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How to drag race the GTO (make sticky?)

17K views 43 replies 27 participants last post by  Nmbr1GMfan 
#1 ·
Hi Folks just bought an 06 with 6M and 18" wheels. Looks stock, shifter is SERIOUSLY mushy, and on the test drive the rear wheel hop was NASTY. But had to have the 400hp:turbonaug

My prior drag experience has been in 4.6L mustangs with a solid axle & M/Ts.

How do you control the wheel hop? I've read numerous threads about airlift bags, pedder diff insert , 1 piece driveshaft, and 300M big/little halfshafts, any one thing work? Why did GM give us 400hp/trq and the IRS? I can't afford a rear swap, so maybe just beef the axles?

Thx
 
#6 ·
I have a set of drag bags, and m/t's the only time I get wheel hop is in the beginning of my burnout but its minimal. If your not trying to throw down 800 on the anti wheel hop axels this is a good and popular route.. plus you can fit a fatter tire:turbonaug
 
#7 · (Edited)
Looks like you answered your own question?

Anti wheel-hop axles are reported to be the most effective. In my M6, drag bags alone on street tires did jack squat (lug luts came loose later that day from the wheel hop). Upgrading to Koni Yellows (set nearly full stiff) out back, and upping to drag radials (much easier to maintain traction) solved it for me. You can also look into upgrading the crossmember bushings.
 
#8 ·
I've read numerous threads about airlift bags, pedder diff insert , 1 piece driveshaft, and 300M big/little halfshafts, any one thing work? Why did GM give us 400hp/trq and the IRS? I can't afford a rear swap, so maybe just beef the axles?
there is no "one thing," especially considering you purchased a manual. wheelhop is easier to reign in with an automatic.

anti-hop axles help immensely but its best to upgrade everything back there. the stock suspension is mush and allows too much movement.

as for asking why 400 horse + irs? you bought the wrong car. new age gto =! cheap drag car.
 
#16 ·
there is no "one thing," especially considering you purchased a manual. wheelhop is easier to reign in with an automatic.

anti-hop axles help immensely but its best to upgrade everything back there. the stock suspension is mush and allows too much movement.

as for asking why 400 horse + irs? you bought the wrong transmission. new age gto =! badass drag car.
Fixed for you.
 
#14 ·
Hi Folks just bought an 06 with 6M and 18" wheels. Looks stock, shifter is SERIOUSLY mushy, and on the test drive the rear wheel hop was NASTY. But had to have the 400hp:turbonaug

My prior drag experience has been in 4.6L mustangs with a solid axle & M/Ts.

How do you control the wheel hop? I've read numerous threads about airlift bags, pedder diff insert , 1 piece driveshaft, and 300M big/little halfshafts, any one thing work? Why did GM give us 400hp/trq and the IRS? I can't afford a rear swap, so maybe just beef the axles?

Thx
So, you've moved on from slow cars. :pimp:
As to why 400hp/tq & IRS. IRS is better for the road in every way over a solid rear end. However IRS create a great deal more stress on parts. Solid rear ends are tougher and provide better control in straight lines (drag racing *lower 60ft*) and rock climbing (for their strength). If you are willing to question GM / Holden's choice of rear suspension, then why not question Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, etc. Nearly all high end manufacturers use IRS and I don't hear their owners questioning why they have IRS with stock power being an average of 50% higher than ours. :thumbs:


And nope, all work together. In terms of % The upgraded anti-wheel hop halfshafts will help the most.

Upgraded anti-wheel halfshafts = $800.00+
Suspension poly urethane parts and springs/struts = $1,200.00+
1 piece driveshaft new = $1,000
Drag bags (Air bags that fit inside the rear springs)= $100

Yeah, you can buy the GTO cheap, but parts... that's a different story.
Best of luck. If you plan on doing it right, then do it once. Save and worry about it when you do have the budget. You get what you pay for. Learn your car better, minimize the wheel hop (which you can) to the best of your driving ability, then buy parts.

I love my GTO. But it was not built to be a drag car even though you can modify it to do so.
 
#15 ·
Yep -parts, parts & more parts.
 
