hey, plan on throwin my car down the track this spring, and ive never dragged... just a quick question:

shift points?
what should i hold the rpms at before launch?
should i release gas between gears like normal driving or just floor it?
any tips for a newbie?

please keep the flaming down, im trying to prepare

 

hey mate

Well Im no pro, and I’ve only been down about 8 times or so (about 6 runs a time), but Ill tell you what I know.

shift points: well I shift at 8000 but you might be higher, depends on where your top Hp is ?? also when I shift that drops me back to about 5000rpm, which is good for my setup

launch Rpm: well this highly depends on your engine setup, my old turbo I use to launch at about 5000, but now I have a bigger one I launch at 7000 or else I bog to much off the line, and if I do it any higher I just do burn outs I also use some good quality 235's, so tire size will play a big point as well for Rpm on launch

i also release the gas when changing, but if you can, then well Id try it

But the fun thing about drag racing is just trying new things for yourself if you find some thing easier then try it at the end of the day you will only get quicker coz you learn prity quick what doesn’t work and what does

also depending on your reaction time you might find you quicker if you launch on the second yellow or somthing, instead of waiting for the green

Good luck and hopfully dont break anything ... I always do :P

 

seing that you have a modded s5 n/a i can give a little advice.

heres some point i would recomend starting at, adjust as you become more cappable and learn what works best for you and your car.

-launch at about 4k.
-slip the clutch quickly and roll on to the gas. do not just drop the clutch! i see that you have a six puck clutch so you will probobly be able to launch a little harder but keep in mind that the n/a gearbox was not designed for drag racing and can only take so much abuse.
-shift at redline (8k) in each gear until you get everything smooth.
-get off the gas during gear changes until you are ready to write off your transmission
-drop rear tire pressure to about 24 psi.
-get as much dead weight out of the car as you can. run on about 1/4 tank of gas.

this should be a good place to start. since your car has some good power mods you might find it beneficial to shift at about 8200 rpm or so. but i wouldnt bother trying this until you get everything else consistent and can compare trap speeds to see if it realy improved anything.

a lot of dragging an old n/a has to do with what kind of condition your driveline is in (clutch strength, synchro condition, differential slop) and what kind of condition you are willing to put it in. a few tenths can always be gained if you want to kamikaze launch at 7k, powershift, and grind the crap out of your gears, but its just not worth it in my opion.

keep us posted when you get back from the track

good luck!

 

I dont know if it differs between N/As and TIIs, but I would not recommend launching from 7K, you'll just burnout like no other.. I recommend the 4K slip, I slip it slowly since I have a TII and it puts a load on the engine quickly to build boost.

 

Its all about the slip. Your clutch will hate you, but your 60ft time will love you.

I bagged a 1.8 60 ft time with an ACT clutch, stock organic disk, and radials. Its all in the foot work!

 

Well...Ive only done one run in my life...but Jose Zeda was there, who drags all the time with Beat The Heat. He told me to drive around that water they spray down and do a real short burnout...just to warm up the tires a bit. Then...he said launch at 7k and drop the clutch, and then shift at 8k. That is EXACTLY what I did and EVERYTHING went smooth. I was driving my 86 GXL N/A. No mods whatsoever. My rebuilt engine had about 6-8k miles on it. Its been a couple years since then and I cant find my timeslip ANYWHERE, but it was decent for my first and only run. I think it was 14.xx, but Im not sure. My wife did a run a bit later and had fun as well.

It was a fun experience though. Id like to do it again someday...just for fun.

 

-shift right at redline
-a lot of tracks are different, also depends on your tires. I launch at 6000 on my 265's with a very quick let out of the clutch (not dropping) and managed a few 1.9 60ft's and plenty of 2.0's
-I wouldn't recomend it, but some people have gotten faster times using this method
-Make sure everything in your engine bay is very secure. Make sure your overflow bottle will operate properly if needed. If possible run water for coolant, if not thats ok just a bitch to clean up if it spills on the track. Make sure your car will pass tech inspection. Bring a notepad and a pen to right down tire pressure, times and launching methods etc.

 

just wondering but does anyone launch in second gear ??

Ive not tried it, but been very tempted.... just to see how it goes

 

I've got my best times with my S4 NA by launching at about 6k, tires at 12psi, shift at 7.5k, light clutch feather on launch to load up the rear suspension on the tires before releasing it all the way. Best 60' was 2.2 so far, best time 14.78@95.6.

 

Your lunching has a lot to do with your tires, too much rpm you will break traction, not enough and you will lunch slow. I got a G-force transmission on my drag fc and i shift at about 8000rpm and the next gear is up an ready at 6000, try using low pressure on your tires that will help a lot.

 

Peripheral / side porting? That's wild!

 

8.49 my best time with my new adjustable clutch, (still traying to learn how to set it)