How many of you guys use the water box and what are your opinions on it?

yesterday I used it for the first time and I felt like I had ALOT more control over my launch.

 

On slicks you want to go through the water box to get both slicks to start spinning easy.

Street tires I also use the water box but most people don't recommend it.

 

I avoid the water box on street tires as best I can.

 

I use the water when warming up either size of BFG DRs. Makes a difference on launch.

Tried water on street BFG TA/G-forces - seemed a waste of time. ???

Staging with FWD grocery-getter confuses the track guys sometimes.....

 

My understanding is avoid the water on street tires, slicks or DR's use the water box.

 

When I don't use the water box I get a TON of wheel hop.
It's like I have to excessively slip the clutch just to avoid exploding into a wheel hop frenzy. I trapped a little faster when I used the water box as well.

 

If it works for you then keep doing it. Do you have poly motor mounts? Those will help keep down the wheelhop. Personally I lower the front tire pressure if I get wheelhop. If I'm not having wheelhop problems that day then I don't bother messing with the front tire pressure. I firmly believe wheelhop is a function of track conditions more than anything.

 

I have ES motor mounts and I lowered my pressure to about 30 from 35.
I have to agree with you about the wheel hop being a function of track conditions, I was getting wheelhop in 2nd at the track in Reynolds, GA.

 

i always stayed away from the water as well with street tires, just starting to adventure in with drag radials.

 

that it does, i had a track guy get mad at me and yell at me cause i wasnt listening to him, i guess he didnt know what i was doing, so i ignored him.

i always do the waterbox, using the craptenzas, it does make a difference that ive noticed and i have tried both ways.

 

My ebrake no worky, so i really can't go thru water box with my DRs, i have to fix the stupid thing, but i cant seem figure out what could be causing my ebrake not to work.

 

You're supposed to use the ebrake ??? Hummm - that might account for the staging guys getting grumpy when I slide through the lights while doing the waterbox thing....

Seriously - I usually don't use the ebrake. Where I go has plenty of room to stop after burnout, with 9.7" BFG DRs.


13.61 ET 101.9 MPH No weight removed, full spare and jack

 

you dont have to use the ebrake, it just allows you to do a much better burnout and makes the burnout actually have a use.

 

The 3 tracks that I race at won't allow non-slicks in the waterbox during any non Sport Compact (Import) race.

When the Sport Compacts race they allow DR's as well in waterbox but definately no street tires. The only reason they allow the DR's is because the organizers (the folks paying for the track) ask them too.

V8 guys will go ape**** if you try the box without slicks. I still get many of the track personnel wave me around the waterbox until I finally convince them I have my slicks on the front.

During non-event days ie T&T etc its depends on who is working the waterbox.

As you soon find out Drag Strips are V8 oriented.

 

^ true on V8 oriented, i wonder if my drag radials is what you call a cheater slick ? the new hoosier drag radial has no tread pattern ? yeah, going pass the line is really a no no ! but i see it happen all the time, really only the big boys are allowed to fly half way down the track doing a burnout, lol ! someone roast up their maxima doing a burnout half way down the track and get it on video ! lol

 

my first time on the track thats exactly what i did lol. i thought i was saying something but wound up with a 14.6

 

HEH most drag strips with a lot of meatheads will choke yo if you try and use the water box without slicks. Locally the will sometimes let you get away with it, but normally you are routed around the box.

First time with slicks they waved me right in, although he guided me too far in front of the water. heh.

Regardless anyone using the water box on street tires really shouldn't be. There is no point. In fact I am surprised others don't get pissed. You will get the tires hot enough to burn off the water and as such will just drag some up the staging lanes.

Street tires you should do a small dry hop to clean them off.

 

uhhh, i have shown a difference, like i said here.

also, ive never been choked

 

Some tracks are designed in really retarded ways. My local track is built such that it's not POSSIBLE to go around the water. The water spans the entire width of the track and there are walls on the sides so you can't even drive in the grass to get around it.

