foild

could someone please enlighten me in the ways of launching my car in a race situation.

it is a s4, with 120 000 km , header, straighpipe to single exit catback, intake, safc2 tuned.. very good running..

thanks!

also, a brief explenation on the best shift points for my car would be awsome

-cam

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

is it a turbo or non? this makes a huge difference in how to launch.

as far as shift points, it all depends on the peak output of your engine, shifting right as the horsepower apexes is what you want, this is usually at around 7200 RPMs. some people don't let up on the throttle when shifting but this sounds like severe engine and tranny abuse but it is all how you percieve and treat your car.

SmogSUX

iTrader: (12)

I have a turbo and can't launch any lower than 4k w/o nearly killing my car. If I have money down I will launch at 5k. N/a are a lot different I'm guessing. My shift point is 7k in first then 6.5k in the other gears.

bcool

He said it had a header, so i'm assuming n/a. I sometimes launch at 4 and a few times i've launched at 7K at the track...i'm really suprised i havent broken anything yet

ddub

My launching technique at the drag strip was holding the revs at 6k, dropping the clutch and flooring it shifting at ~7500 rpms. On the sticky dragstrip surface it's not exactly the nicest thing you can do to your car, it's EXTREMELY violent and I'm sure this is why my differential is fucked now

But on the street I did the same thing and it was fairly smooth.

bcool

Yeah, btw, i also dont reccomend the 6-7K launch, because my driveline slack speaks for itself

ddub

Yah, unfortunately that's what I had to do to yield the best 1/4 time, slipping the clutch was just not working at all and was getting me terrible 60 foot times. I suppose I could just practice it more, but at the time it just wasn't cutting it.

SonicRaT

iTrader: (6)

How the hell can you dump the clutch that high without spinning the tires off? Christ, even a 4k dump just spins mine off in any car. I just feather out from ~4k and feather it all the way out to avoid spinning the tires, then I shift around 7800 (in n/a form on a s5)

ddub

On the street it just spins like crazy and sends the *** of my car whiping around. On the track, however, it's sticky enough to just cause excessive wheel hop and other violent behavior That was of course before my solid diff/tranny/engine mounts, pinion snubber, and coilovers, so I'm unsure of how I'll be launching when the track reopens.

bcool

I have a solid diff mount, energy suspension bushings, and 5 KG/MM springs in the rear and i still get shitloads of wheelhop

lastphaseofthis

iTrader: (8)

just out cruising around me and some guys launced my 1988 n/a at about 7.5k, nice burn out, and good burnt smell, but i wont be doing it much. diffenatly not gonna do it when i get my new clutch installed, i'd like it to last

bcool

I hate the smell of burnt clutch, especially when it only has a few thousand miles on it. At one point while doing some stupid **** (a burnout) i was going to attempt a 2nd gear shift but as soon as i did the clutch sliped, i let off, and let the revs drop. as soon as that happend i had smoke pouring out of where my shifter surround is supposed to go (didnt have it on at the time) and my interior smelled of burnt clutch for a week. Good times...i now feel sorry for my car. BTW the burnout was in the rain.

SonicRaT

iTrader: (6)

Damn, even on the track I can't hook up and just spin them. Insane!

GUITARJUNKIE28

you slipped the clutch in the rain?????
i had traction problems in 3rd gear even on dry road...

BDoty311

I used to rev to around 5-6k and slip the clutch in my n/a. Seems to work best.

geargrabber

if i slip the clutch too much, the clutch will continue to slip with my foot off the clutch.

i need a new pressure plate? the clutch disc has maybe 8k mi on it.

anyways, getting back on topic of the post, i launch at 3-4k on the street doing the clutch slip method. Clutch dumping is rape and drama.

85TIIDEVIL

iTrader: (2)

If you're having wheel hop, at the track or a street race (not daily driving obviously) lower the tire pressure to 15-18ish pnds.

SonicRat... get a pair of slicks on... hehehehe

SonicRaT

iTrader: (6)

I've got falken on the n/a, and nittos on the TII, neither grip very well if I do anything more than a 4k clutch drop.

powrdby13B

problem is, when you get out of the power band too much it kills your 60' time, eh? couldn't tell you fo sho what impact it has (versus spinning the tires) on the track

cendo54

iTrader: (2)

i think tire pressure and suspension will effect the way the car leaves. i think you just have to experiment and practice. a little spin seems to work best.

ddub

Screw lowering tire pressure. You should run your car at the track exactly how you do on the street if it's a street car, that way you have a better idea what you run on the street.

ddub

My Eagle F1 GS-D3's do fine on the track so my rear stays in control, but on the street it still whips out.

GUITARJUNKIE28

the bridgeport would either bog or burnout off the line...there wasn't much in between.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

but if you want to see what your car can really do sometimes you have to take measures to do it, lower tire pressure isn't all that bad of an idea, it actually helps you grip through turns as well but makes the *** end feel squishy.

vice

i hate droppign my clutch to launch. its hard to explain it, but sometimes i can get this perfect clutch engagement where i begin to engage the clutch at three grand and kinda feather it and add mroe gas so that my tires on on the very edge of traction loss. it feels really good and itsnt as bad for your drive train, and you wont waste time spinnign your tires.