"Whats your name? Who's your Daddy!"
#1
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C55,SL55,C63
"Whats your name? Who's your Daddy!"
As that old Zombies song goes.. "Its the time of the season"
Today, according to the weather forecast, makes the last day of 100 degree temps here in the Phoenix area. That means its safe to head out to the dragstrip and get your chops up or in other words get some passes in to knock the rust off. I wouldn't expect great times, ad the DA will be around the 3000ft mark until about 10pm. It just might be the right temp for those fast E55 out here to not get kicked off the track.
Here are some things I'm doing to prep for the race season:
1)I'll start with literally blowing the dust off of my slicks and inspect them for any dry rot that could have happened when sitting in a dry garage for 5 months.
This year I'm getting my slicks "road force balanced" since I will be going well over 100mph on them. I dont even know what RFB is, but i hear its really good.
2) For those who dont run race fuel, I would recommend running a tank full of 100oct and burn off any build up on your piston tops. After a borescope view of my pistons on 100oct they cleaned up nicely from the slower burn. This Arizona summer blend of gas we get out here in AZ is not good at all. So not only will race gas help clean up your piston tops, you will get a nice little advance in timing for some added power. I've been running race fuel for some time now and have never had had an o2 or cat issue.
3) a good ol' dyno run. IMO its worth spending a half hour on the dyno just to see if any timing is being pulled. I look at it as a Doctors visit with out the invasive exams.
3) fluids: yeah change your oil, but for performance and temp consistency I like to do a cooling system cleaning. My car for some reason my car has a slime that builds up and I can see it in my split cooling systems reservoir.
Also for those who havent split their cooling system its a cheap mod and worth doing. You dont need a huge ice chest, a small one will work good too. The Ice chest is nice, but for those on a budget and just want to reap the benefits of a split system you can just do one that fits under the hood. On a side note. if you split the system, have the small reservoir as the highest point so its self bleeding.
I dont have a LSD and maybe I should, but switching to some aftermarket diff fluid i've seen some added lockup at the rear wheels and it made for some nice launches. Sure the jury is still out on that, but its cheap enough so might as well.
4) buy a torque wrench, If your swapping slicks at the track its a must.
5) make sure your helmet is in spec with the right date and DOT/Snell approved. Also If your like me and keep your helmet in your garage check it for spiders. I found one in my offroad helmet last week. Good thing I checked.
Remember if it isnt on film is only a time slip. Cant wait to race with you guys this season.
Today, according to the weather forecast, makes the last day of 100 degree temps here in the Phoenix area. That means its safe to head out to the dragstrip and get your chops up or in other words get some passes in to knock the rust off. I wouldn't expect great times, ad the DA will be around the 3000ft mark until about 10pm. It just might be the right temp for those fast E55 out here to not get kicked off the track.
Here are some things I'm doing to prep for the race season:
1)I'll start with literally blowing the dust off of my slicks and inspect them for any dry rot that could have happened when sitting in a dry garage for 5 months.
This year I'm getting my slicks "road force balanced" since I will be going well over 100mph on them. I dont even know what RFB is, but i hear its really good.
2) For those who dont run race fuel, I would recommend running a tank full of 100oct and burn off any build up on your piston tops. After a borescope view of my pistons on 100oct they cleaned up nicely from the slower burn. This Arizona summer blend of gas we get out here in AZ is not good at all. So not only will race gas help clean up your piston tops, you will get a nice little advance in timing for some added power. I've been running race fuel for some time now and have never had had an o2 or cat issue.
3) a good ol' dyno run. IMO its worth spending a half hour on the dyno just to see if any timing is being pulled. I look at it as a Doctors visit with out the invasive exams.
3) fluids: yeah change your oil, but for performance and temp consistency I like to do a cooling system cleaning. My car for some reason my car has a slime that builds up and I can see it in my split cooling systems reservoir.
Also for those who havent split their cooling system its a cheap mod and worth doing. You dont need a huge ice chest, a small one will work good too. The Ice chest is nice, but for those on a budget and just want to reap the benefits of a split system you can just do one that fits under the hood. On a side note. if you split the system, have the small reservoir as the highest point so its self bleeding.
I dont have a LSD and maybe I should, but switching to some aftermarket diff fluid i've seen some added lockup at the rear wheels and it made for some nice launches. Sure the jury is still out on that, but its cheap enough so might as well.
4) buy a torque wrench, If your swapping slicks at the track its a must.
5) make sure your helmet is in spec with the right date and DOT/Snell approved. Also If your like me and keep your helmet in your garage check it for spiders. I found one in my offroad helmet last week. Good thing I checked.
Remember if it isnt on film is only a time slip. Cant wait to race with you guys this season.
#5
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/technical/index.cfm
Find a shop that has a Hunter GSP9700, and preferably a Hunter GSP9700 Certified Technician to go with it, that actually knows how to operate and take full advantage of the machine's capabilities. There are far too many tire shops out there that have GSP9700's, but won't spend the time on your wheels and tires to do the job right.
