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SUPERCHARGED RED ROCKET ------------------Master-Moderator
Joined: May 11, 2006
Posts: 10,648
Likes: 2,516
From: Carnegie, PA
You might want to consider searching the subforums by selecting the search function menu located above on the home page... When the search drop down window displays, type in "bracket racing" or "racing brackets" then click on OK... If any threads have been submitted? You'll come across a display list of thread submissions... In the meantime, best of luck and welcome aboard!
Ok, well since you asked, careful what you ask for... my fascination with Mustangs started in the early 70s with a 1968 GT, Acapulco blue, J code, 302, 4v, 4 speed, traction lok, quad exhaust tipped fastback. No power anything and no AC.
I loved taking that car to the drag strip and a new type of handicap racing called bracket racing was just starting to take hold. The best part about bracket racing for a 17 year old kid was I didn't need a whole lot of money to do it and I didn’t even need to be the fastest car to win a race. I just needed to be a good strategist on the tree and at the stripe on the big end. The four speed cars dominated the track and only a few really expensive cars were having luck with automatics. I still can’t believe I let the car get away, but back then cars weren’t expected to last cause of salt and rust. Easy credit wasn’t a thing yet and it was less expensive to just replace the car rather then try to fix rust. You could get things like fenders, hoods and doors, but nobody was doing the serious repairs like floor pans and quarter panels worth a darn.
Also back then time slips were pretty basic with just an ET, mile per hour and hopefully a Win in your lane. There were no reaction times. If you knew the trick, you just left on the last amber and tried not to red-light. Most trees still had 5 ambers and the sportsman tree was also just starting to see usage. Technically the launch hasn't changed, but in 1984 the desktop computer revolutionized the experience at the drag strip. Besides ET and mile per-hour the new time slips measured things like reaction time, 60 foot, 330', 660' 1000 foot times. Delay boxes, two steps and transbrakes were next and started driving the expenses up and the driver’s role was rapidly becoming just to “let go” at the right instant and then drive the stripe. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just different.
Life has a way of taking you in other directions and as my career nears retirement, I find myself drawn back into the competition side of owning a Mustang. I’ve owned several Mustangs over the years, just didn’t race them, until now. I owned two 68s, a 73, a 65, a 01, and a 04. None of them were anything like the 68 GT. When Ford introduced the Coyote, I must have been sound asleep. A couple years ago a friend bought a high mileage Indiana highway patrol 2011 GT and introduced me to the Coyote. My eyes were wide open now!
So, early this year I found a well-cared-for high mileage Impact blue 2014 GT base model. A nurse bought it new and used it to commute to the hospital in Iowa City about an hour drive. She lowered the car with Steeda springs, shocks and struts and added drilled/slotted rotors with a set of after-market wheels and tires, a tune and a CAI. That’s pretty much it for mods. The engine was pretty much unmolested other than the tune and CAI.
I wanted more of the old school feel, cause I’m an old guy, so I put it pretty much back to the factory stance with stock springs, QA1 double adjustable shocks out back, Strange Engineering single adjustable struts up front, BMR UCA and bracket, BMR LCA and RL brackets, Circle D converter & thermistor delete, aluminum driveshaft and safety loop, a factory CAI, Ortiz tune, 170 stat, Borla S-type axle backs, Race Star wheels, Nitto NT555RIIs out back with M&H skinnies on front for track duty and a set of Ford 5 spoke 18” wheels with street tires for street driving. The 68 GT was the only year for the C-stripe facing the right direction on both sides, so I added a C-stripe to the 2014. Staying with the old school theme, I like the footbrake no box class of bracket racing.
Now I’m working out the traction issues these cars are known for. The Nittos probably weren’t the best choice, but if a stock Corvette on Youtube can hook with the Nitto NT555RIIs, this Mustang can too. I’m in the process of finding the best suspension setting to get the Nittos to dead hook.
That’s my story and this is the car. 2014 Impact blue automatic.
Make sure your relocation brackets are adjusted in the right direction. Be carfull not to twist a an axle tube(weld recommended). I run the Nitro555 G2 and have very good traction. I have 3:55 rear axle. I just jump on it once in while. It took me some time to get the traction down. Street tires have limits.
