Brief report from the SRT Nationals

[CSX321]

I'm here in Louisiana for the 2nd Annual SRT Nationals. Pretty good turnout so far, I think. Several of the SRT team are here, including Ethan Bayar (aka DODGETWEAKER). They brought 3 SRT-4s: the Extreme Lightweight, an Orange Blast ACR, and a sort of mock-up Commemorative Edition.

I'm pleased as punch because I finally ran a 13.3 on my street tires tonight. Also cut a 2.0 on them and had a 0.013 reaction time. Woot! (Whatever that means. ) I have no power adders except Stage 2 with toys and the Mopar cat-back. (Runs were with 101 octane and HOM on.) My new wheels, tires, and suspension changes made all the difference. No wheelhop at all. That was due mostly to Energy Suspension front control arm bushings and upper and tranny mounts filled with 80 durometer poly. My slowest time tonight was faster than my best previous Stage 2 time. I love it! It also helps that these wheels and tires (Centerline Storm and Toyo Proxes T1-S) weigh a bunch less than the stock wheels and tires.

Tomorrow is an autocross-like event on the small part of the road course (at No Problem Raceway), and some lapping on the full course.

[04SRT4]

Sounds like you're having a good time.

[GLHSHELBY]

any new updates on 1/4 times?

[CSX321]

Ethan Bayar (aka DODGETWEAKER) went out and ran four 11.9's in a row in the Extreme Lightweight car. His first time driving it! That was the fastest of the night. Super Steve from Houston ran a 12.0 in his car, spinning the 23" slicks down the track. He's probably got one of the best big-turbo cars. It should be--he's sunk over $30K into it, in addition to the purchase price!

On Saturday I took second in Modified class in the autocross. I got beat by a Honda. I was pretty happy with the results, though. This was the first time I've ever autocrossed. If I counted right, I finished 6th overall, and two of those faster were not SRTs and one was Erich Heuschele (another SRT team guy) in the ACR. He finished first overall by far, but then he is possibly the best Neon driver on the planet. He was whooping on a bunch of more expensive cars on the road course with that stock SRT-4 ACR.

With a passenger, he's faster than this race-prepped EVO and Miata:

[TurboGLH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSX321 and tranny mounts filled with 80 durometer poly.

I've read your page and I know that you've bought your poly from http://www.gallaghercorp.com/, Size and shape you used to make the inserts for your mounts. I've been looking for a decent priced insert for the tranny mount with no luck. Thanks.

[CSX321]

This was the SRT-4 tranny mount. I've found a much better way to fill mounts if you're a DIY-type person. You can buy liquid polyurethane resin from several sources. I got mine from our old standby McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/). They have it in three durometers. With the resin, you just use duct tape to tightly seal one side of the mount, mix and pour in the resin, and wait for it to harden.

[TurboGLH]

Awesome, I'm trying to get the car together for the summer time, nothing like the nice weather to make you want to get some work done. Thanks.


edit: Did some looking, they have a 94 durometer flexable urethane casting compound, is that acceptable for motor mount use?

[CSX321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboGLH Awesome, I'm trying to get the car together for the summer time, nothing like the nice weather to make you want to get some work done. Thanks. edit: Did some looking, they have a 94 durometer flexable urethane casting compound, is that acceptable for motor mount use?

I'm pretty happy with the 80 durometer. The 94 will work, but that's getting close to hockey puck-hard. Which could be what you want, especially if it's not a daily driver.

[TurboGLH]

The car is my daily driver, but different strokes for different folk's as I used to drove my GLH with a no cat no muffler side dump all over the place. My main interest is to solve my wheel hop problem, the car is bad enough as it is and I'd like to make some more power AND be able to put it to the ground. Thanks alot for you input.

-Chris Ramsdell

[CSX321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboGLH My main interest is to solve my wheel hop problem

If possible, get poly bushings for your front control arms. I found that it did as much or more for curing wheel hop than the mounts. On the SRT I have both poly bushings and a poly-filled upper mount, and I had no wheel hop at all last week. The 2.0 short time on street tires was a personal best.

[contraption22]

I installed Prothane "Street" motormounts inserts last night. Took about 15 minutes and reduced wheelhop significantly. Next will be the control arm bushings.

[sy2206]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSX321 If possible, get poly bushings for your front control arms. I found that it did as much or more for curing wheel hop than the mounts. On the SRT I have both poly bushings and a poly-filled upper mount, and I had no wheel hop at all last week. The 2.0 short time on street tires was a personal best.

Yeah, I've also heard the poly bushings in the control arms help just as much if not more then motor mounts.

[TurboGLH]

Control arm bushings are getting ordered this week.

[CSX321]

BTW, for the SRT, I like the design of the Energy Suspension control arm bushings over the Prothane ones. The ES are a three-piece design that's kind of like a poly version of a spherical bearing, while the Prothane is just a chunk of poly, from what I understand.

The ES design results in very little, if any, noticeable new vibration or noise. Also, you can get the ES front control arm bushings by themselves, while I think you can only get the Prothane ones in a full bushing kit.

Downside of the ES design is it's a bugger to get the arm reinstalled while holding the upper and lower pieces on. Definitely worth it, though. Cheap, too, at only about $35 or so.

[contraption22]

Thanks for the info Dave. I can get both ES and Prothane from work, so i will get the ES ones.
I assume you wouldn't need to realign the car afterwards either, since you could leave the knuckle attached to the strut?