Traction

    I have a stock 2016 SL with the 20" rear wheel. I would love to mod it and increase the HP, but it seems to me that for pure off the line performance my traction is the weakest link. even stock getting off the line quickly without spinning the rear tire is impossible


    So now that I have told you all something that you already knew please tell me what can I do to help improve traction? is there a better tire choice that will fit the stock rim and not mess up the computer? and is there any other thing that can be done to improve traction other than adding lead weights :)

    Cage Free - 2016 Pearl Red SL

    DDM Short Shifter, Sway Bar Mounts Coolant tank Master Cylinder Brace & CAI

    Twist Dynamics Sway Bar, JRI GT Coilovers, Assault Hood Vent

    OEM Double Bubble windshields & various other goodies

    Not much out there to help with traction except the big 3: Sticky Tires, Quality Shocks, and Traction Control techniques.


    I have a set of Bilsteins installed for help with suspension, and just put a Nitto 555 on the back. The Nitto definitely helped with grip. Now I have to continuously work on my traction control technique.......in other words....I gotta work on how hard I stick my foot into the carb when I launch!!! :whistling:

    Those who will give up essential liberty to secure a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety


    2016 Slingshot SL Vin# 8855 (born in September 2015) w/ Alpha Stage 2 Turbo @ 7.5psi

    I'm wondering if I'm going to be the only person in the country running a supercharger on all stock tires and shocks. I'm going to be buying shocks and tires. Hell I might buy the tire today I just want to see how it does all stock other than the engine mods. I guess that's why I'm a redneck.

    Quote from bjk81

    I'm wondering if I'm going to be the only person in the country running a supercharger on all stock tires and shocks. I'm going to be buying shocks and tires. Hell I might buy the tire today I just want to see how it does all stock other than the engine mods. I guess that's why I'm a redneck.

    I ran mine like that for a couple months. Changed the shocks first and that helped some. Then put the Nitto 555 on. The tire is a lot better than stock but the supercharger will chew anything off you put back there.

    :BLUESS:
    Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
    ~Mark Twain~

    There's not much you can do other than learn to finesse the throttle. After a few miles driving it you'll figure it out. The extra HP is really handy when some bozo in his (fill in the vehicle) wants to mess with you and you're already going down the road. USUALLY, they're pretty easy to blow away or (like I like doing) get on their ass and see watch them struggle to get away from you. Depends on your driving style and whether or not you like speed, but that's where the extra horses come in handy... in the higher portion of the speed spectrum :D . Curvy mountain roads are the best though... hell anyone can go fast in a straight line ;) .

    Quote from bjk81

    I'm wondering if I'm going to be the only person in the country running a supercharger on all stock tires and shocks. I'm going to be buying shocks and tires. Hell I might buy the tire today I just want to see how it does all stock other than the engine mods. I guess that's why I'm a redneck.

    We have supercharged a few completely stock slings. Its a scary kind of fun you just don't find anywhere else. :thumbsup:
    This one was all stock until I supercharged it at Maggie Valley and took it up the parkway.



    Would highly recommend the Tires, Brakes, and Suspension.

    Jeff Mellor
    DDMWorks
    119A Highway 183
    Piedmont, SC 29673
    Orders - 864-438-4949
    Tech Support - 864-907-6004
    www.DDMWorks.com

    The hardest part of getting maximum acceleration from your Slingshot (NA or boosted) is getting started w/o spinning your tires. You need to develop a techniques that allows you to give it as much gas as possible WITHOUT spinning your rear tire. Once you're out of 1st gear, give it all the throttle you want while still trying to avoid spinning that rear tire. This is hard if you're trying to out-accelerate someone from a stop because they'll probably start to pull ahead and the temptation to floor it is pretty strong. At a bare minimum, try to minimize spin until you're rolling at 20-25 mph before really getting on the gas. Once you get going, the extra HP and lightweight of the Slingshot compare to other vehicles should help you out. It's difficult to find and consistently follow the procedure of maximizing acceleration while minimizing wheel spin, but it can be done. Lots of folks think it's cool to spin you wheel(s), but that really just slows you down.
    That stock SL wheel is just too narrow for maximum acceleration. Look for a new wheel in the 10.5 - 12" wide range if you want to fit the widest tire possible (315 or so) . A 345 wide tire needs at least a 12" wide wheel). From a price perspective, you'll probably find the best price/performance from a 315 tire as the 345s are still relatively pricey!

    I got the SC in Maggie Valley on stock tires. Just working on wearing the tread down to where I "need" new tires (which justifies new rims ;) ). As others have said, throttle finess is about the best option regardless of tires, shocks etc.


    Launching from the red lights and spinning tires really scares all those folks with their faces in their phones.


    You just don't hear the squeal of rubber on the road very often these days.


    Been all smiles since MV!

    Quote from bjk81

    I'm wondering if I'm going to be the only person in the country running a supercharger on all stock tires and shocks. I'm going to be buying shocks and tires. Hell I might buy the tire today I just want to see how it does all stock other than the engine mods. I guess that's why I'm a redneck.

    You need to get rid of the stock shocks. There are several good quality shocks available. The stock shocks are terrible. I run QA1 shocks on mine.