Make sure your relocation brackets are adjusted in the right direction. Be carfull not to twist a an axle tube(weld recommended). I run the Nitro555 G2 and have very good traction. I have 3:55 rear axle. I just jump on it once in while. It took me some time to get the traction down. Street tires have limits.
Thanks for the reply, you have my attention. The BMR LCAs and RLBs only go on one way and they aren't adjustable. All my launches will be at the track. May I ask what you found to make the car hook on the G2s from a dead stop?
Thanks for the reply, you have my attention. The BMR LCAs and RLBs only go on one way and they aren't adjustable. All my launches will be at the track. May I ask what you found to make the car hook on the G2s from a dead stop?
Are these the brackets you have? The holes are for changing the angle of the LCR.
Are these the brackets you have? The holes are for changing the angle of the LCR.
Yes, those are the same ones I have.
Ford ran the e-brake cable through a hole in the factory control arms. It always rubs a grove in the cable housing. I see you're running 295x55r15s. Do you have the adjustable UCA and 3 hole upper bracket mount?
Thats just an image to find out what kind of RLB you have. Make sure you have your LCR's at a slight downward angle when car is sitting on the ground. I am running a fixed steeda upper mount with heavy bracket set to the stock(middle)hole. My lcr's are gt 500 which come on the Brembo package. My 555 g2's are 265 40 19. I'm lowered on Ford racing P springs with Bilsteins. Most people do trial and error. What works for one may not work well for another.
Ok, well since you asked, careful what you ask for... my fascination with Mustangs started in the early 70s with a 1968 GT, Acapulco blue, J code, 302, 4v, 4 speed, traction lok, quad exhaust tipped fastback. No power anything and no AC.
I loved taking that car to the drag strip and a new type of handicap racing called bracket racing was just starting to take hold. The best part about bracket racing for a 17 year old kid was I didn't need a whole lot of money to do it and I didn’t even need to be the fastest car to win a race. I just needed to be a good strategist on the tree and at the stripe on the big end. The four speed cars dominated the track and only a few really expensive cars were having luck with automatics. I still can’t believe I let the car get away, but back then cars weren’t expected to last cause of salt and rust. Easy credit wasn’t a thing yet and it was less expensive to just replace the car rather then try to fix rust. You could get things like fenders, hoods and doors, but nobody was doing the serious repairs like floor pans and quarter panels worth a darn.
Also back then time slips were pretty basic with just an ET, mile per hour and hopefully a Win in your lane. There were no reaction times. If you knew the trick, you just left on the last amber and tried not to red-light. Most trees still had 5 ambers and the sportsman tree was also just starting to see usage. Technically the launch hasn't changed, but in 1984 the desktop computer revolutionized the experience at the drag strip. Besides ET and mile per-hour the new time slips measured things like reaction time, 60 foot, 330', 660' 1000 foot times. Delay boxes, two steps and transbrakes were next and started driving the expenses up and the driver’s role was rapidly becoming just to “let go” at the right instant and then drive the stripe. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just different.
Life has a way of taking you in other directions and as my career nears retirement, I find myself drawn back into the competition side of owning a Mustang. I’ve owned several Mustangs over the years, just didn’t race them, until now. I owned two 68s, a 73, a 65, a 01, and a 04. None of them were anything like the 68 GT. When Ford introduced the Coyote, I must have been sound asleep. A couple years ago a friend bought a high mileage Indiana highway patrol 2011 GT and introduced me to the Coyote. My eyes were wide open now!
So, early this year I found a well-cared-for high mileage Impact blue 2014 GT base model. A nurse bought it new and used it to commute to the hospital in Iowa City about an hour drive. She lowered the car with Steeda springs, shocks and struts and added drilled/slotted rotors with a set of after-market wheels and tires, a tune and a CAI. That’s pretty much it for mods. The engine was pretty much unmolested other than the tune and CAI.