 

mine is somewhat like that too. thats what convinced me to try both ways. wanted to know if it was really worth it to get so close to the wall.

 

so if you burned the water off, what exactly are you dragging to the staging lanes?? air?

 

Your rear tires dude...

 

who cares, that doesnt affect you, its behind you. and that has nothing to do with if you have slicks or street tires

 

Easy man. I made a typo. I meant you are NOT getting them hot enough to burn the water off. And it has NOTHING to do with you and your run. The next guy that comes through on slicks just might notice it. ESPECIALLY if it is a high HP car.

This varies from track to track, locals usually dictate weather or not you will be choked.

Prove it makes a difference. I want to see comparitive slips of at least 3 runs each way, on the same night. You telling me it helps is not physical evidence. Post the entire timeslip so we can compare ET, MPH, 60', and 330'. Also make sure your tire pressures are checked and exact between each run.

3 60' times for runs with just a small dry burnout (avoiding the water).

3 60' times for runs with using the water box.

If you do not have this data or have not done this then honestly you do not know if it REALLY makes a difference. You have to control all variables and there are a million in drag racing!


Honestly I think the difference is in your head. You should not be heating street tires up anyway, they tend to loose grip the hotter they get. What you are saying goes against everything that holds true in the drag racing world.

 

the real reason is drags and street tires have grooves and slicks dont. when you go thru the water with grooves you carry some water over to the staging lanes which is not good for traction for the slick guys.

 

Gotta disagree. Sequence of 60 foots on stock 215 tires last bracket day I ran, first 3 runs with no burnouts, and all others with (relatively) small ones:

2.20
2.23
2.17
2.12
2.05
2.06
2.08
2.02
2.04

Whether it's worth doing a burnout depends entirely on track prep.

 

New hoosier drag radial vs. toyo proxes T1-R

 

those are the only drags that should go thru the box, no grooves. my drags have grooves so there not really waterbox material. ceaser are those street legal drags or strictly track.

 

No burnout at all? Did you even do a dry peel out to clean off the tires?

 

I did no burnout on the first 3 runs. I avoided the water box completely. On the other runs I went through the water box and did a good 5-6 second burnout. All runs with 25 psi up front.

 

glad someone has my info. i dont have the slips, and im not going to go back and do some of each cause thats a waste of good runs. i do know that i made my times go down and thats why i continue to do it. its not in my head when the timeslip tells me so.

 

The cars running after you, especially the guys putting down 1500hp on 17" wide slicks, definately care.

 

at my track, they clean up the water so it doesnt matter. besides, it does that whether you have slicks or not so im not sure why it came up in this thread

 

Really it doesn't anyone that uses slicks and gets them hot enough (most of the cars RWD) will burn off anything.....

Because your time went down doesn't mean anything. My point stands that you have not proved it actually reduces your 60' time, waste of good runs or not, it is the only way you can show results!!!!

 

I am glad you actually record your info. this is what helps you learn the proper setup. Next time try a small dry burnout to clean off the tires and see if it yields similar results.

 

uhhhh, im pretty sure your max is still fwd even with slicks on it, so you still drag water up.

PS: i proved it to myself and thats all that matters, and by saying that i know by my TIMESLIPS, that means i have proved it makes a difference in 60'. i know this because my timeslip has a little section down there for 60' time.

 

Next time there's a good chance it'll be boosted, so none of that is going to make a difference

 

Man you really don't look past yourself much do you? First off I don't have a max, but yes I do have a FWD car. Second I am talking about OTHER people that use the drag strip, not as if when you go you are the only one there. I am done on this subject, you refuse to see anything other than what you want to see so it's nto worth the energy!

 

LMAO no doubt on that. BTW slick launches rule! 1.8 60' launches in a FWD car never get old!

 

Ever since I read on hear not to use the water box I havent. I'll be at the track this weekend and will try it once and see if theres a difference. I also cant use my e-brake so it will be a little hard.