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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

How do you get traction!


dannysupratt
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Hi guys i have got a uk spec manual tt with full bpu mods i would imagine it was running about 380bhp no more than 400 anyway. I have serious problems putting it down, i know that is a small amout of power in supra terms but it spins all the way through 1st and second gear in the dry. Even with traction control on it just kills the power its goes like hell in 3rd but just wish there was someway of putting it down in the first few gears. I have got 19" wheels on with toyo tyres 265/35/19. Would lowering the car help atall? And how the fook do you guys with big singles put it down?

 

as always any help is much appreciated

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RLTC is very good, really worth every penny.

 

A powerful rear wheel drive car needs an amount of rear suspension travel to help get traction, ie. the rear of the car will squat slightly under power. If your suspension is lowered excessively or the spring/damper rates are too hard, then your suspension won't be able to transfer the power to the road and the wheels will just spin.

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Mine is 390bhp and although its auto it doesnt spin all the way through first and second. It will spin the wheels up on the second turbo if i burry my foot to the carpet. But then the Traction control cuts in and its ok. if i keep my foot down whist the TC is on and it then goes off it will just spin up again.

 

Id recommend (especialy in this weather and time of year) not moving your right foot so much :)

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Why not lower the boost to reduce that effect. My car runs 0.9 bar and has no prolems transmitting its power to the road although i run stock 17's !

A powerful car is nothing if it can't tramsit that in to forward momentum ;)

This time of year you really should be careful with how much power you are trying to use, the conditions are not conducive to fast driving in rear wheel drive We have lost 9 cars already !

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RLTC won't increase your traction at all but instead of spinning the weels you'll get pops and bangs from the exhaust and a "safer" ride...

 

You need to bin the 19's so you can run higher profile tyres - I change back to stock rims and tyres for the colder months for this reason (and to keep my other wheels looking good).

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Larger than stock width tyres, big power, heavy right foot and poor road conditions at the moment, welcome to the winter, the only real way to get traction is be progressive with your application of the loud pedal, I have a big single and a TT and as long as you are careful you are ok, I think actually the TT is more tricky in poor conditions as you are on boost were in the single you drive off boost most of the time due to it not kicking in until 3500rpm, you have changed gear by then (or you should have if you want to stay pointing in the right direction !!:D)

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softer suspension or softer shock absorber settings would allow your car's weight to transfer more to the rear which would help traction.

Tyres are important.

But I'd say the most important thing is your right foot on the throttle.

As your turbo's come online just ease off the throttle slightly before re-applying it.

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A taller profile tyre on a 17 or at the most, 18 inch rim of moderate width, with decent progressive rear springs of the correct rates, and with matched damper valving will transform it. I have never EVER driven a MKIV on 19 inch rims that's anything but dire. The owners of the cars may be happy, and say it's fine, but when I drive them *I* find they are dreadful, and I drive dozens of these things every year.

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I'm running on 8x18 rims with 245/35 falken (452s or somthing) and 40mm lowered, 6sp BPU @ 393fwhp.

I have traction issues as soon as the road is anything but completely dry but when it is no spin unless provoked. But when the road is damp (like it seems to be constantly from september to april) I'm having real probs.

Of cause the most effect will be had for dosing the right foot correctly, but that is comparable to using some good traction control electrionics fx RLTC.

 

 

 

BUT how much of a gain will be had (again @ BPU) from the following (please prioritize if you have experience) if I want to put as much power as possible to the road going straight:

 

  • Wider rims
  • Smaller rims
  • Wider tyres
  • Higher profile tyres
  • Other tyre brand (please suggest by experiense)
  • Less lowered suspension or softer rear suspension
  • Using a "smart" boost controller to push to 1.2 bar in stead of just the restrictor

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I would say thats your problem......what else do you have in terms of suspension?? have you had a proper geo setup (ie a Chris Wilson one or similar??

 

Thanks for the tips everyone, I was actually thinking of getting some standard 17" if i can find some for sale.

 

I have got bilstein shocks on the back with standard springs at the moment and was going to change the springs for eibach ones.

As for the geo setup i think it has just had one at toyota.

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Eibach springs are too low, IMO. The car gets onto the bump stops in squat with them, there's not a lot of suspension travel on the stock ride height, dropping it much is a BAD idea, for several reasons.

 

ok thanks for advice chris, i just think it is going to sit really high with the oem kit on and the 19" so i might look at getting the stock wheels

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ok thanks for advice chris, i just think it is going to sit really high with the oem kit on and the 19" so i might look at getting the stock wheels

 

Forget the WHEEL diameter for this argument:

 

If the TYRE overall diameter is the same, or nearly the same as the stock 17 inch tyre, then your ride height, with a given spring height, will be the same.

 

If people have Eibachs, and like the ride and stiffness, but want to raise the car to a more sensible and geometrically sound ride height, and you have BILSTEIN dampers, I can machine them to achieve whatever height you want / need, or even convert them to adjustable ride height. It's not a while you wait job, and to just alter by machining will cost 350 quid, but it IS an option...

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