    Quote from av8ingtom

    You need to get rid of the stock shocks. There are several good quality shocks available. The stock shocks are terrible. I run QA1 shocks on mine.

    how do shocks different increase traction? when accelerating from a stop in a straight line? I know it will help with traction when cornering or going over bumps, but for this question i am talking about increasing traction to avoid spinning the rear tire when some idiot at a light wants to race - thanks :)

    Cage Free - 2016 Pearl Red SL

    DDM Short Shifter, Sway Bar Mounts Coolant tank Master Cylinder Brace & CAI

    Twist Dynamics Sway Bar, JRI GT Coilovers, Assault Hood Vent

    OEM Double Bubble windshields & various other goodies

    Quote from edwardaneal

    how do shocks different increase traction? when accelerating from a stop in a straight line? I know it will help with traction when cornering or going over bumps, but for this question i am talking about increasing traction to avoid spinning the rear tire when some idiot at a light wants to race - thanks :)

    With the double adjustable shocks you can adjust the compression and with triple adjustable you can adjust the rebound and compression. The other adjustment is ride height. For added traction you would soften the rear shock for easy down to transfer the weight aft. If you had a rebound adjustment you could make the front shocks easy up to help speed up the weight transfer.

    :BLUESS:
    Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
    ~Mark Twain~

    Quote from Rob the Slob

    With the double adjustable shocks you can adjust the compression and with triple adjustable you can adjust the rebound and compression. The other adjustment is ride height. For added traction you would soften the rear shock for easy down to transfer the weight aft. If you had a rebound adjustment you could make the front shocks easy up to help speed up the weight transfer.

    Tank you Rob. What you want is the rear to squat and help transfer the power to the pavement. The stock shocks are so stiff that they will rattle your teeth out. If you do not get the back to squat then you are not moving the weight to the rear tire which will assist with traction. My personal opinion is the first mod every new Slingshot owner should perform is replacing the terribly stiff stock shocks.

    Quote from av8ingtom

    Tank you Rob. What you want is the rear to squat and help transfer the power to the pavement. The stock shocks are so stiff that they will rattle your teeth out. If you do not get the back to squat then you are not moving the weight to the rear tire which will assist with traction. My personal opinion is the first mod every new Slingshot owner should perform is replacing the terribly stiff stock shocks.

    I am not sure I agree - the weight shifting to the rear is happening weather the car "squats" or not. the weight transfer is a function of acceleration. To me it would seem that a stiffer shock in the back would actually force this weight transfer to increase the down force on the rear wheel which would improve traction where as a soft shock would actually soften the downward pressure on the rear wheel as it would be absorbed by the shock and not transferred to the ground. It seems to me that a softer shock causing the car to "squat" to the rear more is actually a sign that the shock is lessening the downward pressure put on the rear wheel.


    As a side note I just did some investigative research and Top fuel Dragsters, which clearly would want the maximum traction, don't even have rear shocks or for that matter any suspension at all - if soft shocks helped weight transfer to the rear you would thing they would want this advantage

    Cage Free - 2016 Pearl Red SL

    DDM Short Shifter, Sway Bar Mounts Coolant tank Master Cylinder Brace & CAI

    Twist Dynamics Sway Bar, JRI GT Coilovers, Assault Hood Vent

    OEM Double Bubble windshields & various other goodies

    Quote from edwardaneal

    how do shocks different increase traction? when accelerating from a stop in a straight line? I know it will help with traction when cornering or going over bumps, but for this question i am talking about increasing traction to avoid spinning the rear tire when some idiot at a light wants to race - thanks :)


    Yes shocks will help. The OEM shocks are slow to react. Compression is stiff and rebound is slow so your tire doesn't hook as good. With the Alpha/JRi shocks the shocks are very fluid so when you take off it allow the machine to squat and hook.

    Quote from edwardaneal

    I am not sure I agree - the weight shifting to the rear is happening weather the car "squats" or not. the weight transfer is a function of acceleration. To me it would seem that a stiffer shock in the back would actually force this weight transfer to increase the down force on the rear wheel which would improve traction where as a soft shock would actually soften the downward pressure on the rear wheel as it would be absorbed by the shock and not transferred to the ground. It seems to me that a softer shock causing the car to "squat" to the rear more is actually a sign that the shock is lessening the downward pressure put on the rear wheel.
    As a side note I just did some investigative research and Top fuel Dragsters, which clearly would want the maximum traction, don't even have rear shocks or for that matter any suspension at all - if soft shocks helped weight transfer to the rear you would thing they would want this advantage

    Shocks or dampers are nothing more than timing devices. The car will react to the inputs regardless. Springs are what the chassis responds to. The higher the rate of spring the more pressure to that wheel will be applied........to a point. If the spring rate is too high then you have a rigid suspension. I do not know what the spring rates are on my coil overs but assume they were chosen to be the "ideal" rate for the Slingshot
    So with the "timing device" on the firmest setting that slows the compression of the shock down and the spring does not get the weight needed at the point of acceleration and you will blow the tire off.

    :BLUESS:
    Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
    ~Mark Twain~

    The thing that actually moves is the moment of inertia. When the rear squats & the front rises quickly this is the force that plants the rear tire. Refer to a drag racing suspension book called door slammers.