HI!... Since this topic has switched over to TIRE SPINNING, how about this :

http://www.85merk.com/movies/Neal_Massive_Burnout-s.mpg


This was done with GOODYEAR 275/60/R-17 tires (30" tall) on a dry concrete road with NO water assist, brake torquing. I also had about 250LBS of new tires and rims in the bed of the truck. This was done in 1ST gear and half way through shifted into 2nd gear. ENJOY!!!!!!!

 

Oops, wrong pic Neal,,,,98

 

Note: I (Iron Horse) tried to move or delete this post. I though I was in the wheels and tires thread of "Tire Performance Help needed". I have not had enough coffee this morning. ha!

Thanks Screamer,

I am learning a lot about truck performance on this site. Not to go into suspension stuff like stiffer coil and leaf springs and stiffer shocks but only looking at the tires, it seems that if I could find a very hard sidewall tire that was made for very heavy loads, yet was wider than stock, I could keep my stock truck height and see less wobble and bouncing/bodyroll on the straight aways?

My 99' firebird had 235/55/16's with rs rated tires. I had a very good ride due to being low, lighter, blah, blah blah. But when I changed to 245/45/17's with Z rated tires, the steering is awesome. Total control and incredible handling. The wind can push me around, but zero bodyroll and no wondering on any road (expect when the tires try to "track" in the ruts, but steering controls it) I think in part, the improvement came from a stiffer and shorter sidewall with the lower profile tires (I know a pothole is going to crack a wheel someday). They even hold more air (44 max psi.) than my truck tires (35 max psi). Yet, my truck tires look about 6 inches taller are narrower, and the truck weighs about 1500 to 2000 more pounds than the Firebird!

Basicaly what I am looking for in tires conflicts (just like everything eles in my life ha!). I want stiffer, car like steering and handling, yet, I do not want to lower it, and I want the fender well "filled up" with tire sidewall and I do not want to lose mpg, yet I want to spin my tires more with my 3.55 gear ratio. Oh yeah, I also need to find them used and cheap. ha!

 

iron horse,

Have you considered getting a higher stall speed torque converter? Being a bit of a Mustang freak (used to own two 5.0L's), I remember reading on tips to improve the response of the old AOD. Aside from changing the gearing from the pathetic stock 2.73's to 3.55's, they also added a different torque converter that had a stall speed about 500RPM's higher - much more into the torque curve of the engine. Tirespinning was not a problem and the car was supposedly much more enjoyable to drive. I do not know if you can get updated torque converters for your application, but I am sure it is possible if you look into it.

If this has been mentioned b4, I apologize.

Dave

'98 Expy EB 4x4 Black/Tan
ex: 99 Contour SVT

 

SPExpedition,

Hey, I got to look into that "higher rpm stall torque converter". You know, I think I am going to like my truck a whole lot more since obtaining all these good comments from members like you. Thanks alot.

 

You're welcome iron horse! I hope it works out for you...here are a couple of links I found.....

Baumann Engineering

Pro Torque

 

ha ha ha ha!!! I got a kick out of that smoky burnout. That was crazy.

 

Iron Horse,
You can also do the Y pipe change. Do a search here for more info. I noticed some power gain with that and also underdrive pullies. The 4.6 pullies are even availible on E-bay!

 

Just a friendly notification, the search has been down for months,,,98