#6
Out Of Control!!
Nice writeup! Soon as I get my car tuned its on! Can't wait to get back to the track. Weather is much cooler here now but 9.0:1 AFR's are no good for drag racing
#7
PLATINUM SPONSOR
I like reading the humorous truth about racing..
Spiders? I figured you desert dwellers would have to check your helments for Scorpions and Gila monsters..
I think a lot of 55`s are going to be needing to look into Roll cages. Sux getting kicked off the track all the time.. AMG leather wrapped, of course..
5) make sure your helmet is in spec with the right date and DOT/Snell approved. Also If your like me and keep your helmet in your garage check it for spiders. I found one in my offroad helmet last week. Good thing I checked.
I think a lot of 55`s are going to be needing to look into Roll cages. Sux getting kicked off the track all the time.. AMG leather wrapped, of course..
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E63 Biturbo, UPD Cold Air induction kit, UPD performance crank pulley and UPD adjustable rear suspension with ride height adjustment.
CL55 UPD Cold Air Boost kit, UPD 3000 stall converter, UPD 77mm SC clutched pulley and beltwrap kit, Custom long tubes, UPD crank pulley , UPD suspension kit, UPD SC pulley, Aux. HE, Trunk tank w/rule 2000 pump, Mezeire pump, UPD 5pc idler set, Aluminum rotor hats.
www.ultimatepd.com
instagram @ultimate_pd
facebook.com/ultimatepd
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#8
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Join Date: Nov 2005
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a quarter mile at a time
It is the only way to have your wheels/tires balanced. Here's a link to Hunter's technical information regarding their Road Force Balancing technology:
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/technical/index.cfm
Find a shop that has a Hunter GSP9700, and preferably a Hunter GSP9700 Certified Technician to go with it, that actually knows how to operate and take full advantage of the machine's capabilities. There are far too many tire shops out there that have GSP9700's, but won't spend the time on your wheels and tires to do the job right.
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/technical/index.cfm
Find a shop that has a Hunter GSP9700, and preferably a Hunter GSP9700 Certified Technician to go with it, that actually knows how to operate and take full advantage of the machine's capabilities. There are far too many tire shops out there that have GSP9700's, but won't spend the time on your wheels and tires to do the job right.
basically, it uses a hub to measure tire runout vs wheel runout and lets the installer match up low/high points to help cancel out imperfections in the wheel/tire combination. Really is the best way to get a balance done.
#9
MBWorld Fanatic!
As that old Zombies song goes.. "Its the time of the season"You'r too young too know this, ha, ha
1)I'll start with literally blowing the dust off of my slicks and inspect them for any dry rot that could have happened when sitting in a dry garage for 5 months. Good idea my friend
This year I'm getting my slicks "road force balanced" since I will be going well over 100mph on them. I dont even know what RFB is, but i hear its really good.
2) For those who dont run race fuel, I would recommend running a tank full of 100oct and burn off any build up on your piston tops.Sorry Hooley, but this point is NOT correct. Race fuel, aka ANY high octane fuel actually burns SLOWER as you pointed out, so there is no way in HE__that it can clean up the combustion chanber/pistons/valves, etc. Using a LOW octane fuel would work, aka spark rattle, but I would HIGHLY NOT recomend it After a borescope view of my pistons on 100oct they cleaned up nicely from the slower burn. This Arizona summer blend of gas we get out here in AZ is not good at all. So not only will race gas help clean up your piston tops, you will get a nice little advance in timing for some added power. I've been running race fuel for some time now and have never had had an o2 or cat issue. This only happens with LEADED fuels. High octane does not hurt the O2 sensors, but lead will. The local GNX crews here change their O2 sensors every month
4) buy a torque wrench, If your swapping slicks at the track its a must.
5) make sure your helmet is in spec with the right date and DOT/Snell approved. Also If your like me and keep your helmet in your garage check it for spiders. I found one in my offroad helmet last week. Good thing I checked.
Remember if it isnt on film is only a time slip. Cant wait to race with you guys this season.
1)I'll start with literally blowing the dust off of my slicks and inspect them for any dry rot that could have happened when sitting in a dry garage for 5 months. Good idea my friend
This year I'm getting my slicks "road force balanced" since I will be going well over 100mph on them. I dont even know what RFB is, but i hear its really good.
2) For those who dont run race fuel, I would recommend running a tank full of 100oct and burn off any build up on your piston tops.Sorry Hooley, but this point is NOT correct. Race fuel, aka ANY high octane fuel actually burns SLOWER as you pointed out, so there is no way in HE__that it can clean up the combustion chanber/pistons/valves, etc. Using a LOW octane fuel would work, aka spark rattle, but I would HIGHLY NOT recomend it After a borescope view of my pistons on 100oct they cleaned up nicely from the slower burn. This Arizona summer blend of gas we get out here in AZ is not good at all. So not only will race gas help clean up your piston tops, you will get a nice little advance in timing for some added power. I've been running race fuel for some time now and have never had had an o2 or cat issue. This only happens with LEADED fuels. High octane does not hurt the O2 sensors, but lead will. The local GNX crews here change their O2 sensors every month
4) buy a torque wrench, If your swapping slicks at the track its a must.
