I was curious if anyone on here can do a wheel stand on the street and whats involved in their combo. I was looking at drag shocks maybe springs and figured the 540's torque will handle the rest.

I can't do one, but I pull the front end up a lot, but not off the ground. My suggestion is traction. I am by no means a performance "guru" as others here are, but I think you need to be able to dump the clutch and have your tires grab rite away. Can't have any wheelspin. Maybe a set of slicks? Just MHO,
Chris

I can't do a real wheelstand...yet :D

My left front comes off the ground and the car twists with the right front skimming the track surface. Wheelies on the street would be tough - mainly an available traction issue on street pavement vs prepped track surface.

Let's face it; you have a heavy car with a powerful engine and a traction limited situation.

How about block long burnouts instead - now that is something you CAN do!

Thomas

It can be done, I was goofing around many years ago in my old 69 Camaro, lining up against my buddies BB `65 vette. We launched in second from about a 30 mph punch and he shut down almost immediately and I asked him what was up. He wouldn't say, but he asked my brother (who was shotgun in my car) to ride with him. We launched again and again he shut down. When I asked what the deal was this time, he said thought he saw my front wheels lift about 6" when we hit it but he didn't want to say until my brother could confirm it. That was with street tires and a peg leg 3.08. The engine was a .030 over 396 rebuilt to 375 hp specs w/ solid cam and race ported heads.

Note: I don't condone street racing but this was about 30 years ago along a deserted stretch of roadway with no intersections for more than a mile in front of us. (Ironically enough the area has since been developed and my house now looks out over the same stretch of road we were on that night so many years ago).

In 1969 a friend bought a copo Chevelle. With a double disk clutch, 5.38 gears and 10.5" slicks he could pull the front tires 10" on the street! That was in 1969, without any lightweight tires, wheels or discs that are in use on current drag and street cars.

Try how they did it in Fast and Furious..attach a cable to the front end tied to a crane, have a buddy lift the crane boom when you floor it. If you video it, you can edit out the cable from the video frames.

It ain't gonna happen on the street.

Thomas, what have you tried to reduce the twist you have? I always pick up in 60ft or at least consistency whenever I adjust the suspension to straighten out the launch.

Big tires, big torque and plenty of stall and gear to go with it.

Better yet, just go to the track . . .

I can't remember anyone doing a wheelstand on the street. Even the guys that come around with the converted A/Gas cars can't do it. Just too much cantaminants (oil, chemicals, debris - dust, dirt, stones, etc, etc) for that kind of traction. At the track, you will need a good chassis including a 6 point cage to get both wheels up. The big block torque just twists the long frame of a Chevelle.

I was pretty sure they used a hydraulic dolly system from under the car that lifted the front up. Been awhile since I saw the DVD extras but I was sure that's how it was done....


Originally posted by mc71454:
Try how they did it in Fast and Furious..attach a cable to the front end tied to a crane, have a buddy lift the crane boom when you floor it. If you video it, you can edit out the cable from the video frames.

It ain't gonna happen on the street.

Thomas, what have you tried to reduce the twist you have? I always pick up in 60ft or at least consistency whenever I adjust the suspension to straighten out the launch.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by zefhix:
[QB] I was pretty sure they used a hydraulic dolly system from under the car that lifted the front up. Been awhile since I saw the DVD extras but I was sure that's how it was done....


Yes, probably...I was just being sarcastic. graemlins/beers.gif

Damn....my own sarcasm radar failed.. graemlins/sad.gif


Originally posted by mc71454:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by zefhix:
[QB] I was pretty sure they used a hydraulic dolly system from under the car that lifted the front up. Been awhile since I saw the DVD extras but I was sure that's how it was done....


Yes, probably...I was just being sarcastic. graemlins/beers.gif

I have been told by some older people around town my dads 69 396 4 speed used to pull the front tires a few in.

Of course my dad had the story but I didnt really believe it until I heard it from a couple others

I still have my doubts but you never know...