I wanted more of the old school feel, cause I’m an old guy, so I put it pretty much back to the factory stance with stock springs, QA1 double adjustable shocks out back, Strange Engineering single adjustable struts up front, BMR UCA and bracket, BMR LCA and RL brackets, Circle D converter & thermistor delete, aluminum driveshaft and safety loop, a factory CAI, Ortiz tune, 180 stat, Borla S-type axle backs, Race Star wheels, Nitto NT555RIIs out back with M&H skinnies on front for track duty and a set of Ford 5 spoke 18” wheels with street tires for street driving. The 68 GT was the only year for the C-stripe facing the right direction on both sides, so I added a C-stripe to the 2014. Staying with the old school theme, I like the footbrake no box class of bracket racing.
Now I’m working out the traction issues these cars are known for. The Nittos probably weren’t the best choice, but if a stock Corvette on Youtube can hook with the Nitto NT555RIIs, this Mustang can too. I’m in the process of finding the best suspension setting to get the Nittos to dead hook.
That’s my story and this is the car. 2014 Impact blue automatic.
Nice write-up! Great read. Thanks for sharing. Hope to hear more on you Mustang adventures! Great looking 2014! My favorite S197 year.
There are 3 holes to change the angle of the LCR. If you have them set to the wrong hole it will hurt your traction. The hole you use depends on how much you are lowered. The arms need to be slightly downard when the car is sitting on the ground. You probably expect to be able to launch at way to high of RPM for any stock tire. Dumping the clutch without proper control of the right foot will most likely have poor results.
Thanks for all the input. The car has a 6r80 with a Circle D pro 245mm 36-3800 stall vert and is at factory ride height. When you guys say the LCA should be angled slightly down, you must be referring to the rear of the LCA. The RLBs are to change the instant center (IC). The front of the LCA needs to angle up so the IC is somewhere close to the index line. If the front of the LCA is angled down that puts the IC in front of the car or worse below the surface of the track.
I haven't had the chance to make it back to the test and tune since making the changes and installing QA1 DA shocks. I'm hoping the 275x50r15 Nittos work better than the first trip to the track. That was almost a disaster. I launched at 1500rpm, the tires chattered as they broke loose with the Strange single adjustable shocks that couldn't control the separation/compression with the UCA in the lower hole and that just about put me into the wall.
I've corner scaled the car and calculated the bias front to rear, cross bias and rear axle side to side bias. Also located the IC and CG. At the first TNT I had the IC too far back and the Strangle single adjustable shocks weren't enough to control the separation/compression on the hit. The car is good on paper now, I'm just concerned that I may have inadvertently missed something that the more seasoned racers know about.
Over coming the car's weight disadvantage and not so great gear ratio have been a huge challenge.
I scaled the car and the weight side to side/front to back isn't bad. After installing the Circle D 4c 3600-3800 rpm converter, I finally got the car's reaction time down into the .020s. It's not easy to get the car to leave in the .020s. To get it there I had to have 24" tires on the front and make sure the drag radials are good and hot before staging the car. I found out almost the hard way they don't like leaving until they are at least 160 degrees. That almost put me into the wall and I see why there are so many videos of Mustangs spinning out and going into the other lanes.
As I'm staged with the RPM at 1500 I have to switch feet while mashing the gas and releasing the brake "exactly" as the third amber light comes on. That sounds easy, but if I see the third amber, I'm already late. The QA1 double adjustable shocks controlled the suspension compression and rebound much better and kept the drag radials planted on the track for a real difference late into the last test and tune as the track prep went away and I got into some tire speed out passed the 60'!
The next issue is that stock 3.15 gear. The 3.15 gearing causes the car to shift just before crossing the stripe. Ideally the engine should be close to redline going over the stripe and not shift.
To get the tires up to temp in the water box I added a Hurst roll control line lock. To get a little more grunt down low and increased rpm at the stripe, I went to a Circle D 6c 4000-4200 rpm stall converter with a 3.73 gear. This will allow me to launch a little harder and red line at the stripe without shifting.
The next test and tune I can make is on September 29th. I wanted to go sooner but my schedule isn't working out for that to happen.