5) make sure your helmet is in spec with the right date and DOT/Snell approved. Also If your like me and keep your helmet in your garage check it for spiders. I found one in my offroad helmet last week. Good thing I checked.
Remember if it isnt on film is only a time slip. Cant wait to race with you guys this season.
Break another record and have some GREAT fun
Last edited by MRAMG1; 09-30-2009 at 04:52 PM.
#10
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C55,SL55,C63
I was saying the samething about race fuel not cleaning the piston tops. But I was surprized to see my pistons looked so much better, Vitualy no carbon build up after I started running 100oct all the time. Also no black build up on the tail pipe. Its kind of a reddish, Brown color.
#11
I don't think many people got that part about being kickoff the track, but it's never a sad day when you get kick off. it has happened to me in several cars and I never get mad I just smile and watch for the rest of the night.
#12
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Real Cars
It is the only way to have your wheels/tires balanced. Here's a link to Hunter's technical information regarding their Road Force Balancing technology:
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/technical/index.cfm
Find a shop that has a Hunter GSP9700, and preferably a Hunter GSP9700 Certified Technician to go with it, that actually knows how to operate and take full advantage of the machine's capabilities. There are far too many tire shops out there that have GSP9700's, but won't spend the time on your wheels and tires to do the job right.
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/technical/index.cfm
Find a shop that has a Hunter GSP9700, and preferably a Hunter GSP9700 Certified Technician to go with it, that actually knows how to operate and take full advantage of the machine's capabilities. There are far too many tire shops out there that have GSP9700's, but won't spend the time on your wheels and tires to do the job right.
Agree 100% but wanted to clarify. The shop I use for all my MB stuff has a 9700 and I use them to do all my wheels. The roadforce balancing process is always measured but not always needed. There are instances when doing the initial balancing process that the roadforce measurement is within spec and therefore the wheel/tire does not need to be actually roadforce balanced.
Additionally, bent wheels or otherwise defective tires also will usually require roadforce balancing but most shops that I am aware of will not roadforce balance damaged wheels/tires.
I am not a GSP9700 expert, this is just what I've experienced. I think we are both on the same page. If someone observes an operator using a GSP9700 machine and doesn't notice anything special about how they did the balancing, it may be simply because there was no additional or roadforce balancing needed, not because they are just not utilizing the machine.
-m
#13
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C55,SL55,C63
Dyno Comp brought in a guy (in house) with all sorts of tire mounting/balancing stuff and they offer true RFB, Might as well take advantage of having access to it.
#14
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CLS55 AMG 030
#16
Agree 100% but wanted to clarify. The shop I use for all my MB stuff has a 9700 and I use them to do all my wheels. The roadforce balancing process is always measured but not always needed. There are instances when doing the initial balancing process that the roadforce measurement is within spec and therefore the wheel/tire does not need to be actually roadforce balanced.
Another area that tire shops shortcut is not doing bare rim runout measurements when installing new tires. Doing so allows the operator to "Force Match" the tires to the rims in the most accurate manner possible. On some rims, you can take external runout measurements on the rim, but many of today's modern wheel designs are such that it's not possible to take an external measurement, so they don't get taken at all. There's more, but hopefully these examples are illustrative.
Some people ask - if the machine will do all of this, why don't shops actually do it? The most common reason is time. It takes additional time to do all of the extra steps to be precise, and frankly, it's a PITA to mount and balance a tire, only to discover a the RFV measurement is out of spec and that you need to break the bead and move the tire on the rim to do it right. When a shop is busy and they're trying to move customers' work through, it's alot easier to set the RFV spec higher and just do a simple balance - and move on to the next customer. My suggestion is that if you're paying extra for a true road force balance, make certain you actually get one.
OP, sorry to divert some of this thread into a discussion of road force balancing, but with the amount of interest in wheels and tires on this board, I was glad when you mentioned the value of having a road force balance done in anticipation of some high speed driving.
Last edited by komp55; 09-30-2009 at 10:11 PM.
#17
MBWorld Fanatic!
I was saying the samething about race fuel not cleaning the piston tops. But I was surprized to see my pistons looked so much better, Vitualy no carbon build up after I started running 100oct all the time. Also no black build up on the tail pipe. Its kind of a reddish, Brown color.
Any way, GOOD LUCK at the track
#18
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1969 280S, 1991 300E
Any of the Arizona guys doing any racing or meets between Oct 10-16 or Dec 25-Jan 8?
I'm going to be in town (unfortunately won't have my car, as it's a 26hr drive vs. 4hr flight) & would like to see some rides or have a beer (or 12) or whatever.
I'm going to be in town (unfortunately won't have my car, as it's a 26hr drive vs. 4hr flight) & would like to see some rides or have a beer (or 12) or whatever.