially shorter tire (26" diameter vs. 28" for the MTs), which will help with your long first gear. I've run both, and the Hoosier is the better choice for many reasons.

That said, I had to put substantially more heat in the Hoosiers than the Mickeys to get them to stick. With the MTs, a quick 1st gear burnout was all they needed. For the Hoosiers, I had to start doing 2nd gear burnouts, but be warned that a 2nd gear burnout is going to be harder on the stock clutch. Still, with the 2nd gear burnout, you can get heat into the tires more quickly, which lets you do a shorter burnout overall. The shorter the burnout, the better so you don't cook the clutch fluid in the process. Headers are going to make the possibility of cooking the clutch fluid high during the burnout.

You'll need to cut a 1.6x 60' time if you want to be in the 10s. That is a tall order for the stock clutch...if you want to run a good time, you're going to have to be willing to replace the clutch afterwards.

If you end up getting too much heat in the stock clutch on the launch, it may not let you shift into the next gear. If that happens, don't force it...abort the run, or you may end up needing to repair your transmission as well.

These cars are not well suited for the drag strip, but it can be done. They just don't transfer weight well to the rear, and the stupid long 1st gear really hurts the Gen 5s. Keep those expectations nice and low, but try to have a good time anyway.

[Lawineer]

The MTs are the wrong tire for a bolt-on Gen 5.

You want to be on the Hoosier 335/30-18s. It is a substantially shorter tire (26" diameter vs. 28" for the MTs), which will help with your long first gear. I've run both, and the Hoosier is the better choice for many reasons.

That said, I had to put substantially more heat in the Hoosiers than the Mickeys to get them to stick. With the MTs, a quick 1st gear burnout was all they needed. For the Hoosiers, I had to start doing 2nd gear burnouts, but be warned that a 2nd gear burnout is going to be harder on the stock clutch. Still, with the 2nd gear burnout, you can get heat into the tires more quickly, which lets you do a shorter burnout overall. The shorter the burnout, the better so you don't cook the clutch fluid in the process. Headers are going to make the possibility of cooking the clutch fluid high during the burnout.

You'll need to cut a 1.6x 60' time if you want to be in the 10s. That is a tall order for the stock clutch...if you want to run a good time, you're going to have to be willing to replace the clutch afterwards.

If you end up getting too much heat in the stock clutch on the launch, it may not let you shift into the next gear. If that happens, don't force it...abort the run, or you may end up needing to repair your transmission as well.

These cars are not well suited for the drag strip, but it can be done. They just don't transfer weight well to the rear, and the stupid long 1st gear really hurts the Gen 5s. Keep those expectations nice and low, but try to have a good time anyway.
It's not dumb on a road race course!

(but yes, dumb for drag racing and clutch life on the street).

[Viperawi]

Very informative, thanks for all the inputs, I will take them in consideration for sure !

[Arizona Vipers]

Make sure your wing is on setting #1, or just take it off!

[Steve M]

It's not dumb on a road race course!

(but yes, dumb for drag racing and clutch life on the street).

Small Auto-x course, maybe.

Road course? No way.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

A stiff suspension is contra-indicated on a drag strip. You WANT the chassis to flex.
ACR sway bars and stiff suspension settings are there to DEFEAT chassis flex.

Some OE cars when at the Strip even disconnect one end of their sway bars and cable them safely up. DONT DRIVE THAT WAY TO-FROM......

[Steve M]

A stiff suspension is contra-indicated on a drag strip. You WANT the chassis to flex.
ACR sway bars and stiff suspension settings are there to DEFEAT chassis flex.

Some OE cars when at the Strip even disconnect one end of their sway bars and cable them safely up. DONT DRIVE THAT WAY TO-FROM......

Suspension settings won't matter in this case IMO, and also in my experience. I've tried full stiff to full soft out back, and it made zero difference in back to back runs. Unless you are willing to switch to a softer spring, at which point you'll be giving up what makes the Viper so much fun to drive on the street.

The primary issue is bogging on the launch, and that's very hard to overcome with the Gen 5 1st gear ratio. I have the "better" (for drag racing) Gen 4 1st gear, 3.55s, and a 26" tire out back, and it still causes me problems.

If you can get to the point where you're chasing hundredths of a second, then sure, messing with that stuff will matter at least some. First time at the strip? Don't even bother. The nut behind the wheel is the biggest variable.

[98intrigue]

Keep us posted on your results. I went 11.1 @ 131mph on my previous '16 ACR-E with bolt-ons (IPSCO underdrive pulley, M&M headers, no cats, VE titanium mufflers) and Arrow PCM. I didn't mess with the suspension or the wing - it was in the suggested track settings.

[GTS Dean]

Suspension settings won't matter in this case IMO, and also in my experience. I've tried full stiff to full soft out back, and it made zero difference in back to back runs. Unless you are willing to switch to a softer spring, at which point you'll be giving up what makes the Viper so much fun to drive on the street.

There are fractions to be gained with ride height and alignment adjustments. More height gives more room for weight transfer. Go soft on rear bump, medium on rear rebound; higher on front bump and zero rebound. That will help weight transfer out of the hole. Softer rear springs will also help, but it's a pain. Square up the rear tire camber, zero the front toe in droop and pump up the front pressures.

[Steve M]

There are fractions to be gained with ride height and alignment adjustments. More height gives more room for weight transfer. Go soft on rear bump, medium on rear rebound; higher on front bump and zero rebound. That will help weight transfer out of the hole. Softer rear springs will also help, but it's a pain. Square up the rear tire camber, zero the front toe in droop and pump up the front pressures.

Maybe I'll put it this way...if you are cutting sub 1.6 60' times and still looking to improve, then I'd start messing with that stuff.

The stock clutch will give up the ghost well before that point though.

[Arizona Vipers]

Small Auto-x course, maybe.

Road course? No way.
Yeah I've never been able to use 1st on a road course, even in my stock ACR running slicks.