#18 ·
GTO+street racing= M6 GTO+dragracing= Automatic
 
#19 ·
I know to each their own, but this to me is a bullshit statement. I had E.T. goals at a near stock level that I never would have achieved with an A4. My favorite setup was LS7 clutch, drag radial, 4.10 gear, ported LS2 intake, ported TB, tune and ran 12.45. I think that was like 330 rwhp.
 
#25 ·
stick are very fun to drive on the street, yes they put down more power but..
even if its not any thing to do with the car or tranny, you will miss a gear at one point in time during a race, if a auto misses a gear you are pulling it out that weekend. just my .02
 
#26 ·
Hi Folks just bought an 06 with 6M and 18" wheels. Looks stock, shifter is SERIOUSLY mushy, and on the test drive the rear wheel hop was NASTY. But had to have the 400hp:turbonaug

How do you control the wheel hop? I've read numerous threads about airlift bags, pedder diff insert , 1 piece driveshaft, and 300M big/little halfshafts, any one thing work?

Thx
I would start with drag bags,Harrop sports cover,x-member bushings and sticky tires.Then add parts as your budget allows.
 
#32 ·
I have never said I was a professional driver, and I have driven more than one "real stickshift" and have no problems with either :)
My GTO was bought with an A4 because
A) I do intend on FI ( i've had one killer setup already ) and want consistency and a quicker 1/4 mile, while not being as harsh on a drivetrain
B) Due to an injury I sustained in the Marines I simply cannot drive with a HD aftermarket clutch the car would require every day.

Driving a purpose built drag car with a clutch pedal/manual transmission? Nope, I cannot say i've done that. If you have that's awesome and I would love to hear more about it.
 
#33 ·
Unfotunately a consistently fast stick car needs slip in the driveline (clutch). The only clutch that will do this reliably and consistently is a sintered iron disc which is a bitch to run on the street. Slipping a hyd clutch makes for screwy workings of the hyd system (heat), so add the cars weight or overweight one might say, and this is not an ideal platform. That being said I wish I had the time to get a stock LS GTO slide a drag clutch in and tweak it to see what it would really do. I added a video from the SAM camaro, its like 440 inches LS N/A stickshift with a sintered iron disc, you can see how smooth it leaves slightly slipping the clutch at launch and shifts.
 
#34 ·
Unfotunately a consistently fast stick car needs slip in the driveline (clutch). The only clutch that will do this reliably
i've been pondering getting something along the lines of a mcleod soft loc or similar, whenever i gather enough chedder to go big...
 
#36 · (Edited)
If memory serves...
Nmbr1GMfan won the last shootout -- "5th Annual All GTO Track Day" -- at Bradenton Motorsports Park over a purpose-built drag car. He nailed his dial with his M6 street car with only a set of DRs (stock tranny/drivetrain)...

The bigger point is -- one can be consistent AND fast if they learn/know how drive. Even with the *WFT GM? 400 horsepowers IRS YO!!* that the OP stumbled upon.
 
#38 ·
king springs....amazing cost about $150 for the rear. theyll also alow u to put some 275's in the rear. i t makes a big diff and only cost $150
 
#40 ·
Nobody ever mentions that you can buy a single anti wheel hop axle for ~$400. That's what I did and it worked great. The drag bags didn't do much to help the hop but I still put them in when I installed Pedders springs. You can also get a 1-piece aluminum drive-shaft for ~$600 from Hendrix/DSS. I'm not sure if the 1-piece really helps since my hop was solved with the single AWH axle before I put in the D/S. :cents:
 
#43 ·
I mean I'm not knocking any of the products, especially the upgraded axles (because lets face it, IRS is stupid lol) but when I'm not at the track if my car spins the tires I get wheel hop with BMR Drag Bags and Pedders Drag Springs.

The only cure is traction, it completely prevents wheelhop from happening in the first place. The rest are just parts fighting to stop something already going on.
 
#44 ·
I hear some say wheel hop is terible while others can control it, maybe some cars are worse than others. As stated above if it's not spinning it can't hop. I have always tried to control wheel speed with clutch actuation and rpm for quick launches.
 
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