I just recently witnessed an early Nova pulling it's front wheels about 6" and carrying them for about 10 feet. It was very healthy sounding, and clearly had some traction devices on the rear end. He ran it up through all three gears, and looked to be in the very low 11 second range. Maybe 10's.

I can see a well set up Nova or Camaro having a much better chance than a long wheelbase Chevelle.

I have no doubts about a nova...I've seen it happen.

Granted it was blown and running slicks...he pulled the front 3 times showing off for a crowd then blew a head gasket

I will agree with Thunderstruck cause i saw that too...... he was pushin 762 hp not sure on torque tho but it was blown and he was using a line lock to help him hed ingage the line lock and start to rev it disengage and then punch it and he would bring em 10 or 12 inchs.....he had slicks, ladder bar suppension, and some other goodies in his "ARSON" tongue.gif ;)

mc7154, I haven't really done anything yet to reduce the twist - I did install a 1-3/8" rear sway bar, but I have not made any passes with the new bar yet. I spent today taking the heads off - somewhere I have combustion gasses invading my cooling system, I did overheat it badly twice at the drags, maybe a warped head?

Of course after reading rthlc's reply I can see the error of my ways: if I could only lose 100 cubes, get rid of the slicks posi and 4.10 gears - then I would be getting 6" wheelstands smile.gif Oh yeah, and I'm gonna need some of those no-stick street tires from 30 years ago. I'll have to admit that some of the stuff I was smoking 30 years ago made me FEEL like I was flying. Apologies in advance to rthlc, sorry man I couldn't resist taking a jab - but such a combo leaving 6" of daylight under the front tires...well...

Thomas

Ironic how years ago when tires sucked and engines made much less hp and tq than today people could pull there wheels. I'd say you don't stand a chance with a 540 WITH slicks, what you need to do is put on a 2 barrel and some very restrictive exhaust manifolds with some old bias ply tires, but be careful you will definatly need wheely bars then. just kidding guys have fun Jeff

Put the engine in back ... with a Toronado drive:)

The only cars round here that can do a wheelstand on the street are full fiberglass with short wheelbases, a roll cage, DOT slicks and of course aluminum wherever possible. Some people round here have just too much money.

I doubt it would ever happen in a chevelle without a full fiberglass front end and an altered wheelbase.

-Ryan

There is a road out in the country by Coweta, Ok. that has better traction than any drag strip i've ever been on. I personally broke my Muncie transmission on this road. Not all good traction is at the strip. In fact my 375 H.P. "396" Chevelle usually spun quite badly at Tulsa International Dragstrip, but not at the "bottoms" at Coweta. A friend of my sons has a tranny braked 590 something Big Block Camaro, with a nitrous converter that can put daylight under the tires on any flat, clean strech of pavement.

Then I guess you'll never believe this story about the stock appearing orange 69 Camaro that "skims" the left front for about five feet. Running on Polyglas G70-14s, TH400, no traction bars, cast iron manifolds and full 2 1/2" exhaust. Oh yeah, no blue bottle. 11.24 @ 126.35 . Not back in 1969, just a month or so ago. ;) Check out January 2003 Hot Rod Magazine

I've been told my left front tire comes off the ground when I do donuts behind Taco Bell and coming up the westbound on ramp on I-40 locally. only in first and I have to turn left. I don't think it takes much under the right conditions.

John, I TOTALLY believe the FAST (factory APPEARING stock) e.t./mph. That is a completely prepped car, way beyond stock displacement and hp/tq, that would run deep down towards 10 flat if it gave up a few "restrictions". Go down to a FAST event and put your hand on those Polyglas G70-14 - you might have a hard time unsticking your hand from the tread. Yes indeed, if parts only need "look" like original equipment it is amazing what a clever well coordinated performance program can do. And much kudos to the dedication of the FAST racers for actually creating what every street racer ever dreamed about - something that doesn't look like anything special, yet there is much much more going on than meets the eye.

Oh yeah, despite all the undercover work on that car, no wheelstands.

Thomas

P.S. Do you remember the Hot Rod Magazine SS396 Camaro that turned unbelievable times at the drags after Hot rod installed "Bolt Ons" (and probably helped to sell a lot of SS396 Camaros)? Some years later Hot Rod magazine admitted that on the way to Peterson Publishing that the Camaro stopped by Bill Thomas Race shop for "inspection". While there it somehow recieved an overbore and 1/2" stroke crank for 496 cubes!!! Back in the day, that car fooled a lot of people.

heck years ago with a smallblock stick Nova I could pull the front wheels 6 inches and carry them for awhile. Simple- soggy front springs, lotsa rear tire, get on it and get off letting the front come down and compress the springs then nail it and stay on her. The spring rebound gets it moving upwards and the torque will pull it off. smile.gif Just don't do it behind the High School with kids everywhere like I did, good thing nobody got hurt with the stupid things I did years ago. graemlins/clonk.gif

Well, this is bound to be the last reply in tis thread, when I first got into the steel business some 24 years ago I did get a wheelie out of a truck once if you want to count it.

Was hauling (or should I say attempted to haul) a 38' long piece of 48" diamter steel pipe down the street on an old '69-'70 GMC cabover 30,000GVW truck set up with a 19' bed. Basically had about 25' of the pipe hanging out behind the rear axle. Only had to haul it 1/4" mile, so we figured what the heck. Anyway, as I pulled out it felt kind of light steering, but we figured it was ok for the short distance - wrong - pulled about a 6' wheelstand and broke one of the kingpins when it came back down.

Does that count?

hope you had a red flag on the end of it. :eek:

It was flaged alright. Hey that was 24 years ago, I'm 47 now, do the math and think how much different/dumb we did things at a younger age.

I did a wheelie just this morning, pulled the front end up something like 18" to 2 feet. I was on my motorcycle though :D .

When I was in high school we used to go to the street races in Ontario, Ca. I remeber seeing numerous cars doing wheelstands. The ones that stood out the most were a tubbed Chevy Luv, a couple of Camaros, and a Volkwagon Bug. Even my younger brother had a '74 Vega Wagon that we could get the driverside wheel up and that only had a 283. His '68 Camaro could do the same with his 383. So I know it's not impossible.

Originally posted by dyno jonn:
Then I guess you'll never believe this story about the stock appearing orange 69 Camaro that "skims" the left front for about five feet. Running on Polyglas G70-14s, TH400, no traction bars, cast iron manifolds and full 2 1/2" exhaust. Oh yeah, no blue bottle. 11.24 @ 126.35 . Not back in 1969, just a month or so ago. ;) Check out January 2003 Hot Rod Magazine I believe the car you are talking about belongs to Terry Pennington - His car resides about 4 blocks from my house. I've looked it over pretty good, and every last nut and bolt on that car is beautiful. Never had the opportunity to see or hear it run though.

He runs in the FAST series (Factory Appearing Stock Tire). His is a ZL-1 clone. In FAST, everything has to appear stock on the outside, even the block and head casting numbers have to be correct. But on the inside anything goes. Stroker cranks, porting, big roller cams, high CR, ballast, acid dipped fenders, etc. Exhaust manifolds are mandatory but even those are often ported with an abrasive slush system. Tires have to be the stock size for that vehicle.

I believe one wheel up on the street isn't unrealistic, but I took "wheelstand" to mean two wheels up. I haven't had a chance to get my new combo to the strip yet(shame on me, its only 3 miles from home) but I feel I have a good chance of lifting the left front. In my eyes, not a real wheelstand. The outlaw super stocks ,a.k.a the chicago outlaws, now those guys do wheelstands, two wheels up and the rear bumper dragging. At least its much cooler looking when the bumper drags.
Have fun, Jeff

I remember 66_283 saying he could get the wheels off the ground on the street without using nitrous. He has the 66 chevelle nitrous 632. I'm pretty sure he was usin 10.5's. graemlins/beers.gif